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Art of the Danforth 2012

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From May 20 – June 10, 2012, Danforth Avenue between Greenwood and Cedarvale will host:  36 large site-specific installations, four hands-on workshops, 20 stores turned mini-galleries, and over 50 walking tours, on-the-fly events and performances.  All activities are free, accessible and open to all.

 AoD 2012 boasts everything from surprising installations from some of Toronto’s most cutting-edge artists to projects that will let you, your family and your friends participate in whimsical arts activities. Come and…

·         throw paint at total strangers,

·         interact with a store window,

·         learn how to yarn-bomb,

·         join a walking tour led by two of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet,

·         host arts curios in your own home,

·         empty the contents of your pockets and tell a story

… and see east Toronto in a whole new light.

Projects, schedule and map are now online:  www.artofthedanforth.com.  Please check it out and please share… we’re depending on YOU to spread the word!

UPCOMING dates of import:

May 20 is our kick-off.   Join us in our two opening activities:

·         DECA Make a Joyful Noise Parade in East Lynn Park – 11am – dress up, bring your noisemakers and help us make some noise!

·         10 minute paint fight on Ladysmith Avenue.  Gather at Danforth & Ladysmith at 12:30 pm. Fight starts at 1pm SHARP so don’t be late!  Wear white!

 How you can participate?

·         Volunteer!  We need all sorts of people to help set up, maintain exhibits and generally hang out with us and have fun.  If you’re interested, please email Daniel at volunteer@artofthedanforth.com

·         We’re looking for stuff to borrow (or just plain take):  a ladder, leftover paint / primer and painting supplies.

·         Come out, enjoy our activities and SPREAD THE WORD!

 In other news:

Artists / Artisans: the  early-bird deadline for the Danforth East Arts Fair is May 18.  Apply now and save some cash!  http://www.deca-arts.ca/

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A Lot Goes On Around Here In May

Jane’s Walks are this weekend and we at DECA are big fans of learning about your neighbourhood by walking through it.

DECA’s own, Stephen Wickens, is leading his very popular walk – The Other Danforth – on Saturday, May 5th at 10 a.m. It starts at the Wise Guys pub and ends at the Linsmore Tavern. For more on Steve and what you might learn, visit the East End Pioneer blog, here.

If you want to head a little further south, you can get the scoop on poop with Councillor, Mary-Margaret McMahon and assorted friends. She’ll start out at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 5th with Tap To Toilet where you’ll learn all you ever wanted to know about the Ashbridge’s Bay water treatment plant and “some exciting new ideas for eco-engineering the future of sanitation and toilets”.  If that doesn’t scare you enough, join Mary-Margaret and Gene Domagala at 7:30 p.m. for a Spooky Ghost Tour of St.John’s Cemetery. Bring your flashlight!

Is There A Doctor In The House?

For the last two years we’ve been watching a building rise out of the former O’Conner Brothers funeral home at 1871 Danforth Ave.  The South East Family Health Team has now opened its doors and is accepting new patients.

Monarch Park Pool

Do you know that you can swim at the Monarch Park C.I. indoor pool? Lessons, masters swim programs and mommy and me programs are offered by Jack of Sports, Beaches Swim School, H2Ofit and Family Fun Fit. And you can drop in to community swim Fridays and all-girls swims on Tuesdays. Read more about all of the above here.

Hirut Hoot

May I be the first (but certainly not the last) to say, ‘May the fourth be with you.’ And I always like to follow up with, ‘And also with you.’ Because that’s the good church-goer that I am.  Anyway, that’s the theme of tomorrow night’s comedy show at Hirut restaurant.  Eat, drink and laugh. Starts at 9 p.m.

Shoes!

The Bata Shoe Museum is taking it’s show on the road this weekend. Staff from the museum will be at the Danforth Coxwell library with a number of different shoes for touching (a sealskin boot and a shoe made from a tire for example). They’ll have great stories and kids (and adults I suppose) can make a shoe-shaped magnet to take home.

