BigArtTO, The City of Toronto’s free outdoor public art celebration, continues to offer residents with opportunities to safely explore their communities this week, while still respecting public health guidelines. And OCAD University is excited to participate as a proud partner.
This week, BigArtTO visits the neighbourhoods of Etobicoke Centre and Don Valley West.
Twenty-one of the BigArtTO productions are the result of a close collaboration between the City of Toronto, OCAD University, and AVA Animation & Visual Arts Inc. Three of the BigArtTO productions are being delivered at waterfront locations and will be activated by program partner, The Bentway. These meaningful partnerships will provide opportunities for emerging Toronto-based artists and students.
November 11-14: daily from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Ward 2: Etobicoke Centre
(Etobicoke Olympium, 590 Rathburn Rd., M9C 3T3)
Artist: Isaac King (OCAD U Professor and Graduate Student)
Title: WhateverTree
Screen addiction! Species at risk! Whatever!
A dead tree goes viral, attracting wildlife, a nature lover, and a crowd of online followers.
Animated entirely outside, “WhateverTree” examines our connection to nature in the age of social media, screens, and selfies. Produced with the generous support of the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts.
Isaac King is an award-winning animation filmmaker and artist based in Toronto. Directing short films and commercials for 20 years, his work spans drawing, stop-motion, cutout, and outdoor animation techniques. Using handcrafted and digital media, he focuses on environmental and social issues with humour and warmth. Isaac is currently pursuing an MFA in OCAD University's IAMD program.
Downloadable trailer: https://vimeo.com/406885401
website: isaacking.net
https://www.isaacking.net/#/whatevertree/
Instagram: @isaaaacking
Ward 15: Don Valley West
(Leaside Memorial Gardens Arena, 1073 Millwood Rd., M4G 1X6)
Artist Name: Cody Punter
Title: The Barn That Love Built
Rankin Inlet is the second largest community in Nunavut, sitting 400 km South of the Arctic Circle on the Western shores of Hudson Bay. The Inuit community of 3,000 people is the hometown of Jordin Tootoo, the first Inuk to ever play in the NHL. The town's only arena, the Singiittuq Complex, was a longtime sanctuary for Rankinmmiut since opening in 1986, playing host to tournaments almost every weekend throughout the winter. The 2018-2019 season was the last that would be played in the historic barn as a new multi-million-dollar arena was set to open in 2020. When Jordin retired, he made plans to fly home to play in the Terence Tootoo Memorial Cup which was renamed in honour of his late brother in 2017. Teams flew in from all over Nunavut for the chance to play against Tootoo - only one would raise the Memorial trophy at the last ever tournament in the Singiittuq Complex.
Cody Punter is a Canadian photojournalist who has worked extensively in Northern Canada. As a visual storyteller, he seeks to show how communities define themselves through shared rituals and traditions. For the past five years, he has worked on and off as the editor of the Kivalliq News in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. In the winter of 2019, he spent a month and a half covering the Inuit community's hockey tournament season for The Globe and Mail. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of True North Photo Journal.
Twitter: @bordersnbetween
Instagram: @cody.punter
The BigArtTO initiative runs to December 5, 2020. A complete event schedule is available on the City of Toronto website.
