Member Madness Marathon

An AMA with Fred Lum, Globe and Mail staff photographer, darkroom habitué, camera aficionado.

Having moved from 100% film to 100% digital for editorial work, Fred is now finding a welcome balance between digital and film, depending on what he’s photographing. He’s available to talk to members about the challenges of either format, and when and why he chooses one over the other. He missed the darkroom when it was closed but doesn’t miss the odour of chemistry so can talk all day about wet printing. Want to talk about stuff outside photography, dim sum and sushi are things he’s missed most during the pandemic.

Brave participants bring work of their own or another artist they love/hate and we critique as a group. The catch: the first 30 mins we are as brutally critical* as possible, the following 30 mins we are glowingly positive.

*by brutally critical, I mean a deep, challenging reading of the images presented, questioning what they may represent and say, not bullying or being mean.

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Darren Rigo is an artist, photographer and Gallery 44 staff.

Maintaining creative discipline in times of struggle - an open discussion.

Some years ago, I fell into a deep depression. I was experiencing a profound sense of alienation from the world around me to the point where the outside world no longer felt like a safe or welcoming place for me. I withdrew, abandoning responsibilities and commitments, leaving my room only for my most basic needs. I spent at least a month in this state before reaching out to my doctors, who rushed me to therapy. In some ways, this experience prepared me well for what we are now all experiencing during COVID. I'd like to reflect on that moment and the lessons learned and talk about how those skills can be applied to the present crisis, in addition to hearing from others about the challenges that they have faced and what it is that keeps the proverbial engine running.

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Terence Reeves is a photographer who lives and works in Toronto, Ontario.

You already ask me everything about Gallery 44, want to know more about my work as an artist, photographer, parent, man-about-town? Just have a burning, esoteric technical question about how polarized light refracts through an apochromatic lens with an f/22 aperture onto a colour film plane? Bring it on! Ask me anything!

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Darren Rigo is an artist, photographer and Gallery 44 staff.

In this workshop, documentary photographer Tom Saater will be exploring ethics in visual storytelling. $20 for members. Reduced income rates also available.

Find out more and register.

Merlin brings his signature weekly Instagram Live series to the Marathon. Join him for a conversation with photographer Leslie Ordal.

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After time away from photography, inspiration returned to Merlin Boissonneault by way of the works of Jason Lee and his obsession with instant film. Diving right back into his passion, Merlin has acquired a virtual museum's worth of outdated film camera technology with which he uses to capture his distinct urban images. Reflecting a sense of place and also offering a nod to the persistence of modern architecture, Merlin's photography places these scenes in a new context, reminding viewers of the artistic value within the everyday.

Feb 21 is my birthday! Each participant is asked to share one image of their birthday party taken when they were between the ages of 8 to 14 for guided discussion. Limit of 6 participants.

**Event participant limit has been reached. All are still welcome to join and follow along though!

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Courtney Fairweather is a multi-media artist who has studied and shown her work both in the Netherlands and in Canada. She is a member of Gallery 44 and holds a BFA in Visual Arts (2017) from York University.

The staff of G44 will share clips of their favorite ridiculous depictions of the art world from popular TV and movies. We will review and rate each clip on how accurately it depicts the art world.

Outbursts, gasps, eye rolls, interjecting and talking over clips are highly encouraged!

Zile interviews Terry Costantino (Gallery 44's director from 1991-1998) and April Hickox (founding director) to uncover G44's hidden history.

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Zile Liepins is a photo-based artist who also has participated in organizing cultural programs since 2005, when she worked as Festival Coordinator of the Latvian cultural season in France Etonnante Lettonie at the Embassy of Latvia in Paris. She is currently Head of Communications and Design at the Textile Museum of Canada and an active member of Gallery 44, where she sits on the Membership and Facilities Committee.

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April Hickox is a Canadian lens-based artist, teacher and independent curator who lives on the Toronto Islands. Over the course of 37 years, April has mined the distinctions between personal and public sites through film, video, photography and installation. Her work with objects and the still life is rooted in narrative histories that individuals accumulate through out their lives and the ability of inanimate objects to shape memory. Currently, this direction in her work continues in both photographic and video works with Provenance Unknown and Observation, a series of photographs and video works that explore the studio still life.

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Terry Costantino has a deep respect for people and a passion for helping them work together. She has spent her career creating and guiding collaborative approaches that help groups envision and develop organizations, services, and processes, and resolve the challenges that arise along the way. While Director, Terry built on the cooperative nature of Gallery 44, helping to shape the committee structure and embed participatory practices amongst the members and staff. This experience led her to pursue a PhD in participatory design and the co-design work she leads in the digital industry. Terry is currently a Service Design Consultant on the City of Toronto's Customer Experience Innovation team.

A screening of a selection of short films made by Gallery 44 members. The creators will be present to introduce their work and take questions.

