Alison | And Beyond

sweetness

2012-01-15T05:02:00.001-08:00

2 weeks in St. Maarten and a little trip over to St. Barths was a fabulous way to recharge our batteries. After a very hectic year those beautiful beaches and spectacular restaurants were just amazing. If you are ever there one of highlights for us was definitely the open air french bistro TROPICANA in the harbour of Marigot. We went back 4 times. The service was impeccable and the food exquisite. They have a crab, sweet potatoe, avacodo tart that is TO DIE FOR. nice wine list too.

after a year. life is good.

2011-04-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

well, i officially took a year off from bloggin'. my intentions were good but life got in the way. i feel as though i could write a novel about this full year i just lived. a quick synopsis is that we had our beautiful daughter on april 1, 2010, her name is hudson and she is just delicious. my husband and i went to italy with our daughter and 22 family and friends and had a dream wedding in tuscany at a magical place called la bandita. we then left the crew and traveled all through the country for 6 additional weeks, this was a remarkable way to start life as a family. i feel fortunate. i spent the fall and winter months immersed in my baby, going to music classes, yoga classes and mom and baby boot camp with other yummy mommys and their little sweethearts. i kept tuned into my gallery through my fantastic manager megan cornwall who has held down the fort and allowed me to focus on motherhood for an entire year. i also sat on the board at the AGO for the annual MASSIVE event which is coming up next week and will be another HUGE success. the tickets sold out 3 weeks before the event!!!! hope you are coming. i was lucky enough to get away a few times throughout the winter to the bahamas, turks and caicos and nyc. nyc provided me with a little art injection at the armory show and a stomp around some of the greatest restaurants that city has to offer (my highlights were milos, babbo, joseph leonard, la esquina, the breslin, balthazar and hangawi). who doesn't love nyc? i could live there in a heartbeat. this saturday is our spring show BLOOM at thevgallery. we are featuring spectacular new work by a handful of our incredible artists (Justine Fernie, Césan, Becky Fixter and Michel Beaucage). whew. see? busy? although we race around a fair bit i do find time to relax, turn off my blackberry, read, chill and snuggle up to my sweet little girl. it's the only way i can survive....

Food, Spa, Art...a good day.

2010-03-24T01:42:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know I love food. Perhaps I've mentioned that before? Back in the Fall the old RAIN reopened as AME (japanese for "rain") and I still hadn't visited. It was recently reviewed in Toronto Life as one of our city's 10 best so I figured it was time to give it a whirl. I've always been a fan of the Rubino brothers - they are big and bold and know how to create an experience. If you are looking for a clean and simple sushi experience you must know before you walk in to AME that that is not what you will get. Remember BIG and BOLD. I appreciate and love to indulge in clean and understated but there's something artful to the cuisine when the chef turns it into an experience by adding some complexity. Each dish arrives looking beautiful and abstract. There is colour, design and depth delicately combined to intrigue your senses before your first bite. The "mixologist" behind the bar has an unbelievable list of cocktails to choose from. With my baby only days away he was kind enough to mix a few virgins so I could somewhat indulge. Each drink has so many ingredients that you tend to lose track as they list off what you are about to consume, but the outcome is pretty spectacular (for a drink!). This one blew us all away: plum shochu with bourbon, seaweed, siracha, wasabi, sudachi and cilantro; sweetened with maple syrup and topped with egg-white foam - Y U M.

If you haven't visited the Elmwood Spa recently I suggest that you do before the end of April. The spa is hosting Copper Thunderbird – The Art of Norval Morrisseau, an exhibition of a private collection of over 40 paintings never before exhibited publicly together. The exhibition provides an overview of this his work, spanning over four decades, and including a number of his masterpieces. It has been said that if in the future, a single artist will represent a time, a people, and an artistic movement, it will be Norval Morrisseau, Copper Thunderbird. Just as the Group of Seven exemplifies a time and spirit of Canada in the early 20th century, native art - and particularly the Woodland School – will stand for the late 20th and early 21st century. To view this body of work in a spa environment is a breathtaking experience. The serene environment, clear head space and relaxed physical sense that you obtain after spending a few hours at the spa allowed me to truly feel the work and heightened my encounter.

Hope to see you this weekend at The Village Gallery (171 Lakeshore Road East, Mississauga) for LIVE with Justine Fernie. Come by, meet Justine, watch her create a piece LIVE at the gallery and enjoy a cup of coffee and some sweets and beats.....

Happy Hump Day...

