Art Exhibitions Toronto

TOPHATs Photography, Nutcrackers and New Zealand!?!

Join Lawrence, you top hatted host for an evening of New Zealand craft and culinary, followed by LUMINOUS 2026: A Photography Exhibit and then A Legacy in Motion: The National Ballet of Canada at 75. At 5:30pm, we will meet at the patio upstairs at Hemmingways for our social. I'm going to have Boston Clam Chowder with their Sandwich of the Day, and wash it down with a Triple Bogey Lager. http://www.hemingways.to/ 142 Cumberland St, Toronto, ON M5R 1A8 At 6:30 pmish, we will pay our tabs and walk over to the Heliconian Club, to see their LUMINOUS 2026: A Photography Exhibit. Luminous Photographers: Linda Briskin, Brianna Caryll, Lucie Collins, Martha Davis, Kye Marshall, Denise Roberts, Jana Skarecky and Henrietta Walmark Performers: Taivi, Brianna (Bri) Clarke, Kate Marshall Flaherty, Bianca Lakoseljac, Kye Marshall, Elizabeth Ruth, Jana Skarecky and JC Sulzenko Guest Photographers: Simone Creed, Grace Dan, Vivian East, Florence Guttman, Nola McConnan and Tanya Murdoch https://torontoheliconianclub.wildapricot.org/event-6747477 35 Hazelton Ave, Toronto, ON M5R 2E3 At 7:30 mish, we will walk to the TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library, to see A Legacy in Motion: The National Ballet of Canada at 75. Highlights: Stageworn costumes from Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and other popular ballets Over 40 original costume designs by nine designers Visual timeline of the history of The National Ballet of Canada Vintage posters and programmes Examples of benesh notation (the choreography equivalent of sheet music) Archival photos, stage designs and more https://tpl.ca/programs-and-classes/exhibits/trl-exhibits/ 789 Yonge St Main Floor, Toronto, ON M4W 2G8

The Toronto Artist's Way Meetup Monthly Meetup

The purpose of the group, based on the book The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, is for people to meet and talk about their artistic challenges in any field (painting, writing, music etc.) and encourage each other to break their creative blocks and fulfill themselves in their art. If you find people who are sympathetic, you may want to form your own group, meeting regularly to explore the book and supporting each other in their artistic journeys. I have gone through 2 such clusters and can say that it is a very powerful experience. Why not come to a meeting and see for yourself?

The Toronto Artist's Way Meetup Monthly Meetup

The purpose of the group, based on the book The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, is for people to meet and talk about their artistic challenges in any field (painting, writing, music etc.) and encourage each other to break their creative blocks and fulfill themselves in their art. If you find people who are sympathetic, you may want to form your own group, meeting regularly to explore the book and supporting each other in their artistic journeys. I have gone through 2 such clusters and can say that it is a very powerful experience. Why not come to a meeting and see for yourself?

Impressionist Afternoon Tea + 3 Exhibits at the AGO

On **Sunday, October 18th**, join me for an **Impressionist Afternoon Tea in the Norma Ridley Members’ Lounge to celebrate the connection between art, atmosphere and indulgence.** Inspired by the luminous colours and expressive brushstrokes of *[Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse from the Dallas Museum of Art](https://ago.ca/exhibitions/impressionist-revolution-monet-matisse-dallas-museum-art)* we saw last month, this seasonal Afternoon Tea offers an elegant, leisurely escape into art, conversation and thoughtfully crafted flavours that reflect the beauty and softness of this exhibit. Delicate savoury selections and whimsical pastries are designed to evoke sunlit gardens, countryside picnics and the romance of Impressionism. Since Afternoon Tea includes free admission to the Gallery, we will see more Impressionism art that was not part of our August visit - **Reality & Reverie: Canadian and European Painting Beyond Impressionism**, **Steam: Impressionist Painting Across the Atlantic**, and a new exhibit that will open the day before - **In Plain Sight: Highlights from the AGO’s Collection of Historic Picture Frames**. **I** **have booked a table for Sunday October 18th at 2:30pm, and can add members to it.** **COST** Adult: $80 + taxes + gratuity = $104.80 Meetup Organizer Fee: $5 **SIGNING-UP** * **RSVP Yes** **\- everyone goes on the waitlist until confirmed\.** * **I will reach out to provide my email address for the etransfer of $109.80 and I will call in to add you to our table. Once I receive confirmation, I will inform you and move you to attending.** * There are no refunds. A reminder will be sent the day before with my cell and reminder details where to meet and when. RSVPs close 3 days prior and the Waitlist will be removed at that time. Cancellations will result in a No Show and impact future attendance. **MEETUP TIME** **Meet me at: 1:45pm inside the entrance to the right side of the AGO at 317 Dundas St. W. We will then scan our tickets and head over to the exhibits, prior to Tea.** **Note: We must enter the AGO together for our tea reservation.** **EXHIBITS** **Reality & Reverie: Canadian and European Painting Beyond Impressionism** (Level 1 Gallery 127) **Steam: Impressionist Painting Across the Atlantic** (Level 1 Gallery 116) **Highlights from the AGO’s Collection of Historic Picture Frames** (Level 1 Gallery 115) **Meet me for Afternoon Tea: at 2:30pm in front of the** **Norma Ridley Members’ Lounge (Level 1)** (Please do not go to our table before I get there) Enjoy and please post your comments in the Event after.

