Dry Spell

I recently attended the opening of Sau Wai Tai's show at the Women's Art Resource Centre. Such a show, which demonstrates a feminist ethic applied to interlinking environmental and social justice issues, takes art not for its aesthetic but its potential to demonstrate, to involve the masses by taking them past speculating on a visual culture made only for their living room walls. Sau Wai Tai's exhibition "Dry Spell" deals specifically with the water crisis and allows the viewer to make the connections between the commodification/desecration of water resources to the trafficking of women caught in development paradigms.

The press release below:

"Sau Wai Tai

May 24 - June 21, 2008


Dry Spell presents Toronto artist, Sau Wai Tai¹s mixed media investigation into climate change. While floods and hurricanes command the media¹s attention as effects of global warming, severe and intensifying droughts have been largely un-reported even as the percentage of land affected has substantially increased over the last decade. Privatization of water by bottling industries, and the prioritizing of industrial needs, aggregate the problem for communities with little political/economic power. Dry Spell highlights environmental injustices against the global South with special attention to the ordeal of women. Many have suffered and perished as they tried to bring home water and feed their families. In the gallery, the artist constructs a drying, cracking Œpaddy field¹ with gradually dying seedlings. Also in the gallery lie four locked 80 litre water boxes. At the Third World Water Forum, it was said that 80 litres of water per person, per day are necessary to maintain a reasonable standard of life. Text etched onto the boxes references uses such as pop and bottled water, toilets and urban etiquette, industry and agricultural processes etc. On the floor lie scattered bottles of water containing submerged pictures of women of colour consumed/to be consumed and discarded away. A dim image with native women from Mother Earth Water Walk walking around the Great Lakes to reclaim sacred water is projected onto a gallery wall.

Bio:
Sau Wai is a cultural hybrid living and working in Toronto: She was made in Hong Kong, did her tertiary education in Australia and then worked with various non-government organizations after she returned from her studies, including relief and development works in Asian countries. Realizing the importance of how the environment plays upon the well being of people living in the margins, especially women, she came to Toronto to earn a Masters degree in environmental studies. It is thus natural for her work to cross borders and to interweave dialogue about the environment, gender, class and race to highlight connections in a perceived fragmented world. She also embraces a critical understanding of humanities role in manufacturing the environmental crises and interprets the word "environment" to include the implications of the interplay between political, social, cultural and
economical global elements."

International Women's Day

This upcoming March 8th is International Women's Day. I, of course, will be ass-deep in homework, but it's mostly all feminist-based research and cultural production type stuff, as well as being involved in an upcoming feminist art show on campus, so I won't be totally off-topic that day. For those not mired by academic commitments, York will be hosting a series of talks during the week.

www.yorku.ca/ombuds

Celebrating International Women’s Day
12:30-4pm

Welcoming Remarks:
Selwyn McSween, Acting Ombudsperson and Director of Human Rights

Keynote Speaker: Adelaida Ortega (SASSL) “Violence Against Women at York University”

Presenter: Ruth Kambali, nursing student: Overcoming Violence in Rwanda

Entertainment: African Dance

Panel Discussion: Discrimination and Violence Directed Against Women:
Denise Taylor: student activist
Yudum Yonak: graduate student
Margaret Alexander: Springtide Resources
Representative from the high school group, SWING
Question & Answer Period

Presentation: WEN-DO (Women's Self Defense) Denise Handlarski

Entertainment: Middle Eastern Dance

Refreshments will be served

Hey wait! I just remembered that despite a day heavier with schoolwork, that a group of print friends and I will be indeed heading down to the Ryerson Lecture Series Guerrilla Girls event on March 6th! It's at the Metropolitan Convention Centre (near Union Station). Tickets to the event are free, though all filled up, but I believe you can to get in on standby. I'm pretty excited to hear this collective speak about their work that I've read about so often...will most definitely report back...

Have a thoughtful Women's day!

From the Inbox: Upcoming Rally

This is being circulated in my Gender and Development class:

STOP THE IMPUNITY SURROUNDING THE MURDER AND DISAPPEARANCE OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN IN CANADA!!

3rd Annual Rally To Honour Our Missing Sisters Thursday, February 14, 2008, 12 noon, Outside Police Headquarters at Bay and College
Strawberry Ceremony in Honor of our Missing Sisters - Speakers and drumming Gathering with food immediately to follow at U of T's Centre for Women and Trans People (563 Spadina Ave).

Hundreds of Indigenous women have been murdered or have gone missing over the last 30years.
Today we join women in Vancouver, Edmonton, Sudbury and Winnipeg coming together in defense of our lives and to demonstrate the complicity of the colonizer state and its institutions - police, RCMP,coroner's offices and the courts, in the on going genocide against First Nations people. Indigenous communities are over policed and Indigenous girls make up the fastest growing prison population yet their deaths go uninvestigated and their killers unpunished. We call on all people in this country to take a stand - NO MORE SILENCE!! Bring your drums!