Spring Fever

2010-03-18T06:15:00.001-07:00

I think all of us here in Toronto can agree that the weather is currently SPECTACULAR!!!!! Forget Spring, last night felt like Summer. We were strolling in flip flops at 730pm, it was still light outside and we were en route for a Burger - that's a glimpse of Summer for sure!!!! I have to give some kudos to this new burger joint in Liberty Village (dangerously across the street from our loft). Chuck and Co on Atlantic Avenue makes a damn fine burger. They have 8 burgers on the menu (the MONTREAL BURGER is burger meat and montreal smoked meat with whole grain mustard and toasted cumin coleslaw - YUM) and a selection of delicious side dishes (the Curry Poutine is ridiculous). The inside is kind of sterile looking which is a bizarre decor choice for a burger joint but on the upside it feels squeaky clean in there!!!!

We have noticed a surge of visitors to the gallery over these past 2 weeks of sunshine. Everyone is coming out of hibernation - YAH!!!! We have freshly painted walls and loads of wonderful new works being exhibited.

Megan and I visited the Artist Project last week and were encouraged by the strength of the work. Our artist ALISON HODSON had her booth set up with her latest series. Her work is a merge of photography and textile and the imagery she has used for this series is beautiful. You will find imagery from her travels, gorgeous fall scenes and of course her urban elements.

I am super excited about LIVE with Justine Fernie on March 27th at The Village Gallery (our permanent gallery space in Port Credit//Mississauga). Justine will be working on her latest piece in the gallery for the afternoon. Her work is bold and vibrant and full of life. She typically works with 2 subject matters: ABSTRACT and PORTRAIT. We will have a collection of her work in the gallery but this show is focusing on her portraits. Justine's clients get very excited about her commissions. She can take a family photo or collection of photos and turn it into a fun/edgy painting. It is the most fabulous gift that you could give. It's a great idea for a wedding or anniversary gift or just a very unique way of capturing your children (a moment in time). I encourage you to stop in for a coffee and meet Justine, she is a fabulous and talented woman!

Happy Spring...

WAY TO GO CANADA!

2010-03-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been incredibly thrilling. The nation certainly must have a collective sense of withdrawl after these Vancouver 2010 Games. We all spent 2 weeks glued to our televisions. It's wonderful to see Canadians coming together to celebrate such a victory. I watched the final hockey game with my friends and family in an Irish pub while simulanteouly celebrating my Grandfather's 90th Birthday.....talk about excitement.

Megan and I went down to the Toronto Art Expo this past weekend - we were scouting fresh talent. We had a chance to see an abundance of familiar faces and catch up with some old friends and artists in the industry along with meet some newbies. We are SUPER excited about Cesan's new body of work. We have worked with Cesan for the past 2 years in the gallery and will have new work appearing in the gallery very soon.

If you are looking for inspiration or ideas on creating a "gallery wall" in your home check out my latest coloumn that appeared on sweetspot.ca in the Ask An Expert section.

http://www.thevgallery.com/24Sweetspot_AskAli.html

David and I are weeks away from the arrival of our little bundle of love arriving so of course we are having a ball decorating the nursery. I wanted to share a beautiful painting by one of our artists that will hang on the wall. Martha Fleury's recent works reflect presence and absence: this is just one of the dualities of her work revolves around. Others include the literal and the ambiguous. The truths and fictions of memory. The gestural exuberance of drawing and the stillness of photography. We really fell in love with this piece:

2010-02-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the unique opportunity to view an incredible exhibition "in the raw" at the AGO. This is one of the many benefits of being an AGO NEXT member. I highly recommend signing yourself up. An individual membership costs $600 and the value is amazing as far as I'm concerned.

Here is a blurb directly from the AGO about NEXT:

The Art Gallery of Ontario invites you to join AGO Next, a dynamic new membership program for people under 40 who want to immerse themselves in the cultural life of Toronto. AGO Next connects its members with the vibrant art scene, offering intimate encounters with art and artists in invigorating social settings.

The private viewing started with a reception in Baillie Court. The wine and delicious appetizers were flowing and the room was buzzing. What a fantastic way to meet an amazing group of intelligent and interesting people. The arts scene always attracts exciting people. Where else would you meet a woman who is a lawyer by day, dancer by past and spinning teacher by early morning/evening......somewhere like this.....AGO NEXT! Following the reception we had a talk led by Sally Frater, she informed us of the artist/exhibition we were about to experience WANGECHI MUTU, You Call This Civilazation? Following the talk we headed down for our viewing. The room was still "in the raw" as I mentioned. The exhibition wasn't fully set up. Some of the work was still leaning against the walls and there were ladders in view. Most importantly, the room was not full of people so we actually had space to take it all in. Mutu is an African-born, New York based artist who produces stunningly intricate and collage-based works. Her work explores the contradictions of female and cultural identity and makes reference to colonial history, contemporary African politics and the international fashion industry. Piecing together magazine imagery with painted surfaces and found materials, Mutu’s elaborate collages mimic amputation, transplant operations and bionic prosthetics. The work truly draws the viewer in due to it's juxtaposition of beauty, grotesqueness and glamour.

GO SEE THIS EXHIBIT - YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPOINTED!

Following the show we headed over to an old fav for some dinner. My great pal Brad always takes good care of us when we dine at Rodney's Oyster House on King St. There's really nothing like some oysters, clam chowder and lobster. If you don't already frequent this spot, I suggest you get over there.

Have a great weekend.

Art @ Raw Aura

2010-02-16T03:21:00.001-08:00

I am super impressed with the new restaurant in Port Credit, just down the street from "the village gallery". It is a fabulous concept although probably considered "edgy" for Port Credit, it's catching on quick! The concept of RAW AURA is "Organic Cuisine". The art of "uncooking" is the love child between man's exquisite culinary craftsmanship and the cornucopia of life-giving plants from the earth. "Uncooking" with raw foods means that nothing is ever heated above 43c/110f. The food is packed with the finest fruits, vegetables, greens, sprouts, nuts and seeds and it is absolutely DELISH. I highly recommend giving it a whirl. I've been integrating this "rawness" into my diet for the past few years and I really do notice a difference. If you have visited Rawlicious or Live Food Bar downtown Toronto, you already know what I'm talkin' about. My favorite item on the menu from last week was the PASTA BOLEGNESE (angel hair zucchini pasta tossed in a roasted red pepper basil tomato sauce, spicy sunflower seed sausage, sprouted lentils and kale. topped with pine nut parmesan).

The art on the walls is compliments of "the village gallery" and at the moment we are featuring the work of Becky Fixter, a collection of bold and colourful abstract pieces. Check out our site to experience more:

http://www.thevgallery.com/BeckyFixter.html

Go check it out and let me know what you think:
94 Lakeshore Road E
raw-aura.com
905.891.2872

February blahhhhs...NO WAY!!!

2010-02-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

Well February has started off with a BANG. We are super busy in the gallery, it's fabulous. My life is filled with a good balance of art and baby prep (less than 6 weeks until the big arrival). We had our 2010 planning meeting with our crew here at the gallery and I think everyone left feeling pumped about our new artists, new adventures and upcoming events. If you haven't met the team you should come in and introduce yourself or least sneak a peek at the photos below. Our newest additions are Mallory and Bonnie - both fitting right in to our world here at thevgallery/ArtBeyondWalls.

I can't believe how quickly the MASSIVE PARTY is approaching! This is definitely THE event of 2010. The line up of artists and entertainment is fabulous and the theme of Speakeasy will make for an evening of mystery and excitement. The event is at the AGO and I highly recommend purchasing your tickets immediately. I have had the privilege of being on the committee and being part of everything from day 1.

Stay tuned for my next post where I will introduce some of our new artists and post my ASK THE EXPERT column from sweetspot.ca.

If you are downtown and haven't sampled the delicious pizza at PIZZA LIBERTO on Ossignton. I encourage you to get in there!!!! It's delish.......

Talk soon
Alison

Jacquie

Bonnie and Mallory

Megan and Alison

The IDS...it's a wrap

2010-01-26T10:09:00.000-08:00

WHEW! What a fantastic weekend at the IDS. It's always inspiring to walk through the show and see all of the new ideas and trends. The Gala on Thursday night was well attended and of course everyone in the design industry always looks fabulous - the people watching opportunities are awesome. The MONK lounge was definitely my favorite little hot spot. The lounge was designed by Rhed and created by Templar, the development brain trust behind the Templar Hotel Toronto, Langston Hall – Limited Edition Residences and Citizen House. The interior looked fabulous, the tunes were pumping and they served food from my fav brunch spot SCHOOL in Liberty Village. Dave and I can't resist our Sunday morning stop in for their decadent menu and not-to-mention they serve THE BEST latte in the city in my opinion. The coolest thing they did was offer an "order by text" system where you could text them your order at the IDS and these adorable girlies on segways would deliver delicious eats to your booth. BRILLIANT.

Everyone kept falling in love with Justine Fernie's piece "Her Madgesty" - how can you resist a large colourful abstract painting of Madonna? It was funny to hear how many people recognized the piece but couldn't quite place why. It is featured on the Fashion Television commercial that plays over and over and over again. FT was at our event in September and after interviewing Justine they used her piece in their commerical - YAH JUSTINE!!!!!

Pictured below is Lisa Canning (decorater extrodinaire), lovely ladies from frontrowmag.com Rachelle, Michelle & Stacey, Rebecca Mason (designer from The Design Agency) Megan Corwall and I (art consultants) and Juli & John from Mjolk...

Check us out on Alternavox - Alison Brown wrote a great review after running into us at the IDS
http://alternavox.net/paintbox/the-interior-design-showids10/

Up and Coming...

2010-01-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

Up and Coming

I am so excited for the next few weeks. For the first few years I had the gallery I always found January painfully slow and administrative. This month is everything but that! We are working with some fabulous new clients and starting to get some wonderful new paintings in the gallery.

This Friday is the inaugeration of AGO's NEXT. You should consider joining!!! David and I will be there at the party. Here's a little blurb on it:

An exclusive new membership program for people under 40 who want to immerse themselves in the cultural life of their city. AGO Next will connect its members with the vibrant art scene in Toronto, offering intimate encounters with art and artists in invigorating social settings.

Next week is a big week for us as well. It's the Interior Design Show at the Metro Convention Centre and we are in booth 219. We'll be there from Thursday-Sunday showcasing some edgy and fun work. If you have the chance you should come to THE ULTIMATE PARTY on opening night. Check out the images below - a sneak peek at some of the work that will be at IDS.

Oooooh and if you are looking for a place to dine and haven't tried Cinq01 on College, you should. It reminded me of a boutique hotel but somehow stayed "warm". Same designers as Colbourne Lane, Kultura, Nyood etc. Food was excellent. Lotsa truffles incorporate, which I am a SUCKER for. Must try the Chick Pea Fries.....decadent with the dips....

Have a fabulous week....

Welcome...

2010-01-12T12:19:00.001-08:00

Let me begin by introducing myself. My name is Alison Goodwin and I am the founder of THE VILLAGE GALLERY and ART BEYOND WALLS. THE VILLAGE GALLERY doors were opened in summer of 2003. I spent most of my life before that studying the arts in many forms, my main focus on ballet and modern dance. It was the slow downward spiral of my involvement in the dance world that sparked my interest in the art world. After completing a degree in Fine Arts at York University I spent a few years living in Los Angeles where I went on a number of exciting adventures. I earned a diploma in Business Studies, did some work with a few local dance companies, assisted a fabulous up and coming fashion designer in her studio, worked in a phenomenal little Hollywood restaurant (that’s where the real adventure occurred) and of course partied with the best of ‘em – LA styles. Upon my return to Toronto I was hungry to begin my career. I was no longer performing or interested in teaching dance, I couldn’t picture myself in a corporate environment, didn’t really want a boss and loved the arts….
I live in a fabulous loft in Toronto with David and our Tiny Goldendoodle named Yoko. When I’m not in the gallery I sometimes feel overwhelmed with all of the “other” things I want to do. I absolutely LOVE practicing yoga and have regularly for well over a decade. I have a food fetish. Cooking is a form of therapy for me and I LOVE dining out. Over the years I have eaten in hundreds of restaurants and acquired a taste for all cuisines. I also love traveling, pop culture, spending time with my family and friends and exploring whatever is going on in Toronto and beyond (art, music, food/wine, dance, fashion). I’m on the AGO Art Massive board where we are planning a KILLER event for April 2010 (stayed tuned).
The purpose of this Blog is to talk about what’s going on at the gallery but also talk about other experiences that are influencing my life. My work is based on relationships. Besides the thrill and honour of working with artists and dealers I get the wonderful opportunity to build relationships with my clients.
2010 is going to be a very exciting year at the gallery and for me personally. I’m expecting my first baby at the end of March and am putting the gallery into the very capable hands of Megan Cornwall. Megan joined me in June 2009 and I am both delighted and fortunate to have her. Megan is articulate, spunky and incredibly sweet. She has a great eye for style and design. I value her opinion and as our clients continue to get to know her they do too…