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Jason Allies Photographs at Danforth East Arts Fair

Photographer Jason Allies had never participated in an art sale or exhibit before last year’s Danforth East Arts Fair. He gathered his courage, printed umpteen copies of his vivid photographs, rented a tent and hoped for the best.

Within hours, he had sold out of several of his scenes of Toronto, including an iconic photograph of a red streetcar, one of which was purchased by ward 31 Councillor Janet Davis. Now, here’s the good news: he is back at this year’s arts fair, so you will have another chance to buy his work.

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Allies, who recently moved to Toronto’s east end from western Alberta, approaches the city with a fresh eye, seeing the Toronto we all take for granted in a refreshing light.

“I tend to focus on the world around me as a subject and the city of Toronto being new to me provides many opportunities,” says the photographer, whose day job is creating graphics for a television channel. “I’ve learned over the years that plenty of patience is required to capture certain subjects. There is nothing like being in the right place at the right time to capture something special that is once in a lifetime.”

In Allies’ photographs, a mess of wires above a busy intersection criscross at perfect angles to play off the gray clouds moving in. Through his lens, the suicide barrier enclosing the Bloor Viaduct becomes an object of beauty, rather than scorn. Another scene captured at just the right vantage point shows the hidden, back-alley houses of Kensington Market that most people miss as they wander by.

Since his debut at East Lynn Park, Allies, 35, has enjoyed a successful career. True Brew Café displayed his photographs for months. Not long after, BlogTO featured his shot of Gerard and Broadview as a photograph of the week. And even now, people are contacting him for prints of that iconic streetcar, which just might become his calling card.

Allies’ photographs, which range in price from small $10 prints to $200 for larger, framed versions, will be for sale at the Danforth East Arts Fair in East Lynn Park on Sept. 18 and 19. For more information, visit www.deca-arts.ca or on facebook.

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The Best Eats In The East

Farmers’ Market

Stephen Caissie Photo

At the market this week, only the best in local fruits, vegetables, breads, cheeses, meats, pies, muffins and nice people.  And face painting.

Danforth East Arts Fair

The fabulous Danforth East Arts Fair is a few short weeks away and we could really use just a teensy weensy little bit of help.  We could use some people to help exhibitors to load and unload on Saturday Sep 18th from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and on Sunday Sep 19th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  We could also use some help on litter patrol and changing garbage bags during the show.  (I know it’s not sexy, but art isn’t always glamorous – and it’s oh oh oh so important.)

BIA Dining Fest

The Danforth Mosaic Business Improvement Association is launching its first annual three-week food festival called Mosaic does… Dine around the Danforth. September 10th-30th over 65 restaurants will participate in this street event by featuring entertainment and significant discounts including prix fixe menus. Savour the best of Moroccan, Ethiopian, Greek, Italian, Hakka, Mexican, Thai and Tunisian cuisine, along with Sushi Bars, traditional diners and much more from around the world at excellent prices!

Local jazz bars and some restaurants and clubs will be offering a variety of live entertainment.  Cafes and restaurants will be showcasing family entertainment for all ages. The Dine Around the Mosaic Barbershop Quartet will be awarding random diners with gifts such as complimentary meals and Mosaic Bucks, which diners can redeem at participating Mosaic stores!

The Mosaic does… Dine around the Danforth stretches from Jones Avenue to Westlake (two blocks east of Woodbine) along Danforth Avenue.

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Grade Eh Design

In the second in our series of artist profiles leading up the Danforth East Arts Fair, writer Gillian Grace introduces us to Sara Deacon of Grade Eh Design.

As a kid, Sara Deacon loved her first time away at camp so much she stayed on for another session. Now, the Danforth East local has left a successful career in marketing to start a housewares company based on wilderness motifs called Grade Eh Design.

Grade Eh Design is Canadian in more than just its name.  As a country, Canada is now made up of mostly city dwellers, but our most-loved design icons — from the Cowichan sweater to the Roots beaver — have always been outdoorsy. So, too, are Deacon’s designs.

Working with organic cotton, vintage textiles and eco-friendly felt, Deacon creates handmade place mats, pillows, tea towels, aprons and wall art with appliquéd felt icons, including Castor canadensis moose antlers and maple leaves. And because a sense of humour is just as Canadian as a way with a paddle, Grade Eh incorporates such north-of-the-forty-ninth-parallel stereotypes as “eh?” and “hoser” into its designs.

Deacon still heads for the woods when she can, regularly canoeing and hiking with her husband and dogs. While at home, she spends most of her time at the sewing machine (a cottage industry in influence and practice, all Grade Eh Design’s products are made in her house).

The true test of Grade Eh’s success? Deacon’s goods are low-key, yet still pack a graphic punch, and, like all good Canadians, are at home in settings both rustic and urbane. Pick up some of Deacon’s cushions or tea towels to brighten up the cottage, or stow them away as gifts for the next dinner party or housewarming you attend.

