Long Wave at Brookfield Place

The Allen Lambert Galleria hosts the new commission from Toronto artist David Rokeby. The L'Oreal Luminato public art installation is perfect for long, high arch that runs lengthwise between the adjacent buildings. From the Brookfield website "Entitled long wave, the artwork forms a visual representation of a modified sine wave, the invisible structure of all transmitting devices."



Curiously enough this is an arrangement of a lot of large, red balls although these balls are not as big as the one used in the other luminato installation - Redball. One artist I know says that she considers this one more "art" than the big, red ball which is squished into places where it does not fit (but she still thinks Redball is fun).

I, on the other hand, love both the Long Wave and the Redball installations. Two thumbs up.

Honk if you love life

It's amazing what you see in Toronto - Honk if you love life. I wish I had a horn and I would. Seen on Queen Street West.

Raphael Mazzucco - Mixed Media Installation

Fashion photographer Raphael Mazzucco has a fantastic Luminato exhibition at the Burroughes Building at 693 Queen Street West (3rd floor). I love his large works of art - photographs combined with sketching and painting.


Sponsored by L'Oreal Professional Lancome who commissioned two pieces to celebrate the event and "inspired by L'Oreals Professionnel's Century of Colour and the other by Lancome's New Era of Femininity." The L'Oreal rep stands beside the Lancome inspired piece below.

Tony Oursler: Forty One - Five

Located right beside the wacky Ontario College of Art and Grange Park lies the installation created by artist Tony Oursler. Luminato says that "he is one of the most controversial multi-media artists on the world scene today."

The installation consists of domestic shelters, fronted by large floor to ceiling windows, full of ..... stuff. It looks a lot like a room in a house I know. It has that just broken into look although the flat scree televisions were left behind by the robbers.





While on site I saw an artist that was herself a work of art, frames and all.

Big Yellow Hose

I am not sure if the big, yellow hose is supposed to be part of Luminato, but I liked it as well.

Redball at City Hall

The Toronto Star says "RedBall Project from Kurt Perschke features a giant red ball that uses the city itself as a canvas. It will be at a different location every day: today it's at Nathan Phillips Square 100 Queen St. W, at 11 a.m."




The great big ball, appropriately coloured red, is currently wedged under the concrete overpass leading into Nathan Phillips Square and City Hall from the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street. There were a couple dressed in tennis clothes pretending to hit the ball with their racquets; I think the score was 15 love. After awhile a soccer game broke out but it had to be cancelled as the turf was not real.

While I have a hard time understanding some art installations I find pleasure in looking at the big, red ball.

L'OREAL Paris Beauty Tent

Luminato and L'OREAL, partners in creativity, launch the 2009 Luminato; the Toronto Festival of Arts + Creativity. L'OREAL have set up their beauty tent at Yonge-Dundas Square and offer complimentary summer beauty makeovers from June 5th to the 7th. Two masters of the craft were on hand to help provide expert advise - L’Oréal Paris’ official makeup artist, Eddie Maleterre (pictured above) and official hair artist and colourist, Eric Del Monaco.


A lovely reporter from CP24 was doing interviews in the tent during the event setup.

The main stage in the square has been made ready for tonight's 7:00PM free opening concert with Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive.

I will go over to Nathan Phillips Square as one Luminato exhibit called Redball is supposed to be there by 11AM, and yes it is supposed to be a big, red ball.

Golden Cowboy

Street performers continue to provide entertainment to visitors and residents at various locations throughout Toronto. Many can be found at Harbourfront or at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas. Showing a good way to beat the bad economy is golden cowboy, if he needs money he can just sell his golden chaps. Oops, he is not as rich as I thought - he is the Copper Cowboy. The cowboy says his next theatrical performance will be as a brass firefighter.

Don't forget about Buskerfest in the St Lawrence Market area from August 27th to the 30th.

I also saw Silver Elvis and a street musician.

Honda Indy - 5 more races to go

The Honda Indy Toronto is just five races away in the INDYCAR SERIES.

Saturday June 6: Texas Motor Speedway.
Sunday June 21: Iowa Speedway.
Saturday June 27: Richmond International Raceway.
Sunday July 5: Watkins Glen International.
Sunday July 12: Streets of Toronto.

SOL[e]D! A Third Party Fundraiser to benefit Fashion Cares/ACT

To celebrate the launch of Issue 8: THE SHOE ISSUE
WORN Fashion Journal proudly presents

SOL[e]D!
A Gala Evening and Live Auction at the BATA SHOE MUSEUM

WORN sent 23 pairs of plain white Keds to diverse Canadian artists and designers
and asked them to alter embellish and redesign...

SOL[e]D! offers these up for auction to the highest bidder. In addition, the evening will include cocktails, free food, and dancing with Toronto's own SHAKE A TAIL djs

Advance tickets are $28 with a portion of all proceeds going to FASHION CARES and include a two year subscription to WORN Fashion Journal and access to ALL museum exhibits for the evening.

