Eva Ennist: A Curious Development – new mixed media sculpture.
This new series of mixed media sculptures has developed through Eva's exploration of both industrial materials (concrete and wire mesh) and organic fibres, namely bamboo, reed and handmade paper pulp. The contrasts and similarities of these chosen elements reflect the influences and observations from Ennist's latest travels to Southeast Asia. The dualities of heavy and light, dense and open, natural and manmade, inherent in her materials, have also been compelling motivators in the development of this new work. (West Gallery).

Margins. Contemporary art unraveling the Dead Sea Scrolls. Curators: Francisco Alvarez and Mona Filip. Presented at the Royal Ontario Museum by the Institute for Contemporary Culture and the Koffler Gallery of the Koffler Centre of the Arts.
Concurrent with the ROM's major exhibition, Dead Sea Scrolls: Words that Changed the World, Margins (Jun 27, 2009 - Jan 3, 2010) is a newly commissioned installation and the first Canadian exhibition by acclaimed New York-based artist Joshua Neustein. Engaging visual art in a poetic reflection on writing, religion and archaeology, Neustein's project shapes a dialogue with the historical and cultural contexts of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Among these ancient manuscripts are the oldest-known copies of the Hebrew Bible, hymns, prayers and other writings providing a link to the origins of Judaic, Christian and Islamic faiths.
Positioning the thematic of the Scrolls within a contemporary discourse, Margins references prominent Jewish poet Edmond Jabès and his critical texts concerned with the nature of writing, of silence, of God, and the Book. Jabès's mysterious meditations, the revealed knowledge of the historical texts and Neustein's own visual vocabulary converge in an installation that conveys the passion and impossibility of writing.
Through drawing, sculptural and textual elements, Neustein's installation re-enacts the emergence of the word piercing the silence with luminous presence. A sumptuous chandelier embedded into the gallery wall radiates as the core of the work – a strange archaeological relic excavated into visibility. Unraveling towards its brightness, transparent acrylic sheets lie collapsed on the floor, bearing shimmering texts. Drawn out by light, handwriting becomes typography, coalescing words into crystallized form. The script escapes the page, crossing margins into the space where writing struggles to uncover the unwritten.
Archaeology unearths dormant traces of history. Writing pushes at the edge of silence to bring forth the unsaid. Similarly, Margins explores manifest and concealed ideas of the Dead Sea Scrolls, exposing them to the light of our times.
Margins is presented on the ROM's Level 3, Centre Block.

Nadine Prada: Flow. A series of fluid acrylic works explores the connection between a meditative state, the action and reaction of water, and the effects of texture and gravity over varying lengths of time.

Will Gorlitz: nowhere if not here.
Organized by the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery in partnership with Macdonald Stewart Art Centre. The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art is pleased to present Will Gorlitz: nowhere if not here. Spanning a period of nearly twenty years, nowhere if not here presents a comprehensive cross-section of the work of contemporary Canadian artist Will Gorlitz. In conjunction with this exhibition, MOCCA will present a new, previously unseen body of work by Gorlitz in the project room.
Through a rigorous painting practice, Gorlitz has examined a range of iconographic subjects. His choice of subjects – as seen in his Road Paintings, Numerals, and Not Everyone series – broadly evoke considerations of place, both within the internal context of the painting but also in terms of geographic, social and theoretical positioning. Curator and writer Peggy Gale has observed: "For Will Gorlitz, perception is both visual and physical: image and touch. The technology of handling and representation – form, structure, medium, texture – is always at issue." To examine the practice of Will Gorlitz is to carefully consider the specific purpose of representation, presentation and interpretation in the world of images and image-making.

PS: Art Out Loud – TSA Professional Studio Program Exhibition. Features twelve emerging artists: Linda Chen, Huma Faiz, Gwyneth Fischer, Louise Kiner, Pegi Kosa, Dorothy Krouski, Susy Martins, Cathy Mills, Suzanne Moreau, Elaine Stewart, Thiffany Belda Wilmouth, Bernadette Wong.

