When telling the story of the Holocaust, one effective way to overcome our sheer inability to comprehend the scope and scale of such atrocities is to zoom in on one or two stories: share one particular experience, in all its brutal specificity, and we have at least a small way into the event—the small details illuminate the larger whole.

One theatre company from the Netherlands, Hotel Modern, takes a related approach in KAMP (CAMP). The production depicts a typical day at the Auschwitz concentration camp, but instead of zooming in into a closeup, it shrinks everything down, literally, into miniature. It’s the accumulation of thousands of small details that has the impact in this case.

Eleanor McMahon thinks it’s time to change the conversation around cycling in Ontario.

McMahon is the founder of the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, who will be hosting the fifth annual Ontario Bike Summit this week in Toronto. She says that we need to stop talking about things like bike lanes and other bicycle infrastructure as a zero sum game between cars and bikes.

“We do polling, and our polling tells us that 89 per cent of Ontarians are both drivers and cyclists,” she says. “The notion that it’s cars versus bikes is overblown, and it’s really not working anymore. Deciding to change the conversation means going out of our way to poke holes in that idea and say from the get go ‘We don’t buy into that philosophy, and just because you say it, doesn’t make it true.’ ”

Maylee Todd moving the crowd at the AGO.

We’re tempted to refer to Thursday’s Massive Party at the Art Gallery of Ontario as an “art party,” but that wouldn’t be strictly accurate.

There was certainly a lot of partying going on, and there was some fairly interesting art around, but the two had very little to do with each other. People were there to party. The art, as good as it was, was mainly window dressing.

In its ninth year, the AGO Massive Party is one of the gallery’s biggest fundraising events. This year, the theme was “gold.” According to local artist Justin Broadbent, who curated the party, the theme came about because he thinks of the AGO as being like a nugget of gold in the city.

“I thought of the AGO as an entity in the city,” he said. “And I thought of it as like this nugget in the city. We have a whole lot of drab, and a whole lot of bustle, and then we’ve got this slow, beautiful nugget in the middle of the city that has all these beautiful pieces. It’s like finding gold.”

He adds that, for the artists who created work for the party, the gold theme provided a lot of room to play around.

“You can talk about religion, you can talk about the Golden Rule, there are so many places you can take it.”

The artists involved took the theme in several interesting directions. Broadbent created a video projection of a man’s gold-grill-covered mouth. The mouth spouted various pick-up lines and other random statements while subtitles ran underneath. Across the room, Mahmood Popal set up a vending machine dispensing fake grills.

Artist Jeffrey “Mango Peeler” Garcia had created a golden caravan that paraded through the concourse, in an homage to the traditional Filipino tinikling dance. Textile artist Noelle Hamlyn‘s installation featured members of TOES for Dance, who danced gold threads onto a loom. Hamlyn plans to weave those threads into a tapestry.

“They’re doing a process called warping,” she said. “Warping thread ensures you know how many threads are going on the loom and how long…Every time I warp, I find myself swaying like I’m dancing, so I thought it was time to bring in a dancer to do it justice.”

The highlight of the evening was almost certainly “Hurdles,” a performance piece by Tibi Tibi Neuspiel and Geoffrey Pugen. Neuspiel and Pugen ran several heats of hurdles. After every heat, the winner would have a different obstacle placed in their path, be it a wheelbarrow full of tennis balls, a taxidermied raccoon standing on top of a globe, or a structure made out of Kool-Aid cartons and Pringles tubes.

“The idea was to take a race and tweak it so that there was no real advantage for winning. Because every time you won, a new hurdle was put in your lane,” said Neuspiel. “We were playing with the idea of effort versus reward.

There were also not one but two high-energy sets from local R&B/disco revival songstress Maylee Todd, who came out rocking a gold dress and golden hair extensions. Members of her band wore gold glasses, gold-sprayed facial hair, and gold paint.

“The gold was what appealed to me,” she said. “We really wanted to dress up, and to see what all the other artists were doing…I’ve never had the opportunity to play the AGO before, and who doesn’t like gold?”

