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.