Archive for the ‘events’ Category

Pride 2023

Posted: June 26, 2023 in events, people
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Sunday’s Pride parade and related antics

Pride is big.  By big I mean soooo many people and places happening all at once.    I take pictures on that Sunday because I like mingling with the crowds, talking to people, and taking pictures of people who want their picture taken.  Although I am happy to take posed shots, I prefer the candid shots.   This set of photos is by no means comprehensive – that’s an impossible task.  Instead it represents the people and events that I saw as I walked up Church Street, checked out the marshaling area for the parade, and then tried to find shady spots to stand to watch the parade itself (another impossibility!)… until I got too tired.

woman carrying one part of a large pink, white, and turquoise trans flag, with crowd watching the parade behind barricades beside her

before parade, group of three people, one with long green hair and another with pink hair, posing,

two people walking in pride parade, large blue fuzzy hair wigs, orange boas, rainbow bows in the hair

Brazilian Bees walking in pride parade

group at beginning of pride parade

woman walking in pride parade, crowds behind her

person in white cat face mask with pink ears walking behind banner in pride parade

man at pride parade wearing shiny pink boots, knee high

getting ready for pride parade, group, one person has sign that says doctors prescribe gay pride

man in drag in pride parade, sequin dress, red jacket,

people on sidewalk with popsicles, pride parade,

group with feather costumes walking in pride parade

friends of Ruby float in pride parade passes by on Dundas Street

pflag group in pride parade, with signs saying we can be your family, and you are beautiful,

person in pride parade

black motorcycle decorated for pride parade, rainbow flag with words written on it that say dyke on bike, pride was a riot

two men and a rainbow umbrella, one in pink bikini bottoms and both in fuzzy rainbow coloured leg warmers

john tory, ex mayor of toronto, walks on church street before the pride parade

men in pink t shirts in parade singing and yelling

group in pride parade in yellow t shirts that say my first pride

before pride parade, man in drag, white frilly dress with bow in hair

three women watching the pride parade

two women, from the back, arms around each other

young woman with bright pink hair and a rainbow teddy bear in her backpack

group in pride parade, men in pink t shirts

people waving small rainbow flags as a float passes by

at beginning of pride parade, trans group, with signs saying protect trans kids and I love my trans son

pride parade, two in rainbow masks

people watching pride parade and Yonge and Dundas, standing up on railing around subway entrance

two middle aged asian women walking on sidewalk beside crowds watching pride parade, one is wearing black floppy hat

man walking on sidewalk in blue overalls with crotch removed

three people watching parade, man in hat and long robe in wavy colours, vintage clothing,

man in a grey t shirt and rainbow tulle skirt

two boys and their mother wearing t shirts that say peace respect unity

a person in blue and white striped bottoms and a matching frilly bonnet

a security guard stands beside a man using a large video camera, along side a row of porta potties

a woman in round sunglasses with a crocheted shoulder band and skirt

a woman taking a picture of two other women in front of a mural on Wellesley

four people posing under a rainbow umbrella inclusing one person in an animal mask

4 asian japanese women posing for the camera before the pride parade,

cameras and people interviewing before pride parade

small dog in a stroller with pride rainbow flag

man standing on a step stool behind crowd at pride parade

 

woman in pink bikini, watching pride parade

 

Dyke March 2023

Posted: June 25, 2023 in events, people
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 The crowd was enthusiastic.


