UTM ART Festival 2007 – March 19th – 23rd

The Blackwood Gallery is very happy to collaborate with the organizers of UTM ART Festival. Here's the scoop:

The Artistic Resource Team (ART) in Student Housing and Residence Life at University of Toronto, Mississauga is a newly formed team of students who are committed to enhancing the presence of and access to the creative arts in our community. ART holds primary responsibility for the development and presentation of the annual UTM ART Festival. This is the 6th year for the ART Festival and it shaping up to be its biggest year yet. The Festival has been expanded into a week-long event which includes daytime work-shops where students can explore a new form of art, and evening events to promote the art that already exists on our campus. The main event is the ART Festival Showcase which offers two major artistic categories: visual arts, and the performing arts. Professionals within their respective fields adjudicate these artistic demonstrations and financial awards are offered to the winning participants in each category. Over the past five years the ART Festival has offered more than $20 000.00 in awards to aspiring young artists.

The ART Festival 2007 – March 19th – 23rd

Monday, March 19th
11-1 PM Staging Shakespeare with Holger Syme (Student Centre Upstairs)
1-2 PM Highland Dance with Laura MacDonald (Student Centre Upstairs)
8-10 PM ART Opening Coffee House (Student Centre Presentation Room), $2

Tuesday, March 20th
1-2 PM Cape Breton Fiddling with Barry Green (Student Centre Upstairs)
8 PM UTM Drama Club Presents “Me and My Asian Mother” (MiST CCT 150)
9 PM UTM Drama Club Presents “Cousins of Corsica” (MiST CCT 150)

Wednesday, March 21st
11-1 PM Story Telling for Actors, Film-Makers and Artists with David How (Student Centre)
1-2 PM Beginner Hula with Estelle Oliva (Student Centre Upstairs)
7-9 PM Graduate Student Exhibit (Blackwood Gallery) [With reception]

Thursday, March 22nd
8:30 PM – 10:30 PM UTM Film Festival (Kaneff 137)

Friday, March 23rd
12-2PM Creativity Workshop with Jackie Osmond Patrick (Student Centre Upstairs)
THE ART FESTIVAL SHOWCASE (CC1080)
6 PM Visual Arts, 7 PM Performance, $10 Admission
Tickets on Sale March12th - 23rd in the Student Centre and Roy Ivor Hall

Check out our website:
www.utm.utoronto.ca/residence/art

Next up on the Image Bar... "Dan Carter" by Alison Kobayashi

Video still from Alison Kobayashi's Dan Carter, 2006

In her 15-minute video installation, Dan Carter, Alison Kobayashi presents as a series of characters inspired by a discarded answering machine tape. Her sarcastic and exaggerated performance reflects on the human condition by examining identity and exploring the imaginary.

Kobayashi is captivated by found objects that contain traces of private experiences. She has collected over 70 answering machine cassettes donated to second-hand stores over the past two years. Her fascination lead to the creation of Dan Carter, named after the original owner of the answering machine tape.



Alison Kobayashi is a student in the Art and Art History program at University of Toronto at Mississauga. Among numerous honours, in 2006 she was the recipient of The Bill Huffman Award for Excellence in Studio Practice. Her work has been screened at Justin M. Barnicke, InterAccess Electronic Media Arts, and Pleasure Dome.

The William Huffman Award for Excellence in Studio Practice is an annual award that recognizes an exceptionally gifted student from the University of Toronto Art and Art History Program – a joint BA offered by the University of Toronto at Mississauga and Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (Oakville). Huffman honors the student with an exhibition where the recipient presents works alongside respected contemporary artists.

William Huffman is a 1991 Art and Art history Program alumnus. He has worked with a number of arts organizations and institutions such as the Blackwood Gallery, Arts Toronto, The Power Plant, A Space, Canadian Art Foundation and Art Gallery of Sudbury. Huffman is currently the Associate Director for the Toronto Arts Council.

The William Huffman Award has recognized Marko Bursac (2007), Alison Kobayashi (2006), Tejpal Ajji (2005), Carolyn Tripp (2004), Jared Carlson (2003), Tannis Nielsen (2002), Erin Finley (2001), Amie Tolton (2000) and Heather Robinson (1999).

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Dan Carter will be available on the Image Bar:
- All day on February 26 & 27
- In the evenings from February 28 to March 11
- All day on March 12 & 13
- In the evenings from March 14 until March 25

Jesus Camp – the movie! – at UTM

Now on the Image Bar, and until February 25, 2007:

Jesus Camp, a Magnolia Pictures release directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing -- who previously made The Boys of Baraka together -- is a 2006 documentary about a "charismatic Christian" summer camp for children who spend their summers learning and practicing their "prophetic gifts" and being taught that they can "take back America for Christ." According to the distributor, it "doesn't come with any prepackaged point of view", and it tries to be "an honest and impartial depiction of one faction of the evangelical Christian community”.

