There’s still time to register for the Canadian Art tour -don’t delay, sign up today!

From the Arctic circle to the southern-most point of the province of Ontario (at the same latitude as San Francisco), from the Pacific to the Atlantic, Canada is abundantly blessed with natural beauty. See it through the rich lens of its best-known artists at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. Our visits will be guided by curatorial and education staff at both venues.

Both museums are known and respected for their collecting, scholarship and exhibiting of Inuit art, and their early efforts to incorporate Aboriginal art into the history of Canadian art.

An added bonus of the tour will be an introduction to the Art Gallery of Ontario’s flagship education centre, the Weston Family Learning Centre, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects (Toronto) and opened in the fall of 2011. Contemporary and Canadian art is installed throughout the Centre, while students in the gallery school enjoy a full view through the glass wall of an adjacent art vault.

See you soon!

Karen McKenzie
Co-Chair, Local Arrangements, “Colouring Outside the Lines”
ARLIS/NA 40th annual conference, 29 March – 2 April 2012, Toronto, Canada

Epicurean gatherings on Sunday April 1st

Conference-goers staying over Sunday night will, we hope, be looking to head out and explore Toronto further. What better way to do so than to take in some of the city’s outstanding food and drink destinations, as we are an epicurean destination that does not need to take a back seat to any city! In order to showcase some of this variety, on Sunday, April 1, there will be a number of gatherings in the downtown core for conference-goers to let down their hair and relax.

Advance sign-up sheets for reservations will be available at the conference Registration/Hospitality Desk.

Meet at the Registration Desk in Vide at 7:00 pm if you are interested in joining others for one of four options:

Caplansky’s
356 College Street
This has quickly become the go-to spot in Toronto to indulge in what is admittedly a Montreal specialty, but a Canadian passion – Montreal smoked meat sandwiches. Started as a take-out joint at the local institution, the Monarch Tavern, Caplansky’s now has its own location where diners can have a smoked meat sandwich or other specialities such as liver & onion and beef brisket. Intrepid souls could follow up a sandwich with a short walk to some outstanding nearby bars such as the Cloak and Dagger or Smokeless Joe. Average Main: $12

C’est What?
67 Front Street East
Until recently, Ontario lagged behind other areas in the craft-brewing renaissance in North America. No longer! C’est What has become something of an institution in Toronto as a mecca for Ontario craft brews, with 35 local-only taps at any given time, all showcasing the amazing variety and quality of our beers, ranging from the Amsterdam Boneshaker IPA to Beau’s Night-Marzen. Average Main: $12

Le Select
432 Wellington Street West
A long-standing Toronto favourite that indulges diners with a wonderful atmosphere and traditional French fare, including steak frites, cassoulet, and bouillabaisse, along with one of the city’s best wine lists. The restaurant is pure France, with a feeling of having walked in from downtown Toronto straight into the Montparnasse. Average Main: $21

Terroni
57 Adelaide Avenue East
While there have been a number of excellent Italian restaurants focussing on pizza that have opened up in Toronto over the past few years, few live up to the long-established standard set by Terroni. It is a boisterous and casual affair, with fantastic antipasti, paninis, pasta, and yes, pizza. Average Main: $16

See you soon!

Karen McKenzie
Co-Chair, Local Arrangements, “Colouring Outside the Lines”
ARLIS/NA 40th annual conference, 29 March – 2 April 2012, Toronto, Canada