About us

Today is #ThankfulThursday and we are so grateful for our dedicated and supportive Board of Directors. We asked our board members to answer a few questions about themselves so that our community could get to know them. Today we would like to introduce you to Khalilah Brooks.

How long have you served on the board?
1 year

What is the first arts experience that you remember?
Making volcano eruptions in elementary school

Why do you believe community arts are important?
I truly believe community arts is very important. It creates a voice of unity, that is diverse and supported by many.

What is your most memorable arts experience?
My most memorable arts experience is visiting the National Museum of Ghana in Africa and seeing art that expressed my ancestral joy, bravery and love.

What are three words that you think describe the impact of arts and culture?
Dimensional, Narrative and Tone

Get to know everyone on Arts Etobicoke’s Board of Directors on our website at www.artsetobicoke.com/board-of-directors

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Don’t miss today’s Artist Studio Visit with @curtgaudon! This afternoon at 2:00 pm, Curt will be taking us through a tour of his home studio and answering your questions on Instagram Live.

Curt Gaudon's work is largely a study of colour and composition. Suggestive brushwork and vivid pigment pairings enchant the surface with light and colour, evoking emotion and empathy without realism. Curt was born in Ontario, immersed in the creative and technical arts from a young age. He graduated York University with a Bachelor of Design, gaining experience in tech, graphics, and marketing. Feeling the pull back to personal creative endeavours, Curt spends his free time in Etobicoke painting portraits in acrylic and oils, and sketching with ink and dry media. Watch Curt make art in time-lapse on Instagram @curtgaudon

To view the studio tour, follow @artsetobicoke on Instagram and tune in today at 2:00 pm. Simply find the Arts Etobicoke account (@artsetobicoke) and then click on the AE icon in the top left corner, it will have a purple/pink circle around it and the word “Live.” Enjoy!

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Calling all artists! Arts Etobicoke is inviting artists from the community to contribute to our Augmented Reality in the Village of Islington Project as part of the City of Toronto’s Year of Public Art by creating a small Augmented Reality (AR) component to accompany the larger project.

We are now accepting applications from artists who work in any medium to be a part of this project by submitting an application on our website. Participants are not required to have any prior experience of working with AR, however, some basic understanding of this technology is helpful. Selected artists will have an opportunity for training and mentorship with lead artist Luke Garwood, and Albedo Informatics, the technology consultant on this project. All selected artists will be paid an artist fee of $600 at the end of the project completion.

Artists planning to apply are required to attend the information session on Monday, Oct 19.

For more information and to apply please see link in bio

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Don’t miss today’s Artist Studio Visit with Josh Kornelow of @castorwoodworks! This afternoon at 2:00 pm, Josh will be taking us through a tour of his home studio and answering your questions on Instagram Live.

Josh Kornelow is a third-generation woodworker from Toronto who began by working in the family cabinetry business at an early age. Through Castor Woodworks, Josh creates custom furniture and home accessories using Ontario-sourced wood and by partnering with local craftspeople. In focusing on local materials derived from ecologically conscious sources, Josh hopes to challenge current modes of consumption and present a local alternative for those seeking to create fixtures for their homes.

To view the studio tour, follow @artsetobicoke on Instagram and tune in today at 2:00 pm. Simply find the Arts Etobicoke account (@artsetobicoke) and then click on the AE icon in the top left corner, it will have a purple/pink circle around it and the word “Live.” Enjoy!

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Don’t miss today’s Artist Studio Visit with @junekima.rt! This afternoon at 2:00 pm, Jieun will be taking us through a tour of her home studio and answering your questions on Instagram Live.