Jesus Camp is a documentary about the "Kids On Fire" summer camp, located just outside Devils Lake, North Dakota and run by Becky Fischer and her ministry, Kids in Ministry International. The film focuses on three children who attended the camp in the summer of 2005--Levi, Rachael, and Victoria (Tory). The film cuts between footage of the camp and a children's prayer conference held just prior to the camp at Christ Triumphant Church, a large charismatic church in Lee's Summit, Missouri; a suburb of Kansas City.

All three children, despite their youth, are very devout charismatic Christians. Levi, who has ambitions of being a pastor, has already preached several sermons at his suburban Kansas City church. Early in the film, he is watching a cartoon that preaches that Earth is 6,000 years old. He is homeschooled, and learns physical science from a book that attempts to reconcile the creationist account with scientific principles. He preaches a sermon at the camp in which he declares that his generation is key to Jesus’ coming back. Rachael is seen approaching a woman and offering her a Christian tract and telling her that God has a special plan for her. She is disdainful of non-charismatic churches, feeling that they aren't "churches that God likes to go to." Tory frequently dances to Christian heavy metal music, and feels uncomfortable about "dancing for the flesh."

At the camp, Fischer stresses the need for children to purify themselves in order to be used by God. She strongly believes that children need to be in the forefront of turning America toward conservative Christian values.



For more information visit: http://www.jesuscampthemovie.com

18:Beckett

Opening Lecture (followed by Opening Reception):
Wednesday November 8th, 4 pm
A free bus leaves the Hart House (U of T Downtown) at 3 pm for the lecture
A free bus leaves the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. W, Toronto) at 6 pm for the opening

Exhibition runs from November 9 – December 21, 2006

18:Beckett is an interdisciplinary exhibition project marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nobel Prize-winning Irish writer Samuel Beckett. The title refers to the eighteen years since Beckett’s death and the eighteen sites where this project will take place in Mississauga and Toronto. These sites and events are an artist’s lecture, eight artist projects, six weekly film/video art events, a film screening evening, a symposium and performance, and a publication; all of which arise out of Beckett’s legacy.

Events are free of admission and have free shuttle service to and from venues.


Wednesday November 8th
1) Artist Talk with Gary Hill: Kaneff Centre 137, University of Toronto at Mississauga (adjacent to the Blackwood Gallery); 4 to 5 pm.

Participating artist Gary Hill discusses his work with curator Séamus Kealy.

2) Exhibition opens to the public, Blackwood Gallery (and satellite locations); 6 to 10 pm

Eight international artists will present their work in and around the Blackwood Gallery, as well as at the Goethe Institut Toronto. The exhibition highlights formal and conceptual strategies that artists are exploring in relation to Beckett’s work and includes a catalogue with essays by Séamus Kealy and Terry Eagleton. Artists:

Martin Arnold (Austria), Dorothy Cross (Ireland), Stan Douglas (Canada), Gary Hill (USA), Bruce Nauman (USA), Gregor Schneider (Germany), Ann-Sofi Siden (Sweden), Zin Taylor/Allison Hrabluik (Canada)

Contemporary Video Art Program including Stephane Gilot (Canada), Kelly Mark (Canada), Nikos Navridis (Greece), Daniel Olson (Canada), Hans Op de Beeck (Belgium), Michal Rovner (Israel), Anri Sala (Albania), Magdalena Szczepaniak (Poland)


Wednesday November 22nd
1) Symposium: CCT Building, Room 1050, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 10 am to 5 pm

International and local scholars discuss Beckett’s experiments with new media and the use of Beckettian formal strategies within contemporary visual arts and film. Includes new media performance.

2) Film Screenings and Lecture Evening: Goethe Institut, 163 King St. W, Toronto, 7 to 9 pm

Screenings of Beckett-related films hosted by Walter Asmus and Linda Ben-Zvi.

Funding by the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Humanities Centre U of T, Culture Ireland, Connaught Fund (University of Toronto), The University of Toronto at Mississauga, Foreign Affairs Canada, The Centre for US Studies, The Department of English and Drama (UTM), The Gladstone Hotel, Goethe Institut Toronto, Irish Embassy (Ottawa)

Isuma Events

still from Atarnarjuat (The Fast Runner) @ Norman Cohn/Igloolik IsumaProductions Inc.