No More Silence aims to develop a national network of local coalitions comprised of Indigenous women and allies working together to support the initiatives of independent Indigenous women working to stop the disappearances and end impunity.

Endorsed by: CUPE-SCFP; METRAC; Brampton Coalition for Peace and Justice;Parkdale Community Legal Services; The Humanist Centre of Cultures; Not In Our Name; Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP); The Centre for Women and Trans People at the University of Toronto; Canadian Chiapanecas Justice for Women; Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid; Canadian Arab Federation; No One Is Illegal Toronto; The Ontario Women's Health Network; CAW-Sam Gindin Chairin Social Justice and Democracy at Ryerson; Toronto Haiti Action Committee,Students Against Israeli Apartheid.

Sounds like the way to be spending my Valentine's Day this year.

From the Inbox: Upcoming Events

I've been crazy busy with school and work, which has caused me to be a lazy fuck with this blog, but the Women's Studies department is far more diligent about putting out content, events, and opportunities. And so I bring you, curtesy of the School of Women's Studies at York, this awesome list of upcoming events in Toronto:

Jan 28:
Film screening - Thirst for Profit: A Story of Privatization of Water
http://www.yorku.ca/cerlac/news_events.htm#fernando

Jan 30:
Neoliberal Oligarchs: Central American Power Structures after the Wars
http://www.yorku.ca/cerlac/news_events.htm#oligarchs

Jan 31:
Book Launch! Organizing the Transnational & Development’s Displacements
http://www.yorku.ca/cerlac/news_events.htm#transnational

Feb 7:
How About a Little Bronze Virgin? Mestiza Nationalism in Cuba and Brazil
http://www.yorku.ca/cerlac/news_events.htm#gena

Wednesdays:
Colloquium on the Global South
http://www.yorku.ca/ucgs

Alternate Wednesdays:
Brazilian Studies Seminar Series
http://www.yorku.ca/cerlac/BRAZIL2008.pdf

Alternate Wednesdays:
CERLAC Gender & Politics Study Group
http://www.yorku.ca/cerlac/genderpolitics.htm

Ta-da! My school is so involved...*proud grin*

Upcoming Events: Montreal Massacre Remembrance Day

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre that occurred December 6th, 1989. I attended an all-girl high school in downtown Toronto, and every year we spent a week remembering the victims of this brutal femicide, as well as other murdered victims of domestic violence. For a few years after I left high school, that week of awareness started to fade into my memory, something that is dangerous to let happen, especially as so many women are already forgotten because of racism and classism. Fortunately,York and its Women's Studies program, as well as other universities and organizations continue to commerate this day to raise awareness on violence against women.

The Female Eye Film festival remembers women killed in Montreal Massacre
In partnership with York's Winters College, the Female Eye Film Festival will commemorate the Dec. 6 Montreal Massacre with seven films by national and international female directors, along with a panel discussion, to be held this Thursday, Dec. 6.

The program, In Memoriam of the Montreal Massacre, is designed to remember the 14 women killed there 18 years ago. All of the films look at issues of violence against women. A question and answer period with the directors will follow the screenings. The program will take place at the Nat Taylor Cinema, North 102 Ross Building, on the Keele campus

On Dec. 6, 1989, Marc Lepine walked into l'École Polytechnique, a Montreal engineering school, separated the men from the women and opened fire. He shot 27 women, 14 of whom died. In 1991, Canada's Parliament declared Dec. 6 a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada.

The program runs from four to ten p.m.

In some of the old articles covering the massacre, it was noted how some students were sobbing that they weren't even feminists.

I've made this comment before, but I think it bears repeating. Marc Lepine, despite what he may have stated, did NOT really kill these women because they were feminists; he killed them BECAUSE they were women, and he felt entitled to violently take from them what he couldn't get for himself. Even if every woman he killed was a feminist, that is certainly no justification for murder.

We need to stop thinking that feminism(s)is(are) no longer relevant.

From the Inbox:

Two Events Coming up in Toronto, Ontario:

Number One:

Toronto Women's Bookstore Presents:

book launch for
Unleashing the Unpopular:
Talking About Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity in Education(Association for Childhood Education International)edited by Isabel Killoran and Karleen Pendleton-Jimenez

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 30, 7pm
toronto women's bookstore
73 harbord st.
partially wheelchair accessible
free admission


This amazing new publication is a unique teacher education resource that strives to improve understanding of issues related to sexual orientation, gender diversity, and education, and how they affect students, teachers, schools, and the community. These narratives and essays are offered as an invitation to make room for the questions and discussion that will hopefully lead to more equitable communities. The authors discuss barriers to successfully supporting LGBT students, teachers, and parents; and explore the reasons behind action or inaction, the effects of not having supportive policy around LGBT issues, and possible solutions to the concerns.