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to matter how good the art at the Massive Party was. It may have been an event in an art gallery, to support an art gallery, but the vast majority of those who attended were there to schmooze, be seen, dress up, and get drunk. The only things that really managed to interrupt the relentless appetizer scarfing and smartphone pic-ing were “Hurdles” and Maylee Todd. (“Hurdles” was so big and kinetic that you couldn’t ignore it if you tried, and Maylee Todd is too much fun live to resist. Though to be honest, the crowd didn’t really warm up to her until her second set.)

It was telling that two of the AGO’s regular exhibits that had been left open for party goers—a photo gallery detailing the exploits of local performance-art crew Life of a Craphead and another gallery featuring work by rock legend Patti Smith—were largely empty. They were also the furthest from the bar.

One party-goer, who wouldn’t give her name, summed the event up.

“It’s like everyone here wants to be seen with art, but none of them actually want to see any art,” she said.

CORRECTION: April 20, 2013, 8:27 PM This post originally misidentified the artist behind the video projection installation as Mahmood Popal, when in fact it was Justin Broadbent. Popal created the vending machine dispensing fake grills.

Winged Cherubim, San Severino Marche (2009), © Patti Smith.

Patti Smith: Camera Solo
The Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas Street West)
February 9 to May 19
Gallery admission $19.50, students $11

When one thinks about Patti Smith, the iconic American musician, performer, and poet, all of the most immediate associations with her name are loud. For example, her unique and dramatic performance style, which fused rock music and poetry, became extremely influential to the burgeoning punk movement in the 1970s.

Her message, also, has at times been loud. She has been almost as prolific an activist as she has been an artist, frequently writing songs and performing benefits for causes she believes in. One example is “Without Chains,” a song about a prisoner held in Guantanamo Bay for four years.

“Camera Solo,” the exhibition of Patti Smith’s photographs that will be featured at the Art Gallery of Ontario from February 9 to May 19, reveals a very different aspect of her character.

Arthur Rimbaud’s Utensils, Musée Rimbaud, Charleville (2005), © Patti Smith.

Smith’s public identity is one characterized by passion, volume, and energy. The photos in the AGO exhibit are, in contrast, quiet, meditative, and deeply intimate. On display are 70 black and white photographs, primarily taken with Smith’s vintage Polaroid camera, along with a collection of Smith’s belongings (some of them subjects of her photography, others provided for context) and a short film directed by Smith and shot by Jem Cohen.

My Father’s Cup (2004), © Patti Smith.

Most of the photographs displayed are small, scarcely larger than the palm of a hand, and framed in close-knit clusters, encouraging the viewer to lean in, get close, and peer carefully. This creates a feeling of intimacy. Several themes come up again and again in Smith’s photographs: sculptures; vehicles and means of transportation; small personal objects; grave sites; and beds. Anyone viewing the show can call a toll-free number and listen to Smith herself talk about several key pieces in the gallery.

Robert’s Slippers (2002), © Patti Smith.

“Camera Solo” is defined by its quiet intimacy, but it’s also characterized by the reverence with which Smith handles her subjects. Through her eyes, the objects that belong to great artists are as holy as religious relics. Friends are photographed (often with their eyes closed or obscured) as though they are sculptures. Robert Mapplethorpe’s slippers are treated with utmost respect; Virginia Woolf’s bed is photographed as though it were an altar. Cutlery that was handled by Rimbaud gets similar treatment, as does Smith’s father’s coffee cup. Full of love, even a sense of mysticism, the images invite the viewer to share Smith’s quiet, and often spiritual vision.

A crowd at the first-ever AGO 1st Thursday, on October 4.

CULTURE: Ever wanted to know more about Yiddish? Yiddish Vinkl is a group of people who are interested in all things related to the language and its associated culture. And fear not if you don’t speak any Yiddish: the meet-ups are all conducted in English and are open to everyone. Free Times Cafe (320 College Street), 12 p.m., FREE.