Sunday, October 1, 2006 12:30 pm to late afternoon
CONTEMPORARY ART BUS TOUR SUNDAY
A free bus departs the Textile Museum (55 Centre Ave.,Toronto) at 12:30 pm to the Blackwood Gallery, Koffler Gallery and Doris McCarthy Gallery UTSC. To reserve a seat, please call the Doris McCarthy Gallery at 416-287-7007 by September 29. This event is FREE.


Thursday, October 12, 2006 3-5pm
RECORDS IN OUR HEADS: WOMEN'S VOICE AND VIDEO
Screening of video by Arnait Video Productions
Followed by a Panel Discussion with Marrie Mumford, Kass Banning, Peggy Gale and Marie-Helene Cousineau. Moderated by Joan Simalchik
Co-Presented with the Study of Women and Gender Program at UTM

MIST Studio Theatre, CCT Building, University of Toronto at Mississauga Admission: FREE

Arnait Video Productions (Women’s Video Workshop of Igloolik) voices concerns, beliefs and experiences of Inuit women in debates of interest to all Canadians. Arnait shares oral traditions (songs and stories), re-enacts traditional activities, history and legends, and celebrates the specificity of the culture of women in Igloolik.


Saturday, October 21, 2006 5 pm to 6:30 pm
RECORDS IN OUR HEADS: MEMORY, MEDIA AND THE TELLING OF HISTORY
Panel discussion co-presented with Toronto’s ImagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, with filmmakers Zacharias Kunuk, Merata Mita, and Alanis Obomsawin

To be followed by a screening of Isuma's new feature film The Journals of Knud Rasmussen at 7 pmAl Green Theatre (750 Spadina, downtown Toronto)


Sunday, October 22, 12 noon to 2 pm
CLOSING RECEPTION for Isuma -- to have an idea
co-presented with Toronto’s ImagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts FestivalArtist Talk and Reception with Isuma filmmakers Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn Blackwood Gallery, University of Toronto at Mississauga FREE bus transportation will be provided from downtown Toronto to the reception at the Mississauga campus. Buses will leave Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (Bloor and Spadina) at 11:00am and will return at 1:30pm.


BLACKWOOD GALLERY WRITING AWARD
$150 Juried Prize for winning entry for a critical review (750-1000 words) of the film(s) featured in ISUMA - to have an idea Drop off a printed copy at the Blackwood Gallery, E-gallery or Curatorial Office (CCT Room 3019) Deadline: Oct 23rd 2006, 5pm

PREVIEW: future graduates

Video screening in Kaneff building, across from Blackwood Gallery
Shown in conjunction with the third set of Graduating Exhibitions from the Art & Art History program

Opening: Wednesday April 19, 5:30 - 7:30
runs until Sunday May 7 during Blackwood Gallery hours

Videos selected by Ashley Andrews

PREVIEW: future graduates brings together a number of videos from students that are still continuing their studies at U of T. The work is chosen from both the Art & Art History Program and the Visual Studies Program at the St. George campus.

Video one (April 20-28)

1. taint. Donna Lee 3:25 min

2. Kali Yuga. Gintas Trillis 0:58 min

3. dream. Enya Hou 4:30 min

4. untitled. Darcie Kennedy 1:24 min



Video Two (April 30- May 7)

1. untitled (yellow). Olha Fihol 1:00 min

2. A foot’s existence. Patricia Tsastos & Melanie Bracey 1:07 min

3. Egg. Maurice Lam 1:00 min

4. untitled(red). Olha Fihol 1:00 min

The Darker Side of Black

On the Image Bar, CCIT Building, UTM
18 - 21 April, 2006


Directed by Issac Julien

Gangsta chic, violence and nihilism, the hard edge of Rap and Reggae increasingly dominates the image of black popular culture. This is an intelligent and provocative investigation of the complex issues raised by the genre, such as ritualized machismo, misogyny, homophobia, and gun glorification. Noted experts on black history, such as Cornel West of Princeton University, and Michael Manly, former prime minister of Jamaica, analyze the phenomenon and give insights into its development and meaning.

Filmed in dance halls, hip hop clubs, and using interviews and music video clips, The Darker Side of Black takes us to London, Jamaica and the USA. The film brings together diverse musicians as Buju Banton, Shabba Ranks, and Britain's Moni Love. It is a long overdue examination of the "darker" side of contemporary black music.

20 years old in the Middle East

On the Image Bar, CCIT Building, UTM
10 - 13 April, 2006

Filmed after the fall of Saddam Hussein, 20 YEARS OLD IN THE MIDDLE-EAST traverses the region - from Jordan to Syria, Iran, and Lebanon - to take the pulse of Arab and Iranian youth.