The motorcycles were noisy.

people walking in dyke March, two women on a red motorcycle, with one on the back is cheering and carrying a rainbow flag

The rain stayed away.

dykes on bikes, two women getting ready for pride parade,

people walking in dyke March, woman dancing in front of a white vehicle

people walking in dyke March including a black woman with long braids in black and pink tied up on the top of her head,

people walking in dyke March, woman in black helmet sitting on white scooter

dyke march, pride toronto, woman in black hat, short black top and carrying pink orange and white striped flag

dyke march, pride toronto, purple, pink, and orange striped banner that reads dyke march

group pf women at dyke march in downtown toronto, carrying signs, one says no pride without bipoc and the other says protect trans rights

group pf women at dyke march in downtown toronto, carrying signs that say fuck the patriarchy and watching out for sisters

dyke march, person with purple mohawk hairdo

dyke march parade, young woman in blue, dark sunglasses and blue kerchief, smiling

two woman on Bloor street, pride weekend, in matching blue and white small striped dresses, one holding a clear umbrellas with rainbow decoration

group pf women at dyke march in downtown toronto, two are topless, with no cops at pride written on chest another is in a wheelchair

group pf women at dyke march in downtown toronto,

group of women at dyke march in downtown toronto,

group pf women at dyke march in downtown toronto, with paper fans and playing withbubbles

group pf women at dyke march in downtown toronto, one woman heavily tattooed on back and shoulders

group pf women at dyke march in downtown toronto,

group pf women at dyke march in downtown toronto, back of person with short hair, and pink hearts dyed into the hair

people behind metal barricades watching a parade, dyke march

women walking in dyke march

women walking in dyke march, carrying anti Islamic regime signs, signs with women, life, freedom

woman carrying large cutout of a person holding a rainbow flag with words women life freedom

thousands of bubbles, Bloor Street, beside parade route

dyke march, pride toronto, two women, one with pink playboy jacket on

dyke march, pride toronto, people watching parade pass by on Bloor street

dyke march, pride toronto, people walking in parade, some with bubble blowing guns, some with flags

dyke march, pride toronto, woman with flag held up high, placard that reads this is what queer joy looks like

two happy women marching in dyke parade for pride 2023 in Toronto, one has green hair and a rainbow flag tucked into the waistband of her skirt

people walking in dyke March, two women arriving to the march with signs

people walking in dyke March, walking beside a white vehicle, a woman carrying a rainbow flag above her head

3 little orange, white, and pink striped flags tucked into the waistband of a pink dress

women in dyke march along Bloor street in Toronto, woman in yellow bra holding a sign, sticking her tongue out at camera

women in dyke march along Bloor street in Toronto, red head younger woman with her arm around the shoulders of an older woman

a woman in hat, mask, and on a bike with a carrier covered in flowers and pins

women in dyke march along Bloor street in Toronto, two women at edge of parade, one with rainbow fan and the other with rainbow flag

dyke march, women walking down Yonge street including two women pretending to be Larry and Steve, candidates for mayor in the Toronto by election. they have red platform high heeled shoes around their necks, as their election platform

women in dyke march along Bloor street in Toronto, a group poses with candidate in mayor election, Olivia Chow

women in dyke march along Bloor street in Toronto, younger woman in pink dress, other woman walking behind holding hands

people walking in dyke March, one with large reflective mask on as well as black hat

family of mother, father, and daughter, standing on yonge street watching dyke march pass by

a pair of rainbow boots, with white ankle socks, in dyke march

“Feels Like Home”

Posted: May 27, 2023 in events, galleries, public art
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… an art project by Sunday School,  a creative agency formed in Toronto in 2017 by Josef Adamu.  At the moment there are billboards at a few locations around the city including here at Dundas and Lansdowne where there are 3 images.

billboards above a vacant lot. The boards feature 3 large images by Sunday School. On the far left is a reclining woman with arm supporting head. In the center is a billboard with two images. Someone is brushing the hair of a young black woman in one photo. In the other, a person is sitting in a small orange car, viewed from the drivers side of the vehicle.

close up of images on billboards. two images. Someone is brushing the hair of a young black woman in one photo. In the other, a person is sitting in a small orange car, viewed from the drivers side of the vehicle.

