ON THE BLOOR ST. CULTURE CORRIDOR

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015
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TORONTO, Canada (January 7, 2015): The 14 arts and culture destinations of the Bloor
St. Culture Corridor – Toronto’s most diverse arts and culture district – offer
a wide variety of events in January and February, from museum experiences to films,
art exhibitions to music concerts, and opportunities to experience some of Toronto’s
cultural diversity, including French, Jewish, Italian, Japanese and Aboriginal arts
and culture.
The Bloor St. Culture Corridor free mobile app provides access to special offers
exclusive to app users, and a convenient way to easily see the richness of cultural
destinations and events on offer in the Bloor St. area of central Toronto, within
an easily-walkable 1.5kms between Bathurst and Bay, from The Annex through to Yorkville.
More information about the Bloor St. Culture Corridor and upcoming events can be
found at: www.bloorstculturecorridor.com
The Bloor St. Culture Corridor is on Twitter @bloorstculture and on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/bloorstculturecorridor
Highlights of arts and culture events on the Bloor St Culture Corridor in January
and February include:
Special Events:
The public is invited to attend the Big Drum Social at the Native Canadian Centre
of Toronto every Thursday evening at 6:30pm.
Friday Night Live Encore: on February 6, the Royal Ontario Museum thaws the winter
freeze with a special Carnival-themed FNL, with more of the unique mix of live music,
dancing, eclectic eats and drinks, gallery activities and unexpected experiences
which have made FNL one of Toronto’s most unique social destinations.
Film:
Movie Thursday at Alliance Française Toronto features Versailles rive gauche on
January 8; La Haine on January 15; The Triplets of Belleville on January 22; Rosetta
on January 29; Age of Panic on February 5; Under the Starry Sky on February 12;
Tanguy on February 19; and Hélène Berr, une jeune fille dans Paris occupé on February
26. A special NFB Short Movies Selection for kids (2 to 4 years old), will be on
screen January 10.
The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema starts 2015 with a fantastic selection of documentary
films. Highlights include Monk with a Camera, the story of Buddhist monk Nicholas
Vreeland, grandson of legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, opening January 9.
Award-winning director Rory Kennedy takes a stunning look at the chaotic final days
of the Vietnam War in Last Days in Vietnam, opening on January 16. And two new series
launch in January, Composers on Screen with In Search of Mozart, co-presented with
The Royal Conservatory of Music, and Ballet on Screen with The Royal Ballet’s production
of Manon. The Music on Film series continues on January 27 with Let’s Get Lost,
the life story of legendary jazz artist Chet Baker, presented in partnership with
The Royal Conservatory.
Jewish film events on the big screen of the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre’s
Al Green Theatre includes Cupcakes with guest speaker Jamie Levin, co-presented
with Kulanu Toronto and Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival on January 18; and
The Matchmaker with guest speaker Professor Kalman Weiser, part of Spotlight on
Israeli Culture, on February 15. Both films screen at 4pm and 7:30pm each day.
Tickets: 416.924.6211 x606
Music:
Alliance Française Toronto presents Paris 1900 on January 9 at 8pm, where Jacques
Israelievitch (violin), Benjamin Smith (piano) and Jihyun Ahn (cello) explore the
music of Paris at the time of the Belle Époque; at Europe et Opéra on January 23
at 8pm, singers from the COC Ensemble Studio offer extracts from operas in four
Europeans languages; on January 16 at 8pm jazz singer Samantha Clayton will offer
her vision of Paris and sing her fondness for the City of lights; Japanese/Canadian
jazz trio The Japan Project: Memoires et improvisations offers a new vision of traditional
Japanese music on February 20 at 8pm; and at L’Europe au diapason on February 27
at 8pm French virtuoso pianist Olivier Chauzu will perform works by Listz, Shuman,
Debussy. Also part of Opera/Ballet series broadcast from the Paris National Opera
House, Celebrate Dance with the Paris Opera Ballet featuring the Étoiles, Premiers
danseurs, Corps de Ballet and pupils of the School of Dance in an important ritual,
the Défilé that brings together 154 dancers and Nutcracker experts on January 30
at 1:30pm; The Abduction from the Seraglio – Mozart, a new production from Zabou
Breitman with Philippe Jordan conducting takes place on February 21 at 1:30pm. Tickets:
416.922.2014 ext. 37.
