I am thrilled to invite you to visit me at In Situ, a three-night multi-arts event located in the gorgeously dilapidated, abandoned industrial space called The Small Arms Building.

Back in World War II it was used to manufacture small arms (the mother of one of my students actually worked there!).

The big spaces have very high ceilings and fabulous factory-style windows. There are many other rooms too, from welding booths to offices. 

I will be among 30 or so artists, including dancers, DJ, musicians, pop-up performances of various kinds, video art, visual art and conceptual craft... who knows what else?

I have been given an entire room to work with, about 20ft by 50ft, and I can hardly contain my excitement!

One brand-new work
will be a photo-based sculpture and light installation. I've been wanting to make it for
a few years now and realized this event
​would be the perfect opportunity.

There are some existing pieces that link thematically, at least one of which hasn't been shown in Ontario before.

And there are other new pieces, also linked thematically, that I have dreamt up especially for this setting.

I will be working night and day on this project because I think it will be really special – the setting alone! – so I am taking on new approaches and formats that extend but grow from the work I've been doing.

If I have any strength left I will also be doing live, large-scale drawing for some of the time.

Please join me.
​It's a special event at an extraordinary location – an opportunity that doesn't come along very often!

​Let me know when you know when you'll be attending and I will do my best to be there in person for you. (It's a lot of hours, so I can't be there for all of them.)

Three nights, 7pm–midnight:
Thurs, Fri & Sat, October 27, 28 & 29, 2016

Location:
Small Arms Building
1352 Lakeshore Rd East
(at the foot of Dixie Rd)

TICKETS (discounts for students, seniors and artists):
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/in-situ-tickets-27937520877
​
More information:
smallarmssociety.wixsite.com/smallarmsbuilding/insitu

What a weekend! We started on Saturday morning by setting up Kal Honey's booth in the rain at Trinity-Bellwoods Park for the Queen West Art Crawl. Poor Kal was operating on only one hour of sleep! 

We had a couple of hours of rain but it was grey and quite cool so there was not a great turnout. Outdoor events like this are so dependent on the weather.

Despite discouraging conditions we had friends  and other visitors to our booth, especially later in the afternoon when things picked up.

After packing up all the art I dragged poor, exhausted Kal over to Red Head Gallery so I could see my brand-new piece (which I had barely managed to look at before delivering it) hanging in their Nuit Blanche show Bright Lights at Night.

The gallery was already busy when we arrived but not packed the way it typically becomes during the peak hours – we were there a little early on purpose.

There was a lot of work (and a real variety) so it was hung salon-style. I could have wished for more even light on my piece but I could also see the challenge they had lighting the show in general. It was nice to see it out in the world. Many thanks to those who paid it a visit!

On Sunday we arrived at Trinity-Bellwoods to glorious sunshine and our first spotting of the famous albino (or more likely, white genetic variant) squirrel there (see photo bottom left). 

Set-up was so much easier in that weather and with a lot more sleep under our belts, and except for one shortish period of rain, the weather remained excellent all day. As a result the crowds arrived so we had a very busy afternoon, lots of interest, some sales and more visits from friends and family (photo lower right).

In addition to all the art and craft on display there was a stage where a wide variety of live music was performed, by bands and djs, with the gaps filled by the radio station Indie88 who was on-site the whole weekend.

The beer garden was located very near the stage and there were always people dancing in front of the stage, especially when the TD Dancers (provided by the key sponsor) were out onstage or interacting with the audience.

All in all a pretty good first experience doing an outdoor art fair. Maybe next year Kal will apply for the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition...