Welcome to the Arts and Culture section, and more importantly, welcome (or welcome back) to Vic! Whether you’re a res student or a commuter, a first year or a fourth year, The Strand‘s Arts and Culture is your guide to interesting cultural events at Vic, within U of T and in Toronto. We cover everything from the local to the international, and we welcome you to write for us if you have anything you’d like to share or review. To start this year out on the right foot, we’ve compiled some of the most important artistic and cultural hubs in and around campus.
Goldring Student Centre (150 Charles Street West):
- The Cat’s Eye, located in the basement of the Goldring Student Centre, is a student-run-lounge open every weekday to Vic students. The Cat’s Eye hosts various concerts and shows, as well as events for many of Victoria College’s arts associations. It is basically Vic College’s own DIY space, and can be booked for almost anything. Keep an eye out in The Strand for upcoming events!
- Victoria College also houses two literary journals, Acta Victoriana, and The Goose. While Acta Victoriana is a poetry and art journal, The Goose aims to publish short fiction. Both journals are open to undergraduate submissions, and hold issue releases and readings, which are open to the public.
- Also within the Goldring Student Centre (and probably steps away from where you picked up this issue) The Strand, Victoria College’s student newspaper, is hard at work with putting out new content. Find us on the second floor in Room 153!
Hart House (7 Hart House Circle):
- Hart House is at the heart and soul of U of T, and it fittingly houses several different arts and culture opportunities. The Hart House theatre showcases a plethora of diverse mediums (drama, music, film, dance, spoken word) in shows throughout the year. This is also where U of T’s Drama Festival happens in February. For writers and poets, Hart House offers a variety of libraries and literary programs, such as the Hart House Review, U of T’s college-wide literary journal, and Writer’s Coop, where students can receive feedback on their creative written works. A quick look on the Hart House website will give you contacts, dates and the info you need to get involved in any of these activities.
- The Hart House camera club is also a great resource for aspiring photographers or videographers. The club rents out quality equipment for cheap, and they even have a photography darkroom for developing and enlarging film (a student membership for the whole year is just $25).
- Another hidden gem located at Hart House is the visual arts hub, made up of the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery and University of Toronto Art Centre. These establishments feature contemporary Canadian artists, as well as select historical pieces, all year round. Admission is free to students and the galleries are open from Tuesday to Saturday.
Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queens Park):
- The ROM showcases an extensive collection of artwork, cultural exhibitions, and natural history. Aside from its permanent collection, the ROM also hosts special exhibitions, gallery shows, and lectures throughout the year. They are currently displaying: “A Third Gender: Beautiful Youths in Japanese Prints,” “CHIHULY,” and a brand new exhibition called “Art, Honour, and Ridicule: Asafo Flags from Southern Ghana.” The ROM is located right across the street from Victoria College and on Tuesdays, general admission to the museum is free for students.
Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas Street West):
- The AGO’s impressive collection includes more than 80,000 pieces spanning from the first century to now. The gallery displays artworks from all around the world, such as: the European Old Master Collection, the African and Oceanic Collection, the Thomson Renaissance Collection and its very own Canadian Collection, with a special interest in the art of Toronto and Ontario.
- The AGO also showcases a variety of special exhibits. Current exhibitions include: “SuperReal: Pop Art from the AGO Collection,” “Theaster Gates: How to Build a House Museum,” and “The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris.” The AGO is located just down the street from St. Patrick Station on the Yonge–University Line. On Wednesday nights from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, entry to the AGO’s permanent collection is free to the public. Otherwise, general admission for students only costs $11.00.
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