Readings by...
Tonya Callaghan
Dale Callender
Hilary Cook
Carter Cook
John Guiney Yallop
Celia Haig-Brown
Didi Khayatt
Isabel Killoran
Karleen Pendleton Jimenez
janet romero-leiva

Number Two:

Searching for the Islamic Feminist: Religious arbitration in Ontario
with

Kseniya Zaika
Visiting Scholar, Centre for Feminist Research
State University Higher School of Economics - School of International Affairs, Moscow
&
Tabassum Ruby
Ph. D Student, School of Women Studies
York University, Toronto

Monday, 26 November 2007
1pm
201 Founders College
York University, Keele Campus

I, of course, will be writing essays and finishing my art projects for the semester crunch. Sigh.

Ladyfest: Has Come and Gone...

And I realize I took forever to post about it...yeah, I'm over a month late with a post, but here we go, FINALLY, cuz I did take me a lot of pictures.

May I remind you, I'm a printmaker and not a photographer lest ye judge my photo-aesthetic sensibility. Cool?

Here we go:

While Ladyfest was set for four days of feminist fun, I was only able to attend the day that I was part of, despite all-access passes due to work and school obligations. So while I would love to be sitting here, writing about Allyson Mitchell's films and the many other performances and workshops I would have loved to be there for, this review is limited to the art show on Saturday, September 29th, 2007.

Yep, another post about me.

:P

Nonetheless, I did stick around for most of the performances and checked out ALL of the art so I can speak of others as well as myself.


So initially, things were worrisome, due to a fire in the Kapisanan Centre, where the art show was supposed to have taken place the night before. Fortunately, we didn't set up our art the night before, so no one's artistic accomplishments parished in tragic fate, and we relocated to St.Stephen's. Not only were my often-naked images available to be seen by an all-ages audience, but I got to show my hairy girls installation, "The Electric Furr" in a freakin' church!

Awesome!
Hey, I've never made any claims to maturity...

Here are my ladies...



I know that as an artist, I'm supposed to always be confident about my work and never betray any misgivings about it. But I am weak, and of low self-esteem when it comes to art. I love these images, don't get me wrong. However, I have to admit, I'm not too crazy about how I ended up putting them together. I sewed black thread into some of the images, and that comprimised some of my prints so they looked crinkled, as well I feel like I never resolved properly the issue of display with my hairy girls that I re-drew from FHM magazine (as seen in the first two images above). Okay, I've aired it out, I feel better now, and I'm gonna do better this year.

That being said, I am proud of my stories in this piece.

And quite frankly, I'm actually pretty shocked that I have the nerve to call myself an artist in this post. Muahahaha.





The intent for this project was for people to read my narratives surrounding body hair, as told in lithographic form, but to also be able to move the velcro-text panels around to create their own. But alas, the new location forbade any nail-banging into the walls, so my panels had to be gingerly placed against the walls, disallowing the audience interaction I was going for. Fortunately, I still managed to get a response out of people, however passive it was limited to...


Now on to the rest of the show

Featuring the music of:

123TEN


This was the first act me and the boy caught. We were late due to traffic on College St, making a normally 15 minute ride over forty minutes long. However, we were just in time for these ladies.

I have to admit, I was caught a little off guard by their style. Unpolished, yet totally fearless, initially this band had my boy, an experienced musician and performer, with his jaw dropping. Featuring pre-recorded sound, and three young women jumping and singing like Napolean Dynamite was their hero (probably amongst a pile of fierce women heroes too), 123TEN was probably the most creative musical display I've seen in a long time. I had stepped out for a minute to place a phonecall to my boss, and by the time I came back in, this band won my boy's heart with their infectuous tunes. I was surprised, mostly because of his usual musical snobbery. But 123TEN certianly owned it by the end of their set.

Rae Spoon


He stole my heart. I'm not usually one for country-folk, but his melancholy and sardonic flavour reeled me in. What a haunting voice! Here my music snob boy companion too was impressed by the prowess of Spoon's guitar skills; me, he just stole me away from my seat as he alternated between song and anecdote. Part of this festival as a transgender artist, Rae Spoon was my favourite act of the night, and I hope to see him perform again soon.

Forest City Lovers


This was a pretty tight band. Wonderful musicians with a sound that reminded me of Feist and Sarah Harmer. They were pleasant to listen to, and combined with all the musical acts that we managed to catch, were part of a power house lineup of Ladyfest talent. In fact, after this show, it makes me mad to still see the prevalent attitude of the music industry, wherein a lineup this gender-diverse is still not the norm.

