© Reprinted from ARTFOCUS/70, Winter 2001 T H E...S E A S O N.. I N... R E V I E W A Photo Essay by Pat Fleisher The year 2000 began with CNN's brilliant display of pyrotechnics around the world...for ARTFOCUS it continued with a non-stop series of interracting dynamics with the artworld.

In February ARTFOCUS organized a book launch for The Theatre of the Self, the life and times of the late William Ronald (the maverick pioneer Ontario abstract expressionist who founded Painters Eleven) with David Mirvish Books on Art in Toronto. BC author Robert Belton flew in for the book signing in Toronto, with Helen Ronald, the artistís first wife. Old friends and admirers of the artist were greeted by theatre impressario and former gallery owner, David Mirvish, who exhibited Ronald on his return from New York in the 60ís. A few weeks later we were treated to a dynamic exhibit of Ronaldís last large scale paintings (found in his Barrie studio after his death) at The Christopher Cutts Gallery on Morrow Street. As a result of the book launching, the Cutts show was featured in a 2-page centre colour spread in the Books section of The Globe & Mail, and a controversial interview with Ronaldís 2nd wife, Alana, in Montreal, was published in The National Post. ARTFOCUS/68, the first issue of the new millennium was launched in March at the elegant downtown Sandra Ainsley Gallery on Wellington Street. The issue featured US glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, represented by Ainsley in Toronto. Tower of Jerusalem, a huge melting ice sculpture, created by the sculptor alongside the ancient wall of Jerusalem to symbolize world hopes for peace in Israel, was featured on the cover. The 2nd Spring Artfocus Artists' Showcase was held May 9-12, 2000 in the Atrium Rotunda of Scotia Plaza in downtown Toronto. Over 20 Canadian artists participated in this successful show & sale. A portrait commission was awarded to York University student, Julia Pletmeva by Scotia Plaza. Neighbouring art dealer Sandra Ainsley, once more gave us her time and expertise, in selecting the artist for Best in Show: Photographer Eric Beldowski was selected for the prize of a free portfolio on the ARTFOCUS website. In May, flew to New York for the New New Painters show at the famous Armory building. Toured galleries in Chelsea and met directors of the famous PS#1 at an East Village party. Returned to Toronto to set up my personal show of Toronto City Kitsch colour photos at Original Papers Gallery in Yorkville, May 18-31. The exhibit, part of Contact 2000, the 4th Annual Toronto Photography Festival, included a hand-made artistís book consisting of collaged photos and text. Presented a slide show and talk on my visit to the New York art scene on a Sunday nite at the gallery. In July ARTFOCUS helped organize an art launch in Montreal, hosted by the Spanish consul, at Stanley Borensteinís Galerie díart Contemporain on Crescent Street. (Borenstein recently opened a Toronto branch, Prince Arthur Gallery, in Yorkville.) The launch was in honour of Spanish/ American artist Angel Orensanzís outdoor sculpture installation on St. Laurent Street, an artist-initiated project of the City of Montreal, Cultural Affairs. Lunched with Normand Biron, President of AICA Canada Inc, and director of city- sponsored art projects. Also in July, my Toronto cityscape photos (selected over the internet) were included in a group show, Canada Greets the Millenium in 12 Canadian Consulates in the Caribbean, which opened in Mexico City. Through July and August, continued showing my Original Papers photo series in Toronto, first at Indigo Books on Bay Street, followed by Starbucks Coffee @ Yonge @ Bloor, in the former Britnellís bookstore. ARTFOCUS/69, presenting the burgeoning Queen Street West gallery scene and a ìMoose in Torontoî cover by Fiona Smyth was launched at the end of August in Spin Gallery, where Fionaís work was on view. The party was hosted by gallery director Stewart Pollock, one of the newest ìmovers & shakersî in the area and his partner, BCE PLACE ë99 prizewinner, Juno Youn. Our launch preceded an official launch of the new Queen Street (west of Bathurst) art area with a ribbon-cutting in November and a Globe & Mail feature that focused on our former Toronto reviewer, Virginia MacDonnelís new gallery by the same name. From September 11-17, flew to London, England to attend the AICA Congress 2000, a meeting of the International Association of Art Critics co- hosted by Goldsmith College and the new Tate Modern museum. Shipped copies of the past two issues of ARTFOCUS to the congress (via Canada 3000ís Air Cargo) to be distributed to the 320 art critic/delegates attending from 71 countries around the world! (The issues contained articles on both the Toronto & Montreal contemporary art scenes). In London, you establish your bearings around the Thames River and ìthe underground.