Newcomer Toronto based artist Mao Correa’s unique exhibition will be on display at the Toronto Centre for the Arts from February 9th until February 25th.

Solitary Portraits exhibition’s opening reception and artist-led tour will be held on Thursday, February 9th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Supported by North York Arts, Neighborhood Arts Network, and RBC Arts Access Fund, SOLITARY PORTRAITS is the result of a profound artist’s reflection on the immanence of the absence in his immigration process to Canada.
SOLITARY PORTRAITS, is the most extensive solo exhibition presented by Mao Correasince his arrival in Canada in 2013. The exhibition reflects MAO CORREA’s art-action of fusing artistic expression with environmental consciousness; done by creating unique pictorial pieces made exclusively from recycled and recovered materials.
For MAO CORREA, SOLITARY PORTRAITS “…is the expression of how absence, it is a vital feeling, and is inseparably attached to our being as immigrants … for me, this series reflects the existential displacement from the white to the black, from the presence of all colours to the nothingness of light, from the exuberance of the tropics to the timidity of the winter… SOLITARY PORTRAITS is definitely a confused cry between nostalgias and presents full of senses.”

For more images, more information, and RSVP for the opening reception, please contact:
Adriana Salazar 647-863-0408 / maoart2013@gmail.com
www.maocorrea.com

BIO

Sean Cisterna is a feature film and television director. He directed and produced the 2011 road trip comedy Moon Point, which played the international festival circuit to great success, winning several awards. In 2013, the Hot Docs International Documentary Festival supported his feature documentary, 30 Ghosts, which is currently available via the National Film Board of Canada.

Sean’s 2015 project Full Out, starring Ana Golja and the iconic Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), is a feature based on the true story of gymnast Ariana Berlin. The film debuted at the top of the Canadian ratings when it debuted, aired on close to 200 US television stations leading into the Summer Olympics, and is now available worldwide on Netflix.

Sean’s latest feature film, Kiss and Cry, is a romantic drama based on the true story of Carley Allison, an up-and-coming figure skater and singer who finds love just as she is diagnosed with a rare 1 in 3.5 billion form of cancer. The film stars Sarah Fisher, Luke Bilyk, and celebrated singer Chantal Kreviazuk.

The film’s hometown premiere is at the Toronto Centre for Arts on Saturday, February 4th at 8:00pm.

ARTIST STATEMENT

We went to great lengths to make sure Kiss and Cry was as true to Carley Allison’s story as possible. We shot the movie at The Cricket Club where she trained, at Bayview Glen where she studied, at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre where she was treated, at the Air Canada Centre where she performed for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and at Carley’s actual home, including her bedroom. In fact, Carley is played by Sarah Fisher, her real-life best friend. It’s a truly meaningful production in every possible way.

WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook @seancisterna

Twitter @seancisterna

Instagram @seancisterna

www.seancisterna.com

Artist Statement:

Correlative action between different groups of people in one community or group of communities is essential to establish identity and culture, which are being interchanged today.

The various nexus that tug at our social connections, which are made up of everyday events, ranging from social to economical to religious to political, etc., create a halo of doubts surrounding customs and traditions. Time governs the sequence of events and the production of culture, while it simultaneously ends their continuation through some conclusive or changeable event, which gives birth to a new matrix of events. The voice which once traveled short distances through various means and the use of carrier pigeons would arrive at its destination only to have been gradually diminished. However, today’s voice has turned up its volume to travel across continents and soar to the satellites in outer space. Contemporary languages are communicated through connection: by understanding one another, the expression: to classify our understanding, and action: which proves our existence.

We wake up every morning to pursue our daily routines which we or others have established. We dress up and have some coffee or any other beverage with breakfast. Some skip breakfast, hop in the car, listen to or read the news and dash off to work or idleness till the end of the day. Will a new invention or addition create a pattern in our lives or diminish in a limited amount of time before luck strikes and it becomes a pattern?! The fun lies in our future deeds.

Short Bio

Hussain Al Ismail is a Saudi artist who devoted himself to express his thoughts, societal issues through arts since 2007. He started from Theatre Club and fine art club in college and had a great opportunity to work as a cartoonist with the university media center. Later, he occupied different positions with private companies in the creative industry. His last occupation was the gallery manager in Desert Designs Gallery in Alkhobar before he moved to Canada in 2015 to study fine arts.

Learn more about Hussain Alismail at: http://hussainalismail.com

On Tuesday, September 13, 2016, North York Arts announced its incorporation and inaugural Board of Directors at the Toronto Arts Foundation Annual General Meeting. The organization celebrates its 5th anniversary of bringing art and community together in North York.

North York Arts was founded as an initiative of the Toronto Arts Foundation in 2011, as part of their vision for a Creative City: Block by Block. North York Arts is one of six Local Arts Service Organizations in the City of Toronto, with an aim to celebrate and foster arts programming outside of the downtown core.