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Films

Remapping (Orion's Belt) - Alexandra Majerus
Jatun Llaxta, Noh Kaah… - Marcos Arriaga
Lonesome Town - Grace Wang
In the Sky There is a Sun - Grace Wang
Taita - Lilianne Schneider
Remapping (A Balancing Act) - Alexandra Majerus
Kajanaqtuq - Ella Morton
Deepest Darkness, Flaming Sun - Ella Morton
The Path of Totality - Vuk Dragojevic
Remapping - Alexandra Majerus

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Still from Kajanaqtuq (2020) by Ella Morton

A game-show style open discussion of how much to charge for different photography jobs and commissions.

sarah will lead the group through a number of real job scenarios and poll our panel of pro photographer guests for what compensation would be appropriate, how to adjust quotes and why. Members can also submit their own $ituations to the panel for consideration.

sarah bodri (b.1987) is a Toronto-based artist and studied French Language and Literature + Womxn and Gender studies at York University. She treats portraiture as a means of empowerment and landscape photography as an articulation of self-portraiture, and uses both lens-based and experimental techniques. All aspects of Bodri's practice speak to her reverence for the natural world and ongoing desire to connect people to it (and each other) in a meaningful way.
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Sonya Filman (she/her) is an artist, arts administrator, and educator based in Toronto. Filman is currently Audience Development Coordinator at Mercer Union, and has previously held administrative roles at Gallery 44, C Magazine, Open Studio, and the Blackwood Gallery. She holds an MFA in Visual Art from York University, and served on the Board of Directors at Open Studio, Toronto from 2016-2018.

Brendan George Ko (b.1986, Toronto, ON) is a document-based storyteller raised in Ontario, New Mexico, Texas, and Hawai'i, and is now based in Toronto and Maui. Ko received his BFA in photography from Ontario College of Art & Design in 2010, and completed a Masters in Visual Arts at the University of Toronto in 2014. Here his practice shifted further into video and sound under the guidance of Kim Tomczak. Ko has shown his work locally and internationally including solos with Angell Gallery, Toronto; Contact Gallery, Toronto; LE Gallery, Toronto and group shows with Frogner Stasjon, Oslo; Red Hook Labs, Brooklyn; Birch Contemporary, Toronto; Camden Image Gallery, London. Ko has been the recipient of numerous awards including Contact Festival Portfolio Award (2017), Magenta Flash Forward Finalist (2018), Red Hook Lab’s New Artist Finalist (2018). He is also included within several collections including TD Bank and BMO Financial Group and has worked for such clients such as New Yorker, New York Times, Vogue, Bloomberg Businessweek, A&E Networks, and Monocle.

Steph Martyniuk is a Toronto based commercial photographer. She holds a background in portraiture as well as experience in both on and off figure within advertising. Clients include The New Yorker Magazine, Starbucks, and The New York Times.

Brianna Roye is a film photographer specializing in portraiture. A graduate of Humber’s photography program, she’s accumulated six years of experience where she’s extended her lens to Adidas, has had her work featured in publications like MacLeans and FLARE and has shot festivals inclusive of ManifesTO and Afropunk. Inspired by her Jamaican roots, she uses her ongoing project, “Out of Many, One People” to chronicle portraits of queer, Afro-Caribbean people. Using intention as a guiding principle, she strives towards a level of organicness in her imagery.

Cursèd tales from the photo realm.

Battery died when taking the perfect photo? 
Ghosts appeared on your film?
Clients that ghosted you?
Dropped your new DSLR down a waterfall?

We want to hear from you!

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sarah bodri (b.1987) is a Toronto-based artist and studied French Language and Literature + Womxn and Gender studies at York University. She treats portraiture as a means of empowerment and landscape photography as an articulation of self-portraiture, and uses both lens-based and experimental techniques. All aspects of Bodri's practice speak to her reverence for the natural world and ongoing desire to connect people to it (and each other) in a meaningful way.

Eliza and Atia will share their experience creating an exhibition during the pandemic. Self Reflections 3 was shown in September 2020 at Remote Gallery on Richmond Street. (Not to be confused with a virtual exhibition viewed remotely, Remote Gallery is a physical bricks and mortar space!) Armed with masks and hand sanitizer, they were able to welcome a few guests in person, live-streamed a virtual opening reception, and created videos of their work. Join Eliza and Atia to watch the footage and participate in conversation about the current challenges of connecting with audiences.

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Eliza Moore is a documentary and art photographer based in Toronto. Her work in urban design, architecture and project management creates the context for careful observation and documentation of development and conservation in the city, and the infrastructure behind it. Current works in progress are set in the Toronto waterfront and around the Great Lakes.
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In her photography practice, Atia Pokorny draws on a lifetime of professional engagement with art and architecture. Her work often straddles the line between reality and abstraction as she increasingly focuses on experimental approaches to lens based art. Pokorny's use of digital interventions and manipulation of finished photographs by folding, cutting, and collage specifically applies to her exploration of memory and its relationship to photography, and to the examination of the fluidity of what is remembered and what is imagined.

Tampopo (1985)

Nothing to do with photography. I went through a ton of different choices but settled on this bizarre, funny, feel good, inspiring film that I just need to watch at the end of another day of lockdown. It's one of my all time favourites.  - Darren

I love going into a movie blind, but if you want a synopsis check the IMDB.

A live stream of the best photography related songs. Taking requests at darren@gallery44.org.

A re-screening of member films and art on TV clips.

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Short Films and Clips

Remapping Series - Alexandra Majerus
Jatun Llaxta, Noh Kaah… - Marcos Arriaga
Lonesome Town - Grace Wang
Taita - Lilianne Schneider
Kajanaqtuq - Ella Morton
Deepest Darkness, Flaming Sun - Ella Morton
The Path of Totality - Vuk Dragojevic
Une chute de cinq étages (A Mix-Up in the Gallery) - Georges Méliès
Photographie électrique à distance - Georges Méliès
Un Chien Andalou - Luis Buñuel and artist Salvador Dalí
And more...