Other photos by the group are on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario.  Two examples are:

below: “Jump Ball” is an ongoing project that explores the relationship between basketball and the African Diasporic communities.  Home is not restricted to private spaces, it is also found in unity. Here, in “Jump Ball: Toronto (2019)”,  you can see carefully composed pairings of young men in vibrant Ghanaian Kente cloth or a Senegalese boubou on the basketball court (what is identity?  how does basketball bring young men together?).  These were photographed by O’shane Howard.

photographs on a gallery wall, two in colour, and a group shot in black and white. the coloured photos are of young black men in traditional african clothing on a basketball court

below: Another series of pictures is “Ten Toes Down”, photographed by Kreshonna Keane.  This series features a ballet dancer in her home – a Black dancer in a field that is almost exclusively white.  Home is not just a building.  Home is the body; home is self expression.

two photographs on a gallery wall. on the left a black woman, a ballet dancer, sits on her floor surrounded by pairs of ballet shoes or slippers. the other picture is shoes and books

below: This image by Carlos Idun-Tawiah can also be seen in a parking lot by 80 Spadina Ave (see above, at Lansdowne & Dundas).

image of a young black woman

Sunday School website

Sunday School’s Instagram page

Cowboys and Indians

Posted: May 26, 2023 in events, general Toronto, public art
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below: At 460 King West (at intersection with Spadina) there is a mural on the wall and a poster in the Pattison advertising space. Both are part of the CONTACT Photography Festival.

view from parking lot on Spadina, large image on wall of adjacent building

a contact photography festival image, as a large mural, by Jake Kimble showing the artist as a young boy dressed up as a cowboy with large text added to photo that says I was told that the peace was mine to keep

Jake Kimble is a Chipewyan (Dëne Sųłıné) from Treaty 8 Territory in the Northwest Territories. The original photograph is of Kimble at age 6 or 7 and it was taken by his mother. In it he is wearing a cowboy at and apparently he was on his way to the Calgary Stampede.

“I was told that peace was mine to keep.” On the CONTACT webpage that describes this installation, this text is “the statement of a promise unfulfilled or a burden to bear. The phrase implies both that peace was his, and its opposite—that he was to be the peacekeeper”.

Double Pendulum

Posted: May 19, 2023 in events, public art
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There are now three large images on display at Ontario Square (on Queens Quay near the foot of York Street).   Collectively, they are  “Double Pendulum” by Maggie Groat who has constructed them as wheatpaste collages.  They are part of this year’s CONTACT Photography Festival.

Cubic concrete structure at Ontario Square, two sides visible, each with a large image by Maggie Groat, part of Double Pendulum

below: Butterflies constructed from other shapes and objects. Does this show the interconnectedness of all things, as in the “Butterfly Effect”?

abstract image by Maggie Groat with sections of things put together to make butterfly shapes,

large image by Maggie Groat, abstract with a lot of semi circles and yellow daisies

Resilience at Cedarbrae

Posted: May 4, 2023 in events, public art
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“Resilience” is a photography exhibit at Cedarbrae Library.

part of exterior wall of Cedarbrae library, part window and part photography exhibit, large photos in black and white of people

It is the creation of Scarborough Made.  This is a group founded by Alex Narvaez x Sid Naidu in 2019.  It uses photography and cinematography to document positive stories about the people of Scarborough with emphasis on identity and culture.

black and white photography, a couple standing outside a building, she in white sleeveless top and white pants, he in darker clothes

four large black and white portraits on exterior wall of glass windows Cedarbrae library, Resilience for ArtworxTO

words describing a photography exhibit, outdoors, at Cedarbrae library, Resilience by the group Scarborough Made,

“Resilience:
The ability to recover from challenges or adjust easily to change.

Resilience exists all around us.

We see it in the movers and shakers, the cultural change makers and creative instigators.

We see it in our neighbourhoods, from the small businesses to our healthcare and essential workers.

Resilience is what lives in our narratives and exists within our identity.

Our resilience as a community is stronger when we stick together.  With it, we can overcome the challenges and build towards a better future.

