This weekend, resist the urge to do the same old bar hop and try a more sophisticated means of indulging your party ADD: the art show hop. Okay, so we just invented that term, but the city does have three rad art happenings going on almost simultaneously this Friday, November 30. And we say, why choose?To start your adventure, knock back a whiskey for warmth and head down to the Harbourfront, where the Power Plant is holding an opening reception for its winter 2007–08 program, featuring three solo exhibitions. "Steven Shearer," an eponymous retrospective of the Vancouver artist’s work, is filled with nostalgic, archivist, multimedia explorations of male adolescence and heavy metal (think of it as a visual Fargo Rock City). Toronto’s Stephen Andrews is presenting "Cartoon," a 45-second crayon-on-mylar animation—intended to approximate the CYMK dot-matrix of a newspaper photo—that juxtaposes a car commercial deemed too violet for television with images of the Iraq war. Finally, Los Angeles-based Andrea Bowen’s "The Weight of Relevance" is timed to open on World AIDS Day and examines the creation—and creators—of the world's largest piece of folk art, the AIDS Memorial Quilt. The public reception starts at 7 pm and is free to the public; exhibitions will be on display from December 1, 2007 through February 10, 2008.
Next, take the 501 to Ossington: Gallery TPW's 21st annual Photorama features provocative, forward-thinking work by scores of contemporary artists, from Stephen Andrews (again) to Balint Zsako. With most pieces priced under $600, it's the perfect place to do some early shopping for the art lovers on your holiday list (or snag a guilt-free gift to yourself). Bonus: the event, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m., is sponsored by Grolsch, meaning (cross your fingers) lots of free beer. And if not? Make sure you leave yourself time to swing by the newborn Baby Huey (70 Ossington) for a $3.50 pint of PBR before heading to your third and final destination......De Luca Fine Art | Gallery (1153 Queen Street West, Unit 203) presents "Chilling the Warm Heart of the Earth", a display of new works on paper by Juno Youn, as well as a host of local collaborators. The 7-10 p.m. opening reception is 19+ and guest list only; RSVP to contact@delucafineart.com. Show runs through December 15th, but note that the gallery operates by appointment only.
Now, having drunk your fill of art, you'll find yourself across from more literal drinking opportunities on Queen West's hipster strip: The Gladstone, Beaver, Beaconsfield, Drake... same old bar hop? Yeah, whatever. We'll see you there.
Photo courtesy of Gallery TPW.
Gallery Hours
Tuesday to Saturday 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
or by appointment
http://torontoist.com/2007/11/arthopping_powe.php
http://www.delucafineart.com/