Deacon’s wares, which range in price from $7 to $45, will be for sale at the Danforth East Arts Fair in East Lynn Park on Sept. 18 & 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.deca-arts.ca

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Kate B Textile Designs

The Danforth East Arts Fair is coming soon to a park near you on September 18th and 19th.  In the coming weeks, we’ll be telling you about a few of the artists you’ll find there.  First up, a profile of Kate Busby, by writer Gillian Grace.

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Kate B Textile Designs

Duvets have had a long and fluffy reign on our beds, but a growing love of all things fresh, local and hand-crafted means blankets and quilts are returning to our mattresses.  Kate B. Textile Designs (the “B” stands for Busby) creates “modern-day heirlooms” reworking vintage blankets, washing, rebinding and adding fabric appliqué to create a unique blanket-quilt hybrid.

Many of the textiles Busby uses are hand-printed or hand-dyed; her pieces reference quilting tradition — a fence rail here, a house there — while adding modern texture and fabric. Busby, who lives in the east end, first became interested in quilting while completing a fine arts degree at U of T.  Also a grad of Sheridan’s Crafts and Design program, she was a featured artist at the Textile Museum of Canada’s shop and is one of the founding members of Toronto’s Contemporary Textile Studio Co-Operative, a collective of fabric artists working out of the 401 Richmond building.

“I think we become connected to the fabrics in our life — be it the satin edge of a baby blanket, or the embroidered stitches on a smocked dress, or even the familiar weight of a bedspread. Textiles have a great way of absorbing and relaying memories,” Busby says.

Look, too, for her modish hand-silkscreened tea towels, and gingham napkins playfully appliquéd with vintage fabrics (you can get a preview on her website).  And give those duvets (and dingy tea towels) some competition.

Kate B.’s wares, which range in price from $20 to $550, will be for sale at the Danforth East Arts Fair in East Lynn Park on Sept. 18 & 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For information about other artists and details about the fair, visit www.deca-arts.ca


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Busy Week

Lots of things to tell you about this week…

Photo courtesy of Stephen Caissie

East Lynn Farmers’ Market

At 4:30 p.m. this week, bring your little movers and shakers to dance with Pegasus Dance Studio.

Do you know that along with ballet, hip hop and jazz, Pegasus also offers boys-only dance programs, a preschool arts program, parent and tot music classes and pilates and yoga classes? Pegasus is near Danforth and Coxwell on Glebeholme.

Also Nana Jokura is back with more CranioSacral therapy – a gentle, hands-on therapy where your head and sacrum are stimulated to release tensions of the nervous and fascial systems.

Little Footprints Toys

Little Footprints is an internet toy company run by a local resident and mom featuring eco-friendly toys and games for kids of all ages.  This weekend they’re having a real bricks and mortal sale at 1390 Danforth, just east of Greenwood.   There will be lemonade and toys to try, including the Piggy Paint nail bar where you can try out the ‘natural as mud’ nail polish.  There will be sale prices on educational products for back to school.  The sale starts Friday.  Check out the details at at www.littlefootprintstoys.com.

Walking Tour

On Monday, September 6th, join local historian Gene Domagala for a walking tour of our little section of east Toronto starting at Hope United Church at Main and Danforth at 1 p.m.

Back To School Dinners

If the thought of the hectic school schedule has got you twitchin’ I notice that Cozy Cafe and Bakery at Danforth and Woodbine now has frozen foods to get you through the week.  All homemade and delicious, there are hearty soups, lasagnas (ask anyone about the vegetarian lasagna and be prepared for gushing), shepard’s pie and much more.

Stephen Caissie Photography

All summer long, I’ve been featuring beautiful photographs from the market in this space thanks to DECA member and volunteer Stephen Caissie.  Stephen also did the portraits in the park during the Art of the Danforth and many of his portraits have appeared on the blog webpage of Deca Diaries.  His work is stunning and the prices reasonable.  Learn more about Stephen and his work at stephencaissiephoto.com.

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Danforth East Arts Fair

September 18th and 19th make your way to East Lynn Park for DECA’s 2nd annual Danforth East Arts Fair. This is a high-quality fair with a range of arts and crafts to suit a variety of tastes and budgets.  Last year was great.  This year is bigger (with lots more arts vendors) and better (with yummy food on site so you can spend more time lingering).

But, we need a little bit of help to make it a success.  We need your help getting the word out and putting up posters. It’s a little thing, but it’s a BIG thing.  If you can help with a hour or so of your time, we would really really (really!) appreciate it.  Contact Mary at mary.vallis@gmail.com because she has printed versions that she can deliver to your door or she’s got a PDF that she can send you if you just want to print off a few and post them, say at your office or your school or your favourite cafe or your dog groomer or your in-laws’ house or your videotron or wherever you think two eyes might see it.

Also, why not put a link to the website on your facebook page or send your friends around the city an e-mail and let them know about this terrific arts fair that’s happening in your ‘hood?