— DANIELLE O'HANLEY

Archive
June, 2011 Monthly archive

I wanted to share some info with my friends in the arts community about this cool initiative that Courvoisier is heading, called the Courvoisier Collective.

They are looking for photography, painting, mixed media and printmaking submissions based on the theme of “Renewal”, relating to the revolutionary role of art. You can address the theme in two ways; first, by exploring art’s capacity to revolutionize its own content and second, through art’s potential to challenge the status quo.

Chosen submissions will be showcased on billboards throughout Toronto, giving you some awesome exposure across the city. There will also be a gallery award, and if you are selected by the curatorial committee, your work will be presented at Gallery 1313 from August 11 to September 4.

You can submit your artwork by uploading an image to the Courvoisier Collective website, along with a description and statement as to why it should join the Collective.

The deadline for entries for the billboard showcase is July 8, and July 15 for the gallery award submissions.

If you enter, comment and let me know so I can

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A few weeks ago, I was surprised to see @TheHudsonsBayCo trending on Twitter. Imagine my surprise to discover that they’d announced that Topshop was coming to Canada! The best part? They were doing a pop-up shop across the street from my work.

Friday morning on my way to the office, I took a peek and the parking lot at Queen/Soho was already bustling. A few coworkers and I headed out at lunch to line up and take our pick of the exclusive collection, DJs and ice cream.

The colours were so great and tempting while waiting in line! Lots of burnt oranges, rich purples and creams. I absolutely couldn’t wait to get in.

The accessories table was also fantastic. Those boat shoes in the corner were calling my name.

I picked myself up a orange sorbet scallop top and purple colour block shell top, and managed to scoop myself up one of the tote bags they had reserved for the first 200 customers.

Topshop plans to open at Yorkdale in September. Until then, you can take advantage of the Topshop capsule at the Bay location on Queen Street starting June 30 or the Muskoka pop-ups that are happening around the end of July. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates.

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After reading BlogTO’s story on the Brewery Market that’s happening every weekend this summer at Wychwood Barns, I decided to break out my bike on Sunday and head up to check it out. It’s a spot I’ve been meaning to explore for a while, and this was a great excuse to go. One of the things I love most about Toronto is the wealth of historic areas and buildings that are scattered throughout the city. Wychwood Barns was built in the early 1900′s and served as a streetcar house/repair centre until the 1980s. Since then, the space has been redeveloped and now houses Artscape and the Stop Community Food Centre.

Each weekend, the market features a different Ontario brewer. On Sunday, they were featuring Denison’s Brewing Company and had their Weissbier and Dunkel on tap. On such a warm summer day, I opted for the wheat beer ($5 for a pint). They were also cooking up pizzas made with veggies grown at the barns in their outdoor pizza bake oven.

I couldn’t resist getting some artsy shots of the main hallway:


The Brewery Market is taking place most Sundays this summer from 1-5PM. So far, they have featured Denison’s and Flying Monkeys. Next weekend, Amsterdam Brewery is on the docket.

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