And of course, the artists:


What I love about taking part in events like these is meeting other artists outside of the classroom, making connections both artistically and intellectually and sharing each other's work. I'm proud to say that so far, my [limited] experience in the art world has been collective rather than competitive. Here is where I also found a feminist politic more readily available.

Meagan O'Shea



She is an established Toronto-based performance artist who was participating not only in Ladyfest that night but also Nuit Blanche. Her work "Something Blue" featured a discourse about divorce; particularly from the perspective of women, culminating from her own recent experiences with it. Originally a performance piece, for Ladyfest, O'Shea had only displayed the wedding dress she had designed and made (from various women's dresses) for the show. Sewn into the dress were recordings of women's stories about their divorces for which O'Shea had provided a listening station so that the audience could hear them. It was a beautiful dress, and a moving piece. I wish I could have seen her performing this work, but I made due with the installation.

Nicole Stoffman





I actually spent a bit of time talking with Nicole. (It was a pleasure, and thank you for the song recommendation, if you happen to be reading this!) Her work is titled "The Topless Metropolis" and featured a series of postcards wherein the artist posed topless with some of Toronto's finest graffitti. I took quite a few home with me, so some people should be expecting some racy cards in the mail soon...muahahaha...I really enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek nature of these cards. While totally describing the cheesy nature of the cheese-cake city postcard, Stoffman's cards transformed them into a literally naked appreciation for her city, while owning the control of her body within it. At least, that's how I read it...

That is in fact me being a perv while browsing through Nicole's display...muahahaha...

Tamiko Winter



Winter's work featured a disruption of the nude photograph with splashes of paint. As such, it begs the viewer to make a closer inspection of the poses represented. Aligning her work with an examination of the performance of the model, Winter invites us into some pretty private, and potentially provocative moments. I think it would have been interesting to see how this work could be potentially transformed by a printmaking process such as photo-intaglio, and maybe some poignant text would have forced the viewer into understanding the performance aspect of it a little more, but I do appreciate the amount of herself that Winter put into this work. Definitely a thought provoking work surrounding the constantly contested issues of female nudity.

***

So that's my review. I had a great time, and it was definitely an important experience for me in terms of learning where my art fits in but also in collective activism. I didn't love how my art had to be displayed, but the circumstances were understandable (though my critical self also disallows me from ever loving how my art comes out totally anyway...all I do is pick out how some parts don't work out as well as others...sigh). Next year, whether I participate or not, I will definitely be making a more valiant effort to attend more of the planned events. Ladyfest forever!

From the Inbox: Upcoming Film Event (Toronto, On)

This just in, from my women's studies listserv:

Join us at the National Film Board Mediatheque for the Toronto premiere of Nomad's Land, followed by an intimate panel discussion Wednesday October 17 at 7PM!

When Claire Corriveau's husband joined the Air Force, she soon discovered her needs were subordinate to those of the Canadian Armed Forces. Her first film, Nomad's Land, is a powerful look at the hard existence of military wives, women who inherit a lifestyle that is often lonely and isolated, as they find themselves forced to move repeatedly, with little control over their lives.

Join us for this explosive documentary on Wednesday October 17 at 7PM with director Claire Corriveau, Dr. Margrit Eichler, Professor, University of Toronto, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, Dr. Deborah Harrison, Adjunct Professor, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, and Rebecca Christie, St Lawrence College.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 17
7PM
FREE ADMISSION

NFB MEDIATHEQUE
150 JOHN ST (at RICHMOND ST W)
TORONTO
416-973-3012
www.nfb.ca/mediatheque

Sounds like an interesting film, but alas once again my academic studies ironically thwart me from attending. I have a class at that time, and I can't skip it because I have a presentation to do for it that day. Boo.

Voting Day in Ontario!

P.S Everybody who can (and should!), go vote today!

It's Election Day for the provincial government of Ontario, fuckers! GO VOTE ALREADY! I'm on my way.

I myself am not particularly crazy about any candidate, but neither am I crazy about the idea of giving up the chance to have some sort of say.

Today is also the referendum over electoral reform: do we keep "first past the post" or do we switch "to mixed member proportional" (MMP)?

