City of Toronto announces spring programming at Cultural Centres

TORONTO, February 24, 2023 – This week, the City of Toronto announced spring community arts programming at all of its cultural centres and galleries. Accessible and educational programming is available at Assembly Hall and Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery in Etobicoke, and at the Clark Centre for the Arts and Cedar Ridge Creative Centre in Scarborough.

Across all four sites, Toronto’s cultural centres and galleries present more than 40 gallery shows annually, showcasing works by more than 800 artists, and present close to 150 art programs in collaboration with its 70 community partners each year.

Residents can explore each unique centre year-round and discover all the community arts programming for children, families and artists the City has to offer. More information is available on the City’s Cultural Centres & Galleries webpage.

“I invite Toronto residents to explore each unique cultural centre and gallery year-round and discover all the community arts programming available. From book clubs, exhibitions, camps, courses and workshops, this spring is filled with accessible and educational programming for all ages,” said Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park.

What’s on at Assembly Hall: 1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr., Etobicoke

By the Lake Book Club
Featuring distinguished Canadian authors, this in-person and virtual book club offers lively conversation between authors and interviewers, taking book lovers behind the covers of their favourite stories. The series features six Tuesday-night events between February and December. Each in-person event includes a reading, discussion, audience Q&A, book signing and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. Virtual events are presented with live subtitles.

The 2023 lineup includes: Adrienne Shadd on March 14; Saeed Teebi on April 18; Cody Caetano on September 12; 2022 Toronto Book Award winner Sarah Polley on October 17; and Alissa York on December 5.

More information about all By the Lake Book Club events and multi-event packages is available online by searching ‘By the Lake Book Club’ on the City’s Festival & Events Calendar.

Tickets may be purchased by phone at 416-338-7255 during business hours or in person at Assembly Hall ($10 to 28 per event).

Herstory gallery exhibition (February 22 to March 29)
Embark on a journey through life with works by six artists who have woven personal stories and struggles into their art. This exhibition is presented by Supporting Women, Femme and Trans (SWFT) Niagara Women’s Collective.

Building on the Past gallery exhibition (April 5 to May 11)
Artists Cat Marchese Citybonez™ and Ghazi Toutounji have teamed up to present photographs of the city’s building blocks, uncovering historical richness and paintings that allude to the Toutounji’s Lebanese heritage.

A free opening reception for this exhibition will take place at the gallery on April 13 from 6 to 8 p.m.

What’s on at Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery: 399 The West Mall, Etobicoke

Fibre & Fabric gallery exhibition (until February 23)
Textile art is one of the oldest forms of art. Enjoy quilts and works in traditional rug craft, hand weaving, spinning, dyeing and more by three local fibre groups: Etobicoke Handweavers and Spinners Guild, Etobicoke Quilter’s Guild and Etobicoke Rugcrafters. This exhibition is presented in partnership with Neilson Park Creative Centre.

A Glimpse of Black Life in Victorian Toronto gallery exhibition (until February 23)
Despite the prejudices imposed upon Black individuals in the 1800s, their communities made significant contributions to Toronto. This exhibition recognizes how Black residents have enriched our city. Presented in partnership with the City of Toronto’s Museums & Heritage Services.

In Celebration: FCAG Annual Juried Show (February 28 to March 24)
See eclectic works by the Franklin Carmichael Art Group, who have created new works throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This annual show presents new works in oil, acrylic and watercolour.

A free opening reception for this exhibition will take place at the gallery on March 5 from 2 to 4 p.m.

DiverCity: Exploring Toronto’s Culture and Landscapes (March 9 to April 5)
With a unique blend of the city nightlife, urban scenery and historic landscapes, this exhibition features an eclectic mix of works and mediums by Toronto-based artists Summer Leigh, PH1 Collective, Cristian Arango, Jeff Turner and Jane Pike, Taku Kumabe, Selina Yung and Jodi Lascar. Presented as part of the Celebrate Toronto festival.

A free opening reception for this exhibition will take place at the gallery on March 13 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Call for art groups to exhibit in 2024 now open
Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery is now accepting applications from arts organizations and groups of four or more artists to exhibit in 2024. The gallery takes no commissions on works sold and applications close May 1, 2023. More information on how to apply is available on the Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery webpage.

