The Market Gallery

Last weekend, my friend Marcia and I attended the opening reception for an exhibit at The Market Gallery called "Tunnel Vision: The Story of Toronto's Subway".

This particular venue has exhibits put on by the City, and they are free!

The exhibit was about the digging and planning of the TTC.
There were photographs, maps, plans and artifacts (including someone's collection of transfers).

Guest curators were Adam Zhelko and Robert Lubinski. 
Andy Byford and Steve Munro were also in attendance.
Mr. Byford spoke about the future projects for Toronto's transit system.
After the introductions and speeches, we were invited to the Miele Kitchen on the second floor for refreshments,

Here at the south end of this kitchen, is a view of the market below.
So I took the opportunity, and snapped a few photos of the bright lights and colourful banners of the stalls below.

Afterwards, we went down to the Esplanade and wandered through the "Farmers' Market", just south of the St. Lawrence market, prime.

This is a huge pile of Kale, on display, just inside the Farmers' Market.

The York Mechanic's Institute

At the North-East corner of Church and Adelaide Streets sits a heritage plaque:

 

This was not a former automobile garage, nor was it a training facility for mechanics. It was more a place for teaching new methods of manufacturing and craftsmanship.
It sponsored lectures, held classes and operated a lending library.
This was one of the many steps that eventually led to the present Toronto Library System.
It wasn't until the early 1900's that borrowers were allowed to retrieve books for themselves, instead of asking the staff.
Over the years, the City received enough money from Andrew Carnegie to build ten libraries.
As well, the Library has been the recipient of a number of private collections from a few philanthropists.
One such gift was over 4,000 pictures and pictorial material from John Ross Robertson. This Toronto resident was the founder of the Toronto Telegram, and a fervent advocate of amateur hockey. There is a plaque in front of his home on Sherbourne Street and there is a Public School named after him.
Another donation came from a British librarian back in 1934 (the Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books). As well, the is a Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection housed on the second floor of the Lillian H. Smith Library. This collection was donated by Judith Merrill, a fiction writer herself. It is a non-circulating research collection of over 72,000 items.
Her life story is something that I should blog about in the near future.
While the world was celebrating the arrival of the Millennium, the Toronto Public Library received a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This allowed the library to purchase 400 internet workstations.
On going sponsor-ships from companies such as the Toronto Star and Toronto Dominion Bank, have allowed the Toronto Reference Library to display some of their collections.

Royal Ontario Museum Rotunda

The intricate designs in the mosaic ceiling of the ROM are probably overlooked by most visitors.
I happened to be on an "Insider's Tour" one afternoon, when the guide stopped to point out the various symbols that adorn the museum's rotunda.

The writing says "That All Men Shall Know His Work".
The rotunda was designed by the ROM architects as part of the 1932 addition to the main building.
Italian craftsmen from Connolly Marble and Tile, worked for eight months to assemble and install the tiles from more than 4,000 12inch by 18 inch Venetian glass.

It was meant to reflect the breadth of the collections contained within.
Above the arches, and in the four corners of the base, are representations of four different styles of architecture:

• Mesopotamian ziggurat
• Egyptian pylon or gateway
• Classic Greek temple
• Mayan temple

 

Between the arches, are four panels; each containing symbols of the early culture.
Some examples are:

• A bison - reminding us of the early cave drawings
•  The winged Lion of St Mark (from Venice)
• The Sacred White Elephant, from India
• The Egyptian Falcon, grasping the symbol for the fullness of Life.

 In total, the symbolism of the dome's pictures suggests a unity of spirit for all work through the ages.

Turner at the AGO

We were nearing the end of the Turner Exhibit, so Marcia and I attended one day last week (she has a membership).

I also wanted my friend, Kinga to see this exhibit, so I snapped up a MAP (Museum and Arts Pass) from my local library.
We almost didn't make it into the gallery, due to the fact that I never kept the receipt.

But, I managed to hike over to the Lillian H. Smith Library, where they reprinted the receipt. Thank goodness!
We still had to pay ten dollars each to see the exhibit, because the MAP only gets you in the gallery.

I snapped a couple of pictures, but anyone can see his landscapes simply by surfing the net.

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851).
He was born in Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London.
His father was a barber and wig maker, while his mother came from a family of butchers.
There is a film that was released in 2014 (Mr. Turner). His character was played by Timothy Spall.

 

 According to Wikipedia, Turner became more eccentric over the years, and had only a few close friends. Apparently, his father lived with him for some 30 years, working as his studio assistant, where he mixed pigments and stretched canvases for his son.

This is a photo of my favourite Turner painting.
At the end of the gallery tour, Kinga said "it makes me want to go home and paint".

Word On The Street

While in Vancouver, my sister and I attended the "Word On The Street" event.

The City cordoned off the area around the area bounded by West Georgia Street and Robson, so it was easy to wander around the streets and take our time.


Something that I missed while in Vancouver was the three-dimensional art installation in Vancouver's Central Library courtyard.
It was completed in 2010, but obviously not while I was there.

   

I found the information and picture by accident while surfing, so added it to my BC Trip. It boasts over 1200 LED bulbs, and uses a typography that was once very familiar to Vancouverites; it recalls the City's NEON past when the legendary Woodward's sign was visible over the skyline.

The artist, Ron Terada explained that "it references within the context of a public library, since it touches upon the use of words and language as boundless and imaginative".