î Events and locations were either on the north or south banks of the river or on the riverside itself. Although we were bussed occasionally, ìthe undergroundî was the general mode of travel, other than ìhoofing itî, which we did aplenty! Taxis were a rare luxury, due to a European-wide fuel blockade during our visit. Congress meetings were preceded by several days of musum and gallery visits in central London before the seminars at the new Tate Modern on the South Bank of the Thames commenced on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On Monday there was a tour of West End commercial galleries, concentrating on trend-setters such as Anthony DíOffay Gallery on Dering Street and the Saatchi Gallery on Boundary Road in the evening. Tuesday began with a tour of the original Tate Britain museum featuring the exhibition Intelligence: New British Art 2000. I was impressed immediately with the emphasis on YBA (Young British Artists) at every turn; it seems that London curators seek them out in emerging galleries in the farthest corners of the city. A bus tour of East London in the afternoon organized by the Contemporary Art Society, introduced us directly to the ìalternate scene,î where budding galleries present the newest talents. In England the YBAís are feted like Pop stars on the art scene. Young artists introduced by Maureen Paley Interim Art, The Approach (above a bar), Anthony Wilkinson, VOID & Bilis (artist-led spaces), Modern Art and Platform (a project space) appear frequently in the credits of theme exhibitions in public museums. Wednesday offered a choice of itineraries: a countryside bus tour to Hertfordshire to visit the late sculptor Henry Mooreís Studio; a bus visit to Guildwood Sculpture Park in Sussex to see contemporary British sculpture; or a subway ride to Greenwich to see Richard Rogersí controversial centre-piece to Londonís 2000 celebrations, the Millennium Dome, combining art, architecture and high-tech entertainment on a gigantic scale. I opted for the Dome: it was everywhere on the horizon as we travelled around the city and it was interesting to see it from square in the centre, as daring acrobats swung on harnesses beneath 100 foot ceilings and jugglers and giants on stilts wandered by. The day concluded with an address by Charles Jenks, distinguished architectural critic, at the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, followed by a reception at nearby Canada House as guests of Sothebyís. Thursday, I attended some of the AICA seminars and took time off to tour the much talked about exhibits and architecture of the new Tate Modern. The museum (now occupying Londonís remodelled gigantic electric power plant) has instantly become an icon and impetus for Londonís South Bank transformation, spawning artistic walkways along the shores of the river, a new high-tech subway station and the sleek Millennium Bridge, linking the historic landmark of St.Pauls Cathedral across the river to the new museum. It was rewarding to finally see a cinematic installation by Canadian Janet Cardiff in the new Tate, and to experience a London subway station as presented by Cardiff in The Missing Voice a few issues ago. (On my return to Toronto I immediately initiated a dialogue with ARTFOCUS readers, by linking the many brilliant and controversial ìTate Modernî articles on the internet to ARTFOCUS ONLINE.) Friday, London lived up to its rainy tradition, and fortunately I was able to take a taxi to the Royal Academy in central London. I was impressed that this smaller, less funded museum has placed itself squarely in the lead internationally by using curatorial imagination and style to present leading edge shows such as Sensation in ë97 and now Apocalypse: Beauty and Horror in Contemporary Art in 2000. Although the show was still under construction and could not be previewed, I collected photos and contacted our London-based reviewer, Canadian artist/writer Monica Biagioli to attend the opening, the week after my visit. On my return to Toronto in October, made another internet connection via AICA USA: my Montreal cityscape photo was included in Snapshot, an invitational exhibition of 1,000 artists @ Contemporary Museum in Baltimore from November 2, 2000 to January 14, 2001. The museum produced a unique CD -ROM catalogue of all the photographs, for