I've considered both: I realize that it seems like you're losing representation by not specifically voting in the officials who will make up the seats that the MMP takes up, but I've decided that the good of MMP outweighs the criticisms. With MMP, the popular vote will finally actually represent the way we voted versus with the number of seats actually won, and parties like the NDP and The Green Party may actually be given a real chance to truly mix up the government practice. A lot of people have decried that MMP means there will never be a majority government, but I'm okay with that. I'm for a government that works together with a cross section of beliefs and ideas; I've never been crazy about bi-partisanship, and hopefully we can get the best of every party this way. I know this idealistic of me, but any naysayers of electoral change in the form of MMP would do good to remember that we've yet to come across a system of government where corruption hasn't been a feature. So why be so fearful of something new?

Disagree with me?

THEN GO VOTE NOW!

Important: Ladyfest Venue Change!

This Just In:

If there was anyone planning on stopping by tomorrow for my Ladyfest show, apparently there was a fire and subsequent flood at the Kapisanan Centre where the art show was supposed to happen, so there has been a sudden venue change.

So the NEW location is :

St. Stephen's Church at 103 Bellevue, just off of College. Set times are still the same (1pm to 7pm).

Thanks for your support!

Countdown To Ladyfest Toronto 2007!

With less then three days til Ladyfest, I thought I'd post the press release here so everyone can take a look at what exactly's going on:

TORONTO - Ladyfest Toronto is a wide-ranging celebration of feminism
and the arts, taking place September 27th-30th in and around
Kensington Market. With four days of programming—by women, for
everyone—Ladyfest Toronto aims to reflect the varied experiences and
talents of women, while proving feminism can be fun. It's inspired by
a tradition of Ladyfests held worldwide since the first festival took
place in 2000 in Olympia, Washington, the birthplace of the riot grrrl
movement. Admission to individual events is on a sliding scale basis;
weekend passes are also available for $35 (youth passes $10) at Rotate
This, Soundscapes and Good For Her. Festival highlights include:

Kick-off Party: Taking place at the Tranzac on the 27th, it will
feature salsa dance, burlesque, spoken word and musical performances,
including a headlining slot by 2007 Polaris Prize nominee Julie
Doiron.

Concerts: There will be hip-hop by local artist Masia One and
Brooklyn's "queer-feminist, soul-sister co-conspiracy of acrobatic
poets," Climbing PoeTree (who have previously performed at Ladyfest
South in Texas and on HBO's Def Poetry Jam). D.C. dance-punks
Partyline (featuring Allison Wolfe, formerly of legendary riot grrrl
band Bratmobile) and Toronto acts like Cougar Party and Shitt Hottt
will be bringing the rock. On the softer side, there will be
experimental folkies The Weather Station and Laura Barrett—and that's
just a small sampling of the artists we have lined up.

Art: Maureen Da Silva and Tamiko Winter explore questions of
femininity and desire through, respectively, comic-inspired art and
photography. Lumi, a wandering performance piece inspired by Hans
Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen will hit the streets, bringing
winter to Toronto in September. Spoken word artists include dub poet
d-lishus and writer Vivian Meyer, who will read from her book Bottom
Bracket and lead a 'Sleuthing 101' session. Films will be shown over
two nights at the Brunswick Cinema—Friday features short films and a
retrospective of the films of Allyson Mitchell and Christina Zeidler's
Freeshow Seymour collective. Saturday we'll get down and dirty with
feminist smut films by Jesika Joy, Angela Phong and Jill Rosenberg and
a live burlesque performance. There will also be a craft fair on
Sunday, featuring the work of local artisans and crafters.

Workshops: Workshop leaders will create dialogue around many important
issues, with sessions like Fat Activism 101, Shameless Magazine's
Media Literacy Boot Camp , Young Women's Crash Course in Getting it On
(presented by Good For Her) and more.

About Ladyfest
Ladyfest Toronto is a grassroots, do-it-yourself community-based
organization that operates under a framework that is pro-feminist,
trans-inclusive, pro-diversity and anti-oppression. Ladyfest Toronto
2007 continues the tradition of breaking down barriers for women
artists and marks the first time since 2004 that the festival has
taken place in Toronto.

In the last seven years Ladyfests have been held in North and South
America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Canadian cities that have hosted
Ladyfests include Vancouver, Guelph, Toronto, Halifax and Ottawa.

-30-

Media Contact:
Carly Beath
lftopress@gmail.com
647-868-5207

See you on the weekend!

Event Date Changed

Quickly now:

As previously posted, the WARC 'Zinefest featuring the work of the kids who participated in the Comic Book workshops was dated for Saturday, September 22nd, 2007.

This has been changed to Saturday, October 13th, 2007. The fest will go from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

That is all.

