VISUAL ARTS
AUGURIES AND DREAMS Christina Sealey’s practice is based primarily in drawing, painting and sound. Through her work she has been examining the relationship between identity and environment: the intimate connections between people and the places they inhabit. This exhibit is a collection of new paintings that explore the intangible and mysterious qualities of “night” or “darkness,” a dominant theme in Christina’s recent work. Red Head Gallery (401 Richmond St. W., 416-504-5654). Until Saturday.
DON VALLEY ART CLUB NOVEMBER ART SHOW Back by popular demand, more than 90 artists and more than 200 small, medium and large works will be at this show. There will be a wall of square-foot paintings at an affordable $144 each (you could even win one). Todmorden Mills Heritage Site (67 Pottery Rd., 416-396-2819). Until Sunday.
THE EDGE OF THE EARTH: CLIMATE CHANGE IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO Increasingly and forebodingly, artists are turning their attention to the subject of climate change, in poignant and often confrontational ways. This exhibit features recent and historic work by a range of pioneering and visionary artists. Ryerson Image Centre (33 Gould St., 416979-5164). Until Dec. 4.
PROMISED LAND: 125 YEARS OF UKRAINIANS IN CANADA presents original works reflecting Ukrainian-Canadian life. This extensive collection of archival photographs depicts various aspects of early Ukrainian pioneer life in Canada along with old farming, mining and building tools, furniture, clothing and documents also being on display. A documentary on William Kurelek will be shown in the museum library. Taras Schevchenko Museum (1614 Bloor St. W., 416-534-8662). Until Wednesday.
SALON OF INCLUSIVENESS To celebrate the end of the year, the fundamental idea of using crowdsourcing will be used to bring together this large and inclusive group show. The Salon of Inclusiveness, is a play and positive take on the Salon des Refusés: “In 1863 two-thirds of paintings presented at the Paris Salon were refused, including the works of Courbet, Édouard Manet, Camille Pissaro and Johan Jongkind. The works that didn’t align with the Emperor’s traditional tastes were, upon protest, shown in another part of the palace as the “Salon des Refusés.” The critical attention served to legitimize the emerging avant-garde in painting.” Opening reception this Friday from 7-10:30 p.m. Black Cat Gallery (2186 Dundas St. W., Theblackcat.to). Until Dec. 31.
A THIRD GENDER: BEAUTIFUL YOUTHS IN JAPANESE PRINTS For more than two-and-a-half centuries it was considered acceptable in Japanese culture for both men and women to treat male youths, or “wakashu,” as objects of sexual desire. This new art exhibition reveals this unsettling and little-known chapter through period works of art. Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queen’s Park, 416586-8000). Until Sunday.
WHY THE @#&! DO YOU PAINT? is the second group painting show curated by Spencer J. Harrison and Lukus Toane. Drawing from the human form is an act of observation and an action that creates human empathy. Utilizing the figure as a subject matter is where some of the earliest human marks were made. Stories were told, histories recorded and the obsession with observing the human form began. Although the history of figurative work is an extensive questioning as to whom we are observing, recording and rendering, this exhibition moves this questioning toward the contemporary discourse of inclusion. Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. W., 416531-4635). Until Monday.
THE WOUNDS OF WAR On June 3, 1916, a massive explosion wounded A.Y. Jackson during the Battle of Mount Sorrel, one of the toughest and most tragic of Canada’s First World War battles. The event changed Jackson’s life and transformed his art. This is an innovative new exhibition about A.Y. Jackson and Tom Thomson. Visitors will see Jackson’s only three known original drawings from his time as a soldier, on view for the first time since they were drawn in the heat of battle. McMichael Canadian Art Collection (10365 Islington Ave., Kleinburg, Ont. 905-893-1121). Until Jan. 8, 2017.