ART PARTY: Over at the AGO, it’s the very 1st Thursday of the year (get it?). If you haven’t yet discovered this monthly series of in-gallery parties, they feature art, artists, live music, food, and drinks all at once. The AGO (317 Dundas Street West), 6:30 p.m.–11 p.m. Advance tickets sold out, limited $12 rush tickets available at the door.

ART: These days, thanks to Hollywood, superheroes are everywhere. But art galleries are still lacking in capes and tights—which is where Hashtag Gallery comes in. Check out a comic-themed art show that features many of the characters you know and love. Work from artists W. Scott Forbes, Ricky Kruger, Alina Urusov, Cy Berlin, and Deena Pagliarello will be on display. Hashtag Gallery (801 Dundas Street West), opening reception 7:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m., FREE.

Urban Planner is Torontoist‘s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you’d like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to events@torontoist.com.

I Want Your Job finds Torontonians who make a living doing exactly what they love to do, in any field, and for any salary, and asks them how they did it.

In her work as conservator of contemporary and Inuit art at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Sherry Phillips is part MacGyver and part…well, let’s just say that right now she’s working on touching up a giant hamburger.

“This was the first [public art] intervention of significance,” explains Phillips, whose restoration of Claus Oldenburg’s 1962 Floor Burger sculpture is currently taking place on the gallery floor, where attendees can see it as it happens. The burger—which, for copyright reasons, can only be seen in public and not in a photo at the top of this here edition of I Want Your Job—will be heading off to New York’s Museum of Modern Art in the spring.

But art conservation, according to Phillips, is a lot more than just restoration. And, unlike the AGO’s current live-restoration burger exhibit, it usually happens behind closed doors, in a laboratory hidden within the belly of the museum. We got a look at all of it.

Our interview with Phillips is below.

Torontoist: So, the age-old question: how did you get into art conservation?

Sherry Phillips: I was doing my undergraduate in science and I fully expected to go on to a career in research. Then I had a summer job actually doing research and I really didn’t like it. I hated it. So I had to rethink everything that I was doing. I went through one of the government-sponsored programs for recent graduates—like career-counselling stuff—and I came across this little information packet about art conservation.

All of a sudden, I started putting things together in my head, like, “Oh, that’s why I always skipped genetics labs to go to the ROM or the AGO!” I always took art courses to go along with the science, but I never put two and two together.

I talked to a whole bunch of conservators. The painting conservator at the ROM at the time gave me a break. She took me for six weeks or something, and I fell in love with it. Then I went back to school and did art history and art studio for a year, and then they accepted me into the program.

What do you do from day to day?

It’s different every day. In this institution, it tends to be driven by loans or exhibitions. So, getting artwork ready for those. Something like the burger, for instance. We’re lending it to MOMA, so there was more incentive to bring it out of storage and get it on display because of that loan we agreed to.

Part of having conservation on display is the promotion of what we do, and [our] preservation efforts. I’m pleasantly surprised by how popular it has been. Usually, we’re behind the scenes.

Some tools of the trade.

What’s the actual process of restoring artwork like?

We approach each artwork as an individual piece. The treatment of an artwork is always an individualized plan. Nothing is ever the same.

So, you have to research each piece?

You research the artwork, and you research the materials. There’s lots to consider with each artwork, and even some paint layers. I sent some paint samples [from the burger] to the Canadian Conservation Institute and they did analysis on them for me to determine exactly what kind of paint the artist used, the pigments used, the binding mediums that were there, and so on.

You do contemporary conservation. I imagine your experience is very different from that of those who focus on older works.

In a way. I find with contemporary, I tend to borrow techniques and ideas from all the different disciplines. Because I might have something that has paper, metal, paint, and all these different things on it. Then there’s time-based media, which is a whole other discipline in itself.

