I recently spent a cold January afternoon in Allan Gardens with my good friend Lauren, who has finally returned home from her travels in Oceania. The Conservatory's lush foliage and exotic greens make it a perfect place to seek refuge during Toronto's long winter months.
Allan Gardens Conservatory
19 Horticultural Avenue
Toronto, ON
M5A 2P2
The best thing about Toronto this time of year is the sheer amount of activity surfacing throughout each pocket of the city. This past Saturday I spent the day outdoors, beginning my weekend with a Jane's Walk of Trinity Bellwoods, West Queen West and Lower Ossington. A really interesting tour, we learned about the gentrification of the neighbourhood, the ubiquitous Victorian bay-and-gable homes that line the residential streets, and the important street artists who've made their mark on the hidden laneways throughout the neighbourhood. Jane's Walks are great opportunities to explore a new part of the city and learn the history behind Toronto's many diverse communities. I highly recommend checking one out this spring.
After finishing the Jane's Walk at the Toronto Flower Market in Shaw Park, I headed to the Art Gallery of Ontario to visit the new Painting Tranquility: Vilhelm Hammershøi exhibit. Hammershøi is one of Denmark's most famous painters, best-known for his paintings of serene interiors and intimate portraits of his wife. I enjoyed the paintings of the familiar streetscapes of Copenhagen and the haunting undertones of his works. For those interested, the exhibit (which is on loan from Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen) is on until June 26th.
Next door, I checked out OCADU's GradEx 101. GradEx is an annual showcase of student work, and this year marked OCAD University's 101st exhibition. It's amazing to see the new and unique talent coming out of this school - the craftsmanship and creativity put into these final thesis works was remarkable. An overall awesome exhibition in one of my favourite buildings in Toronto.
