The John B. Aird Gallery (the ‘Aird’) is pleased to announce the details of its annual fundraising gala Mistletoe Magic which will take place on Thursday, December 12, from 6 – 9 p.m. This highly anticipated event brings together over 150 works of art from more than 100 contemporary artists across the province.
On View: December 5 – 12, 2019
Gala Fundraising Night: Thursday, December 12, 2019, 6 – 9 p.m.
Gallery Hours: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
The John B. Aird Gallery is delighted to present its 30th edition of Mistletoe Magic, a silent auction art fundraiser. This popular event raises much-needed funds for the Aird Gallery’s year-round programming (12 exhibitions per year) and to increase the visibility of the gallery, the participating artists and organizations, while remaining free of charge to the public.
This highly anticipated event brings together over 150 works of art from more than 100 contemporary artists across the province. In addition, the gallery is delighted to feature two renowned artists at this year’s fundraiser: Anong Migwans Beam and Robert Burley.
Leading up to the December 12 event, visitors will have a week, beginning Thursday, December 5, to visit the gallery to preview and place an advance bid for this year’s outstanding collection of affordable Canadian art.
Mistletoe Magic 2019 will mark the first edition of this popular annual silent art auction in our new space on West Queen West. Critically, the funds raised will support the Aird as we continue to program exciting contemporary art in the oldest Artscape building in Toronto.
The Gala Fundraising night is open and free to all, from 6 – 9 p.m. on Thursday December 12, where the final frenzy of bidding will take place! The winning bidders will be able to take home their outstanding artworks at the end of the evening. The event includes nibbles and a cash bar.
OUR FEATURED ARTISTS:
ANONG MIGWANS BEAM:
Anong Migwans Beam is a painter, mother, paintmaker, and curator living and working in her home community of M’chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island. After studying art at School of the Museum of Fine Art Boston, OCAD, and the Institute of American Indian Arts, she returned home to be a studio assistant for her father Carl Beam. Her painting practice is in large format oil on canvas. She is the founder of Gimaa Radio, Ojibwe Language radio on CHYF 88.9fm. She maintains an independent curating practice, and served as director of the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, before leaving to focus on her own practice and the art of paintmaking. She has always loved the colours pink and green more than anyone should, and she collects art, makes art, and is generally obsessed with all aspects therein. She is currently preparing for an exhibition of her oil on canvas work “history of painting “at the John B. Aird Gallery Toronto. She is represented by Gervik Gallery in Yorkville, Toronto.
ROBERT BURLEY:
As an artist working in photography, Robert Burley has sought to describe and interpret the built environment in which he lives. His work often explores the transition between city and country through projects such as “ORD: O’Hare Airfield”, “Viewing Olmsted”, “Great Lakes” and “An Enduring Wilderness”. He has also photographed urban spaces and structures through commissioned and self-directed projects that include: “Disappearance of Darkness”, “The New Suburb”, “Instruments of Faith”, “House/Home”, and “The Places of Glenn Gould”. Burley’s photographs have been extensively published and exhibited and can be found in numerous museum collections including the National Gallery of Canada, Musée de l’Elysée, George Eastman Museum, Canadian Centre for Architecture, and Musée Niépce. Books featuring the work of Robert Burley include Viewing Olmsted: Photographs by Robert Burley, Lee Friedlander, and Geoffrey James; O’Hare: Airport on the Prairie; The Disappearance of Darkness: Photography at the End of the Analog Era;and An Enduring Wilderness: Toronto’s Natural Parklands. Robert Burley lives in Toronto with his family and currently is associate professor at Ryerson University’s School of Image Arts. He is represented by Stephen Bulger Gallery in Toronto.