The Talisker Players kick off 2015 with Puttin’ On The Ritz, a celebration of Irving
Berlin’s music, from “Top Hat” to “Anything You Can Do,” at Trinity St. Paul’s Centre,
Jeanne Lamon Hall, January 11, 3:30pm and January 13, 8pm. There will be pre-concert
talks at 3pm Sunday and 7:15pm Tuesday. Tickets: 416.978.8849
The University of Toronto Faculty of Music presents Canadian string stars New Orford
String Quartet on January 6, at 7pm. The Monday Evening Concerts series continues
January 19, 2015 with Susan Hoeppner (flute), Teng Li (viola), Shauna Rolston (cello),
and Lydia Wong (piano), perform works by George Crumb, Eduardo Angelo, and Christos
Hatzis, on January 19, at 7pm; and Russell Braun (baritone), Monica Whicher (soprano),
and Carolyn Maule & Steven Philcox (pianists) performing Wolf: Italienisches Liederbuch
on February 9. February concerts continue with Lorand Fenyves Resident Artist, Atar
Arad, performing a recital of original compositions for viola on February 12. All
concerts take place at Walter Hall. Tickets: 416.408.0208
The Royal Conservatory of Music presents eleven different concerts, ranging from
classical to blues, on the Koerner Hall stage in January and February. Swedish
mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter with pianist Angela Hewitt on January 9; Danny
Marks hosts the 18th Maple Blues Awards on January 19; and powerhouse duo violinist
Gidon Kremer and pianist Daniil Trifonov perform on January 20. In February, Pavlo
returns home to Toronto for an evening of Mediterranean guitar music on February
6; Afrobeat band Antibalas joins forces with Zap Mama on February 7; the Koerner
Hall stage will become a Pianopalooza on February 8, a free afternoon of mini performances
from classical through jazz and pop, by Emanuel Ax, Robi Botos, Anagnoson & Kinton,
and many more. Violinist Sarah Chang and pianist Julio Elizalde make their Koerner
Hall debuts on February 20; February 26 marks the return of German baritone Christian
Gerhaher, accompanied by pianist Gerold Huber; and Hugh Masekala and Vusi Mahlasela
come together to honour 20 years of democracy in South Africa and the official end
of apartheid on February 28. Tickets: 416.408.0208
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra & Chamber Choir presents Beethoven Symphony no. 5 with
Guest Conductor Kent Nagano January 22 – 25 at Koerner Hall. Tickets: 416.408.0208
Then, in February, don’t miss House of Dreams directed by Jeanne Lamon, a magical
journey to the meeting places of baroque art and music where exquisite works by
Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Marais are played against a backdrop of paintings by
Vermeer, Canaletto, and Watteau. House of Dreams takes place at Trinity-St. Paul’s
Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall, February 11-15. Tickets: 416.964.6337.
The Toronto Consort will present Splendours of the Emperor’s Chapel, a lavish concert
of rarely-heard music from the Viennese court and chapel of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold
I, February 6 and 7 at 8pm, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall. Tickets:
416-964-6337
Exhibitions:
Ryoji Ikeda and Walter Jule: Threshold, an exhibition featuring the artwork of two
pioneers in the field of printmaking and photography, co-presented by University
of Alberta and The Japan Foundation, continues at The Japan Foundation, Toronto,
until January 29. Admission is free.
Alliance Française de Toronto presents Peter Sramek : Piercing Time Paris after
Marville and Atget – 1865 – 2012, in the gallery January 7 – January 31. By juxtaposing
Peter Sramek’s contemporary photographs to those made by Charles Marville or Eugène
Atget, this exhibition tells Paris’ urban change from the 19th century to now. An
opening reception will take place January 7 at 7pm. Admission is free. In Toronto
versus New York, two North American cities become the playing field of French photographer
Antoine Bruneau, disciple of street photography. An opening reception will take
place on February 4 at 6:30pm.