AGO Exhibit | Sunday Best: Black Style | All SWaNK Fashion Girlies Welcome 👗👠

October ART Crawl: Tour 3 top West End private galleries/spaces ($10 per person)

We will continue with our monthly **Art Crawls**! ***Please read everything over first.*** \*\*\*Our only ART Crawl in October will be on Saturday 10th (12:30pm-2:30pm) This is the Saturday of **Thanksgiving** long weekend. Note: the **12:30pm START**-time. 16 people/members each time. **$10 per person.** **\*\*\*Sent via e-transfer when you signup/rsvp.** **I'm not able to HOLD space for you.** ***--We will visit 3 different*** (downtown/west end/east end) galleries each month **(with short walks between each one)** Each month will be different galleries and/or artist-run centres. \*\*We'll meet the Gallery owners/artists/directors--who will lead us in tours and conversation at each stop. NO weather cancellations---**we will carry on!** NO cancellations/no refunds or any [re-scheduling](http://re-scheduling...if/) if you cannot make it. \-\-\-Check your calendars and PLAN ahead if you can join us\-\-and please arrive on time\. We're not able to wait for you\. Sorry\. Are you Interested in ART/artists--**and learning/visiting the exceptional local galleries we have in Toronto? With other MEETUP members** Saturday October 10th ***(12:30pm-2:30pm)*** Once I have 16 **confirmations** from Meetup members (you)--I will email you the start location of our ART Crawl!! Next week. **Our first stop**. Bloor/Lansdowne (we then head WEST) If interested, please email me $10. Include your first name only, and email address for a reply. **I will then confirm you.** And will firm up our itinerary with you in a few days. See you on Saturday October 10th--if you're confirmed--watch for an email directly from me!! ***We will do this again in November*** and ongoing all Winter---as we find some interesting spaces and exhibitions. Each month will be posted separately. **October 2026 is posted now.** You can email me directly here: torontoisculture@gmail,com Greg Thanks (Please understand I have NO space for any guests you may wish to bring with you. I am limited in group size based on the GALLERY instructions)

Sunday's Best [AGO]

