5 HIDDEN SPOTS ON CAMPUS TO RELAX

THE GRAD SCHOOL GUIDE

BY: LAETITIA DANDAVINO-TARDIF

Sometimes, we all need to relax, especially when the semester kicks in. It is important to keep a balance between your studies and your wellness. The University of Toronto’s St. George campus has wonderful and magical quiet places to study, relax or disconnect. You just have to know where to find them! Here are some of my favourite hidden gems around the campus where I like to escape as I am completing my Masters.

1. Terrence Donnelly Centre’s Indoor Bamboo Garden

160 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E2

The Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research building, opened in 2005, has one of the only indoor green spaces at the University of Toronto. The Bamboo Garden is the ideal place to go to find a moment of peace. There are benches on the various patio levels where you can relax, eat your lunch or chat with friends.  The Bamboo Garden remains little known across the student body, so make sure to check it out!

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2. University College’s Quadrangle

15 King’s College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H7

University College’s Quadrangle is a serene haven minutes away from the Faculty of Information. Surrounded by the beautiful medieval-inspired 1850s University College building, this green space is my favourite on campus as it feels like I enter in another era. I enjoy grabbing a coffee at Diabolo’s Cafe (as listed in my previous Grad School Guide article) and sitting in the Quad to eat my lunch, read a book or let my mind wander. As you are there, I recommend visiting the latest exhibition of the nearby University of Toronto Art Centre!

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3. Rotman School of Management’s Rooftop Terrace

5th floor, 105 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E6

You might have been wondering what is in that glass building in from of the Faculty of Information. The Rotman School of Management offers many services such as a coffee shop, a cafeteria and the Milt Harris Library. But my favourite part of this building is its green rooftop patio. Located on the same floor as the library, the patio offers you one of the best views of Toronto from campus. The only inconvenience is that the Wi-Fi is quite weak outside. However, why not enjoy some time really disconnected!

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4. Philosopher’s Walk

Access on Bloor St W. through the Queen Alexandra Gates (between the Royal Ontario Museum and the Royal Conservatory of Music).

While Philosopher’s Walk is mostly used as a shortcut between Bloor St. W. and Hoskin Ave., away from cars, it is an ideal place to go reflect (as its name indicates). With many benches along the way, I enjoy sitting down there to read a book, and sometimes, listen to the music practices coming out from the Faculty of Music building, which is just beside! This park is as scenic throughout all seasons (Fall being my favourite one).

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5. Innis Cafe's Patio

2 Sussex Ave, Toronto, ON M5S 1J5

Another neighbour to the Faculty of Information is Innis College. The Innis Café has a lovely hidden rooftop patio that is yet to be known! You, certainly, will not feel on campus when you head up there. This patio does not only have comfortable seating, but it is small, intimate and secluded. You can grab a lunch on the first floor or use the microwave to heat up your own.

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BONUS: Hart House

7 Hart House Circle Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3H3

Hart House, as a whole, is my number one place on campus. This cultural hub doesn’t only offer many activities (such as Get Crafty or Board Game Cafe), workshops, theatre plays and fitness classes, but it is a beautiful building that makes you feel like in Harry Potter. It has so many rooms and quiet corners where you can go relax (and even take a nap!), such as the Reading Room and the Library. If you do not know what to do, there is always something going on or for you to do at Hart House, day and night.

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As you can see, there is so much to explore around the University of Toronto. I hope these places may become sources of inspiration as you are completing various research papers throughout your degree. Also, to complement with your Masters of Museum Studies, I suggest learning more about the history of these sites as each and every one of them captures an essence of the University of Toronto. Finally, as this is only a handful of what the campus has to offer, I recommend wondering around to discover your own gem to unwind and let your mind escape.

iGINSBERG: BEYOND TRADITION ON CAMPUS (PART THREE)

BEYOND TRADITION

BY: AMY INTRATOR

Welcome to the final edition of Beyond Tradition on Campus! For my last post this year, I will be venturing inside the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. The library opened in its current location in 1973, and has established a reputation for its extensive collection of rare books and dedication to research. Over the years, the Fisher library has also held several special exhibitions. Its current exhibition displays pieces of the collection but also integrates technology and interpretive materials in new and exciting ways.

Fleeting Moments, Floating Worlds, and the Beat Generation: The Photography of Allen Ginsberg is currently on display on the at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. The exhibit explores Allen Ginsberg, a poet known for his defining role in the Beat literary movement. Ginsberg’s poetry is familiar to many, especially his poem Howl, but the exhibit explores the familiar poet through his  less familiar photography. The library is home to the largest collection of Ginsberg prints in the world, and the exhibition displays over 100 of these photographs. 

Poster for the current exhibit at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library: "Fleeting Moment Floating Worlds, and the Beat Generation: The Photography of Allen Ginsberg. Photo courtesy of Amy Intrator.