Upcoming Events: Some Art Happenings

It seems like today I've gone post-crazy, but it's probably because I not-so-secretly know that between my heavy academic schedule and my heavy work schedule (no student loans for this witch...begrudgingly...), I know that I won't have as much available time to write on this blog. In the meantime, however, here are some upcoming breaks to studying:

On Saturday September 22nd,2007 there will be a 'Zinefest as part of The Women's Art Resource Centre's (WARC)Youth Leaders Through the Arts outreach program. I volunteered with this project over the summer, helping to facilitate workshops for kids considered "at risk", in which literacy, research skills, group work and creative endeavours were emphasized through the making of comic books centred on environmental issues. The comic books the kids made will be showcased, as well as the process which was well-documented at the 'Zinefest at the WARC gallery space, at around 2 p.m. It was an amazing opportunity for me to be a part of, which I will talk about at a later date on this blog as the 'Zinefest happens.

WARC Gallery is located at 401 Richmond St. W.

***

The Cryptic Canvas is celebrating its new gallery space with a grand opening on Friday, September 28th, 2007. Its new venue, over on 8 Waterloo Terrace, has just been recently acquired, and will be hosting a great art party which you can rsvp to on the webpage. Art, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be at hand, so please rsvp by September 25th.

***

From the invite for FARRAGO at the Studio Gallery:

“FARRAGO” exhibition showcasing painting, photography, sculpture, textiles and print media by local Toronto art collective pursuing the correspondence between insulated communities of thought and belief; encouraging aesthetic accessibility and navigating esoteric re-entry. Show runs from September 19 to October 13, 2007.

**Opening reception is on Saturday September 29, 2007 from 7pm-close**

The Studio Gallery is located on the Third Floor of 9 Ossington, 9 Ossington Ave., Toronto.

Gallery hours:
Wednesday/Thursday/Friday -- 6pm to 10pm.
Saturday/Sunday -- 11am to 6pm.

***
And, of course, in the midst of it all, there is Nuit Blanche on Saturday, September 29th, 2007, a free, all night, art event across the city to enjoy. WARC Gallery, with its Camille Turner exhibition, will be one of the many participating locations, as well. I believe this event starts shortly after 7 p.m. and goes 'til 7 a.m.

What a crazy-busy month September is shaping out to be.

Enjoy!

From the Inbox: YorkU Activism Against Violence Against Women

Taken directly from my women's studies listserv:

In light of the recent sexual assaults on campus, The York Federation of Students along with other community organizations will be holding the following events.

*********
Forum for Women and Trans people only!
Stand Up Speak Out
End Violence Against Women.

An opportunity for women and Tran people to openly discuss issues of safety, security and violence effecting them.

When: Wed Sept 19th
Time:3-6pm
Where: 430 Student Centre

Women Unite, Reclaim the Night!
Rally and March: End Violence Against Women and Tran people
***Note: Rally- everyone is welcome
March- For women and Tran people only

When: Wed Sept 19th
Time: 7-9pm
Location: In front of Vari Hall

This event is brought to you by:
York Federation of Students
York University Grad Students Association
SASSL - Sexual Assault Survivor's Support line
Centre for Women and Trans people
The Office of the Ombudsperson & Centre for Human Rights

For more information please contact: Gilary Massa at 647-869-2101, vpequity@yfs.ca

Once again, I get to be a bad feminist, ironically because one of my women's studies classes coincides with these dates, but I strongly encourage everyone who can make it to go, or support it in one way or the other. Almost every year I've been at York, and there have been many, there has been a sexual assault and violent attack on women. What is the school year, it seems, without a campus security alert? Though, in light of what I've read in the past about the way some schools have dealt with (or rather NOT dealt with) on-campus rapists, I am grateful that at least York is warning us and letting us know that these assaults are happening.

LadyFest 2007 Update

Directly from the Ladyfest page, here is the update ticket info and schedule of events:

LADYFEST PASSES:
19+ pass = $35
Youth pass = $10
Available at:
Soundscapes
Rotate this
Good for her

Or you can also purchase passes online through Paypal (account name = ladyfesttoronto@gmail.com), which will then be available for pick-up at any Ladyfest events.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Venue: Tranzac, 7pm, 19+
$5-10 sliding scale

Featuring performances by:
Julie Doiron
Laura Barrett
LGBT Dance Club
Shameless Dames
D-Lishus
Bianca Sidaravicius
Cry Rumble
Lisa Bozikovic
Meagan O'Shea
Shirin Yousefi

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

Venue: The Boat, 9pm, 19+
$5-10 sliding scale

Featuring music and spoken word by:
Masia One
Climbing PoeTree (from Brooklyn, NY)
Nolan Natasha Pike (of Scandalnavia)
Hibou
Tara-Michelle Ziniuk
DJ Winnie

Venue: Brunswick Theatre, 7pm, ALL AGES
$5-10 sliding scale

Featuring a collection of short films by:
Micheline Durocher
Kim Kielhofner
Cara Spooner
Allie Caldwell
Sidrah Laldin
Freeshow Seymour: the films of Allyson Mitchell and Christina Zeidler

