In the past, it’s been too easy to snub Toronto for being a cold, unromantic, artless, unfriendly city. Or to speak with dripping condescension of the people who live in this city as tasteless, uncouth, uncultured folks who have no appreciation of art.
But that is about to change forever: Toronto is having an art explosion.
The T-Dot Renaissance is one art collective partly responsible for some of the art forcing onlookers to take Toronto artists seriously.
The collective of emerging and interdisciplinary artists was founded by Amanda Parris. Driven and inspired by the experience of writing her successful one-woman play, 32C, Parris has kept up momentum by inviting other artists to come together to create the collective.
T-Dot Renaissance has since collaborated to put together several interactive and interdisciplinary installations.
Their work is at once powerful, political and critical.
Listening to spoken-word artist Keisha-Monique Simpson’s poetry, line after line of verbal gunshots, one understands what it means to be a gangsta-poet. No less boundary-pushing, photographer Natasha Daniel’s work is visually stunning, and visual artist Nadijah Robinson’s large fabric print images entice.
The collective is made up of both queer and straight artists of colour.
“It was important to have a diversity of artists coming from diverse backgrounds telling stories,” says collective member Kim Crosby. “It’s really nice to have a safe space, to have straight people of colour be in the same space as queers of colour.”
Crosby says the group supports one another and tries to break down barriers and build bridges through art.
She is looking forward to the group’s first interactive exhibit, which she says promises to be transformational.
“It’s a pleasure to create with other artists,” Crosby says. “I had the pleasure of working on several projects with different artists, and the process has been amazing.”
The Deets:
T Dot Renaissance
Diasporic Journeys: Flipping the Script
Dec 3 & 4
Loft 404
404-263 Adelaide St
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