See What’s Returning and What’s New for 2015
“I’m so pleased to see an institution like the Beaches International Jazz Festival take on new challenges and inspire a new generation of artists.” Beaches-East York MPP Arthur Potts
The Beaches International Jazz Festival (BIJF) was awarded an Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF)
Community Grant in 2014 to expand our Multi-Arts and Photography Program
in 2015 by adding
FOUR new exciting initiatives to our regular programming. With the support of the OTF Community Grant the Festival has been collaborating with educational and community partners such as local schools, art
centers, community centers, libraries and Toronto and GTA based YMCAs to expand and enrich the
Festival's 2015 visual arts programming and further engage the community, and in particular youth, with
new programming initiatives as follows:
Youth Arts Exhibition
The first new program is the Youth Arts Exhibition – a non-juried fine art exhibition with the theme of “How does music inspire you?” Program participation is free and open to youth ages 14 – 18 residing in Toronto, the GTA and surrounding area. This exhibition invites students from local Toronto and GTA high schools to create and participate in and showcase original works of art at the BIJF Youth Arts Exhibition Gallery. Artwork submitted into this exhibition can be created by youth either at school/in class or at their home prior to the Festival. The exhibition will be held at Above Ground Art Supplies galleries
at the Toronto – Downtown location (OCAD/AGO, 74 McCaul St) and at the Toronto-East location
(Beaches, 1842 Queen St. There will be an
exhibition opening reception hosted on Thursday July 9 between 5 to 7 pm at the Beaches location, 1842 Queen St. E to honour all participating artists. Many thanks to Above Ground Art Supplies for generously donating the gallery space, as well as for providing a participation gift for each participant! Youth Curatorial Program
The second new program is the Youth Curatorial Program – a volunteer program that has been created for high school students looking to complete their 40 hours of community service in order to graduate from high school. This program in open to youth ages 14 – 18 residing in Toronto, the GTA and its surrounding areas. This focused volunteer program is geared for youth interested in the arts, and will include participation in volunteer efforts focused on learning about curating arts programs, helping with the Festival’s proposed workshops for 2015 and working with our on-site fine artists from our existing multi-arts programs. Volunteers are being asked to come and volunteer on a variety of dates at our Woodbine Park and Queen Street East locations. How to participate: If you would like to participate email Joanna Katchutas at
[email protected]
Youth Mural Program
This initiative invited local TDSB elementary schools in the Beaches/East York community to participate in the creation of murals during the 2014-2015 school year. Schools worked independently in class or had the option of having guided art instruction and/or having their design for murals drafted by our on staff professional Toronto artist Nicole DiNardo (http://www.nicoledinardo.com/). The artist and the curator have been working together with the schools to help create some really beautiful works of art that will be unveiled in July. An estimated total of 6,500 grades K-6 students from schools in the community have participated in the program in the 2014 -2015 school year. Murals have been painted in the schools either on walls or movable panels. For installation purposes, artwork will be photographed and the murals reproduced in high resolution for display. We have been working with the Beach Village to host an exhibition of the murals in the Beach Village on Queen St East over the month of July during the Beaches Jazz Festival! Upon completion of the program in August we are organizing to have these reproductions of the artwork created in this program donated and installed permanently at the Scarborough Hospital and Toronto East General Hospital. Scarborough Hospital General Campus has confirmed an exhibition in their artist walkway on the ground floor from August 23rd – October 8
2015 with an exhibition opening of the exhibition for the public TBA. Toronto East General
Hospital will also be providing space for an art donation in their hospital TBA
Schools that have participated in the Youth Mural Program in 2015 include:
Adam Beck Junior Public School
Balmy Beach Community School
Beaches Alternative Public School
Bowmore Road Junior and Senior Public School
Crescent Town Elementary School
Earl Haig Public School
George Webster Elementary school
Gledhill Junior Public School
Kew Beach Junior Public School
Kimberley Junior Public School
Norway Junior Public School
Secord Elementary School
William J McCordicSchool
Community Mural Workshop Project
The fourth new program, the Community Mural Workshop Project initiative, will launch two new, on-site fine arts workshops (one for children and one for audience members of all ages) at the Festival's Woodbine
Park location, as follows:
1. Onsite Kids Mural:
This workshop will be specific to children (under the age of 12) and will be set up to encourage
children from the audience to express themselves by coming up and painting live as bands are
performing at various stages at Woodbine Park. For example, a mural station will be set up at the
Youth Stage, giving the community and audience members the opportunity to stop and work with
our workshop instructors to paint live to the music and sounds of the Pan Am Indie Stage July 11
– 12, 2015 and to the music and sounds of the Youth Stage July 18 – 19, 2015!
2. Onsite All-Ages Mural Workshop:
This workshop will be set up to encourage an all-ages audience to come paint live to music and
express themselves. For example, a mural station will be set up at the Pan Am Indie Stage location
at Woodbine Park, giving the community and audience members the opportunity to stop in at their leisure to work with our workshop instructors and be encouraged to paint live to the music and
sounds of the Pan Am Indie Stage July 11 – 12, 2015 and to the music and sounds of the Party
Island Stage July 18 – 19, 2015! Artwork created in this program will be donated and installed permanently at the Scarborough
Hospital and Toronto East General Hospital. Scarborough Hospital General Campus has
confirmed an exhibition in their artist walkway on the ground floor from August 23rd – October 8
2015 with an exhibition opening of the exhibition for the public TBA. Toronto East General
Hospital will also be providing space for an art donation in their hospital TBA
These new initiatives are supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation
The 6th annual Jazz in Motion Juried Photography ExhibitionIn 2014, at the fifth annual Jazz in Motion Juried Photography Exhibition participants displayed images that best defined the essence of jazz music, jazz musicians and the audience that supports them. Thank you to our Jurors, our sponsors and all of our talented participants. We received such a positive response from the crowds that here we go again for another year! We are excited to announce that we are preparing for our 6th annual Jazz in Motion Exhibition. It will be held at Above Ground Art Supplies Beaches Store Gallery (1842 Queen St. E), to be on display from Thursday, July 23 to Monday, August 10, 2015, with an exhibition opening date TBA
Photography and live music have an enduring symbiotic relationship that we want to celebrate. We will be continuing with the current theme of images that best define the essence of jazz music, jazz musicians and the audience that supports them. These images can originate from Jazz jam sessions, festivals, or concerts that have taken place locally or elsewhere across the globe. We know that there is an explosion of jazz and jazz festival photography out there waiting to be shared and enjoyed by all. Join this great network now by adding your profile to our flickr site and entering your best photos into the competition for 2015. Deadline for submissions: Friday July 10th at 11:59 pm
How to participate: If you would like to participate email Joanna Katchutas at
[email protected]