Jieun June Kim’s painting practice is founded on her love of the natural and urban environments around her and the folk art of Korea; the homeland where she was born and raised. Her paintings are imbued with the symbolic forms and language of Korean cultural heritage, re-imagined in response to the contemporary context of her lived experience.
Jieun June Kim has been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions in Canada and Korea. Solo exhibitions include In Between Land, at North York Central Library, North York, ON (2019); Pillow House, Alternative Space NOON, Suwon, S. Korea (2016); and Dreamscape, uJung Art Center, Seoul, S. Korea (2013). Her work has been included in recent group exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Toronto, ON (2019); Arts Etobicoke, Etobicoke, ON (2019); and Toronto Center for the Arts, North York, ON (2019) among others. In addition to her painting practice, Kim is an activist public muralist, and produces original prints, illustrations, and ceramics. She currently lives and works in Toronto, ON.

To view the studio tour, follow @artsetobicoke on Instagram and tune in today at 2:00 pm. Simply find the Arts Etobicoke account (@artsetobicoke) and then click on the AE icon in the top left corner, it will have a purple/pink circle around it and the word “Live.” Enjoy!

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Don’t miss today’s Artist Studio Visit with @lisamurzin_photographer! This afternoon at 2:00 pm, Lisa will be taking us through a tour of her home studio and answering your questions on Instagram Live.

Lisa Murzin is an active member of Ontario Society of Artists, and Gallery 44, Centre for Contemporary Photography. Murzin holds a Humanities diploma from Bishop’s University, Quebec and Certificate in Still Photography from Ryerson University. She transitions comfortably between her personal and professional work, between black & white and colour images and between film and digital technologies. Drawn to the slow time and solitary space of her darkroom, Murzin sees making prints as a meditative practice that manifests in her final images.

The textures and rhythms of old-school film development nurture Murzin’s creativity in an increasingly pixelated world. No matter what the medium, Murzin’s images foreground transition: the time and space between states and subjects. Her photographic studies have included abandoned buildings, adolescents on the precipice of adulthood, and apartments in the time between tenants.

To view the studio tour, follow @artsetobicoke on Instagram and tune in today at 2:00 pm. Simply find the Arts Etobicoke account (@artsetobicoke) and then click on the AE icon in the top left corner, it will have a purple/pink circle around it and the word “Live.” Enjoy!

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Arts Etobicoke is excited to be offering two interactive Zoom webinars on September 30 and October 14. These workshops are designed to support professional practice and help you develop your ability to recognize and build on your personal strengths, skills and experience as a creative professional. Facilitated by professional life and career coach for artists and creatives, Chris Mitchell who will introduce exercises, tools and tips to support your growth during this challenging time of social distancing and beyond. For more information and to register for these workshops, please see link in bio.

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Have you ever wanted to create your own electronic music? Are you the next Deadmau5 or REZZ? Sign up for Art Beats – Online Beat making workshop, our latest Saturday Art Class presented in partnership with @vibeartsto. Artist Ruben Esguerra will lead you through a series of “live” online workshops introducing participants to Beat making and the software that allows you to create your own layered beats. This class is for youth ages 10-14. For more information and to register see link in bio.

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Don’t miss today’s Artist Studio Visit with @davidchinyama_official! This afternoon at 2:00 pm, David will be taking us through a tour of his home studio and answering your questions on Instagram Live.

David Chinyama is a Toronto based multi-disciplinary visual artist whose work is inspired by color, form, movement and texture. His work is a representation of personal fascinations and experiences often shaped by his upbringing and cultural memories of different African traditions.

Working in multimedia, he explores subject matters centered upon aspects of identity, socio-economic, political and religious connotations. These compositions are made out of found fabrics and recycled fibers that are cut, stitched and painted together on canvas to form varying patterns and shapes. His practice can best be described as a form of adaptation, reflection and response to urban subcultures changing societal norms and different cultural influences of those around him. Working in a spontaneous approach, he experiments with the use of unfamiliar materials on how they relate to each other when placed in different frames that assign to them a new function.

To view the studio tour, follow @artsetobicoke on Instagram and tune in today at 2:00 pm. You will need an Instagram account to view the workshop, once you are logged in, find the Arts Etobicoke account (@artsetobicoke) and then click on the AE icon in the top left corner, it will have a purple/pink circle around it and the word “Live.” Enjoy!