CLICK HERE to order your advance tickets

SOL[e]D!
June 6, 2009
Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St W, Toronto
Doors at 7 PM, Auction at 9 PM and dancing 10 PM - 1 AM

To preview the shoes up for auction, visit the WORN Fashion Journal ART and SOLE
exhibit at the Bata Shoe Museum open to the public from May 21 to June 6

For more information on museum hours and admission fees CLICK HERE

If you cannot attend but would like to donate to WORN and help us keep generating our thoughtful, diverse and independent content CLICK HERE.

For more information on this or any other WORN Fashion Journal event contact events@wornjournal.com or contact our editor directly at serahmarie@wornjournal.com

SOL[e]D!

A live auction fundraiser and night of dancing brought to you by Worn Fashion Journal and The Bata Shoe Museum.

On June 6, 2009 celebrate the launch of WORN Fashion Journal's footwear issue by bidding on one of 24 classic Keds sneakers re-envisioned by Canadian artists. Preview these innovative designs at the Art and Sole exhibit from May 21 to June 6, then dress-up to compete for the chance to take home your favourites, and stay to dance your shoes off - all to support WORN's vision of independent fashion publishing. In addition, the entire museum will be open for viewing. A percentage of the proceeds will go to Fashion Cares, in support of ACT - www.actoronto.org

www.wornjournal.com
For More Info Meagan Allison-Hancock, Event Coordinator (647) 269-0119
thehouseofworn.etsy.com

Stop & smell the roses but watch out for goose crap

Steam Whistle Brewing

I have been told by many people that I should make time to visit Steam Whistle Brewing located just across the street from Rogers Centre and the CN Tower. I walked inside and was immediately greeted by a friendly Trish who offered me a cold, tasty sample of Steam Whistle Pilsner while she gave me the lowdown on the brewery.



Right now the location is hidden by construction in the City of Toronto's Roundhouse Park. The City is adding a bunch of rail tracks to display the railway engines of the Railway Museum. Luckily the still highly visible bright green water tower led me right to the beer.

The tours run every half hour starting at 1pm and running until 5pm Monday to Saturday and 4pm on Sunday. Starting at $8 for the souvenir tour and finishing at $26 with the 12 pack tour I look forward to taking the tour the next time I drop by.



After getting another fresh sample of the merchandise I viewed the current art offering - part of the Contact Photography exhibits.

Check out Steam Whistle's hours, tours and offerings on their website or call (416)362-2337 ext 246 and drop in the next time you are in the area.

Massive molten chocolate spill

The truck first caught my eye - a large chocolate bar falls into a vat of melted chocolate and the chocolate goo explodes from the truck. I was about to call the Ministry of the Environment to contain the spill and an ambulance to care for the chocolate covered wounded when it quickly became apparent that free Hershey's chocolate bar samples were involved.

Active surplus - scrap metal people

I have shopped in Active Surplus on Queen Street West a few times - they have plenty of electronics and other assorted stuff. They always had someone dressed in a monkey suit standing outside the door drawing people in. The have now placed an art installation on the front of the building - scrap metal people climbing the wall.

Festival central

Toronto plays host to some exciting events that focus the attention of the world onto our fair city.

The arts festival Luminato begins this week and takes place from June 5th to the 12th. Preparations are now underway at Yonge-Dundas Square.



Toronto's Pride Week is June 19th to the 28th.

Much Music Video Awards hits town on June 21.


The TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival for the more musically inclined from June 26th to July 5th.

Just for laughs runs from July 15 to the 19th, 2009. I have been to a few Just for laughs shows and they are great fun. I also love when they close down Yonge Street and have a weird street festival. Here is a short clip of a praying mantis destroying Toronto from the 2008 festival.

Toronto's most famous festival being the http://tiffg.ca/default.aspx, or TIFF, that runs in September. A TIFF tent has been setup in the park area beside City Hall and this tent is the Festival Box Office (their phone number is 416-968-FILM or toll free 1-877-968-FILM). Inside the tent preferred ticket packages can be purchased by donors (if they use visa) and then on July 13 everyone can purchase tickets to the festival. If you want to donate to the festival you can visit tiff.ca to support the film-lovers festival.

Rock the camel toe

Lululemon Athletica on Queen Street West has an unusual sign in their window stating "Say No to Camel Toe". Now I am a firm believer in freedom of speech and I love that they have created this sign but I have to come out on the other side of the argument, way to go camel toe.

Tag it, paint it or stick a poster on it

Toronto is full of surfaces that apparently just scream out for something extra. Each surface is like a blank canvas and for the street artist or advertiser this is open season - too compelling to ignore. Some of the stuff is art and some is just junk with the tags a sad reminder of a more brutal life in the urban metropolis.

Life's too short to sleep alone!

On Spadina near Queen St West is the Global Village Backpackers building. Contained by a wall of streetcar wires the building is rather plain, except for the row of windows along the top. Even better is their far out logo and sign - Life's too short to sleep alone.

They say "this building has has an amazing history having hosted famous vistors such as Jack Nicholson and The Rolling Stones!"