Tuesday, August 18, 2009

MEET AND GREET

We will be holding a Meet and Greet at PREMIUM RHYTHM LOUNGE (173 Eglington Ave E) on Thursday, August 27th, 2009, from 7:00pm - 8:30pm. This will allow the artists to meet all the people involved, and get familiar with the space we'll be using. Please prepare a short bio and bring a headshot we can use for media purposes.

ARTISTS MUST RSVP by August 23rd 2009.

LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU ALL!

Brandy Mahaney, Amèlle Badran
Event Coordinators

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Venue and Date

Great news! We have confirmed the Venue and Date for U*NITE :
Premium Rhythm Lounge, 173 Eglington Ave. E., Toronto, ON, October 15, 2009.

We are currently planning a meet and greet, on August 27, 2009, from 7:00pm - 8:30pm at Premium Rhythm, more information will follow soon...

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

the Organizers


BRANDY has been passionate about the arts for as long as she can remember, drawing, painting, sculpting, reading or writing stories and poetry. She has exhibited her paintings at City Hall, Mississauga, and works as a freelance artist since attending Sheridan College for Animation. Brandy creates art as a means of self-discovery, and as a way to recognize humour and scope in the daily commute through life, ultimately seeking to connect genuine, like-minded artists.

AMÈLLE emigrated from Lebanon to Toronto, Canada, when she was 7 years old. She is a singer/songwriter/graphic artist who has endured many struggles, and managed to remain hopeful throughout. Amèlle is a working actress, currently recording an R&B/Hip-Hop styled album. Her primary mission with her art is to engage an emotional response in people, to express the idea that if you can learn from the challenges presented to you in life, and channel that into something positive, you have succeeded. This exotic socialite believes that music and drawing, acting and dance are all forms of self-expression, and only truly feels herself when she is sharing these experiences with others.

Monday, August 10, 2009

SHOW and SUBMISSION DETAILS

We are currently deciding between two possible venues for the show, both nightclub/lounges in the Yonge/Eglington area, and should have it along with date set within the week. We're planning the show for the first or second week of October.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS: Paintings, photography, graphic design, grafitti, sculpture, animation cels, illustration, silkscreening, are all acceptable, if you are unsure about what can be sent, e-mail us. The work should express some emotion or sentiment based on living in or near the city.

Think of these words:
Toronto, raw, gritty, streets, heavy traffic, human noise, music, struggle, lonely, community, family, culture, wealth/poverty, extremes, knowledge, waste, inspiring, uplifting.

We will be holding an information session probably the last week of August, where the organisers and artists can meet, and share ideas about the show.

GOOD THINGS ARE AHEAD! If you have any questions, please contact us. Final pieces must be submitted by September 15th, 2009.

What is U*NITE?

I recently visited Oakville with my family, and we happened upon an interesting looking art gallery. We tiptoed in and gaped reverently at the huge canvasses seemingly suspended in mid-air, nearly missing the overly made-up Madame Gallery-Owner sitting at a glass desk in one corner of the large room. Taken by surprise, my dad said, Oh! Didn't see you there. How are you? Silencio. No response. I raised my eyebrows at him. My mother and sister emerged from a lower level and noticing this lady, my mother, in her innocence bubbled, Hello! Silencio. No response. We exchanged glances, my sister stifled a giggle. As we shuffled out, I looked Stuffy right in the eye and said, Thanks! Have a great day! Silencio, no response. Once outside, I looked at my parents and said that's why we need to have this art show.

U*NITE is an opportunity for local artists to get media attention which is reserved for a select few. Those who know someone. Well, I for one am tired of waiting to be given a chance to turn creating my art into a career. I have many friends who have been disillusioned, great talents turned away from galleries based on what's selling this year. Something has to change. We as artists can awaken a greater appreciation of the arts within a city environment, art borne through struggle: a product of the human machine in the twenty-first century. A more accurate representation of what urban youth, the next generation, are currently experiencing. The city should take its cue from Montreal: supporting local artists causes culture and beauty to flourish probably increasing tourism tenfold. The Distillery District in TO seemed to be going in that direction, but it somehow morphed into the very BOUGIE blue-chip thing that happens to all art in Toronto. This problem will never cease to exist unless we stretch the parameters of what the masses deem beautiful, and explain why art is so important to the development of a modern, inspired community. We hope this show will do just that.