Korean Martial Arts (Regular Classes) - FREE

**Come workout, have fun, relieve your stress, and meet your fellow neighbours!** Welcoming interested people to join our FREE classes every Tuesday evening from 7:00pm to 9:00pm and every Sunday afternoon from 2:30PM-4:30PM near Bathurst/Lake Shore area. Classes are led by our event organizer, Master **Dave Crook**, a seasoned 4th degree black belt Hapkido practitioner from a respected academy with many years of experience in this art and various others. **About this form of martial arts:** Hapkido is a hybrid Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, throwing techniques, kicks, punches, and other striking attacks. **How to join:** Join this group/event and directly message me with your interest. **Q: Is this completely FREE?** A: Yes, classes/lessons are completely FREE **Q: Do I require a gi/uniform to participate?** A: Gi is completely optional, only required when doing groundwork grappling/throw techniques **Q: Are there grading and belt progression?** A: Yes, there are grading and belts, which will cost $30 just to cover the cost, testing will done when YOU are comfortable and ready! **Current Martial Artists Belt Status:** 1x Masters - 4th Degree Black Belt 1x Yellow Belt (former red belt) 1x Yellow Stripe Belt 134x White Belts **Belt Colours - Progression in Descending Order:** * White Belt * Yellow Stripe Belt * Yellow Belt * Orange Stripe Belt * Orange Belt * Green Stripe Belt * Green Belt * Blue Stripe Belt * Blue Belt * Red Stripe Belt * Red Belt * Black Stripe Belt * Black Belt **Curriculum of Techniques** **White Belt to Yellow Stripe:** **Strikes (all strikes from left wrist grab, striking with right)** 1\. Sword Strike to Clavicle 2\. Nunchuk Strike to Temple 3\. Companion Sword Strike with Elbow Strike to Solar Plexus 4\. Spear Hand to Femoral Artery 5\. Palm Strike to Floating Rib 6\. Spear Hand to Trachea **Breakaways (all breakaways from right wrist grab)** 1\. Latissimus Dorsi push with bucking back fist 2\. When pulled with bucking back fist 3\. When pushed with bucking back fist 4\. Downward break away with elbow strike 5\. Live\-hand tricept push up with elbow strike 6\. Assisted tricept push\-up with elbow strike **Take Downs (performed both sides)** 1\. Pivot throw Joint Locks (all joint locks from right wrist grab) 1\. 'Kul Nut Key' to elbow 2\. 'Kul Nut Key' to elbow 45 degrees 3\. One inch bow 4\. Side wrist lock \- bend elbow 5\. Side elbow lock 6\. Elbow lock controlled **Escapes From Mounted Position (all from opponent on mount position - performed both sides)** 1\. Escape to Mount 2\. Escape to Guard 3\. As punches are received \- buck \- single arm hook \- roll 4\. As punches are received \- buck \- shoulder walk \- two arm hook \- guard 5\. Escape when head is locked 6\. Escape when head is locked with high mount **Kicks (both sides)** 1\. Side kick **To learn more about Hwa Won Yue Hapkido visit our website here:** http://www.hapkidohwawonyue.ca/toronto.html#

Koerner Hall: Vieux Farka Touré (15% off promo)

We will start off the 26/27 Koerner Hall concert season, with a performance by Vieux Farka Touré (from Mali), and opening for him is Melat Mengesha (from Ethiopia) (And we have our eyes on other concerts during the season!) Also we have a 15% off ticket promo!! ***Ticket link is below*--($50-$80)** Known worldwide for his electrifying live shows, Vieux Farka Touré’s virtuosic guitar work blends Malian blues, rock, and soul. Winner of Ethiopian Idol Melat Mengesha opens the show. Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara,” **Vieux Farka Touré** is the son of legendary Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006. His live performances are highly energized, and Vieux is known for dazzling crowds with his speed and dexterity on the guitar, as well as his palpable charisma and luminous smile, both of which captivate audiences despite any language barriers (though Vieux does speak eight languages!). Hailing from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, now based in Toronto, \*\*Melat Mengesha’\*\*s music features contemporary, folk, and Ethio-jazz roots sounds. Two major influences in her artistic expression are the legendary Ethiopian singers Gigi (Ejigayehu Shibabaw) and Aster Aweke. A major turning point came in 2015, when Melat won the first season of Balageru (Ethiopian Idol). That breakthrough opened the door to a variety of showcases and performances, from intimate stages to large-scale concerts, allowing her to tour across her hometown and beyond. **TICKET LINK** here: **PROMO CODE**: ISCULTURE15 https://www.rcmusic.com/concert/vieux-farka-toure-449801 Note: the PROMO code works for all pricing--**EXCEPT** the PREMIUM/purple seats

ROTMAN Talk: Prof. Daron Acemoglu- "What Happened to Liberal Democracy?" ($25)