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

Venue: St. Stephen's, 11-7pm
Cost TBD
Workshops
Shameless Magazine: Media Literacy Boot Camp
Daily Detox
Sex Work and Sex Worker Rights (18+)
Mission FATpossible! Fat Activism (women-identified people only)

Venue: Kapisanan Philipines Centre, 1pm, ALL AGES
Cost: $5

Featuring music, art and spoken word:
Rae Spoon
Forest City Lovers
Jen Crawford
123TEN!
Stacey May Fowles
Vivian Meyer
Meagan O'Shea
Maureen Da Silva
Ikbal Singh
Tamiko Winter
Nicole Stoffman

Venue: Brunswick Theatre, 7pm, 18+
$10-15 sliding scale

An evening of feminist smut, with films by:
Jesika Joy
Dirty Pillows
Jill Rosenberg
Burlesque from Miss Kitten

Venue: Sneaky Dee's, 9pm, 19+
$5-10 sliding scale

Featuring musical performances by:
Partyline (ex-Bratmobile)
Shitt Hott
Cougar Party
Cherie Pyne (from Newfoundland)
The Tennessee Twin (Mint records)
DJ Amanda

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

Venue: St. Stephen's, 12-6pm
Cost: $2

All day craft sale - featuring a wide variety of vendors!

And, workshops! Also at St. Stephen's, 11-7pm

Write at the Start (women-identified only)
Young Women's Crash Course in Getting it on (women-identified only)
Unpacking White Privilege: Becoming an Anti-Racist Ally
Trans 101
How to make it as a self-taught designer

Venue: Kensington market - during the afternoon as part of
PS Kensington

Performance art and music:
Ikbal Singh
Heather Mazhar
Lisa Marie

Venue: The Boat, 9pm, 19+
$5-10 sliding scale
Musical performances by:
Wendy Atkinson (K records, from Vancouver)
Weather Station
Alanna Stuart (of Bonjay)
DJs Carly's OK, Shae and Moist Fowlette

Between Ladyfest, Nuit Blanche, and two other art openings for friends of mine (will post about later)this is going to be a crazy, art-filled weekend! I'm grateful to be a part of it. Can't wait!

Upcoming Event: Ladyfest Toronto 2007!

Check it out!

From September 27th to the 30th of this year 2007, Toronto will be graced with the yearly riot-grrl inspired festival LADYFEST!

Festival passes are available for purchase now, as well the schedule of performances and workshops and venues are listed up over at the Ladyfest homepage.

Shameless self-promotion bit:

Yours truly will be having my art project, also entitled "Electric Furr", on view at this event. My work steals from the comic book format of storytelling in order to engage the viewer about my ambiguous feelings surrounded body hair. This work was a year long labour of love, which I am proud to present at Ladyfest. When I find out its exact location, this witch will be sure to let you all know. I'm very excited to be a part of this amazing festival of feminist art and activism!

Other far-more-amazing-then-me artists to check out include:
Masia One!
Julie Doiron!
Shameless Dames!
Freeshow Seymour: the films of Allyson Mitchell and Christina Zeidler!

and SO MUCH MORE!

Come check it out! See what's going on in feminism in Toronto.

I'll be most definitely posting some reminders closer to the dates!

Whoo!

Important Upcoming Event (Toronto, On)

Well, I feel like a bad feminist.

Via York's Women's Studies listserve, I have discovered that there is a Take Back the Night event happening on Saturday, September 8, 2007. Unfortunately, my tickets for Vfest are the same day.

Sigh.

*Hangs head in shame* I SWEAR, I bought these tickets back in May as an anniversary gift for me and the boy. It broke the bank for me to get these tickets.

I really think these kinds events are important to attend, so in the very least, I thought I would pass it along and post it here as an upcoming event. Here is the information, straight from my inbox:

Toronto’s 27th Annual Take Back the Night
“We Demand Our Rights”


The Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape (TRCC/MWAR) and community partners from Regent Park host the 27th annual Take Back the Night protest and march on Saturday, September 8, 2007 at Allan Gardens Community Park, main intersections Sherbourne St & Gerrard St.


This year’s theme is ‘We Demand Our Rights’. Take Back the Night is about bringing visibility and exposure to the impact of sexual violence in women’s lives. It’s a space created to ensure our voices are heard.

[...]

“The TBTN march is an event organized by feminist grassroots, anti-violence & anti-oppression activist groups all around the world with a focus on women’s rights & safety for women and children.” says Grissel Orellana, TRCC/MWAR outreach & community development Coordinator. A community fair, rally and protest march has been organized. The march is for women and children only, men are encouraged to attend in solidarity, by participating in the other activities, including the provision of childcare so their partners, mothers, sisters, and aunties can march. TBTN is a Trans -Positive, wheelchair accessible event with ASL interpretation, childcare, food and refreshments.

