events
Urban Planner: January 26, 2012
In today's Urban Planner: put an all-female design exhibition on your TODO list, enjoy a gathering of the food trucks, steal a great idea to improve our city, join a discussion on the future of aid to impoverished countries, see how art can act as a platform for environmental awareness, and Toronto Design Week continues.
"Eco Art" is an exhibition that uses art to highlight environmental concerns. Photo by {a href="http://oliverpauk.com/heat_recovery.html"}Oliver Pauk{/a}.
ART: There’s no denying it; the past week in Toronto has been heaven for lovers of art and design. Though there’s plenty to keep you busy as part of the Toronto Design Week agenda, one event you can’t miss is “Capacity”—an exhibition of media ranging from illustration to ceramic to textile and more, all by female Canadian designers. The event aims to explore the meaning of the word capacity as it relates to women in the field of design. Bev Hisey Studio (1066 Dundas Street W.). Today to January 29, 9 a.m.–6 p.m., FREE.
FOOD: Imagine a world where instead of hearing annoying jingles for ice cream trucks, you heard jingles for grilled-cheese-on-wheels or the tofu-mobile. Until this utopia becomes reality, we’ve got the Mini Food Truck Eats event at UofT—all of your favourites in one convenient location. Willcocks Common (Willcocks Street and St. George Street). 11 a.m.–3 p.m., FREE (well, you have to pay for the food).
IDEAS: Sometimes ideas are so great that stealing them is all but required. “Steal This Idea!” is a panel discussion which aims to debate “borrowing” ideas—relating to social justice, sustainability, or culture—from other cities and seeing how they would work in Toronto. Featuring Ryerson President Sheldon Levy, MP Olivia Chow, and more. Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street). 6 p.m., FREE (click here to register).
HUMAN RIGHTS: “The Future of Aid: Our Shared Responsibility,” is a discussion on human rights and development and how aid to countries in need can improve and expand in the future. The panel features Dr. Samantha Nutt, founder of War Child and author of Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies and Aid. Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles Street W.). 6:30 p.m., $20.
ART: Using art to spread awareness about environmental issues has long been a practice of social activists. “The Eco Art Exhibit” is an exhibition of art that deals with issues of air and water quality, urban sprawl, and nature preservation. The artists, who hail from all over Canada, use paintings, photography, sound works and more to explore these themes. Gallery 1313 (1313 Queen Street W.). Opening reception, 7 p.m., FREE.
DESIGN WEEK: Toronto Design Week 2012 runs from January 23–29th, and has a multitude of related events under its loosely defined umbrella. The Toronto Design Offsite Festival collects many of them together on their site, including events at the Design Exchange and Gladstone Hotel; Do Design 2012 has events along Dundas Street West from January 26–29th, and the week crescendos with the Interior Design Show 2012 from January 26–29. Design Edge Canada has many of the week’s highlights listed here.
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 [email protected].