More Creative Christmas Shopping Tips

Early last week I wrote about some holiday shopping opportunities that support local artists and good causes in the community. Here’s a list of others; if you want more, more, more, download the fabulous 15-page Toronto Arts Council Foundation 2007 Arts Holiday Shopping Guide for a wealth of other suggestions for using your holiday shopping dollars to support the arts in Toronto. It includes great performance and book tips.

November 24:
OCAD Mystery Art Sale at the Ontario College of Art & Design (100 McCaul Street). Hundreds of original works donated by Canadian artists, celebs and OCAD faculty, alumni and students; each measures 5½" x 7½", and each is priced at $75. Sales are first-come, first served, and you don’t know whose work you’ve bought until the end. It could be Will Alsop, Barbara Astman, Margaret Atwood, Andy Fabo, Barbara Klunder, Charles Pachter or...? Remaining preview times: TODAY! Fri, November 23, noon to 8 pm; Public Sale: Sat, November 24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 416-977-6000

November 29 to December 2:
Point Zero, BIG IT UP, and RAISINS Sample Sale at 99 Atlantic Avenue, suite 100. A chance to buy Canadian fashion at low prices. Wed & Thu, November 29 & 30, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fri, December 1, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat, December 2, 9 a.m. 4 p.m. 416-597-1007. Cash only.

COC Arts & Crafts Fair and Sale at the Toby and Joey Tanenbaum Opera Centre (227 Front Street East). The Canadian Opera Company presents a weekend extravaganza of art created by COC staff, including visual artists, sculptors, cartoonists, multimedia artists, jewellers, knitters and crafters. Opening Reception: Thu, November 29, 5 to 7 p.m. Continues Fri, November 30, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat & Sun, December 1 & 2, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

December 1:
Toronto Business Development Centre Holiday Sale and Showcase at TBDC (1071 King Street West). A showcase and sale of work by Toronto entrepreneurs in areas like jewellery, fashion accessories, crafts, food, home decor, health and beauty. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 416-345-9437

December 6 to 15:
Wall to Wall - Holiday Art Sale & Party at Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography (401 Richmond Street West, suite 120). Over 100 photographic artworks and objects created by Toronto artists, priced from $5 to $500. Proceeds benefit Gallery 44's education and exhibition programs, and are matched by the Ontario Arts Council Foundation. Opening Reception: Thu, December 6, 6 to 10 p.m. Continues: Fri, December 7, 11-8 p.m., Sat & Sun, December 8 & 9, 11-5 p.m. and Tues-Sat, December 11-15, 11-5 p.m. 416-979-3941

December 8:
Who’s Your Santa: A Seasonal Auction at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street). Maggie Cassella hosts a fundraising auction with Charlene Nero as auctioneer, alongside celeb Santas Dennis O'Connor, Miss Conception, John Simpson, Chris Carter, Deb Pearce and Anna Giaouris. On the block are sexy seasonal goodies ranging from travel packages to art. Big ticket items include a gay erotic tapestry by Carl Stewart, a Banff getaway from Vision2000 Travel Group, a BATAVUS Metro Bike from Curbside Cycle and $1,000 worth of Northbound Leather products. Preview from 6 p.m., Auction at 7. 416-975-8555. Admission: $20

December 8 to January 5:
Gifts by Artists at Art Metropole (788 King Street West). A sale of new artists' books, multiples and other art presents by Andrew J. Patterson, Maura Doyle, Julie Voyce, Ann Dean, Tonik Wojtyra, Terence Koh, Audrea Di Julio, Liz Knox and a host of others. Opening festivus: Sat & Sun, December 8 & 9, 2 to 5 p.m. Continues Tue-Fri, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sat, noon to 5 p.m. 416-703-4400

Goodby, Angie!

This morning Angie Baldassarre died. This is my favorite picture of this passionate and vivacious woman, taken by Arne Nordtop. She had a full life as a devoted film journalist, wife, friend and above all mother. She got to jet to L.A. to interview Brad Pitt, serve on the jury of the Venice Film Festival, publish two books about Italian and Canadian filmmakers, host innumerable gracious hospitable gatherings for her delightful circle of friends, and acquire unavailable preview copies of all the best kids' films for her lovely daughter. She made a great marriage with a terrific guy via the internet, watched every episode of Northern Exposure, recommended that her friends should get tattood (for the rush), and claimed to have participated in some pretty radical actions in her impetuous Italian youth. She also stayed close to her cultural heritage and her faith, and even managed to have Sunday dinner with her parents most weeks. For all of these things I admired her and will miss her. I can't believe how long she managed to hold death away and keep writing and cherishing life with her family through an illness that would have licked most people. She deserved another 50 years of health and life. However, I remember how sad she was when her friend Gene Siskel died. I hope they're sitting in armchairs side by side, giving the double thumbs-up. And I hope all the films in heaven are good ones.

