'Bookmarkers' (SUMMA Exhibition): April 11-27

This year's SUMMA exhibition, 'Bookmarkers' is coming up soon. Don't miss out on this opportunity to experience the work of so many talented Mac artists!!

When: April 11-27 at the McMaster Museum of Art.
Opening reception and awards: April 13, 2-4 pm.
Artists' talks: April 17, 12:30-1:30 pm.

ART HIST 2A03 / CMST 2I03: Today's Tutorial Cancelled

Please note that today's visual literacy tutorial will be cancelled. My apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

GD

FYI: Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival

The Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival, a one of a kind event in highlighting artists and stories from a youth perspective in the Greater Toronto Area, is now in its 5th anniversary. Submissions are now open. the festival offers young filmmakers and artists a professional and exciting forum to showcase their work on the big screen, receive feedback from industry professionals and potentially win awards/prizes. 

We are currently accepting films and videos of all genres, including fictional works, animation, documentary, experimental, and video art under 20 minutes in length by local emerging artists aged 14-28 in the Greater Toronto Area.  This is the perfect opportunity for those studying film, television production, animation, broadcast journalism and media arts. Deadline to submit is May 3, 2013. All information regarding the festival and submissions can be found on our website: 

www.torontoyouthshorts.ca

Upcoming Friends of Art History Lecture: April 1

William Kentridge, Portage (detail), collage on book pages, 2000

The Friends of Art History at McMaster
invite you to a lecture by

Dr. Leora Maltz-Leca
Assistant Professor, Rhode Island School of Design

Process/Procession: William Kentridge
and South Africa's Process of Change

Monday April 1st, 7:30 pm.,
at McMaster University, Burke Science Building, Room 137

This free lecture is open to the public

To locate Burke Science Building, please refer to the campus map online at:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/welcome/campusmap.cfm
It is building #11, which is directly across from the McMaster Museum of Art (#10).

On Educational Reform

Since this video came up briefly in today's ART HIST 3S03 class discussion I'm posting for the benefit of those who have not yet seen it. The speaker is Sir Kenneth Robinson (a specialist on educational reform). His comments touch upon many important issues and his style of presentation is most engaging!

Grimsby Public Art Gallery: Upcoming Talk

Art House Cafe Lecture Series:

Interesting upcoming public talk on Douglas Coupland at the Grimsby Public Art Gallery on March 22! Admission is free but seats are limited so please R.S.V.P. by March 20. Check the poster above for details...

ART HIST 3S03: Art, Criticism and Humanism

Here is the clip featuring Robert Hughes on the 'Business of Art':

I have suggested that Hughes is motivated by a very traditional view of art which can be traced back to Renaissance humanism. His is the belief that art should not simply serve the immediate interests of the patron and artist but offer something of value to the viewer in return. This is a view predicated upon the belief that art should play a vital role in the improvement of society. The criticism leveled here against the collector / investor (who becomes the arbiter of taste in art) is ultimately driven by concerns over the responsibility of the patron to act in the public interest (ie., to be a 'citizen').

ART HIST 4C03: Seminar Presentation Dates

Feb. 26            Mira Qamar, Rachel Bouwers, Ariel de Aguiar          

March 5           Rebecca Perna, Sandra Evoughlian

March 12         Emily Terejko, Anna Wisniowski, Coleen Wafer, Natalia Wityk

March 19         Adam Carter, Christina Bonaventura, Alexandra Mayr

March 26         Adan Wiencis, Chelsea Braley, Jay Coicedo  

April 2              Katelyn Reszitnyk, Olivia Jackson

April 9              FINAL MEETING

Bennett Miller: Works

Bennett Miller's Dachshund U.N. is currently being staged at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre. This marks the North American debut of his performance installation which has previously been staged in Australia and the U.K. In this interview (link below) Miller discusses the genesis of the project, his interests in the U.N. and the challenges of coordinating with dog owner's in the community at large

http://www.skynoise.net/2010/06/02/hot-dogma-bennett-miller-interview-on-daschund-u-n/

A recent article in the Globe and Mail highlights some of the issues related to performance:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/why-mans-best-friend-is-the-ultimate-performance-artist/article9094230/

The free performances at Harbourfront begin today (eve performance @ 7 pm) and continue Friday March 1 (7 pm), Saturday March 2 (2 pm) and Sunday March 3 (2 pm). Performances will be streamed online. For more details visit the Harbourfront site at this link:

http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/worldstage/dachshundun/?ref=fp

Reviews and images of  Dachshund U.N. have been featured in a variety of papers / news sites:

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/woof-dachshund-united-nations-opens-in-toronto-1.1177409

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2013/03/01/toronto-united-nations-dogs.html

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/stage/2013/03/01/dont_need_to_like_dogs_to_appreciate_dachshund_un_at_harbourfront.html

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Woof+member+Dachshund+installation+opens+Toronto/8032026/story.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/gallery/2013/mar/01/24-hours-in-pictures?CMP=twt_gu

Dachshund U.N. is not the first work by Miller to address the relationship between animals and humans. In the following video Bennett discusses his installation, Behavioural Ecologies, 2012 (shown above; installation at the OK Gallery, Perth, Australia):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSByarsk7bA