MUSINGS: CELEBRATING CANADA 150

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAYS

BY: EMILY WELSH

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to the January edition of What's Happening Wednesdays! Today is #MuseumSelfie Day! Are you celebrating? Post your selfies on social media and continue reading this edition to explore five upcoming Canada 150 events and the resources you can use to stay up to date with events taking place throughout the year.


Throwback to one of my favourite selfies - on the roof of St. Peter's Basilica.

1. Canada on Screen - Toronto International Film Festival

Start the car! This commercial for Ikea Canada is included in Canada on Screen's list of 150 essential works of moving-images. Source.

TIFF and their partners are celebrating Canada's moving-image heritage through Canada on Screen, a program of FREE events, screenings, guest talks and more all based on a list of 150 essential works. This list, compiled from polls of industry professionals, includes animation, commercials, documentaries, features, shorts and television series. The program began in January, with works from the list included in TIFF's Canada's Top Ten Film Festival which runs from January 13th - January 26th. The events will continue throughout the year in Toronto and in other cities across Canada.

To learn more visit http://www.tiff.net/canadaonscreen/?tab=about

Click here to download the full press release detailing when events will take place and the complete 150 list.

2. Winterlicious - City of Toronto

This year's Winterlicious includes culinary events celebrating Canada 150. Source.

The City of Toronto's winter celebration of all things food takes place January 27th - February 9th at more than 220 restaurants. As part of 2017's celebration, diners are invited to explore Canada's history through food, with ticketed culinary events such as Casa Loma's Celebrating 150 years of Canadian Cuisine and FUSE's Elements of Soul - 150 years of Caribbean Influence. At Casa Loma, visitors will enjoy Canadian dishes of the past and present while at FUSE diners will explore "contributions made by generations of Black Caribbeans to Canada's soul food and music offerings."

To learn more about the restaurants participating in this years Winterlicious and the special culinary events available visit http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=e0e8a417e9dd2410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

3. Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience - University of Toronto Art Centre

Kent Monkman's exhibit, Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience, begins at the University of Toronto Art Centre on January 26th with a reception from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. Through Monkman's artistic works and historical artworks and artifacts from other collections, the visitor explores Canada's history, from the present to 150 years before confederation, and First Nation's resilience. The traveling exhibit will premiere at the centre until March 4th.

Public lecture by Kent Monkman: February 1st, 2017, 4:30pm - 6:00pm, University College Room 140

Curatorial tour with Kent Monkman: February 4th, 2017, 2:00pm.

To learn more visit: http://www.artmuseum.utoronto.ca/
and http://canada150.utoronto.ca/event/kent-monkman-shame-prejudice-story-resilience/

4. Our Journey - Spadina Museum


Spadina Museum asks visitors to contribute to Our Journey, on at the museum from February 4th - December 31st 2017. Source.

From February 4th - December 31st, 2017, the Spadina Museum invites visitors to contribute to Our Journey, an exhibit exploring the diversity of Canadians. Visitors are invited to share their family's origin and share some of their family story by creating stories and/or art that answers questions including: "When did you or your ancestors first arrive in Canada? What does indigenous Canadian mean to you? What is the best thing about living in Toronto?"

*The art map is free but there is a charge for admission to the museum.

To learn more about Spadina Museum and the project visit here and here.

5. My City My Six - Cultural Hotspot 2017

This year, from May to October, the Cultural Hotspot program is highlighting and celebrating the arts, heritage, cultue, businesses and communities of East York. As part of the program comes My City My Six, a public art project celebrating Canada 150 and the diversity of Toronto. Torontonians are invited to submit six word stories that describe essential aspects of themselves and their lives. Submissions will be accepted from January through May after which a jury will select submissions to be displayed in the fall exhibit; the exhibit will take place city-wide in transit shelters, on billboards and in other public spaces.

To learn more about the Cultural Hotspot program and My City My Six visit here.

Canada 150 Online Resources

Canada 150 events will be taking place across the country throughout the year! Here are some of the resources you can use to keep track of what's happening:

TO Canada with Love is the city of Toronto's Canada 150 program with information on exhibitions, celebration and commemorations. Check their event calendar throughout the year.

Ontario150 will give you details on how Ontario is celebrating it's and Canada's 150th anniversary.

The Government of Canada's Canada150 page will give you information on events, programs and social media links.

The University of Toronto has a website for it's Canada150 events, history and programming.

And of course there is social media!

Source.

City of Toronto Historic Sites has released this summary of Canada 150 hashtags to help us follow along and participate with Canada 150. You can also follow the Government of Canada's Canada 150 accounts on twitter, instagram and facebook.