Beaches Studio Tour

Many local artists will be showing at the Beaches Studio Tour this weekend. Who?  When? Where?  It’s all right here for your perusing.

Ward 32 Environment Day

Mark your calendars for the next Environment Day at the Ted Reeve Arena parking lot. Drop off old paint cans and other untoward household hazards, pick up compost, learn about neighbourhood groups, get your bike tuned up and enjoy some hot dogs and good music. That’s right, garbage and dirt can be fun! May 17th, 4-8 p.m.

DECA Kids Gear Sale

Thank you to everyone who bought a table and everyone bought some stuff and everyone who bought a cookie for DECA’s first Kids Gear Sale. Aside from reusing and recycling and having a good time, we raised $170 for the community gardens and mural project at Stephenson Park at Danforth and Main. If you’re interested in learning more about that project and maybe getting your hands a little dirty, contact Tak at artattak(at)total.net.

And finally…

Thank you to all of you who took part in community clean up events a few weeks ago. Our neighbourhood is so fortunate have so many people who willingly give up a Saturday morning to help out.

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Are We Toronto’s Most Underrated Neighbourhood?

So, a little while ago, The Grid, put out a call for Toronto’s most overrated and underrated neighbourhoods. I guess I was feeling a bit sassy on that particular day.  I put forward a little blurb about our little pocket of the world.  Well Danforth East made the short list and now it’s time for you to vote on what you think is the most over- and underrated neighourhoods in T.O.   There is $1,500 on the line, so vote early, vote often and add your two cents to the East York neighbourhood page.

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The Good Life

Mind & Body Tune-Up

Earl Haig School Council and Safety Committee will be hosting a free “Mind & Body Tune-Up: Earl Haig Healthy Living Fair” on Thursday, May 3 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at 15 Earl Haig Ave. The whole community is welcome for a mix of activities and information displays on how to live a healthy life. Some of the presentations will include:

  • Author visit: Karen Lang –  Martha (the confident) Mouse
  • BOMB Fitness demos
  • Zumba demos
  • DeSantos Martial Arts demos
  • Family-focused Yoga demos
  • Playground and Car Seat Safety
  • Practical First-Aid
  • Concussive Head Injuries information
  • Bike Safety
  • Children’s Mental Health Ontario and The Hinks-Dellcrest Centre
  • Integra – Learning Challenges
  • Mindfulness Everyday
  • Greening Ward 32
  • Girls on The Run
  • Healthy Snacks
  • PIAC – Parent Involvement Advisory Committee
  • Info from the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Canada’s Food Guide

For more information, please contact Hilary Gray @ 647-401-0629

S Sense in Design

Have you noticed that cute little store on Coxwell just north of Danforth. It’s called S Sense in Design and it is hosting the art of Mafalda Silva. The exhibition will be displayed from April 26th – June 27th.  S Sense in Design is at 698 Coxwell Avenue and is open Thursday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m to 4 p.m.

Fuzz Box

Check out the East End Pioneer’s blog post on a new restaurant on the Danforth, The Fuzz Box (insert your own joke here). They specialize in a Nova Scotia donair. And if you don’t know what that is, then you better stop in and find out.

The Groove Bar

Speaking of restaurants, I took my little boys to the Groove Bar tonight for dinner. Yes, I took my young children to a bar for dinner.  Now, before you get all righteous and judgemental on me…actually I have no good excuse, you can feel free to be righteous and judgemental. Anyway, the food was good and Mama, the owner, was perfectly delightful. We played foosball and had a great time. So there.

Logical Consequences

It probably stands to reason that following the proliferation of bakeries would come the proliferation of gyms and exercise studios. You may already know that I pump iron at Legacy Studio, and there is also now Bomb Wellness and (coming soon) Tidal CrossFit – all on Danforth west of Coxwell. For those of you with babes in arms, you may want to try out Legacy’s Mommy and Me class on Mondays at 3:30 p.m. I hear it’s great fun and a great workout. For more info, contact Andy at info(at)legacyindoorcycling.com

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How Can I Help?

