Tag Archives: art gallery

JACKALOPE ART GALLERY LAUNCHES IN TORONTO THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 16.

FLY is thrilled to celebrate the upcoming opening of JACKALOPE GALLERY at 1558 Queen St East, Toronto, by artists GAIL WILLIAMS and TRACY DAVIES (pictured below) this Saturday 5-9pm.When Covid struck Toronto, we lost so many indie art galleries due to enforced isolation and closures. Now, as art lovers are craving their gallery fix, Gail and Tracy bring us a brand new space located in the east end of downtown Toronto. FLY recently spoke with Gail who shared her thoughts….

So many indie galleries closed down due to Covid – what prompted you and Tracy to open a gallery now?  It was serendipity really – I met Tracy at a Cornwall gallery and we got talking about a collaboration and decided to look for a gallery space in Toronto. We found the right with a wonderful landlord who bought into the concept of an art gallery and work studio. My studio is actually there, too, so I have a lovely creative space in which to work.You offer wall space to other artists – how do you plan to promote their works as well as your own?  Both Tracy and I are very savvy with social media and have created an Instagram account for Jackalope and will be launching our Facebook one, too. We’re thrilled to celebrate other artists via regular postings, show announcements and a monthly newsletter.You put out a call for artists and ended up with numerous submissions – what was your curatorial process to select the artists for your first show?  We first decided upon a theme for our debut show and that was “courage” so we reviewed all the submissions to find art pieces that reflect boldness and uniqueness. We also made sure that the individual artists had active websites and social media accounts themselves to enable us all to cross-promote and support each other.

How many shows do you plan to present over the coming months?  We’re planning a period of 4 weeks for our curated shows – this enables artists to invite their family, friends and followers down to see their work hanging on our walls. We’re also presenting artist workshops and other special events as we move forward through our first year….it’s all so exciting. And we already have 500 online followers with 200 people signing up for our monthly newsletter.

GOOD LUCK to Gail and Tracy, and if you want to keep up with news from the gallery, check out the website and social media…. https://www.thejackalopegallery.ca/
Instagram: @thejackalopegallery  or the artists themselves:  @gailwilliamsartist  @tracydaviesart

..in the meantime, FLY will be buzzing around the gallery on Saturday to report on the launch. Check back with us for the big blog.

HISTORIC MCMICHAEL ART GALLERY SHOWCASES THE FINEST CANADIAN PAINTINGS + SCULPTURES

FLY was thrilled to visit the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, an hour north of Toronto [www.mcmichael.com] capturing some of the stunning Tom Thomson paintings from their current special exhibition “North Star”….as well as the colourful works of legendary Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau (below)The McMichael sits in beautiful woodlands filled with giant bronze sculptures (below)…so join FLY as she buzzes around the gallery…Upon entering the spectacular building, FLY headed towards the various galleries leading up to the Tom Thomson exhibit with all manner of surprises around each corner. FLY loved this handsome fella…FLY’s favourite Group of Seven artist is Lawren Harris and it’s easy to see why. Here’s the big man himself – so many small paintings by Tom Thomson, exhibited effectively in seasonal galleries… In one room, there was a screen set up showing a brief video explaining the curatorial process of putting such a show together, sharing insights into Thomson’s work…comfortable seating that you can turn towards the picture windows…just look at that view outside… Then on to the Norval Morrisseau “salon” the interior of which looks and feels like a log cabin in the woods.
At one end of the large gallery are floor to ceiling windows, the other end you’ll find 2 totem poles…wow! Now let’s head out into the grounds for some “forest bathing” and see what’s hidden in the trees….Ivan Eyre‘s giant bronzes But the trees themselves were works of art and FLY was honoured to buzz along the trails….
Not many people realize that a number of the Group of Seven artists are actually buried on site – here are their humble headstones marking the graves…. FLY flew across the little bridge from the cemetery and back inside to recover from the humidity and heat….her wings were getting a little tired and needed a rest and a cuppa tea in the café where she was waited upon by charming staff.There are so many calm and quiet places to sit and relax in the McMichael…look at the beautiful view from this log benchSo thank you to the staff and management of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection – your knowledgeable docents are welcoming and FLY enjoyed chatting with them and learning so much about the history of Canadian art. Again, here’s the website that gives you directions and info on current and upcoming exhibitions.  www.mcmichael.com  You can follow the gallery on multiple social media platforms, too.