The Art Gallery of Ontario is acquiring works by seven artists through Art Toronto, Canada’s largest art fair. They include a monumental painting by the late Toronto artist Rae Johnson, seven paintings and wall texts by Wilp Laxgiik Nisga’a/Haida artist Luke Parnell, and a new work on paper by Inuit artist Shuvinai Ashoona, the 2018 winner of the Gershon Iskowitz Prize. Also acquired were six alabaster sculptures by Toronto artist Jennifer Rose Sciarrino and a suite of five historical photographs by Canadian photographer Minna Keene, the only Canadian woman to be made a Royal Fellow of the Photographic Society. Toronto artist Julie Voyce and Canadian Congolese artist Moridja Kitenge Banza round out the list.
The Nia Centre for the Arts has unveiled plans for Canada’s first professional Black art centre in Toronto. The $7.5-million renovation, south of Eglinton Avenue West, will create a 14,000-square-foot venue with multimedia learning spaces, a performance area and a co-working space. Programs will include artist residencies, film screenings and youth activities. “Today we start building a legacy for our community," executive director Alica Hall said in a statement. "A consistent space to support Black artists and youth – nurturing their talents and sharing their work with new audiences.”
Richard Vaughan, an arts writer active in Canada’s LGBTQ arts scene, was found dead last month, 10 days after he was reported missing in New Brunswick. He was 55. Fredericton police said the death was not suspicious. An author and video artist, Vaughan had recently returned to his home province from Montreal to serve as writer-in-residence at the University of New Brunswick. He contributed to the art magazine Momus, as well as the Globe and Mail.
THEMUSEUM in Kitchener, Ont., will host an international touring exhibition next year that offers a glimpse into the lives of the Rolling Stones. Unzipped will run from Nov. 2, 2021 to Jan. 30, 2022. It includes more than 300 objects, including instruments, personal diaries, costumes, posters and album covers. Tickets go on sale Nov. 4 and can be purchased online at unzippedkw.ca.
The Bateman Foundation in Victoria is launching a wellness project that uses art and nature as tools for mindfulness and wellness. The foundation will work with vulnerable populations and community groups, providing free access to the gallery, as well as art and nature-based activities to help those experiencing anxiety or depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. The centre is hiring a part-time facilitator to manage the program. The foundation was set up by wildlife artist Robert Bateman and works to promote environmental preservation and sustainability.
The Toronto Biennial of Art has announced an initial selection of Canadian and international artists for its second edition in 2021. They include Nadia Belerique, Judy Chicago, Sebastian De Line, Jorge González, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Brian Jungen, Waqas Khan, Vanessa Kwan, Ange Loft, the Mata Aho Collective, Eric-Paul Riege, Camille Turner and Syrus Marcus Ware. The curatorial team, composed of Tairone Bastien, Clare Butcher, Candice Hopkins, Myung-Sun Kim and Katie Lawson, are working collectively on the biennial, which runs Sept. 25 to Dec. 5.
In other news:
- CBC News is reporting that staff at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg were told not to talk about pregnancy or abortion during tours involving religious schools. It also says the museum has paid out more than $309,000 in severance this year.
- Canadian Art is seeking an interim publisher to work through a five-month period of "significant organizational change" aimed at developing a "more equitable and inclusive publishing model."
- Iran's #MeToo movement is calling for the Tirgan Festival in Toronto to cut ties with celebrated Iranian painter Aydin Aghdashloo amidst allegations of sexual assault, CBC News reports.
- A British Museum exhibition, Arctic culture and climate, features brooches, hair pins and tea cosies by Indigenous artists from the Northwest Territories.
Sources: Art Gallery of Ontario, Nia Centre for the Arts, CBC News, THEMUSEUM, Bateman Foundation, Toronto Biennial of Art