VISUAL ARTS
12 TREES: GOOD FOR THE EARTH Last year designers were asked to reimagine the traditional Christmas tree for this fundraising exhibition, now going into its 28th year. The results included trees made from silk umbrellas, embossed air conditioner coils and the negative space between two lightning bolts. This year’s theme, Good for the Earth, celebrates the very foundations of clay, the Earth. Artists were invited to propose tree installations made up of recycled or sustainable materials, that focus on the handmade or that illustrate something that is good for the Earth. Gardiner Museum (111 Queen’s Park Ave., 416-586-8080). Until Jan. 8, 2017. ART AND INNOVATION: TRADITIONAL ARCTIC FOOTWEAR Essential for survival in the region, footwear has been a crucial part of living in the arctic. This exhibition highlights the functional uses of footwear for the 40+ cultures that have lived in the region and how they found a way to express themselves through them. Garments and tools of the Arctic peoples are also on display, providing a better look into their daily lives in one of the world’s harshest climates. Bata Shoe Museum (327 Bloor St. W., 416-9797799). Until Dec. 31. ASTRAL BODIES is a group exhibition bringing together works that imagine spaces beyond the physical — emotional, mythological, cosmological — tracing efforts to understand the nature of divinity and how we fit into the universe. In the context of this exhibit, this assembly of viewpoints results in an exploration of contemporary Western pathologies, contradictions and anxieties about what lies beyond our immediate reality. Mercer Union (1286 Bloor St. W., 416-536-1519). Until Feb. 4, 2017. FASHION VICTIMS: THE PLEASURES & PERILS OF DRESS IN THE 19TH CENTURY The excess and luxury of the 19th century is put on full parade, along with the dangers of fashion more concerned with appearance than comfort or safety. Many of the sharp looking shoes and clothing items betray the sinister insides that crush feet with their restrictive space or infect with their poisonous dyes. This exhibit delves deeply into just how far the men and women of the 19th century would go to look fashionable, often putting their own health at risk. Bata Shoe Museum (327 Bloor St. W., 416-979-7799). Until Jan. 23, 2017. STORIES WE TELL: VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITIONS FALL 2016 These five fall exhibitions helped to celebrate the 37th International Festival of Authors and Nuit Blanche at the Harbourfront Centre. The lineup includes Five Ways, which explores the graphic novel and is guest curated by Canadian cartoonist, writer and artist Seth. Other exhibitions feature artists who expand on visual narratives through photography and with craft and design objects. Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay W., 416-973-5379). Until Dec. 22. WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR Whether you’re a nature lover, aspiring photographer or simply love a perfectly captured moment, come explore the natural world, wildlife and the very best in nature photography. Featuring new photographs from the 2016 competition, this exhibit continues to amaze and move viewers with the remarkable beauty and diversity of the natural world. Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queen’s Park, 416-586-8000). Until March 19, 2017. 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 the Canadian 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.