It’s more than just restoration. It’s the preservation of artwork. We promote, we advocate, and we safeguard the artwork. Every aspect of how this artwork is stored, or exhibited, or handled in transportation, we have say and involvement in that. So, if I can use the burger for example, yes, I’m treating it so that the paint layers will be stable to travel. But I’m also intervening in the stuffing, to redistribute it slightly so that it looks better as a burger. But I don’t want it to be too perfect because it’s a 50-year-old burger. That just wouldn’t look right.

How do you know where to draw the line?

I work with a curator. The two of us stand there and we have images from the ’60s, and we go back to those images.

So, you’re trying to make it consistent with how it’s always looked?

We’re trying to make it consistent with how it should look. It’s a soft sculpture, so it’s always shifting. But some of that movement has gone to an extreme, so we have to reverse that.

It sounds like very nuanced work.

In many ways, it is! There’s a huge aesthetic component to it as well as the mechanical stabilizing aspect. You kind of do the mechanical first, knowing that the aesthetic component will come. But your treatment plan is always multifaceted. It’s never very simple.

The lobby of the AGO transformed into a dance floor at the first-ever AGO 1st Thursdays event.

1st Thursdays
Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas Street West)
The first Thursday of every month
$12 at the door

Friday Night Live
Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queens Park)
Every Friday between October 12 and November 30
$10 at the door

The rule in some of Toronto’s hipper ‘hoods is that the smaller and harder a bar is to spot, the bigger the lineup and the hype it will have. But beginning last month, two of Toronto’s biggest and flashiest buildings became nightlife hotspots, thanks to two recurring events: the AGO’s 1st Thursdays and the ROM’s Friday Night Live.

When the ROM debuted its weekly Friday-night programming last spring, the response was so overwhelming that it was hardly a surprise when a fall season was planned as well. The event series—which features DJs, a dance floor, drinks, food, and special exhibits—began on October 12 and runs until November 30. In a similar vein, the AGO is now hosting large-scale parties on the first Thursday of every month.

Though similar in concept, the two events target extremely different crowds. #FNLROM blasts guests with loud music. There are lights, drink tickets, crowds of well-heeled ladies and popped-collared gents, plus the hottest food vendors and breweries of the moment. Bars are set up throughout the museum’s exhibits. (But go early, or else most of them will close before you’ve stopped staring at the giant brontosaurus in the lobby.)

A performance at the first edition of 1st Thursdays.

With its less frequent, monthly schedule, the AGO’s 1st Thursdays are larger in scope. They have live entertainment, life drawing classes, and special events designed around significant visual-art happenings. The inaugural event on October 4 featured talks about Evan Penny’s highly-acclaimed “Re Figured” exhibit, with the artist himself in attendance. There was also an acoustic performance by Bahamas. Tickets ($10 in advance, $12 at the door) were in high demand, and the lineup spanned most of the front of the building.

The event’s second instalment happens tonight. Stacey McKenzie will announce the 2012 Grange Prize winner for photography, and Toronto’s emerging soft-rock trio DIANA (made up of members of Army Girls and Destroyer) will perform.

Both events succeed where normal museum programming fails: they get young people excited about visiting museum galleries. What’s more, they manage to target two distinct crowds. The ROM’s Friday Night Live series is probably Toronto’s biggest, best, and most exciting pre-party for a longer night on the town (it lasts from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.). 1st Thursdays, meanwhile, is aimed at the art lover. The programs, the vibe, and the choice to have live music all seem pitched to people who might enjoy the rare opportunity to see their favourite art pieces in an entirely new context (i.e., with a drink in their hand).

Both events are good news for Toronto’s arts community. They inject some life into two of the city’s most iconic buildings, and they put the “art” back into “party.”

“Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics and Painting”
Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas Street West)
October 20, 2012–January 20, 2013
Adult admission: $25 (includes general admission)

The first image that greets you when you walk into the gallery space given over to “Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics and Painting”, an exhibition soon to open at the Art Gallery of Ontario, is a portrait of the pair of artists together. Blown up to life size, Diego Rivera stands proudly, a massive figure, hand resting on his belly, with an amused expression on his face. Frida Kahlo leans into him, both her hands folded around him, her lips quirked up in the slightest smile.