The film offers an opportunity for Western college students to truly understand the lives and attitudes of their Middle Eastern counterparts: how they're different, and how they're the same.
As America becomes more deeply embroiled in the region, 20 YEARS OLD IN THE MIDDLE-EAST offers an indispensable snapshot of the attitudes of a generation that desires liberty over extremism, but at the same time fears that American policies will lead them into ever more warfare, and which - above all - simply wants to pursue their dreams.

"This film should be required viewing for leaders and citizens alike in the Middle East because it not only captures - often with great sadness - the frustration and despair of the Middle East's youth but it also offers solutions to these problems, if we would only listen. It is significant that of all the young people interviewed in the film, it is a young woman who is the most passionate about implementing change. It is not so much an issue of whether she will realize this dream or not. More importantly, she has passion for that dream and she believes she can bring about change." - Arabic Women's eNews

"Recommended. Culled from interviews conducted just two months after the fall of Baghdad in May 2003, TWENTY YEARS OLD... offers a newsworthy picture of a youthful Middle East not all that familiar to Western audiences - and a shame it isn't. More moving than anything is the universal call for more freedom, greater freedom. Thus the effects of oppressive government weigh heavily on the idealistic young; all the more reason to make the film available to often complacent American undergraduates." - Educational Media Reviews Online

The Best of Ottawa 2005

On the Image Bar, CCIT building
April 3rd, 2006 - 11-4pm

The Best of Ottawa 2005 is a rare opportunity to see the best of the best in animation from Canada and around the world. The program features an exciting array of animated films from the 2005 Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF).

The program showcases animation in a variety of forms consisting of animated short films, TV series and commercials, music videos, internet shorts and more.

The Best of Ottawa 2005 program features:

2005 OIAF Signal Film / Will Krause / USA / 0:50

The Curse of the Voodoo Child / Steven Woloshen / Canada / 3:30

Ichthys / Marek Skrobecki / Poland / 16:41

Phoenix Foundation 'Hitchcock' / Reuben Sutherland / United Kingdom / 3:30

_grau / Robert Seidel / Germany / 10:01

Chestnuts Icelolly / JJ Villard / USA / 7:30

City Paradise / Gaëlle Denis / United Kingdom / 5:58

Overtime / Oury Atlan, Thibault Berland & Damien Ferrié / France / 4:55

Fish Heads Fugue and Other Tales for Twilight / Lauren Indovina & Lindsey
Mayer-Beug / USA / 6:42

Die Toten Hosen 'Walkampf' / Andreas Hykade / Germany / 3:30

Morir de Amor / Gil Alkabetz / Germany / 12:40

At the Quinte Hotel / Bruce Alcock / Canada / 3:38

Blackwood Docs @ Noon

A series of documentaries and thought provoking films
All films are shown on the Image Bar, CCIT ground floor, UTM

BHOPAL: THE SEARCH FOR JUSTICE
(NFB, 2004, 52 min.)
Directed by Lindalee Tracey
March 31st at 12 noon playing all day

On December 2, 1984, the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India leaked poisonous methyl isocyanate gas killing fifteen thousand people. Bhopal was, and remains, the world’s worst chemical industry disaster. Twenty years later, survivors and their families are being re-victimized by the deliberate thwarting of scientific and medical studies concerning the disaster. Beautiful Bhopal, once known as the “City of Mosques” is a sad, disgraceful testament to the absence of environmental and human justice.

Bhopal: The Search for Justice straddles the intersection between science, politics and human rights. Exploring charges of corruption and greed, the film follows Raajkumar Keswani, the local journalist. Set against the rich visual tapestry of India, Keswani travels through the Indian bastiis where the poorest victims live, and to the offices of frustrated doctors and scientists. Finally he makes his first trip to North America in search of answers.

BIODEMOCRACY: MAKING A DIFFERENCE
(2002, 38 min)
Directed by Charles Kassatly
April 13th at 12 noon on repeat until 2pm

Filmed in 2002 at the Biojustice/Biodiversity conference & picnic organized in opposition to the Biotech industry event at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre, this documentary features experts from the Council of Canadians, Greenpeace, the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate, Polaris Institute & Gene Action. Keynote Speaker, Dr. David Suzuki headlines the concerns of many attending when he says: "GMO's are everywhere in our food stream already - yet we have never given our consent to this perilous experiment!"

McLUHAN'S WAKE
(NFB, 2002, 94 min)
Directed by Kevin McMahon
April 20th at 12 noon and again at 2pm

Canadian media guru Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980), now best remembered for cryptic phrases like "the medium is the message" and "the global village," comes in for a much-needed reassessment in Kevin McMahon's innovative documentary portrait. With narration from Laurie Anderson and contributions from educator Neil Postman and editor Lewis Lapham among others, this dazzling and accessible exploration of the man and his work illustrates why McLuhan's enigmatic and often misunderstood theories remain profoundly relevant in today's wired society.