I was talking to Mark Appleyard about his new site during the Flip Premiere. It’s finally live, Werd Life. The new site is a collaboration between Mark, Geoff Rowley and artist Todd Bratrud. With these strong skateboard personalities the site should be epic and live up to the definition.

Been waiting for this all week. Gordon Ball graces us with a visit from Montreal for his latest photo show at Sleeping Giant.

New York City’s Francis and the Lights are rounding out their third of three shows in three nights at Drake Hotel. Kanye called them “a mix between Prince and Phil Collins”. If you haven’t heard A MODERN PROMISE or STRIKING Friday night is a great time to find out what they can do for your dancing shoes.

Francis and the Lights @ The Underground – Drake Hotel
Friday May 15, 2009
1150 Queen Street West
8PM
$10

The photographers have been assembled. Luis Mora, Take More Photos and others will be at the Drake Hotel for The People’s Paparazzi, a special event as part of the CONTACT Photography Festival. A creative experiment blending photography, performance art, fashion and a party vibe. Curator Vanessa Gronowski vision of bringing together Toronto photo bloggers, party goers and the creatively curious will take shape. Photos and flash bulbs will be popping all night and the 10 best photos of the night will be printed and exhibited for sale at the Drake General Store.

The Peoples Paparazzi @ The Drake Hotel
1150 Queen Street West
Thursday May 14
9PM in the Free Lounge

Beautiful weather, barbecue, and bikes? This Sunday’s Pedal The Don looks to be a great cap to the weekend. From about 1pm to 3pm all are welcome to make the 17km journey along paved trails from Yonge and Lawrence down to the mouth of the Don River. (People are urged to register for this free event). It’s also a family friendly and the suggested participating age is 7 and up.

Pedal The Don
Sunday May 3rd

At the end of the ride there will be a cash BBQ to help support the Toronto and Region Conservational Authority.

Of course when hunger strikes you have many options. Buy groceries and prepare your own meal. Perhaps you may treat yourself or the one you love to dinner at your favourite restaurant. In a pinch you might grab some “street meat”. The concept of variety and street vendors used to be veggie, sausage or regular.

As of today 8 applicants have been added to Toronto’s street food choices. I’m hoping that this “Toronto a la Cart street food pilot project” becomes permanent after this Spring’s launch.

Regulate all vendors, as we do any restaurant selling food to the public, and Toronto will be no worse off (perhaps an even better place). Of course purists can still grab a hotdog after the game but the prospect of pad thai, souvlaki, nann and rice, and more would be amazing.

Yes, Toronto has many flavours. Can’t wait for the Spring to savour more.

Of course this Friday is the night of Hamilton’s Art Crawl. It’s always nice to hit up all the gallery openings along James Street North. Considering that most galleries stay open until 11pm it makes the trip to the Hammer all the more leisurely. I may still hang in the city though. There is a a fundraiser for a local art mag, Bad Day, at Lennox Contemporary Gallery Friday night. I haven’t been to the Lennox but this might be a worthy excuse. Eva Michon is the editor of Bad Day and has produced some fine work (right here in Toronto).

BAD DAY Magazine Fundraiser – Lennox Contemporary Gallery
Friday March 13, 2009

Accessible
Parking on the street or in the lot just north at 18 Ossington Ave.
TTC via the Ossington bus or the Queen St. streetcar.

Whoa. An “extreme” one two punch coming at you this Friday night. Lewis Cruise and Love Skateboards with back to back video premieres. Good times will be served. BYOB.

A Rolling Perspective artshow kicks off this Friday.

After touring through Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and Montreal among others A Rolling Perspective makes its final stop, Toronto this Friday. This is a photography show with a twist. Color Magazine and Etnies asked skaters to shoot a self portrait of themselves from their own perspective, skateboarding. There are hundreds portraits in the collection from skaters across Canada, the United States and as far off as Japan (Mark Appleyard, Ryan Allan, Andrew Norton, Kevin Wong, Harry Gils among them). The show will open Friday night as a kind of art crawl. It kicks off at Stussy, then at Adrift and closes out with an afterparty at the Baitshop.

A Rolling Perspective
opening reception FRIDAY DEC. 5, 2008

A Rolling Perspective is showing through the month of December at Stussy and Adrift.

The spirit of the night. A custom shirt made for Nuit Blanche still dripping with irony.

Another year, another Nuit Blanche. Nuit Blanche put art on the map and quite well I might add. From free movies at AGO’s Cinematheque, free admission at the Gardiner Museum or the light show at City Hall there was plenty to see. I have to say that I’m impressed with many of the exhibits this year.

I’ve faired well in the aftermath considering that I traversed nearly all the zones and stayed awake almost the whole spectacle. Whether it was flashing lights, dance, theatre, spoken word or zombies I hope you had a chance to enjoy the show. My fellow Torontonians (about a million strong?!) had an interesting art adventure in the dark. It was great to see so many people on the street, meeting new friends on the TTC and taking in interesting art. Art a niche issue? If you have to ask, you’ll never know…