The Gallery at the J at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre is showing the work
of Aba Bayefsky, including pieces from his Tattoo Series, Legends, and Kensington
Market, until January 26. An exhibition reception takes place on January 6, 7-9
pm. The Second Floor Exhibit at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre is Toronto’s
First Synagogues, Photographs by Robert Burley; and the Third Floor Exhibit on view
currently is The Ontario Jewish Archives at 40: Four Decades of Collecting and Sharing
our Community’s History. Admission is free.
Five exhibitions are on display at the Bata Shoe Museum, including Fashion Victims:
The Pleasures and Perils of Dress in the 19th Century; Collected in the Field: Shoemaking
Traditions From Around the World; Beauty, Identity, Pride: Native North American
Footwear; and All About Shoes with Footprints on the World Stage, a special feature
exhibition of extraordinary footwear worn in moments of triumph on the world’s stage,
worn by icons like Pierre Trudeau, Madonna, Roger Federer, Napoleon and Marilyn
Monroe.
At the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Douglas Coupland: everywhere is anywhere is anything
is everything opens on January 31, wherein one of Canada’s most provocative artists
and cultural thinkers questions what our future holds. Through diverse media ranging
from Lego to found materials, painting to installation, he explores issues which
affect us all: the 21st-century condition, Canadian cultural identity, the power
of language and the pervasive presence of technology in modern life. Organized and
circulated by the Vancouver Art Gallery, the 6-part exhibition is presented in Toronto
concurrently across two venues; the Royal Ontario Museum and the Museum of Contemporary
Canadian Art .Continuing exhibitions also on view at the ROM include Wildlife Photographer
of the Year, an internationally renowned photography competition from Natural History
Museum in London celebrating nature and wildlife through 100 breathtaking photos
by photographers of all ages around the world. Other exhibits include Maps, Borders
& Mobility in Africa, Cairo Under Wraps: Early Islamic Textiles, Genizot: Repositories
of Memory as well as Toronto Underfoot and many more fascinating thematic exhibitions!
The Istituto Italiano di Cultura presents Milan, a Place to Read, an exhibition
revealing the wonders of Milan. The undisputed capital of publishing in Italy, an
undiscovered Milan, made up of authors, publishers and above all readers, a city
to be read and for the reader. The exhibition, presented in collaboration with
Fondazione Arnoldo e Alberto Mondadori, will be on view February 5 through April
23, 2015. Opening reception: February 5, 2015, 6:30-8:30pm.
The Gardiner Museum presents the Smithsonian exhibition Women, Art, & Social Change:
The Newcomb Pottery Enterprise, opening February 5 and running through May 18. The
exhibition tells the story of how the arts and crafts movement empowered the lives
of a group of women in the Deep South, and how they created one of America’s premiere
art pottery enterprises of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Set against a
backdrop of social change and women’s rights, the show features the largest, most
comprehensive Newcomb Pottery collection to tour North America in nearly three decades.
Theatre/Storytelling:
Alliance Française de Toronto presents Kabaret Karaibe on February 6 at 8pm where
Franck Sylvestre, French Canadian storyteller of Caribbean tradition, conveys his
passion for arts and culture through his adventure tales; Fear and Trembling (English
Subtitles) on February 11 at 8pm is the superb theatrical adaptation of the eponymous
novel by Amelie Nothomb, 1999 Grand Prix du Roman from Académie Française. For kids,
Le Retour d’Etienne Brûlé takes a fantastical journey from 17th century Wendake
in Huronia to 21st century Toronto on January 17 at 4pm; on February 7 at 4pm, Pirates
des Caraibes is a journey among pirates; and on February 28 at 4pm L’Apprenti Sorcier
– Paul Dukas features Olivier Chauzu playing and providing commentary on the masterwork
adapted for film in famous Walt Disney’s Fantasia. Tickets: 416.922.2014 ext. 37.
Culture Talks/Lectures:
The Istituto Italiano di Cultura presents Greek Inspiration in Roman Naples, a talk
by writer Jordan Lancaster, on February 11 at 6:30pm. This talk will examine the
Greek way of life in Naples and Pompei in order to understand the fascination it
exerted in Roman times. Free admission.