The portraits you see as part of this public art installation represent the many faces that embody resilience. Pulling from both past and present works of Scarborough Made artists, we’ve created this exhibit for you to see and reflect on the humanity that exists within our community.

Resilience is us
Resilience is you
Resilience is Scarborough. ”

cedarbrae library in scarborough, photography display

black and white portraits on display in windows of library

       Artists

  • Alicia Reid
  • Ferdinand Orlain
  • Millicent Amurao
  • Nithursan Elamuhilan
  • Alex Narvaez x Sid Naidu

Winter Stations 2023

Posted: March 21, 2023 in events, public art
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Winter stations 2023, as in previous years, is a collection of art installations along the waterfront at Woodbine Beach.  I went for a walk along the beach one very blustery Saturday morning.  There weren’t many of us there and I think that I was the only one who wasn’t accompanied by a dog.

below: ‘Delighthouse’, designed by British pair Nick Green and Greig Pirrie.

winter stations installation at Woodbine Beach, multicoloured wood lighthouse shaped structure

below: A shrine to the neighbourhoods of Toronto titled “The (Home)” designed by Canadian group, Scott Shields Architects

winter stations installation at Woodbine Beach, plywood hut with cut out on the sides spelling out the names of Toronto neighbourhoods. Different colours of plastic covering the names,

a portion of the wall without coloured names of Toronto neighbourhoods such as High Park and Lakeview

below: “Ripple Hut” designed by students from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Department of Architectural Sciences.

winter stations installation at Woodbine Beach, metal semi cylindrical structures with holes in them

below: Looking through one of the holes in “Ripple Hut” towards the curved yellow forms of “Surface Pavilion” which was designed by a Mexican team consisting of Cesar Guerrero, Ana Cecilia Garza, and Orlando Garcia .

looking through the holes of a metal art installation structure, beach

below: “Winternet”, just burlap between wood posts.   Designed, such as it is, by a team from University of Waterloo, Dept of Architecture.

winter stations installation at Woodbine Beach, burlap wrapped around wood posts forming a few burlap fences of about 6 feet in height

coloured muskoka chairs on the beach, with burlap fence in the foreground

below: “Life Line” – design team: WeatherstonBruer Associates – James Bruer, Nick Roland, Jacqueline Hampshire

winter stations installation at Woodbine Beach, long red tube leading to lifeguard station

winter stations installation at Woodbine Beach, round red circle with words drop ball here painted on it

winter stations installation at Woodbine Beach,

below: “Conrad” is a large raccoon designed by Novak Djogo and Daniel Joshua Vanderhorst; it is also a memorial to Conrad the real raccoon who died at the corner of Church and Yonge Streets in the summer of 2015.  Whether you love them, hate them, or are indifferent to them, raccoons are part of the Toronto scene.

winter stations installation at Woodbine Beach, large raccoon made of wood and semi-clear plastic

stones and flowers and a picture of a raccoon forming part of a memorial for Conrad the raccoon

_________________________

Some previous years’ installations:

2017 – Flotsam and Jetsam

Winter Stations 2019

Winter Stations 2020

On the waterfront – Winter Stations 2022

An afternoon at the Ex

Posted: August 29, 2022 in events, people
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The Ex is back (whether or not you think Covid is over!)

looking through a window, a pile of corndogs for sale at the ex

young girl trying to hold onto bar and hang there as long as possible, while a young man with a stuffed banana tries to encourage her

people throwing wiffle balls, ball toss game, cne midway

mother and young son at ring toss game, while cne employee sweeps up rings from the ground

two kids eating pizza

young kids at the cne midway watching people on rides, looking up

young men dressed in black lined up along a counter, ball toss game at cne

two people waiting at a veggie corndog vendor, the vendor next to them is advertising pickle lemonade

two kids and two women at a ring toss game, small red rings over the neck of coke bottles

man in dark sunglasses and turquoise shirt, standing in front of wall of giant stuffies, pointing at someone

