VISUAL ARTS
ABANDONED SENTRIES: SHEILA JONAH, NATALIE DRAZ, JOHN DRAJEWICZ If the creation of a structure represents the values, hopes and ideals of a time in history, so too does its subsequent abandonment to the elements. This exhibition recognizes the hands of the builder or architect that created the structure that is now in decline or abandonment. The photographers wait for the perfect moment of light and silence to add that bit of visual magic and perfection, celebrating these proud, yet abandoned sentries of architecture. Part of Contact Photography Festival. Proof Studio Gallery (15 Case Goods Lane, 416-504-6761). Until May 31. CANADA BY TREATY: NEGOTIATING HISTORIES is a new pop-up exhibit that will travel between the University of Toronto’s three campuses. It explores treaties, those legal agreements with indigenous peoples that allowed non-indigenous people to live on and own land in what is now Canada. Hart House (7 Hart House Cir., 416-978-2452). Until May 26. DAVE ARNOLD: GOLDEN MOLES explores the oft-neglected phenomenon of discarded beauty. From the breathtaking models to the exquisite frames themselves, these stunning creations were once revered by those fortunate enough to lay eyes upon them. Golden Moles explores the oft-neglected phenomenon of discarded beauty. Opening tonight from 7 to 11 p.m. Unlovable (1415 Dundas St. W., 416-532-6669). Until May 28. EARS, EYES VOICE: BLACK CANADIAN PHOTOJOURNALISTS 1970S-1990S displays the work of photojournalists Jules Elder, Eddie Grant, Diane Liverpool, Al Peabody and Jim Russell, who began observing black scenes through their cameras in the late ‘70s. They represent a handful of AfricanCanadian (of Caribbean, and in one case, African-American origin) photojournalists hired by mainstream print media, several of whom experienced systemic racism in their field. Part of Contact Photography Festival. BAND Gallery (19 Brock Ave., 647-701-4323). Until May 27. AN ENDURING WILDERNESS: TORONTO’S NATURAL PARKLANDS Like the New Topographic photographers, Robert Burley’s practice concedes human action on the landscape by focusing on constructed urban environments. Sharing his predecessors’ survey-like sensibility, he brings an equally liminal awareness to his slow, tripod-dependent operation of observation, allowing viewers access to not only place, but also time. Part of Contact Photography Festival. John B. Aird Gallery (900 Bay St., 416-928-6772). Until May 26. SHELLEY NIRO: BATTLEFIELDS OF MY ANCESTORS For more than 30 years, multi-disciplinary artist and filmmaker Shelley Niro (Mohawk, turtle clan) has chronicled the land of the Mohawks. Best known for figurative imagery that challenges stereotypical interpretations of indigenous women, identity and culture, Niro’s quiet focus on landscape has been unwavering. Part of Contact Photography Festival. Fort York (250 Fort York Blvd., 416-392-6907). Until May 28. SIGNALS & SENTIMENTS is a twopart exhibition examining how gesture functions as a mechanism for the production of identity. In CDCC’s third-floor gallery, it takes the form of an intimate group show for which five Toronto-based artists — Sebastián Benítez, Petar Boskovic, Shelby Fenlon, Maxwell Hyett and Mickey Mackenna — consider the inner workings of the gestural urge. Part of Contact Photography Festival. Critical Distance, Artscape Youngplace (180 Shaw St., 416-530-2787). Until June 4. THE UNSUNG S/HEROES Through stunning large-scale photographic portraits and installations, this exhibition offers a look into the lives of African grandmothers on the front lines of the AIDS crisis. Constructed from photographs by Canadian photographer Alexis MacDonald, a staff member at the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Part of Contact Photography Festival. Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas St. E., 416-238-2453). Until May 31.