ArtworxTO: Judy Chicago at Sugar Beach | Around Art and Land | Memory Work | and more

ArtworxTO: Toronto’s Year of Public Art 2021-2022 is a celebration of Toronto’s incredible collection of public art and the artists behind it, creating more opportunities for the public to connect and engage with artwork in their everyday lives.

Working closely with artists and Toronto’s arts institutions, ArtworxTO is working to address gaps in the collection, such as the under-representation of equity-deserving communities and their histories, as well as geographic areas of the city where there are fewer public art works.

From fall 2021 to fall 2022 the City of Toronto is helping to deliver more than 350 new murals, installations, exhibitions, art events, performances and productions, citywide. This year, explore your city and discover creativity and community–everywhere.

This week’s ArtworxTO Highlights:

Judy Chicago in collaboration with Pyro Spectaculars by Souza, Diamonds in the Sky, 2021. Fireworks performance, Belen, NM. © Judy Chicago/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; © Donald Woodman/ARS, New York.

Judy Chicago’s A Tribute to Toronto – June 4th
Gather at the Sugar Beach waterfront on June 4th at 8pm to see the lake and sky transformed. The Toronto Biennial of Art presents a newly commissioned site-specific work by the legendary artist, Judy Chicago. This one-of-a-kind Smoke Sculpture™ will be visible from the shore of Lake Ontario, as a series of environmentally safe, non-toxic coloured smokes are released from a barge.

Learn more about Judy Chicago’s A Tribute to Toronto

Around Art and Land: What is Around is Alive!
Join North York Arts on June 4th for Around Art and Land: What is Around is Alive! taking place at ArtworxTO Hub NORTH: Downsview (70 Canuck Avenue, North York). Discover the local flora on this interactive walking tour of Downsview Park and inspire illustrations and photos to be exhibited in a public presentation in the Downsview Hub (or to take home!).

Register for Around Art and Land: What is Around is Alive!

Opening Reception: I am land that speaks on June 14th
Join curator Maya Wilson-Sanchez for a tour of I am land that speaks at ArtworxTO Hub SOUTH: Union (65 Front St. W., Toronto) on June 14th from 6:00 – 9:00 pm.

This exhibition brings attention to stories that come directly from the land. Engaging with story-telling practices specific to a certain place, the artworks in this show highlight history-making as a site-specific exercise. Exploring embodied connections to land, it also includes off-site gardens made by artists that involve participatory and community-based methods for learning and growing together.

Learn more about the Opening Reception: I am land that speaks

Image of Project T-Dot installation on view at Toronto City Hall (100 Queen St W).

Project T-Dot on View Now
Project T-Dot is a definitive visual story by artist and photographer Ajani Charles that sheds new light on the city’s hip-hop scene, presenting a Toronto subculture in a way that exemplifies the cultural richness of Toronto. Project T-Dot features large-scale prints on the main and second floor windows of the south west corner of Toronto City Hall (100 Queen St W).

The exhibit depicts intimate images of Toronto’s most renowned hip-hop figures, as well as many who are lesser known, including members of the 2SLGBTQ+, Black, and Indigenous communities, women, youth from equity deserving neighbourhoods, recent immigrants, and other marginalized groups.

Learn more about Project T-Dot

The Vessel by Ilan Sandler (2011) located at Lowther Avenue and Bedford Road, Taddle Creek Park.

Learn About The Vessel Via ArtBuzz Audio Art Stories
Hear directly from the creator of The Vessel (2011), Ilan Sandler, using your smartphone with ArtBuzz. In this two-part ArtBuzz segment, Sandler shares intricate details about the sculpture’s intention and creation process.

ArtBuzz is a project led by documentarian David Tarnow. The digital program explores the real stories behind Public Art and Monuments within the City of Toronto. Through the integration of the ArtworxTO Interactive Map, users can access audio recordings of detailed information of over 75 artworks.

Explore the clips in the ArtworxTO On Demand media library

Memory Work by Memory Work Collective. Embellished photography: Rajni Perera with Omi Thompson; Costume design: Tala Kamea and Naomi Skwarna; Concept: From Later; Photographed by: Jeremy Glenn.

Memory Work at The Bentway
Situated at the Strachan Gate entrance to The Bentway, Memory Work is a speculative monument that commemorates Toronto’s potential.

Twelve embellished photographic portraits depict members of a future-fictional movement, the Mothers of Invention, honouring their roles in nurturing Toronto’s transition to a regenerative economy. A work of foresight, Memory Work extrapolates from signals of change and glimmers of hope. The individuals photographed are luminary figures, present-day seeds of the characters they portray. An audio tour, available by calling a toll-free number, offers an additional narrative layer and a portal to the possible city.

Created by the Memory Work Collection, this work of foresight extrapolates from signals of change and glimmers of hope. Memory Work is on view at The Bentway (250 Fort York Blvd, Toronto), May 1, 2022 – April 30, 2023.

Learn more about Memory Work

ArtworxTO Spotlight Emerging Artists Program
View submissions from our most recent ArtworxTO Spotlight award recipients; Julia Donnici and Taylor Patterson. ArtworxTO Spotlight invites emerging Toronto-based artists to tell their stories. Artists, with five years experience or less, are invited to describe their motivation and the journey taken to currently practice in Toronto. Of these submissions, 52 emerging artists will be selected for the Spotlight, one artist per week for the entire year.

This project is supported by RBC through the RBC Emerging Artists Project.

Learn more about ArtworxTO Spotlight Emerging Artists Program

Each week ArtworxTO offers several new programs, exhibits, performances, talks, workshops and more. Bookmark artworxTO.ca and check back often!

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Contact Information:
Sue Holland
sue.holland@artworxto.ca