Art and Craft Holiday Shopping for Christmas Gifts (2007)

I always vow I won't get into the Christmas thing too early, but then there are always some great gift shopping events around town that I badly want to promote, so... whatever. In particular, I figure if people are going to go out and spend a bunch of cash once a year, they may as well spend it on art and good causes.

The Algonquin Island Association holds its wonderful annual Christmas Boutique on the island. It's a heartwarming community event that features steaming bowls of chilli made by gradeschoolers and the Eggnog that Escaped Heaven. Among the items for sale are original pieces by Island artists, baking and jams, ornaments, cards, kids' crafts and unbelievably idiosyncratic creations that beggar description. Prices are generally pretty low, although some of the serious art and crafts (like quilting) can get up into three figures. The Boutique is held on Saturday, December 1 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The AIA clubhouse is located about 15 minutes by foot from the Ward's Island ferry dock, and there'll be plenty of signs to direct you. Consult the winter ferry schedule to figure out when to arrive and leave (You may even see me there with my catnip toys.) Admission is free. For more information, call 416-203-0965.


At the 15th anniversary Holiday Marketplace at 401 Richmond, you'll find every kind of original creation from tiles to textiles, including painting, photography, prints, ceramics, jewellery, watches, home decor items, hats, knits, bags and even dance classes. Be sure to check out artwork (and ceramic trolls!) by Fiona Smyth and the sensational hand-stenciled organic bicycle T-shirts, kids' onesies (see image!), bike art cards and prints by Janet Bike Girl. The Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre is showcasing limited-edition film stills Canadian filmmakers (curated by Michael Snow). And Toronto Cat Rescue is selling kitty-theme crafts. (Check the link for a complete list of participants.) There'll be live music performance through much of the event, which runs Thursday and Friday, December 6 & 7 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., plus Saturday and Sunday, December 8 & 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. At 401 Richmond West, of course. Admission is free, but don't blame me if you buy stuff.

Sarah in GreenTOpia

Last year around this time, I announced how pleased I was to be one of the authors contributing to The State of the Arts: Living with Culture in Toronto, the second volume in the uTOpia series from Coach House Press. I'm, if anything, even more pleased to be included in the third: GreenTOpia: Towards a Sustainable Toronto. This "newest and greenest" volume is launching this Sunday, November 11 at the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West), beginning at 2 p.m. I have a little piece in it about advances in (and barriers to) alternative energy technologies being used here.

Coach House is making quite the full day of it, starting with two panel discussion moderated by Misha Glouberman and featuring GreenTOpia contributors. The first, on the natural environment, is at 3 p.m. with Eduardo Sousa, Lorraine Johnson, Todd Irvine, Wayne Reeves and Keith Stewart. The second, on built environment, is at 4, and features Eva Ligeti, Graeme Stewart, Cathy Nasmith, John Lorinc and Bert Archer. The event will be entirely solar-powered, courtesy of Solera Energies, and participants are invited to bring something they no longer need or want for the freecycle swap table. Cover charge is $5, or free with the purchase of a book (at the launch price of $25 including GST).

At 6 p.m., when the panels have wound up, Shawn Micallef of Spacing and [murmur] will lead a Psychogeographic Wander (that'd be a thoughtful, philosophical walk where you notice things) to College and Bathurst in time for a 7 p.m. dinner with various GreenTOpia participants at Plaza Flamingo (423 College Street).

At 8:30, Wavelength Music Series presents Remember Toronto with The Bicycles, The Two Koreas, The Blankket, the Hip-Hop Karaoke Crew and Etaoin Shrdlu with Jonny Dovercourt performing the best Toronto songs of all time ("Spadina Bus" had better be on that list!) at Sneaky Dee's (431 College Street). Admission is pay-what-you-can.

If you can't make the launch, you might like to know that Coach House is offering a package deal of all three books: GreenTOpia, last year's State of the Arts and the original uTOpia: Towards a New Toronto – GST and shipping included – for only $60.

Toronto Artscape Creative Convergence Project Survey

The folks at Toronto Artscape are working on what they call the Creative Convergence Project, a study of the unique characteristics of Toronto neighbourhoods that contribute to the success of creative business and individuals. Their goal is to be able to help public policymakers understand how to protect and promote these critical elements. If you work in a creative field, you can help by filling out their online survey. It doesn't take too long, but you must give them your e-mail address. They promise that your information will be kept confidential.