### **Book Synopsis:** **From Daron Acemoglu, 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and coauthor of *Why Nations Fail,* an ambitious and expansive inquiry into the biggest story in global politics over the last hundred years: the rise and fall of liberal democracy.** **"A very important work and a must-read."** —Thomas Piketty, #1 *New York Times* bestselling author of *Capital in the Twenty-First Century* **Tickets are $25 only (or with book $44). LINK below.** **"Daron Acemoglu is one of the most brilliant and insightful thinkers I’ve ever known. His particular genius is being able to look at impossibly complex problems and see right to the heart of what matters. This book is a tour de force that left me feeling more optimistic about the future than I have in a long time."** —Steven Levitt, #1 *New York Times* bestselling author of *Freakonomics* The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 raised hopes that we were one step closer to the triumph of liberalism. Soon, many predicted, we would all be living in functional liberal democracies. Sustained economic growth would benefit all segments of society and war would be a relic of the past. A generation later, one can only ask: What happened? **Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu** argues in this powerful book that liberal democracy flourished when it pursued its core promises of shared prosperity, democratic governance, and the free pursuit of knowledge. But liberalism, a philosophy built to challenge power, never fully adjusted to becoming the establishment. Nor was it able to deal with the economic and social disruptions that digital technologies wrought. Worse, in the postindustrial economy, liberalism turned its back on its core promises. As a segment of college-educated elites became politically dominant and separated from the rest of society, they sowed the seeds of widespread inequality while intensifying efforts to reshape mass culture and values. **Ticket link** (mostly sold-out)-- https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/news-events-and-ideas/public-events/events-listings/2026/september-2026/sept-29-daron-acemoglu/ (Note: these ROTMAN Author Talks start promptly at 5:30pm, and finish at 6:30pm. We begin to meetup about 5pm for coffee/cookies)

ARC Ensemble: Artists of the Royal Conservatory ($40)

The **ARC Ensemble** and students of the **Glenn Gould School** explore ***Armenian works composed*** before the breakup of the Soviet Union and Armenian independence – captivating and evocative music unknown in the West. Included on the program are arrangements of Armenian folksongs for string quartet, a compelling Cello Sonata by Avet Terteryan, and seductive piano miniatures by Alexander Spendiarian and Arno Babadjanian. **Ticket link is below**\-\-\-and\-\-\-ANY seat is a great seat\. https://bit.ly/ARCConcertOct4 The multiple Grammy Award nominated ARC Ensemble comprises the senior faculty of The Royal Conservatory's Glenn Gould School, with special guests drawn from the organization's most accomplished students and alumni. **It is among Canada's most distinguished cultural ambassadors** with recent appearances in Los Angeles, New York and London’s Wigmore Hall. The research and recovery of music suppressed and marginalized under the 20th century's repressive regimes remains its focus and a growing number of works have now rejoined the repertoire. “As always with this ensemble, performances could hardly be bettered in terms of execution and commitment.” (*Gramophone*) **ARC Ensemble-** **(Artists of The Royal Conservatory)** **Erika Raum**, violin **Marie Bérard**, violin **Steven Dann**, viola **Thomas Wiebe**, cello **Kevin Ahfat**, piano with students of **The Glenn Gould School-** **Avery Tracy**, violin **Gina Lanzrein**, violin **Shyler Macaggi**, viola **Mira Kardan**, cello **TICKET Link here:** https://www.rcmusic.com/concert/arc-ensemble-453001?utm_source=meetup&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=453001_ARCconcert&utm_content=arts_events_listing

TOPHATs Village Idiots and Rock Stars at the AGO

Join Lawrence, your top hatted host for and evening of Beer and Free Entry to the AGO. On Monday, get your FREE pass to the AGO by following this link. https://ago.ca/visit/free-wednesday-night At 6 pm, we will Meet-up at the Village Idiot for our social. They have a great selection of import and craft beers. Lots of good local dishes to enjoy. At 7 pmish, we will cross the street to the AGO to gain FREE entry. I recommend taking a screen shot of your pass on your phone to enable fast access. Our first exhibit will be Melissa Auf der Maur: My ‘90s Rock Photographs on https://ago.ca/exhibitions/melissa-auf-der-maur-my-90s-rock-photographs Then we will meander our way over to the The Marvin Gelber Print and Drawing Study Centre, where we will see prints, drawings and photographs. https://ago.ca/research/print-and-drawing-centre