The exhibition, which opens to the public on October 20, is unique for both its beauty and its intimacy. Rather than having separate rooms or exhibitions for Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, guest curator Dot Tuer has chosen to dovetail the two artists’ work. She groups together pieces with similar themes, or ones that were created during the same time period. The artworks are often accompanied by clusters of intimate photographs, both composed and candid, that illustrate Kahlo and Rivera’s married life together.

Also central to the exhibition are the passionate and deeply held political convictions that defined both arists. Kahlo and Rivera were active communists, and their work was deeply influenced by the Spanish, Russian, and Mexican revolutions. From Kahlo’s affair with Leon Trotsky to Rivera’s intense murals celebrating worker’s rights, their politics take centre stage in their artistic output.

The exhibition’s major theme, however, is undoubtedly the relationship between Rivera and Kahlo. It was defined by a need to create, a deep mutual respect for each other’s work, strong and complementary political beliefs, and an abiding love for each other. At one point in the exhibition, statements that each artist made about the other’s work are projected on a wall, many of them disarmingly accurate. Elsewhere, a photo of Rivera peering intently over Kahlo’s shoulder as she works is juxtaposed with a self-portrait that incorporates an image of Rivera. He’s superimposed on Kahlo’s own forehead.

Vibrant, triumphant, and profoundly intimate, “Frida & Diego” attempts to capture something both of the flamboyant intensity of the couple’s public personas, and of the more intimate details of their lives together. It is stunning, moving, and absolutely worth a visit.

CORRECTION: October 17, 11:04 AM This post previously misstated the gender of guest curator Dot Tuer. The mistake has been corrected above.

Shanren, a Beijing rock band, will be playing at this weekend's launch of a book about the rock music movement in China. Photo courtesy of Anna Withrow.

HEALTH: Hey, it’s the weekend—your chance to cool down from a stressful week at work. If you need a helping hand for the winding-down process, you might consider this free Reiki healing class, which serves as an intro to the Japanese stress reduction technique (and will then be followed by a demonstration and question period). The World’s Biggest Bookstore, 2^nd floor (20 Edward Street), Saturday, 1–2:30 p.m., FREE.

ART WALK: Sometimes, wandering aimlessly in a gallery isn’t enough to appreciate all the great art that the city has to offer. Fortunately for us, the AGO gets that. As part of AGO’s Toronto Now series, local artists Sean Martindale and Pascal Paquette will be taking art lovers on an outdoor tour called Tagging Along—a perfect complement to the excellent weather we’re having. Meet in the Young Gallery, AGO (317 Dundas Street W.), Saturday, 2–4 p.m., FREE.

COMEDY: For one night only, you can see the one-man show that has everybody raving. Sex, Religion & Other Hang-ups is a monologue of triumphs and disappointments by a guy named James Gangl, who must fight off his religious upbringing to obtain the heart of an underwear model. Check out our interview with him here. The Second City (51 Mercer Street), Saturday, 10 p.m., $15.

FILM: Before Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic ratings essentially swept away the individual power of a film critic, reviewers had a tremendous impact on the culture of the industry. For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism is a documentary that tells this story and features critics such as Roger Ebert, A.O. Scott, Lisa Schwarzbaum, and more. Following a screening of the film there will also be a panel with the director, Gerald Peary, as well as a number of Toronto film critics (including Torontoist’s own Kiva Reardon). Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor Street W.), Sunday, 6:30 p.m., $11.

MUSIC: Take a moment to reminisce about the choir days of your youth and prepare your ears for the 50-person Hart House Chorus (made up of students, alumni, and professors). This spring concert will be showcasing works such as Healey Willan’s “Gloria Deo per Immensa Saecula,” Holman’s “Night Music,” and Craig Galbraith’s “Go Lovely Rose.” The Great Hall, Hart House (7 Hart House Circle), Sunday, 7 p.m., FREE (will take donations).