The scope of the exhibit is phenomenal. The exhibit displays photographs taken throughout Ginsberg’s long literary life, from early photographs taken before his seminal works were published, to portraits of friends and fellow Beat poets in the 1950s and onwards, to photographs taken up to Ginsberg’s death in 1997. The exhibition takes on the major task of contextualizing Ginsberg’s photography, which captures everything from same sex relationships in the mid-twentieth century, to the Beat movement and its poets, to the counter-culture movements in the 1960s, to social justice in the late twentieth century. The extended timeline makes for a lot of content, but the exhibit is also full of interpretive tools that make this material more accessible, like the iPads dispersed throughout the exhibition space.

The first display case of the exhibit, which includes photographs and poetry by Ginsberg. Photo courtesy of Amy Intrator. 

The iPads help make the information in the exhibit accessible in new forms. The digital content doesn’t repeat the information available in the display cases, but rather, provides new forms of digital interaction. The iPads offer the visitor a menu of options, from listening to an audio recording of Howl, to viewing the pages of the poem’s manuscript, to scrolling through a detailed timeline of Ginsberg’s life. For a visitor who may not have the time to read every panel, or who prefers to navigate material at their own pace, the iPads offer new opportunities to interact with Ginsberg the man, the poet, and the photographer. 

One of the iPads on display at the exhibit. Photo courtesy of Amy Intrator.

Beyond the iPads, the library also offers free audio tours of the exhibition available on iTunes and Soundcloud. The curator-led tour offers another way to interact with the exhibition and supplements the material on display with additional insights. On the library’s Soundcloud page, anyone can access tours from the last five exhibitions. These tours supplement current exhibitions, but they also provide a way to interact with previous exhibitions that are no longer on display.

Poster for the exhibition's audio tour. Photo courtesy of Amy Intrator.

The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library may be primarily known for its amazing collection, but this exhibit opened my eyes to the library’s innovative use of its exhibition space. The library’s next exhibition, Mixed Messages: Making and Shaping Culinary Culture in Canada, will also feature a digital component. You can read more about the exhibition’s innovative approach in Jenny’s most recent article Who’s In the Kitchen? Exploring Canada’s Culinary Culture at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.

With that final glimpse at an innovative space on campus, it’s time for me to bid farewell to this special edition series of Beyond Tradition. Thank you for joining me in my exploration of campus spaces. Through my campus journey, I learned that while campus may not be the first place I look for museum innovation, there are countless spaces that are incorporating exciting museum practices. I hope next time you embark on a museum adventure, you consider paying a visit to campus.

TOWERING EXHIBITS: BEYOND TRADITION ON CAMPUS (PART TWO)

BEYOND TRADITION

BY: AMY INTRATOR

Welcome back to Beyond Tradition on Campus, a series where I explore innovative museum spaces right here at the University of Toronto! In my second edition of this series, I am exploring the exhibition space in the Jackman Humanities Institute. My last edition focused on Talking Walls, located in the heart of UofT, so today I’m looking at a far less visible campus space.

The latest exhibit at the Jackman Humanities Institute is titled Morning Star, which seems pretty fitting given the exhibit’s location. In the exhibit, Morning Star (otherwise known as the planet Venus) acts as a symbol to explore Indigenous agency and renounce naïve impressions of reconciliation. On a more literal level, the exhibit is situated in the sky, or at least in a high-rise building. The Jackman Humanities Institute is located on the 10th floor of a high-rise building, and the exhibition space is also situated on the 10th floor, far higher than most exhibits on campus. 

Exterior shot of the Jackman Humanities building. Photo courtesy of Amy Intrator.

If you’re like me, you may have absolutely no idea what a humanities institute does. The Institute is described as creating networks for interactions between humanities scholars across different disciplines. The Institute’s interest in collaborative, interdisciplinary learning isn’t so different from a museum, but the Institute takes a more academic approach to collaboration through organizing seminars, lectures, fellowships. Every year the Institute’s programming revolves around a theme, and this year the theme is Indelible Violence: Shame, Reconciliation, and the Work of Apology. The theme also structures the Institute’s annual exhibition.

This year’s exhibit, Morning Star, is a collaborative effort between the Art Museum and the Jackman Humanities Institute. While most exhibition spaces on campus are located in high-traffic areas, the exhibition space in the Institute is more of a hidden treasure. The space is unusual as it is located on the 10th floor of a high-rise, but even within the space, the art is displayed differently than most campus exhibitions. Rather than visibly displayed artworks in one area, the artworks in the exhibition are dispersed across connected offices, seminar rooms, and lounges, and the pieces are often displayed on the periphery of the room. 

One of the exhibition spaces in the Jackman Humanities Institute. Photo courtesy of Amy Intrator.

The exhibit unfolds across various rooms and hallways, which transforms the process of passively viewing art into more of an exploration. Although the layout was a bit unexpected the first time I visited the space, I came to appreciate the unusual design. As I travelled between the lobby, the lounge, and a couple of the seminar rooms, I started to think about how the various artworks on display related to one another. Some of the pieces demand your attention, like Joi Arcand’s work, ēkāwiya nēpēwisi, a neon sign in Cree that translates to read “don’t be shy”.

Joi Arcand's piece, ēkāwiya nēpēwisi, on display at the Jackman Humanities Institute. Photo courtesy of Amy Intrator.

