Results tagged “thegladstonehotel”

If an artist trading card event is held, and no one shows up or trades anything, does it make for a good night? Originating in Switzerland in the late 1990s, the idea of artist trading cards is simple: make an artwork the size of a hockey card, and swap it with others for their creations. There are few stipulations—such as the standard size, and no money being involved in the trade—but the concept seems to be centred around the value of the experience, of artists meeting, sharing, and mingling. Toronto’s monthly incarnation of this event may be missing this key element.

"Honey, any woman who counts on her face is a fool." So says the mother figure of Kiki in Zadie Smith's fierce, tender 2007 novel, On Beauty. Kiki's right; better to count on the body.

Recent reality TV shows have skewed our conceptions of talent contests. Gone from recent memory are the days where you could waltz onstage for two minutes, hum a few bars, and shuffle offstage with scattered applause. Nope, now it's always at least fifteen minutes of fame, good or bad―whether you wanna be on top or watching your work from the wings. In our very scientific study of new-fangled TV "talent" contests, we've discovered that they tend to devote roughly fifty per cent of on-air time to he-said she-said drama, thirty per cent to commercials, fifteen per cent to advertising during the show, and a measly five per cent to showcasing actual work, mostly done by actual contestants. Where have all the real, raw expositions of ability, the show-off spots for those born with the magic musical touch, gone? Fortunately for you and your ear drums, they're not on display at a public school talent show where brand-new violinists practice onstage (we can feel the collective cringe from here). Better yet, you don't have to waste your time on Ben Mulroney and the latest display of Canadian idolatry. Instead, turn your ears to Queen West, where the local baritones and balladeers take turns wrapping their hands around that sweaty, shared microphone.

Most holidays are commercial, but Valentine's Day, shamelessly so. It's not statutory. It's not political. It's not religious, unless love is your religion, in which case you probably live in a commune in middle Saskatchewan, and you refuse to go on the internet because it makes you nervous, and oh, my god, how are you reading this? Ahem. Where were we? Right. Valentine's. It's not even really a holiday. All the more reason to celebrate, we say: if ever the economic clime called for a Buy Sweet Nothings Day, it's now. ("Stimulus package" has an erotic frisson to it, no?)

MUSIC: Lambchop frontman Kurt Wagner will make a rare solo appearance tonight: the Nashville alternative-country singer is playing at the Drake Underground. The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West), 8 p.m., $15.

Ok, so we're starting to get the message that we need to act on this whole "we're killing the planet" thing, and fast. But amongst all the noise about how much trouble we've gotten ourselves into, it's sometimes hard to hear the solutions and see the positive ideas. Enter GreenTOpia, the third installment in Coach House Books' uTOpia series, which is being released at a party this weekend into our eagerly outstretched arms. As we...

As I waited in line for Last Call At The Gladstone Hotel Saturday afternoon, bartenders from the Gladstone Hotel were behind me. "It makes us look bad, I hear," they were saying. "Like, not us personally, but the hotel. Real bad."

The good news: tonight, there are three great literary events happening in our fair city. The bad news: you’re going to have to choose.

If you're the creative type who's looking for a night out on the town, head over to the Gladstone tomorrow for the SpeakEasy Comic Book Show.

Each weekday morning, we pick a recent image from the Torontoist Flickr Pool and feature it here on the site. It's our way to give the many excellent photographers in our pool the attention they deserve!

Is it any wonder that The Gladstone Hotel has become the "it spot" du jour? With all the events they seem to pack into their space one wonders if the guests become part of the installations at some point. Going on this weekend on the 2nd floor is OBEJCToronto "an artist presented annual exposition of contemporary objects from the fields of craft, art and design". This won't be your typical art fair macaroni art, as the event brings in a vast array of artists and designers showcasing their wares, interesting pieces including textiles, jewellery, furniture, ceramics and more. OBJECToronto runs this weekend starting today at 4pm and runs until Sunday the 30th and it'll only cost you $5 to get in the door. But, with so much great design for sale, who knows how much it'll cost you on your way out...