DISCUSSION: If you haven’t found enough events to fill your women’s history month, here’s one you shouldn’t miss. Gender, Security and Religion in Israel: New Challenges, New Voices is a talk that features Israela Oron, the first woman Israeli Defence Force deputy spokesperson, who helped initiate major reforms for women in the IDF and Israel. Oron will be talking about the impact of religion on gender equality and democratic values. Temple Sinai (210 Wilson Avenue), Sunday, 7:30 p.m., FREE.

COMEDY: Piece of Garbage Sex Dungeon. Now that’s a name that’ll get your attention. This comedy show features improv with Surprise Romance Elixir, White Panther Girlfriend, The Jeremy Birrell Show, and stand-up comedy host, Evan Desmarais. Check out this rather awesome promo for the show here. Unit 102 (376 Dufferin Street), Sunday, 8 p.m., $5.

CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK: Bands, and films, and comedians—oh my! Canadian Music Week is upon us again, filling our evenings from March 21 to 25 with acts from across the world. Check out our full coverage of the festival with daily picks, nightly reviews, band profiles, and other magical tidbits we pick up, and make the most of it. It is, after all, the first CMW in recent memory that maybe won’t require an umbrella, which is cause for celebration in and of itself.

Urban Planner is Torontoist‘s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you’d like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to events@torontoist.com.

The Simpsons get sexy in this weekend's burlesque production. Photo courtesy of Sevvy Skellington.

PETS: Cats. What are they good for, anyway? If you’re rooting for the other team, check out the The Purina National Dog Show—which will feature relay racing, a grooming competition, and doggies, doggies, everywhere. Mississauga’s International Centre (6900 Airport Road), Friday to Sunday, 10 a.m., $10 adults, $6 children.

ART: You don’t have to take a trip to Oz in order to learn to appreciate where you come from, but it never hurts to do so. Using video and photography, artist Jenn E Norton brings you No Place—an installation to explore the relationship between residence, ownership, and home. Trinity Square Video (401 Richmond Street W., Suite 376), Saturday, opening reception 2 p.m.–4 p.m., FREE.

TV MARATHON: Love to watch TV? Love to discuss art? Well, the stars have aligned to let you do both things in one go. The AGO is hosting a nine-hour marathon of the second season of the Bravo show Work of Art. Don’t miss this opportunity to hang out in the AGO after hours (and score free pizza). Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas Street W.), Saturday, 3 p.m.–12 a.m., FREE.

COMEDY: Monkey Toast, the much beloved improvised talk show, is back! The show, which ended its seven-year run back in May 2010, returns with host Ron Tite and the Monkey Toast Players (including Colin Mochrie, Lisa Merchant, Jan Caruana, and many more). Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street W.), Saturday, 8 p.m., $10.

BURLESQUE: Woo hoo! If you’ve ever wondered what Springfield’s most memorable cartoon family would look like sans clothing, you’re in luck. We Put the Spring in Springfield is a Simpsons-themed burlesque show brought to you by the same people who put on Marvelesque last year. There will also be Classic Simpsons Trivia to test the die-hard fans. Toronto Underground Cinema (186 Spadina Avenue), Saturday, 9 p.m., $12 advance, $15 door.

MUSIC: Ah, the 80s. So much use of synths. It’s a shame we don’t see too much of that anymore. But never fear: Synthicide is here to fulfill your synthpop and electropop needs. The night features beats by DJ Lazarus and EBM/Industrial Room so you can get your groove on while also enjoying the $4 drink specials (before 11:30 p.m.). Nocturne (550 Queen Street W.), Saturday, 10 p.m.–3 a.m., $3 before 11 p.m., $5 after.

YOGA: Don’t miss this great chance to do something healthy—and for a great cause. Fitness for Food: Yoga Nia Zumba Party invites yoga-lovers for a fun-filled day of stretching, dancing, and a shiatsu massage. Don’t forget to bring a non-perishable item for the UTSU Food & Clothing Bank. Great Hall, Hart House (7 Hart House Circle), Sunday, 9:30 a.m., $25.

