Art

Beach photographer Janice Hardacre is having an exhibition of her photography called Down by the Boardwalk, at the Taylor Memorial Library, 1440 Kingston Rd. near Warden, for the month of May.
“Along the eastern part of the Martin Goodman Trail, down by the boardwalk, I tried to capture a moment suspended in time with these black and white, Victorian-type portraits,” says Hardacre in her artist statement. “I want to explore how we connect with each other, physically and emotionally, within our environment, while empowering our own sense of self.”
Hardacre is a self-taught artist who likes to explore various mediums for creative expression, including photography, painting, sculpture, puppetry, and choral singing.
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Marlene Pape will be displaying some of her larger paintings at Arts On Queen, 2198 Queen St. East, through May 31. Pape is also the featured artist for the BGFA’s Small Paintings for Small Spaces show in May. You can read more about her below.
For more information on this show call Arts On Queen at 416-699-6127.
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Beach artist Linda Kristin Blix is opening her studio for a final show and sale before heading north to Muskoka and a new creative adventure. Much of her work over the past years has been inspired by the rocks, gardens, trees and waterfalls of Muskoka. All have an organic and whimsical feel. Her sale will include both current and gently aged work. Stop by on Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., at 469 Kingswood Ave. For more information visit lindablix.com.
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The 14th annual Riverdale Art Walk (RAW) will take place in Jimmie Simpson Park – in the Queen and Broadview area – June 2 and 3, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The annual art show is sponsored by The Artists’ Network, and features more than 125 artists from various mediums in a large, outdoor festival setting. Many Beach-area artists will be taking part in RAW this year, including Beach Metro News Editor Jon Muldoon, who was the 2010 RAW Jury’s Choice winner.
Roderik Mayne is a watercolourist from the Beach, and recently participated in the Beach Studio Tour. He is an active member of The Artists’ Network, and this is his second year at RAW.
Mayne earned his MFA from Carnegie-Mellon University after studying at both Concordia and McGill. For many years he worked in film and theatre as an art director and production designer. He decided to commit full time to painting about seven years ago, and has been enjoying success since. Mayne is a member of the Toronto Watercolour Society.
“I am attracted to watercolour because of its paradoxical nature,” Mayne explains. “At the same time loose but tight, spontaneous but exact. The best watercolour painting has a feeling of freedom. It is painted with confidence and bravura, with perfect strokes placed just once and just right. You have to let it do its work, working with it instead of trying to control it.”
For more information visit roderikmayne.com.
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Art of the Danforth is a 22-day celebration of the arts along the Danforth from Greenwood to Cedarvale, May 20 through June 10. The entire section of this busy East End street will be transformed into a series of interactive art exhibits, including 36 large installations, four hands-on workshops, 20 mini-galleries in various stores, more than 50 walking tours, and musical and theatrical performances. Art of the Danforth brings the public’s attention to a part of the city that is not readily noted for its artistic presence.
“Most people don’t realize how many artists live in this neighbourhood, or just how vibrant this area is,” says Cindy Rozeboom, event producer. “Most people drive down Danforth, see the empty stores and write us off. With Art of the Danforth, we’re trying to change that.”
Video performances include a 2012 performance compilation showing in the Tim Horton’s where the old Roxy Theatre was at Greenwood, and Dream-scape at the Coxwell Library. Interactive events include East-West Portal where you can speak to people in Toronto’s West End via video-link, and stories by the Pocketology Collective at various times and locations. Installations include Neighbourhood Messages hung from trees in the Coxwell Parkette, a balloon sculpture, and a series of temporary pavilions in East Lynn Park.
Feast in the East is a show and dinner at 1218 Danforth Ave. Parking Lot Art Fair takes place in the Green P lot at 1439 Danforth Ave. Artists will buy a parking permit and set up their mini-gallery in the lot. Group bike rides will be part of the Danforth Bike Line. Traffic Jam is a kilometre-long cartoon highway that passersby can contribute to. There will be an interactive performance walk by students of R.H. McGregor school with the students conducting a tour of the neighbourhood. Art Amble is a light and amusing walking tour of the Art of the Danforth installations. Finally there will be art workshops, including Junkestra by Mark Sepic, where he teaches you how to turn everyday objects into musical instruments, and Yarn Bombing by Amy Barnes, both held at the Coxwell-Danforth Library.
There’s plenty for everybody at Art of the Danforth. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit artofthedanforth.com.

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