Featured artist: Audrey Cooper

Art of the Danforth 2012 will be a month long festival that presents a variety of free public art displays and activities to, for and by the community of East Toronto. There will be more than 50 public and commercial venues along or within walking distance from Danforth Avenue, Greenwood to Woodbine from May 20 – June 10, 2012. The goals of Art of the Danforth are to:

•  encourage foot traffic along Danforth Avenue
•  increase community engagement
•  showcase local artistic talent
•  bring together people from various backgrounds, cultures and interests in the creation and appreciation of art.

Art of the Danforth is in the midst of recruiting volunteers to help out during the actual event.  If  you are interested in helping out, you can get more info and sign up at artofthedanforth.com

East Lynn Farmers Market

The East Lynn Farmers Market turns five this summer. In that time, every Thursday,  we’ve brought you fresh food, kids’ games, crafts, activities, music, and five festivals over the summer, including the fabulous movie-night-in-the-park and our strawberry-square-dance. A crew of seven volunteers – six women plus one grade school girl – have miraculously managed to pull this off for five years now, and they are feeling burnt out.

We need your help!

This summer, we’d like to have someone at our DECA booth every Thursday with community volunteers each on two-hour shifts, the first from 3 to 5 pm and the second from 5 pm to 7.

Manning the booth is easy and it’s a great way to meet

your neighbours. Your jobs would include: helping set up the kids’ play area and craft table; helping farmers with odd jobs; setting up the DECA table and answering questions. If you are on the later shift, you would also serve the farmers’ their dinner (volunteer cooks arrive with meals every week), and help take down both the DECA booth and the craft/face-painting areas.

Plus, you’ll be able to play on the giant Scrabble board Farmers’ Market devotee Shelley Darling has made this winter and try on our new broccoli costume!

If you’ve always wanted to help out and never found the right window, this is your chance.

Please email Catherine Porter at Catherine_porter(at)rogers.com. Let me know which Thursday from June 7 to October 25 you’d like to cover and which slot, 3-5 pm or 5-7 pm, and I’ll pen you into our calendar.

If you’d like to join the roster of neighbourhood cooks for the market this summer, email Shelley Darling at shelleydarling@yahoo.ca.

Thanks so much. We look forward to another amazing summer at the market.

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Community Clean Up and More

There are a bunch of community clean-ups happening on Saturday including two that I know about in within the DECA zone…

Merrill Bridge Road Park 

The Merrill Dog Park Association is hosting a clean up on Saturday, April 21st between 10 am and noon. Socialize with neighbours, enjoy a warm cup of coffee and a fresh donut while tidying up the park and adjacent ravine. Don’t forget to bring your gloves and garbage bags.

Earl Beatty Community Centre

Join the Earl Beatty Community for the annual Community Clean Up Day on Saturday, April 21st from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet at the front of the school and from there teams will scour the area around the school and community centre: north to Milverton, south to Danforth, west to Coxwell, east to Glebemount and the streets in between. We also tidy the school yard, our nearest green space.

Councillor Janet Davis’  Community Environment Day – Sunday, April 29, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

At the parking lots of the East York Memorial Arena, across from the Stan Wadlow Clubhouse, 373 Cedarvale.

Re-use, recycle and safely dispose your unwanted items at Councillor Davis’ Community Environment Day. City staff will be on hand to take your recyclables and provide free compost as well as the following community groups:

  • East York Garden Club will be selling plants
  • East York Community Garden will offer seed-planting to children
  • Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF)
  • Danforth East Community Association (DECA) (That’s us!)
  • Toronto Water
  • LiveGreen
  • Women’s Healthy Environments Network (WHEN)