[...]

You can take action by attending Take Back the Night, spreading the word in your communities and to every woman you know, and marching with us on Sept. 8th. The community fair starts at 5:30pm at the Sherbourne Health Centre 333 Sherbourne Street, rally at 7:00pm at the Allan Gardens Park, and the march at 8:00pm.

The rally and march starts pretty late, so I think I'm going to try and be there.

Upcoming Event (Toronto, ON)

Another great event, cross-posted from the great Miss Kitty Galore's livejournal:

SUNDAY AUGUST 26th, come to the inaugral WRITING OUTSIDE THE MARGINS
festival of queer literature on Church Street 11 am - 7 pm

We're closing down Church Street to present a dazzling array of readings and performance as well as a book fair. Also featuring open mics, a poetry slam, a zine fair and a children's area where local literati will read excerpts from their favourite children's stories.

It's free, so come check it out. Meet exciting queer authors including (but not limited to) Nalo Hopkinson, James St. James, Lisa Foad, Patrick Califia, Alec Butler, Yehuda Fisher, Tara-Michelle Ziniuk, and yours truly, Kristyn (miss kitty galore) Dunnion!

Visit www.xtra.ca/writinginthemargins/

PLUS later that night: SAVE THE ROBOTS!
Party with us at The Gladstone Hotel $10 in advance
Hosted by Christobel
Special guests: Will Munro (Peroxide), Sheila Chevalier, Fierce Helder (big primpin'), Shane Mackinnon (foxhole)and Scarlet Sylphide

Sounds like a good time!

Upcoming Events: Art Hopping! (Toronto, ON)

I've come across a bunch of cool events I thought I'd post about here.

At the Lennox Contemporary Gallery, on 12 Ossington St:

Presenting "The Popcan Poll" by Les Paterson.
August 9 - 19, 2007

A democracy project by Les Paterson. Opening reception is this coming Thursday, August 9, 2007 at 7 p.m.
This is a project in which discarded popcans become a sight for messaging about the world. Check it out:



Also:
AlleyJaunt!
"Local Art in Local Garages"
Saturday August 11 and Sunday August 12, 2007.

Featuring 32 Garage and Alley in/outstallations. Shannon Gerard is one of them, and believe me, her stuff is just awesome and so thoughtful.




For a full scheduling of events, as well as a complete list of artists, check out:
Alleyjaunt.com

Sounds like a fun-filled, busy, artsy weekend! I hope everyone makes plans to go check some of this stuff out. I know I'd like to go.

Give a witch a call.

Upcoming Event

Found this on the ARM page (Association for Research on Mothering, listed in Link-O-Rama), thought I'd pass this event on. I've read 'Top Girls' before and found it very thought-provoking. There are quite a few remarkable actors in this production, so it'll definitely be a worthy night out. This listing is taken directly from ARM's page.

Interested in attending a fabulous dinner party with the most scintillating female guests, both real and imaginary, discussing the choices women make with regards to motherhood? The Association for Research on Mothering (ARM)--www.yorku.ca/arm--invites you to join others at this special MOTHER OUTLAWS’DINNER and THEATRE EVENT:

A feminist revival of Caryl Churchill‘s TOP GIRLS
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 at 7:30 PM
Dinner before at 5:30 (see below)
Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Distillery District, 55 Mill Street
A Soul Pepper Production directed by Alisa Palmer

Featuring: Megan Follows, Kelli Fox, Dawn Greenhalgh, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Cara Pifko, Liisa Repo Martell, Robyn Stevan and Diana Donnelly.

Caryl Churchill is the most important female playwright of the British stage.

Top Girls, considered by many to be Churchill’s defining achievement, is both delightful comedy peppered with some of history’s most compelling women, and scorching political examination of the role of women in contemporary society.
Churchill brings together five figures from centuries past for a celebratory girls' night out. The guest list includes such disparate characters as Lady Nijo, a 13th-century Japanese courtesan; Patient Griselda, the obedient wife in Chaucer's "Clerk's Tale," and Pope Joan, a ninth-century cross-dresser. The link
among them all is a choice each has made concerning motherhood.

Book your tickets (prices range between $56/$41) to this event by directly contacting
the theatre at 416-866-8666 or http://www.youngcentre.ca

As befits a play that begins with a dinner party, dinner reservations are being
made for 5:30 pm at The Boiler House patio (next door to the Young Centre). For more information and to RSVP for the dinner, please contact Linn Baran at linnbaran@sympatico.ca

Bon Apetit!