Hamra Abbas: Read. Institute for Contemporary Culture.

Kings of Punjab – Two life-size oil-on-canvas portraits by Manu Kaur Saluja, offering contemporary imaginings of two significant historical figures – Maharaja Duleep Singh (1838-1893) and Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) – are depicted alongside artifacts from the Punjab. In the Sir Christopher Ondaatje South Asian Gallery (Level 3).

Avenue Road Arts School will be hosting its first-ever juried teen exhibition – Me in the World – at the Nikola Rukaj Gallery, 384 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto. Nikola Rukaj has kindly donated his gallery space to the School to display the work of our talented students. Come and take a look at how our young adults view their place within our changing world and what impact they have on instigating these changes. Please join us to celebrate our talented teen students!

The AGO SHOW: Artists of the Gallery – 4th Annual Exhibition by Staff and Volunteers of the AGO.

Avenue Road Arts School will be hosting its first-ever juried teen exhibition – Me in the World – at the Nikola Rukaj Gallery. Nikola Rukaj has kindly donated his gallery space to the School to display the work of our talented students.
Come and take a look at how our young adults view their place within our changing world and what impact they have on instigating these changes.
Please join us to celebrate our talented teen students!

Toronto Watercolour Society's AQUAVISION – TORONTO caps off TWS's silver anniversary year for this artists' association. This spring show features member artists' work that depicts subjects, locales, scenes, vignettes and / or impressions from the Toronto theme. Jurors have selected 120 of the best water media paintings from TWS members.
The opening reception and the entire exhibition of beautiful, exciting and original paintings on display, from varied artistic impressions and interpretations of Toronto, is open to the public for viewing and purchase.
For more information and Toronto Watercolour Society events, and to view our website, visit www.torontowatercoloursociety.com.
For map and hours of operation for the venue, Todmorden Mills, visit www.toronto.ca/culture/museums/todmorden.htm.

Judith Livingston: Compilations. A passion for trees, an obsession with chairs, and a love of collage, all come together in Compilations by Judith Livingston. Images simultaneously appear and disappear into intricate patterns and textural layers, while the familiar, but forgotten, re-emerge for us to reconsider and examine with fresh eyes.

Quilt Fever 2010 – Etobicoke Quilters' Guild biannual celebration of quilts. Over 50 quilts designed and created by individual members fill two galleries. A Members' Boutique and Merchant Mall will offer the public an opportunity to purchase quilts, quilted crafts and quilting supplies. There are daily door prizes and a chance to buy raffle tickets for a large hand-quilted quilt – a group project – and other hand-quilted items. Refreshments are available in the Tea Room. Monies raised will support the Comfort Quilt Program, the Guild's outreach project. Admission: $5. More info at www.etobicokequiltersguild.com.

Thrown Forth: Sheridan Institute / UTM Art & Art History Graduate Exhibitions – Group #1. Dynamic and multi-disciplinary group exhibition featuring works by graduating students.

Family Art Day. Experience the wonders of art as a family! A professional artist leads participants through fun, hands-on art activities. Each workshop features a different artistic medium, an interactive Treasure Hunt and a self-guided tour of our current exhibition. Our CIBC Children's Performance Series will be scheduled at 2pm, allowing families to choose 1pm or 3pm for the hands-on studio activity. Fee includes materials – programs from 1-3pm or 2-4pm.
Sun 31 Jan: Faces.
Sun 28 Feb: Mixed Media.
Sun 28 Mar: Natural Creations.
Visit www.whitbystationgallery.com for full details.

Guided tour of the exhibitions. Complimentary with admission.

Artists' tour and talk with Cathy Paleczny in conjunction with Pars Pro Toto: A Sundry, and Lorne Toews in conjunction with Figurative Painting.