young girl with fedora, helping to clip large blue stuffie into a stroller

a young muslim boy watches people on a midway ride, cne

an older woman sitting at a crown and anchor betting game at the ex

mother, father, and son plying ring toss game at cne midway

a young woman in black top and blue jeans gets ready to hang from a bar as long as possible in order to try to win a prize

people watching a man hang from a bar

people watching a man hang from a bar

cne midway, a blue wall with a big ad for slushy bear, pastel colour flags on the roof

two men with daughters kneeling on stools, playing water shooter game at cne

buying fries

a young man has his arms around the waist of a woman as they watch at the cne

a young woman waits her turn for a cne midway ride

a man in a booth with the words fear this in yellow on the window, sitting and looking out at the cne midway

people at the ex, midway

people waiting their turn to get on a ride at the cne

people at the cne midway, lining up by ring of fire ride

back of a woman in a white baseball cap and very long turquoise dreadlocks, braids

people on the midway, a man shields his eyes from the afternoon sun

young people at the cne midway

More 2022 CNE photos on a previous post (around and around we go).

around and around we go….

Posted: August 29, 2022 in events, people
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…. and up and down, and back and forth….

people with concerned looks on face as they free fall in a ride at the CNE

Riding fun at the CNE midway!

a man in a red t shirt sits in a booth as he controls a ride at the Canadian National Exhibition, a ring with riders whizzing past

a young girl and her mother spinning in a red round pod at ride at cne

mother and daughter screaming and laughing on roller coaster ride

a young couple are harnassed into a ride at the cne while they wait for it to start

many people sitting on Egyptian boat, pharoah, ride at the Canadian National Exhibition, as it swings to one side and they are near vertical in the air

young asian couple enjoying a roller coaster ride, laughing, leaning into each other as they go around a corner

two young men watch a ride

an older couple having a good time on the alpine crossing ride as it spins around, the ex,

two men working at the cne in red shirts, helping to make sure that young riders are strapped in safely to their seats

a man watches a spinning ride at the ex, as people are standing as they spin

screaming and hair flying as ride goes around picture of a woman with a snowboard, cne midway

three young people in prone position in a ride at the cne

three young men on a flying ride over the midway at the c n e

nearing vertical at a ride at the cne

young people enjoying a ride in green pods at the cne

people at the ex, on midway rides

two men holding hands as they get ready for a free fall ride at the ex

young women laughing as they go around in circles on a ride at the cne midway

a young man in white framed sunglasses, midway ride at cne

hanging up in the air, midway ride at cne

Other CNE posts

1. The end of summer (2024)

2. Into the night (2014)

3. Afternoon at the Ex (2022)

4. CNE (2013)

 

6ix Art Outdoor

Posted: August 2, 2022 in events, locations
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painted sculptures at Distillery District, abstract people shapes, reflective sunglasses, head band scarf, red shirt with Spanish dancer pictures on it

I came across these colourful sculptures at the Distillery District this past weekend. There are thirteen of them, all painted by different artists.

painted sculptures at Distillery District, abstract people shapes

painted sculptures at Distillery District, abstract people shapes, Frida Kahlo

painted sculptures at Distillery District, abstract people shapes, Marilyn Munro type face, Mickey mouse stencils on body

a row of painted sculptures at Distillery District, abstract people shapes, 6ix Art Outdoor exhibit

painted sculptures at Distillery District, abstract people shapes, people walking past and looking at them, outdoors

grey haired woman taking a picture of painted sculptures at Distillery District, abstract people shapes

painted sculptures at Distillery District, abstract people shapes, Asian woman standing beside one with pink head scarf, 4 eyes, and a turquoise top

Artists:

Alex Garant,
AlfAlfA,
Caitlin Taguibao,
Clandestino Art,
David Anthony,
Fatspatrol,
Gosia Komorski,
Jacquie Comrie,
Jieun June Kim,
Natasha Kudashkina,
Peter Triantos,
Que Rock,
and Yen Linh Thai.

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