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Have you ever wanted to explore the art of poetry and spoken word? Join us on September 24 at Wincott Park for two very special spoken word workshops led by @hidaayahhouse (aka Abdifatah Hussein) and @timajgarad. Both workshops take a different approach to using poetry to explore themes of self and community care. These workshops are a great way to build confidence and practice expression from a place of self love.

Timaj Garad is a diasporic Ethiopian-Canadian multi-disciplinary Storyteller, Arts Educator, and Creative Consultant. She uses spoken word poetry and theatre to engage individuals and communities. Her art is auto-biographical, working at the intersections of a black Muslim woman challenging injustice, unearthing truths, and healing. As an award-winning Artist and Poet, Timaj Garad has performed at over 300 events across the country and facilitated several original arts-based workshops.

Timaj’s Poetic Heartwork workshop series cultivates well-being by deepening creative writing and wellness practices anchored in self-love; including mind, emotional, and spiritual domains, and strengthening our capacity towards radical self and community care. Participants in this program are invited to a deeper exploration of how poetry can inform and enhance their own well-being through the themes Mind, Heart, and Spirit.

For more information and to register for a workshop, please see link in bio.

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Have you ever wanted to explore the art of poetry and spoken word? Join us on September 24 at Wincott Park for two very special spoken word workshops led by @hidaayahhouse (aka Abdifatah Hussein) and @timajgarad. Both workshops take a different approach to using poetry to explore themes of self and community care. These workshops are a great way to build confidence and practice expression from a place of self love.

Abdifatah is a spoken word artist who is able to actualize the realities of first-generation Somali youth experiences in Toronto. His distinct approach to spoken word, whereby he blends narrative, visuals and beats, afford him the opportunity to reach audiences across various ages, backgrounds and beliefs.

Abdifatah’s Self Care and Poetry workshop is designed to provide participants with the skills to create impactful and personal spoken word pieces centered on self care. The aim is to inspire and equip community members with the skills to harness the arts to express their lived experiences and develop the confidence to share their masterpieces. For more information and to register, please see link in bio.

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Don’t miss today’s Artist Studio Visit with @shabnamafrand! This afternoon at 2:00 pm, Shabnam will be taking us through a tour of her home studio and answering your questions on Instagram Live.

Shabnam Afrand is an Iranian-Canadian multidisciplinary visual artist and educator born and raised in Tehran. Shabnam’s body of work reflects her life and the feelings of longing. She obtained her Master of Fine Arts degree with honors from Azad University in 2001. Her thesis examined the interpretation of women in art history. She taught in the faculty of Fine Arts at Azad University from 2003 to 2010 and has been a member of the Iranian Painters’ Society since 2003. Shabnam moved to Canada in 2013 and has been working as a painting and yoga instructor for the Toronto District School Board since 2014. She is currently based in Toronto. Her recent practice is inspired by Toronto's outdoor landscape in the response to physical distancing in the past six months.

To view the studio tour, follow @artsetobicoke on Instagram and tune in today at 2:00 pm. Simply find the Arts Etobicoke account (@artsetobicoke) and then click on the AE icon in the top left corner, it will have a purple/pink circle around it and the word “Live.” Enjoy!

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Who We Are

Arts Etobicoke is a not-for-profit charitable organization that focuses on improving people’s lives through the arts. We have developed an inclusive and creative community hub that is open to all people in West Toronto. We believe in providing equitable access to the arts regardless of economic or social status. Arts Etobicoke is a place where everyone can freely express their art and culture through our programs, exhibitions, workshops, events, classes, and professional development.

What We Do

Arts Etobicoke offers programming in a variety of mediums for all ages and levels of interest, from professional to emerging artists, hobbyists to community seekers. Our programming is diverse in discipline and accessibly located throughout Etobicoke. We provide opportunities for everyone to engage with the arts in whichever way they feel comfortable.