East End artist Jennifer Linton is crowdfunding for her latest stop-motion animation project, a short film titled Toronto Alice.
The title character, Alice of Lewis Carroll fame, is transported to modern day Toronto. Here, she encounters a series of strange and interesting characters and conversations while taking a trip on a streetcar. The dialogue is adapted from Through the Looking-Glass to match the contemporary location.
The streetcar in question is the 506 Carlton line, better known in this end of town as the Gerrard streetcar. The action will be filmed in front of a background consisting mostly of the stretch between Carlaw and Coxwell, according to Linton.
Linton is an experienced animator and artist, having exhibited short films and art for the past 20 years at various galleries and festivals throughout North America, as well as in Italy and Brazil. She says fans of Terry Gilliam, Polish Surrealist animation and of “weird, off-the-beaten-path stuff” will likely enjoy her work, done under the banner of her Papercut Pictures production company.
For a taste of what Linton can do with the medium, witness Domestikia, Chapter 3: La Petite Mort, featuring the quite unique relationship between a Victorian lady and a squid. Linton’s animation work is online at vimeo.com/domestikia.
While creating the animation for Toronto Alice will be very labour intensive, it is something she is prepared to tackle.
However, due to the extensive conversational elements of the project, Linton is hoping to fund the cost of hiring professionals for the audio portion of the film. Voice actors, ambient sound recording and music – none of which are her strong points – all need to be considered, and those costs are what the fundraising campaign is intended to cover.
As she points out in her online pitch, “animation takes a great deal of effort and a very long time to create, so you don’t want great visuals to be undermined by inferior audio.”
Rewards for funders range from DVDs to paper dolls to original artwork, depending on the amount pledged. To check out the full pitch, search Toronto Alice at indiegogo.com. For more on Linton, visit jenniferlinton.com.
The Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation has offered its own unique take on the churchgoing experience for some time.
For the last decade or so, the congregation has made its home at 79 Hiawatha Ave., southwest of Gerrard and Coxwell.
Now the congregation is expanding the building’s uses to include the Neighbourhood Gallery, with two spaces – the north and south galleries – to provide an inclusive art space for the East End, according to curator Lauren McKinley Renzetti.
The mandate of the gallery is to share art for the beautification of the world. McKinley Renzetti will attempt to match the artwork with the themes of the services each month.
Gallery North will feature deLIGHTful, close-up nature photographs by Jeff Baker at Unicamp, the Unitarian Universalist camp in Honeywood, Ontario. In his statement, Baker encourages viewers to slow down, look closer and “behold a tiny fragment of the immense web of life that surrounds us.”
Following the theme of light, Gallery South will feature Delight in Light by air brush painter John Saunders. His process begins with random lines, layered with stencils and air brush painting. Sections of sketches are then recreated on a larger scale, ending in abstract work attempting to represent the ephemeral.
The gallery will be open around Sunday services, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, and by appointment on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. An opening reception, including both artists and the curator, will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 6. Both shows will run from April 6 to May 25. For more information, visit nuuc.ca, or email mckinleyrenzetti@gmail.com with submissions and gallery questions.
Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute’s visual arts department is holding its seventh annual show from April 9 to 20 at the Papermill Gallery at Todmorden Mills, at the foot of Pottery Road.
The show, titled XHIBITART14, features work from senior students and staff, covering a wide range of styles and subjects. The class and staff will be on hand for the official opening reception, on Wednesday, April 9, from 5 to 8 p.m. The DCTI Jazz Ensemble will provide music, while students from the school’s culinary arts program will take care of catering.
The Papermill Gallery is open Wednesday to Friday from noon to 4 p.m., and noon to 4:30 p.m. on weekends, except Good Friday, April 18.
Kellie Jobson’s floral paintings will feature in a show titled Abloom at Cobalt Gallery, 870a Kingston Rd., from April 3 to 27.
Jobson graduated from Central Technical Art School and the Ontario College of Art (now OCADu). She made the transition from illustrating children’s books to work as a background painter for animation, including a lengthy stint at Nelvana.
After starting a family and making time to paint for herself, Jobson discovered a love of floral painting. She is attracted to the comfort associated with flowers, and says she finds ongoing inspiration in a simple flower.
The Toronto-based artist will be present at the opening reception, from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 5. For more on the show, visit cobalt gallery.ca.
Painter Sheena Fraser McGoogan’s show Boats and Harbours, featured in the March 18 issue of Beach Metro News, runs until the end of April at Arts on Queen, 2198 Queen St. E.
The artist will be at the opening reception on Saturday, April 5, from 1 to 4 p.m. For more of her colourful landscape work, visit sheenamcgoogan.com.
Artisans At Work is hosting its monthly First Friday opening night extravaganza on Friday, April 4, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.
This month is the Vintage Show, and as always is curated by intern curators Vicky Li and Kate Murfin. The opening will feature appetizers courtesy of the artists, a licensed bar and music provided by The Sidewalkers.
Weekly life model sessions take place Sundays, while a variety of other classes and workshops are always available. The community arts hub also hosts a weekly winter farmers’ market, from 2 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays until June, when the weekly market at nearby East Lynn Park starts up for the summer season.
Artisans At Work is at 2071 Danforth Ave., just west of Woodbine. For more information visit artisans-at-work.com.
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