exhibitors & media. In late fall ARTFOCUS held the 9th Annual Fall Artistís Showcase at the Rotunda, Metro Hall from November 7 to 10, 2000. Twenty-two artists participated with 14 awards presented. Although mostly Canadian artists, through the internet we reached French-born Ivory Coast artist Traore Oumeroo who flew to Toronto from Paris to present his African motif mixed media works. Judges for the Artists Awards were artist Lorne Wagman (represented by Deleon White Gallery on Avenue Road)and Paul P (from West Wing Gallery, a Queen Street West co-op). Artists selected by the judges for awards were: Best in Mixed Media awarded by Staedtler-Mars to Traore Oumarou and Jane Waldock; Best in Oil Pastel awarded by Staedtler-Mars to Tomolennon. Best in Photography, a framing certificate from Armand Gallery to Eric Beldowski; Best in Acrylic awarded by The Kodiak Gallery to Pierre Turner; Best in Electronic Media awarded by AGO Bookstore to Leslie Walters; Best in Drawing awarded by Steadtler-Mars to Uki Itahana and Valentine Ioppe; Best in Watercolour awarded by Winsor & Newton to Beverley Shukyn; Best in Oil awarded by The Kodiak Gallery to Richard Bursey; The runners up for Best in Show were Evelyn Pollock and Pierre Turner. Best in Show was a $200 Gift Certificate awarded by Woolfitts Art Supplies and an easel from Kodiak Gallery to Epifanio Manalo. A first in this show was a Visitor's Choice Award donated by Golden Acrylics and given to Iranian-born artist Parvaneh Miremadi for her large painting, Niagara Falls. This intensive ìshowbizî experience was continued the following week with an Artfocus Press Booth at Toronto 2000 International Art Fair, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Front Street, from November 16 to 20. Directed by Lionel Rebenchuk of Vancouver, this event was the first successful international art fair in Toronto, since the former ARTMAGAZINE ìArt Torontoî shows in the ë80ís. Rebenchuk presented the art of more than 60 prestigious dealers from across Canada, the USA, Austria, Indonesia, Spain, England, Colombia, South Korea, Honduras, Slovenia, Venezuela and Dominican Republic. Feature exhibits were English artist Lynn Chadwickís large stainless steel sculpture Beast Allerted; Kicking the Covers, a display of artistís books from the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario; and London, Ontario, artist Murray Favroís SD40 Diesel Engine, a life-size wooden train on a track (a great favourite with the kids!). The program of lectures & panel discussions designed to empower professionalism in art dealing, was a popular element of TIAF 2000. Visitorsí attendance was rumoured to be well over 30,000 ensuring that the show will become a regular event in Toronto! Two post-Metro Hall exhibits were arranged by ARTFOCUS at Starbucks Coffee on Yonge @ Bloor: in November, a group show of photographers and in December the prizewinning artists in all other media. Starbucks hosted a ìcoffee-tastingî launch for the artists on Mon., Dec. 4. Artfocus staff: not to be forgotten, two talented 19 year old ìinternsî who arrived on our doorstep to help ARTFOCUS during the year 2000: Hong-Kong born Sally Kwan, in the spring and Polish-born Malina Sankowska, in the fall. Sallyís forte was web design, so we spruced up the ìlookî of ARTFOCUS ONLINE and added ìdrop menusî to every section; while Malina was a ìpeople person,î helping work with artists for the fall art fair and initiating design concepts for ARTFOCUS/70 feature articles. The 2000 season ended with the ARTFOCUS/70 Launch planned @ Gallery One** in Yorkville, hosts of the Goya Disasters of War etchings reviewed in this issue by South-African born artist/writer, Oliver Girling. **Ed.Note: The launch was changed to Scotland Yard, an English pub in Toronto, Feb.15, 2001. David Mirvish @ launch for The Theatre of the Self @ D M Books in Toronto. Helen Ronald with writer Barry Callaghan @ William Ronald exhibit @ Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto. Sandra Ainsley, Director, S A Gallery in Toronto. (L) Anthony Gormley, sculpture @ The Centennial Dome, London. (R) Kim Levin, USA critic @ The Village Voice, Pres.AICA International @ London reception. (Centre) Sculptor Angel Orensanz with Spanish consul & his wife @ Montreal installation. Akira Kumoto, photoartist from Japan @ Deleon White Gallery in Toronto Juno Youn, Artfocus prizewinner 1999, @ Spin Gallery, Toronto Shayne Dart, sculptor @ Lonsdale Gallery, Toronto Toronto 2000 International Art Fair @ Metro Toronto Convention Centre in November.

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