“We are so grateful to the Toronto Arts Foundation for their leadership and support during our incubation phase,” said Lila Karim, Executive Director, North York Arts. “Being a part of the Toronto Arts Foundation allowed us to establish our organization from the ground up, foster new relationships with artists and arts organizations in North York and evolve as a champion and leader in the Toronto arts community.”

“NYA’s accomplishments in these five formative years are impressive: strong partnerships, signature events, engagement with a broad spectrum of artists in North York and now a fully committed Board of Directors. Congratulations! We couldn’t be more proud,” said Claire Hopkinson, Director and CEO, Toronto Arts Foundation. “Kudos to Councillor John Filion who inspired us to launch NYA and to the strong team who have flourished under the leadership of Lila Karim.”

Comprising the North York Arts Board of Directors are cultural, business and community leaders from across the city, with expertise in finance, governance, marketing, programming, and fundraising: Joe Borowiec, Fallon Butler, Kristopher Dell, Councillor John Filion, Yonni Fushman, Christine Harris, Jason Ho, Afarin Mansouri, David Oliver, Diana Panagiotopoulos, Francesca Perez, Kathleen Sloan and Nina Zaslavsky.

“North York Arts has great plans and initiatives for the next phase of growth as an organization. Joining us are new board members that share in our vision for the future of North York Arts, as a place where art and community connect outside the downtown core of Toronto,” said Christine Harris, Chair, Board of Directors. “We look forward to developing more partnerships and opportunities with all of our community stakeholders.”

Celebrating five years of bringing art and community together, North York Arts will showcase local talent in music, dance and film at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, as part of the public closing event of the City of Toronto’s Cultural Hotspot North.

North York Arts 5th Anniversary and Cultural Hotspot North Closing Event
Toronto Centre for the Arts
5040 Yonge Street
October 28th, 2016
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

On August 20th, we continued our Snapd Photo project with youth from Fairview Library!

As part of Cultural Hotspot North York, youth learned the basics of photography in a one day workshop facilitated by a professional photographer Brittany Carmichael. Participants took photos of their community and hub spaces, showcasing their community through their eyes. They received hands-on training and feedback from Brittany throughout the day.

Brittany Carmichael is a Canadian born artist currently living in Toronto. She recently graduated from School of Visual Arts in New York City with an MFA in Photography, Video and Related Media. Her work has taken her from the library to the boxing ring, across borders and into many communities around the world.
Fairview is part of the Don Valley Village, a diverse neighbourhood that includes many new Canadian citizens of Armenian, Chinese, East Indian and Middle Eastern backgrounds. The Don Valley Village features an eastern view of the sprawling hill and dale that forms the nearby Don River Valley to the east.

Snapd Artist Feature: Guggenheim Fellow Jesus Mora brings Mayan Culture to North York

This September, Jesus Mora’s Cosmovision Maya will exhibit at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Supported by North York Arts, a Fellowship from The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and a grant from the Ontario Arts Council, Mora’s series of painting explore the teaches of Mayan cosmology he has learned from Martolo Alvarez, a K’iche’ elder of the community.

Using the ancient texts of the Pop Wuj, a series of paintings were created using Mayan iconography. Mora writes: “The subjects of my work have a life cycle of their own, within which are contained reality, fantasy, the microscopic world and the universe. This represents a constant conversation between ourselves and our surroundings not only in the material world but also in the subconscious one.” You can see paintings from Cosmovision Maya at the Toronto Centre for the Arts in the Lower Gallery from September 8th to the 28th.

Learn more about Jesus Mora at: http://www.jesusmoraart.com

This October, North York Arts and Hotspot Signature Projects will celebrate the inaugural season of the Lee Lifeson Art Park in Willowdale – Toronto’s first park offering performing and visual arts to the public.

Nestled in the heart of North York (Ward 23), the park provides a beautifully landscaped green space providing full accessibility to an open air performance space, with ample room for programming of arts markets, as well as seasonal and temporary installations, with programming including festivals, bi-weekly events and workshops.

The Lee Lifeson Art Park is intended to encourage creative activities and give visitors and residents the opportunity to enjoy arts programming in a beautiful setting. It will be an active oasis that functions as part of a linear park as well as offering a location for site specific arts events and exhibitions.  Programming in the park will be offered at no charge to visitors.

Geddy Lee told the Toronto Star in August, 2014 that:

“I know my mom is very happy! … [Willowdale] is where I met my best friend and bandmate…We were humbly honoured by the suggestion to name the park after us…On tour and during our travels…we get to visit and enjoy so many parks around the world and really appreciate having that communal green space that is so important to a vibrant city.”

On October 1st, 2016, from 1-6pm, join North York Arts and Hotspot Signature Projects in celebration! Programming includes Toronto Recycling Arts Eco-Arts Exhibition, a Mayan Dance Workshop with Jesus Mora, a Youth Arts Showcase featuring Elite Dance Squad with Ephraim’s Place Community Centre, music from Arts Starts, and spoken Word with Patrick Walter.