ART: Though it’s probably too early to gauge the true impact of the Occupy movement, it goes without saying that it has already had a significant impact on popular culture. Take Pre-Occupied, a pop-up exhibition inspired by the protests, for instance. Participating artists will explore the theme of claiming space for expression. Garden Garage (173 Macdonell Avenue), Sunday, Opening Reception, 3 p.m.–5 p.m., FREE.

Urban Planner is Torontoist‘s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you’d like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to events@torontoist.com.

A new series finds artists pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance to risky new heights. Photo by Évolucidanse.

DANCE: Artists push themselves to new heights in Risky Business and Rebel Yells, part of Dance Matters. The series showcases dance pieces that are rebellious in theme or concept and highlights physical and artistic performance risks. Scotiabank Studio Theatre (6 Noble Street), Saturday to Sunday, 4 p.m., $12.

CABARET: This certainly isn’t your grandmother’s cabaret. Lunacy Cabaret invites you to The Eternal Order of Lunacy—an uncensored night of clowns, circus, comedy, music, and burlesque. Centre of Gravity Circus Training Studio East (1300 Gerrard Street East), Saturday, doors at 8:30 p.m., $15.

MUSIC: Fans of electro-pop can rejoice at the arrival of the latest installment of the long-running music series, Silent Shout. This weekend’s event features an assortment of talented bands such as Light Fires, Triple Gangers, and Miss Elizabeth (who are playing their very first show!). The Cave (860 College Street), Saturday, doors at 9 p.m., $7.

SKATING: If you have fond memories of grinding beautiful half pipes, or falling flat on your face because your shoelaces got caught in the skateboard wheels, then you’ll appreciate the Harbourfront Centre’s latest look at skate culture. HarbourKIDS: SK8 is a weekend-long event that explores skating, skateboarding, hockey, arts, and crafts. There will be skateboard-making sessions, performance pieces, and more. Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West), Sunday to Monday, FREE.

DRUM CIRCLES: Piano lessons? Please. By far, the most entertaining instrument to play as a kid was the drums. If you’ve still got a little bit of Meg White in you, then dust off those drum sticks and head on over to Drum Circle—an all-ages event where you can explore the cultural origins of the drum, and even make your own. East Common Room, Hart House (7 Hart House Circle), Sunday, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., FREE.

TRAINS: While our own public transportation system might be up in the air at the moment, now is the perfect time to reflect on the glorious railroads of yesteryear. The Model Railroad Club of Toronto is holding its annual winter show, called The Romance of the Rails. Liberty Market Building (171 East Liberty Street), Sunday to Monday, noon–4:30 p.m., $8.

CLASSICAL MUSIC: The Windermere String Quartet is back for another year of exploring chamber music from different eras. This Sunday, they’re taking on Haydn, Boccherini, and Mozart in a performance called “The Art of Conversation.” St. Olave’s Anglican Church (360 Windermere Avenue), Sunday, 3 p.m., $20.

ART: Have you ever dreamed of running around art galleries, from painting to painting, rather than staring intently at a single piece of work like everyone else? Well, your time has come. For one day only the Art Gallery of Ontario will be fully embracing the joy of Family Day by transforming itself into the Kids Gallery of Ontario. This includes sped-up kid-centric tours of the gallery, art-making, a Kid Nouveau opening party, and more. The AGO (317 Dundas Street W.), Monday, $39 for family pass (includes two adults and up to five kids—steal!).

COMEDY: If you’re still frustrated by that now-iconic final scene in Christopher Nolan’s last film, you might find some release in the form of an improvised take on Inception. Bad Dog Theatre’s Monday-in-the-Cabaret is taking on the flick in a completely unscripted manner. The comedy will also be followed by a discussion on the process of creating such a performance. Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street W.), Monday, 9 p.m., PWYC.

Urban Planner is Torontoist‘s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you’d like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to events@torontoist.com.