What’s on at Cedar Ridge Creative Centre and Gallery: 225 Confederation Dr., Scarborough

Visual arts courses and workshops
Cedar Ridge Creative Centre offers a variety of visual arts workshops for children and adults. Pre-registration opens is required and opens on Friday, March 10 at 7 a.m. Browse available session on the City’s Cedar Ridge Creative Centre webpage.

Expression summer art camp
Parents/caregivers can register children for summer visual arts day camp at Cedar Ridge Creative Centre. Campers will have exciting opportunities to create, learn and experiment with drawing and painting, printmaking, sculpture, video, arts and crafts, and pottery. In addition to creative activities in the art studios, campers can enjoy the beautifully treed grounds and gardens by participating in outdoor recreational activities. Registration is now open on the City’s Cedar Ridge Creative Centre webpage.

Cedar Ridge Creative Centre Summer Residency Program
The Cedar Ridge Summer Residency program provides one mid-career visual artist with a working environment at the centre that supports the creative process during operating hours from July 4 to August 11, 2023. Culminating in a September exhibition, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to present their work at the Cedar Ridge Gallery. The deadline for applications is Friday, April 14 at 4 p.m. Eligibility information and application will be available on the City’s Cedar Ridge Creative Centre webpage.

Works by Ed Janzen and Collette Broeders and Lynda Cronin gallery exhibition (February 18 to March 9)
Through contrasting styles, these drawings and video works capture and explore things seen and unseen, a sense of place, of identity, history and memory.

Works by Kesang Nanglu and Atleigh Homma & Che Ree Kwon gallery exhibition (March 11 to 30)
These artists’ works are rooted in observational study, capturing fragments of everyday life yet creating scenes that travel between memories and imaginary worlds.

A free opening reception for this exhibition will take place at the gallery on March 12 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Works by S. Maria Brandt gallery exhibition (April 1 to 20)
Connecting food-waste to global issues like climate change, economic disruption, poverty, hunger and migration, this body of work evokes discussion, confusion and even an enduring edge of discomfort.

A free opening reception for this exhibition will take place at the gallery on April 2 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Works by Karen Grosman gallery exhibition (April 1 to 20)
Mixing the symbols and meanings from different cultures, this collection of symbolic works of art represents impermanence and highlights diverse viewpoints and perspectives.

A free opening reception for this exhibition will take place at the gallery on April 2 from 1 to 4 p.m.

What’s on at The Clark Centre for the Arts: 191 Guildwood Pkwy., Scarborough

Visual arts courses and workshops
Clark Centre for the Arts offers a variety of visual arts workshops for children and adults. Pre-registration is required and opens on Friday, March 10 at 7 a.m. Browse available sessions on the City’s Clark Centre for the Arts webpage.

#Dewoven, Distressed & Falling Apart at the Seams gallery exhibition (February 1 to 27)
Toronto-based artist Dionne Simpson shares works from her project, #Dewoven, an engaging selection of mixed media and painted works. Simpson is a multi-award-winning international artist that graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design and studied fine art at the Cooper Union School for the Advancement of Art and Science.
Wires Webs Veins Nerves Roots Stems gallery exhibition (January 3 until December 24)
Tree roots dig into the ground as mirroring branches stretch into the air: visible and concealed, they simultaneously nourish each other. This installation by Camille Jodin-Eng draws inspiration from systems of interconnectivity that echo throughout the botanical kingdom, the human body and the technological world. It consists of a central tree whose branches seemingly grow into the shapes of curious symbols.

Wild Bees gallery exhibition (January 3 until June 30)
Informed by an interest in ecology, Charmaine Lurch brings thoughtful and focused attention to the complexity of the natural world and the interactions of humans within it. Bees are critical to human survival, but they are often invisible. These large-scale sculptures magnify the size of these insects and call attention to relationships between humans and other species.

Selections from “we are all human” gallery exhibit (January 3 until June 30)
Clark 01 and Guild 02 are site-specific works that were originally conceived for the 2022 CONTACT Photography Festival show “we are all human” by Thomas Brasch. Guild 02 is a homage to the original Guild of Artists, while Clark 02 is a tribute to a new generation of artists who will be working out of the centre.

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