The inPrint Collective has set up shop for the month on the second floor of the Linsmore Tavern , 1298 Danforth Ave.
The printmaking pop-up shop allows collective members to work on their own projects, as well as teaching workshops on relief printmaking and monoprinting to groups from the Kennedy House youth shelter, Bangladeshi Community Services, and the YWCA GirlSpace program.
Collective president Maureen Da Silva said both the youth and collective members have been benefiting from a mutually positive experience. “It’s been a very uplifting experience, and everybody seems really excited that we’re there,” she said.
Each group prints its work on large pieces of fabric, which they then take with them when they’re finished. The fabric is easy to display and store, and requires less maintenance than work on paper, said Da Silva. The youth also leave with practical skills for expressing their creativity.
PHOTO: Kaila Simoneau
“Part of what we’re doing is trying to show people ways they can replicate these practices at home, so we don’t bring out the big presses or anything like that,” said Da Silva.
Each group has been asked to create work that focuses on their neighbourhood’s concerns, hopes, and desires. Da Silva said the results are a mix of highly personal images, work with themes of peace or social justice, and some tongue-in-cheek humourous observations.
“A lot of things might come across as sort of abstract, but they come together in a really nice aesthetic way as well.”
The project, funded by the Toronto Arts Council and supported by East End Arts and Above Ground Art Supplies, will mark its closing with a celebration on Saturday, Jan. 30, from 2 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to come out and view work created by the youth groups and collective members.
Erik Van Horn’s Lord North Paintings will be on display at Cobalt Gallery from Jan. 30 until the end of February.
His work uses graphic art and comics as inspiration. Van Horn writes that his work is born of a fascination with the creative process. Most pieces begin with “nothing more than a vague notion of the final product,” leaving room for serendipity.
Van Horn works as an animator, director of animated film, and art director for games. He also finds time to paint, take photographs, and play music. Meet the artist at an opening reception from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31 at Cobalt, 870a Kingston Rd.
Primitive Auto, a collection of metallic masks by Jeff Mann, is on display at Flying Pony until Feb. 3.
The Kingston-based artist creates sculptures using car parts and car-generated patterns. He writes that his decision to use car parts is not without meaning: “I use car parts because I believe the car is the largely subliminal shaper of our world, and our cultural informer.”
Flying Pony is at 1481 Gerrard St. E.
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