While Arcand’s piece hangs larger than life in the lounge of the 10th floor, other works are hidden in plain sight. The first time I visited the exhibit, I completely missed the Alex Janvier print. The print is tucked in a hallway off the main corridor, so it’s not exactly front-and-center. The semi-hidden art makes the viewing experience interesting, as you have to be hyper-aware of your surroundings or else you risk missing major pieces in the exhibit!

Image of the Alex Janvier print, Key to Everyone, semi-hidden in a hallway in the Jackman Humanities Institute. Photo courtesy of Amy Intrator.

The artwork within the Jackman Humanities Institute space really forced me to think about the relationship between the artworks on display. The exhibition wasn’t about asserting one curatorial voice, or presenting one representation of Indigenous identity today, but rather, the various artists with pieces on display seemed to be in conversation with one another. For me, the space was integral to bringing the artistic dialogue to life. The display of the artwork required me to explore the space more than I’m used to in a gallery, as there isn’t a linear pathway between the pieces, rather you have to explore the area and try to draw connections yourself.

My overarching question after exploring this campus space: Are campus exhibits better when they are extremely visible to all, or when they activate certain classroom environments? Luckily, at the University of Toronto, we have the best of both worlds, thanks to the numerous on-campus exhibitions.

TALKING WALLS AND ACTIVATING HALLS: BEYOND TRADITION ON CAMPUS (PART ONE)

BEYOND TRADITION

BY: AMY INTRATOR

Welcome to a new year of Beyond Tradition! Last term, our column focused on new practices informing museums, and our columnists took us to the realms of VR, department stores, and even zoos! This term, I’m exploring new practices even closer to home, right here on campus. University of Toronto boasts a couple of nationally renowned museums, but the campus is also full of lesser known exhibition spaces. Join me for a term of exploring campus spaces, big and small, that are working to bring exhibitions and programs that push museum boundaries and incorporate innovative practices.

Hart House seems like the perfect place to start an examination of campus spaces. Hart House is home to the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, but the whole building feels like a museum. Hart House is only one year shy of its centennial and in that time, it has hosted soldiers training for wars, a soon-to-be queen, and JFK!

Exterior of Hart House. Source.

The building is absolutely brimming with history, but Hart House isn’t just a historic wonder. Hart House remains socially engaged through programming with a focus on contemporary issues. Talking Walls is one example of Hart House’s dedication to addressing current issues. The wall is an informal art exhibition space located in the main corridor of Hart House. Talking Walls features rotating exhibits that address a range of topics. Unlike many exhibition spaces, Talking Walls is not organized by a single individual or group. Any individual, community group, or campus group is encouraged to submit proposals for a Talking Walls exhibit, so long as their intended exhibit features “socially engaged works.” The wide-ranging, inclusive mandate transforms an unassuming wall into a starting point for cross-community engagement.

The last Talking Walls exhibit, For People of Colour Who Suffer From Mental Illness And Have Been Silenced, was organized by a UofT Scarborough Campus group, Future Black Physicians. The group is aimed to support racialized students working towards a career in medicine, and the exhibit featured a photo series aimed to “represent the way people with mental illnesses have been silenced in the Black community.” The first time I walked the hall of the exhibition, the bright colours of the photo panels jumped out at me and demanded my attention. I hadn’t come to Hart House in search of the exhibit, but the photos captured my attention and required me to look closer and engage with the subject. The photo panels in the exhibit were often unexpected, as they contrasted the serious topic of mental health in the Black community with bright colours and cartoon images, but the contrast is part of what made the exhibit so striking. 

Panel from the Talking Walls exhibit: For People of Colour Who Suffer From Mental Illness And Have Been Silenced. Photo courtesy of Amy Intrator.

Talking Walls is proof that unconventional museum spaces can create unique, stimulating experiences. While a somewhat narrow hallway may not sound like an ideal exhibition space, the hallway actually bolstered the subject of the exhibit. The central hallway space meant anyone passing through the halls had the opportunity to engage in a conversation about mental health in the Black community, whether they’d intended to join the dialogue or not. 

Panel from the Talking Walls exhibit: For People of Colour Who Suffer From Mental Illness And Have Been Silenced. Photo courtesy of Amy Intrator.

The exhibition space is also an example of the sort of inclusive programming museums strive for today. The exhibition is part of the programming for the annual Hart House Hancock lecture. This year’s lecture is titled Black and Educated? Unveiling The Contradictions and Redesigning The Future. The exhibition complements the theme of the lecture, while also expanding the conversation in new directions and allowing for multiple voices to participate in the dialogue. Talking Walls allows contributing groups to author their own narratives, and turns a typical hallway into an engaging experience. In an age where museum professionals are working to create more inclusive, engaging spaces, Talking Walls offers some important lessons in the power of inclusion and visibility. 

If you’re on campus, check out the latest Talking Walls exhibit, In Their Own Words. The exhibit is organized by the Hancock Lecture Advisory Committee in an effort to give marginalized students on campus a chance to voice their experiences, in their own words. 

Panel from the current Talking Walls exhibit: In Their Own Words. Photo courtesy of Amy Intrator.