ICC at the ROM Presents Special Housepaint Programming

Provacative films and events complement street art exhibition. January through June 2009.

The Institute for Contemporary Culture (ICC) at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) presents a series of engaging programming to complement Housepaint, Phase 2: Shelter, the first exhibition on the subject of street art in a major Canadian museum.

In this provocative exhibition, ten colourful canvas houses exuberantly painted by ten of Canada’s leading street artists draw attention to social problems of poverty and homelessness. The evolution of Housepaint continues until June, where visitors are invited to view the transformation of the exhibition space as renowned street artists continue to add new works in response to the existing installations. Evoke’s recently completed work Expansion/Contraction is on display, while highly anticipated pieces by Other, Specter, Fauxreel and Elicser will be added in the coming months. Housepaint, Phase 2: Shelter will be on display until Sunday July 5, 2009.

An Evening with Cathy Crowe – Homelessness in our City

Thursday, January 29, 2009, 7pm, Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre

An introductory talk by renowned street nurse Cathy Crowe will be followed by a screening of Michael Connolly’s film Shelter from the Storm. The film provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the strategizing, debates and actions taken in Toronto to raise public awareness of homelessness. The talk and film will be followed by an informal panel discussion on the subject of homelessness today, featuring Cathy Crowe, Michael Connolly and Rainer ‘Dri’ Driemeyer, a former resident of Tent City, and current poverty activist. The discussion will be moderated by Professor David Huchanski, Director of Centre for Urban and Community Studies at the University of Toronto.

Free admission

Street Art Film Series

The ICC presents two recent films exploring the history, politics and future of street art around the world.
Tickets available at the door: $10 general, $8 students & seniors, $6 Friends of ICC.

Thursday, February 19, 2009, 7pm, Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre

Next: A Primer on Urban Painting (2005), Director: Pablo Aravena

Combining verité visual moments and interviews with various participants in the subculture, the film conveys the dynamism and creative brilliance of this important emerging artistic movement.

Screening to be followed by a Director’s Q & A.

Thursday, February 26, 2009, 7pm, Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre

BOMB IT (2007), Director: Jon Reiss.

This film tells the story of graffiti, tracing its roots in ancient rock paintings, through to Picasso and to its place in the emergent hip-hop culture of 1970s New York City.

Talking Street Art - A Panel Discussion

Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 6:30pm, Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre

A panel discussion examining the interplay between street artists, cultural institutions and the urban landscape. Panelists will include:

David Liss, Director, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto

Devon Ostrom, Curator ofHousepaint

Dan Bergeron, artist

Free Admission

Housepaint Family Weekend

Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26, 2009, 11am to 4pm

A weekend of fun, family-oriented activities in the ROM’s Rotunda will bring the artwork and theme of Housepaint alive for younger visitors. Activities will include a crafts table where young people can express what a ‘home’ means to them, as well as a collaborative project where children can contribute to a larger house, similar to the houses seen in the exhibition.

Activities will be partially facilitated by Sketch, an organization that creates opportunities for street-involved and homeless people aged 15-29, encouraging them to engage in the arts in a cross-discipline studio environment or in the community.

Free with ROM Admission

Film Screening

Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 7pm, Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre

The film Subtext (2008), by Toronto filmmaker Eric Weissman, focuses on Tent City’s residents over an eight-year period, bringing the story right up to the present day. The film provides an unabashed view of Tent City’s inhabitants’ attempts to achieve a mainstream lifestyle. The first installation of Housepaint was presented in June 2008 at the site of the former Tent City, a squatters’ community in downtown Toronto, to commemorate its former residents. The film will be followed by a question and answer session lead by the film’s director.

Tickets available at the door: $10 general, $8 students & seniors, $6 Friends of ICC.

Habitat for Humanity – Auction of Exhibition Art Work

June 2009

The canvas houses displayed in Housepaint will be auctioned, with all proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity Toronto. The auction will be held at the ROM. To register online for the auction, and to receive regular updates on the exhibit, please visit www.housepaint.ca.

More details on these events will be posted on the ICC’s website www.rom.on.ca/icc