ELEMENTARY! Art From The Schools. Our popular annual March Break exhibition is back! Featuring over 100 artworks by kids from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8, the show includes submissions from over a dozen Cambridge area public, private and separate schools. This family-friendly exhibition celebrates the exuberance, joy and unabashed creativity of young people.

Michèle Karch-Ackerman: FOUNDLING – honours the lives of unwed mothers and the babies they were asked to give up. Inspired by her grandmother's experience as an unwed mother staying at the Misericordia Home in the 1920s, the exhibition sheds light on a secret chapter in Canadian history. By working with "domestic acts of love" the artist stitches a meditation on loss. Foundling is an acknowledgement and prayer for those young mothers, their babies, and their sorrows.
Susan Low Beer: STATE OF GRACE – interpretive clay sculptures of children capture the buoyancy, movement and lightness of innocent joyful exuberance. An intentional ambiguity about specifics adds mystery, much depth, and meaning.
Cristian Raduta: RHINOS – Romania is in a transitional period after 50 years of communism and its aftermath. Young artists are finding their voices by combining their individual views and experiences with the social and political environment and transferring these back into their work. Against this backdrop, Romanian artist Cristian Raduta is fascinated by the "confrontation of the bestiary" (compendium of beasts made popular during the Middle Ages). His rhino sculptures hover over the realms of fables and myths, and oscillate between their world and ours. Still, they remain well-grounded, solid, and hold their space; they seem timeless as they invite us to some unreachable other world.

Expressions 35: A Celebration of Student Work from the Region of Waterloo. Organized by KW|AG. An exhibition of student artwork incorporating KW|AG's Permanent Collection and showcasing the talents of young artists in the region.

Is There No One In The World Who Can Fly? Featuring new video work by Dyan Marie. In her Mammal video projection and the series of images titled Life on Earth, we encounter a hybrid body – part artist as performer and part digital animation. In Worknest, multiple projections of tunnel-like openings appear on the gallery floor, the artist appearing to burrow through the surface. Touching on the monstrous, the inquisitive and the generous nature of symbiotic relationships, Is There No One in the World Who Can Fly? questions why we work the way we do, and how the value of work might be interpreted by others.

Re-mix – students from school-based programs exhibit artwork inspired by the Gallery's winter 2010 exhibitions.

Steve Mazza: Anxious Constructs - experiments in paper.

Masterworks Southwest – presented by the Ontario Crafts Council.
Masterworks Southwest offers a glimpse into S-W Ontario's thriving world of contemporary craft. Featuring thirty-nine pieces of work from thirty-two artists, this juried exhibition introduces spectators to distinguished creations in all craft mediums. It proudly sings of the beauty found in wood, clay, fibre, glass and metal. It whispers secrets that are often hidden beneath a workbench, slab of clay or bolt of fabric. It reveals the triumph that follows years of trial and error in the studio. It demonstrates innovative techniques, elegance, wit and beauty. But above all, Masterworks Southwest represents excellence in craftsmanship.

Comfort Zones: BFA Select '10. Curated by Jan Allen. In the Atrium.
Selected from the 2010 class of Queen's Bachelor of Fine Art program, this exhibition reflects the freshly forged artistic personalities of these emerging artists, infused with the issues, attitudes and visual language of our time. The featured artists are: Kimberly Armstrong, Pansee Atta, Simone Aziga, Monique Baena-Tan, Carlyn Bezic, Mary Macdonald, Vanessa Noller, Min Shin, Tim Simpson and Justin Steinburg.

The Frances K. Smith Lecture on Canadian Art – "The Beaver Hall Group: William Brymner's Students and the Montreal Art Scene in the 1920s" – by Director of the School for Studies in Art and Culture at Carleton University, Professor Brian Foss. A reception celebrating the opening of William Brymner: Artist, Teacher, Colleague will follow.

Natasha Doyon: Héros & Héroïnes. Some famous, some not, these images represent different people and places throughout history. The artist's use of different source materials has resulted in paintings that are metaphorical constructions of identity which embody the meaning we give them, rather than objective representations.