Take a look at our recap of all the great things we accomplished in 2010!

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The YCAC Gallery welcomes submissions from a wide and overlapping range of artistic disciplines, approaches and interests within a contemporary art practice. Open to both solo and group show submissions each exhibition will be on display for a 6-8 week time frame. We are currently scheduling Jan – Nov 2012. The gallery has combined 36 linear ft of wall space and a combined 20 linear ft of window.

Please include the following in your submission:

• A short show proposal or description of your project
• An 200 word artist statement
• A current Curriculum Vitae
• 4-6 images of your work in .jpg format min. 600×800
• An accompanying image list including titles, medium and size of work

Please sent submissions to kim@artstarts.net

Submission deadline: Nov 13^th 2011

Photo Credit: Rachael Edge

Photo Credit: Rachael Edge

As the summer winds down we wanted to take a minute to reflect on the great things Art Starts has worked on this summer!

To kick-off the summer Art Starts worked in Collaboration with UNITY CHARITY in the Raising Voices Festival 2011 creating the art exhibition PROJECTIONS which was on display at the ING Direct Café. With over 30 art pieces on display created by Toronto youth artists we had a great turn out it was a terrific night of energy and creativity.

Photo Credit: James MacDonald

Also this summer was the return of our always successful Art In XS is Art Starts summer camp program running out of St Thomas Aquinas School at Dufferin & Eglinton and in the Villaways Art Studio at Sheppard & Leslie.

Photo Credit: Erin Schacter

This summer the kids got a chance to make masks with the ever talented artist Douglas Hurst, take a field trip to our Graffiti Transformation Project and meet with artist Sean Martindale to learn about Urban Trash Art and express themselves with freestylin’ and spoken work with the international Dub-Poet Charlie Bobus.

Photo Credit: James MacDonald

Photo Credit: Rachael Edge

This was the 3rd year Art Starts had the pleasure of co-producing Dusk Dances in Earlscourt Park. This outdoor dance festival brings contemporary and traditional dance to public parks. Each night the community came out in great numbers to watch and experience the phenomenal dance display put together by the amazing dancers and choreographers. Art Starts had the chance to coordinate one of the performances with some of our kids and artist Jon BBoy Drops Reid. The kids put in a lot of effort and it paid off in a flawless show of break dancing fury!

Photo Credit: Rachael Edge

Photo Credit: James MacDonald

The Element program returned to Yorkdale for the second year working with youth from the Neptune/Lawrence Heights communities. The program explored the fusion of dance, singing, rap, drama, music production, and fashion and worked towards an end of summer showcase that dealt with the realities of being a youth in today’s society.

Our Graffiti Transformation Project this year took on a new incarnation in the form of a Youth Street Art Mentorship Project in partnership with the Whippersnapper Gallery. Spearheaded by artist Joshua Barndt a group of youth had the chance to work with visiting artists to challenge their idea of street art and its connection to the community.

Photo Credit: Andrew Chiu

Working in the Alexandra Park Neighbourhood youth participated in creating temporary street art pieces out of found materials that they documented and used the resulting photos to create a multi-media mural titled “Make Your Mark on Paradise” along Cameron St across from the Alexandra Park Community Centre.

Photo Credit: James MacDonald

We know summer can’t last forever but we’re already gearing up for fall with a new session of Stressbusters starting Sept 23rd! As part of out Program Without Walls, Stressbusters gives Mothers/Caregivers of children 0-6 yrs old the chance to engage in stress-relieving exercises, creative art and dance lead by professional artists while children are engaged in arts, crafts and movement exercises with a children’s artist.

Thanks to everyone for all their hard work and participation this summer. It’s been an amazing whirlwind season!

Stay tuned for announcements about our fall programs or subscribe to our e-newsletter to get updates sent to you when new programs and events come up!

Looking For Volunteers!

Dusk Dances in partnership with Art Starts are offering an exciting opportunity for individuals interested in gaining performing arts experience! We are looking for volunteers to support the amazing outdoor performances of dancers and musicians from Toronto’s Davenport community and beyond from Aug 17th-21^st.

If you are looking for volunteer hours, job references or just interested in celebrating dance and community arts, we welcome and encourage volunteers of all ages to help us out at St. Clair West Community (St. Clair West and Lansdowne).

Volunteer roles include:

Technical assistants

Call time is 5:30PM. Performances begin 7PM, and end around 9:30PM.

Interested? Please contact Rachael and Chanel by emailing rachael@artstarts.net or chanel@artstarts.net