ROM 100 Speaks, the Royal Ontario Museum’s Centennial Lecture Series, continues
on February 24 with Cocktails & Helvetica with Douglas Coupland. Join writer, designer
and artist, Douglas Coupland in a studio setting and create your own slogan posters
using the Helevtica font. Lounge reception adjacent to and during event.
The Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre presents two fascinating film lecture series.
The Film Studies series includes 2 Winter Pop-Up Film Lectures in Nayman’s Terms
featuring Adam Nayman in discussion of movies, illustrated with film clips: on
January 19 Nayman discusses David Fincher’s Zodiac, and on January 26 the focus
is on Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master. Registration: 416.924.6211 ext. 0. Forbidden
Desires: The Films of Alfred Hitchcock, a 5-part lecture series with popular film
critic Kevin Courrier examines how master filmmaker Hitchcock took the taboo subject
of voyeurism and made it into an acceptable dramatic strategy. Includes film clips
from such classics as Shadow of a Doubt, Rear Window and Psycho. Mondays: January
26, February 2, and February 9, 1-3pm. Drop-in.
Alliance Française de Toronto presents Les perspectives littéraires de la Grande
Guerre on January 14 at 7pm where Pierre Schoentjes revisits WWI through French
and international novels written about the conflict; Discussion avec Champlain
sur l’Ontario d’aujourd’hui on January 21 at 7pm with lecturer François Boileau,
French Language Services Commissioner; and at Akhénaton et le culte du dieu solaire
Aton on January 28 at 7pm, Egyptologist Jean Révez tells the story of Akhenaten’s
reign, a one-of-a-kind Pharaoh who revolutionized religious beliefs and art during
his time.
The Bloor St. Culture Corridor arts and culture destinations include:
Alliance Française de Toronto: 24 Spadina Road www.alliance-francaise.ca
Bata Shoe Museum: 327 Bloor Street West www.batashoemuseum.ca
Bloor Hot Docs Cinema: 506 Bloor Street West www.bloorcinema.com
Gardiner Museum: 111 Queen’s Park www.gardinermuseum.on.ca
Istituto Italiano di Cultura: 496 Huron Street www.iictoronto.esteri.it/IIC_Toronto
The Japan Foundation, Toronto: 131 Bloor Street West www.jftor.org
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre: 750 Spadina Ave. www.mnjcc.org
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM): 100 Queen’s Park (Entrance on Bloor Street W.) www.rom.on.ca
The Royal Conservatory of Music / Koerner Hall: 273 Bloor Street West www.performance.rcmusic.ca
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra & Chamber Choir: 427 Bloor Street West www.tafelmusik.org
Talisker Players: 427 Bloor Street West www.taliskerplayers.ca
The Toronto Consort: 427 Bloor Street West www.torontoconsort.org
University of Toronto Faculty of Music: 80 Queen’s Park www.music.utoronto.ca
Bloor St. Culture Corridor: Arts and culture organizations along Bloor St. West
have come together in partnership to create the Bloor St. Culture Corridor, a uniquely
Torontonian arts and culture district. The Bloor St. Culture Corridor’s 14 partnering
arts and culture destinations are all located in almost exactly one mile (1.6 kms),
along a vibrant stretch of Bloor Street, from Bathurst to Bay, connecting three
major Toronto neighbourhoods: the Annex, University of Toronto, and Bloor-Yorkville.
The Bloor St. Culture Corridor offers a wide variety of arts genres, from museum
experiences to films, art exhibitions to music concerts, and it offers opportunities
to experience some of Toronto’s cultural diversity, including French, Jewish, Italian,
Japanese and Aboriginal arts and culture. Torontonians and visitors to the City
can easily take public transit to get to the Bloor St. Culture Corridor – there
are 5 major subway stations along the Corridor – and walk from a museum to an afternoon
art talk or exhibition, shop, have lunch or dinner, and enjoy an inspiring concert
or film — all within just a few blocks along Toronto’s most diverse arts and culture
corridor.