Toni Morrison. Courtesy Christopher Drexel/Flickr.
Toni Morrison died this week, August 5, at age 88. She gifted readers worldwide with her adept mastery of language, crafting stories that highlighted the interior lives of Black women. Known for novels like Beloved, Song of Solomon and The Bluest Eye, she was also an editor who helped many emerging Black writers get published. There’s been an outpouring from writers and artists across the Black diaspora honouring her legacy, including Canadian poet and novelist Dionne Brand in The Globe and Mail. (The Globe and Mail)
The Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation announced $23,000 for New Brunswick artists through scholarships and bursaries. Winners of the SHMF International Residency, Advanced Studies Scholarships and the Fred Ross Scholarship are Amanda Fauteux, Julie Caissie, Elise Anne LaPlante and Edyn Sierra Albert, respectively. (Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation)
Esker Foundation announced the launch of a new contemporary art map for Calgary. The printed maps include 39 galleries across the city, up from the previous 21. (Esker Foundation)
A new print edition of Judith Rodger’s Greg Curnoe: Life & Work was released by the Art Canada Institute. From the National Gallery of Canada: “comparing him to Manet and Matisse, she remarks upon his skill in creating volume through a ‘characteristic juxtaposition of pattern…and complementary colours to denote shadows.’” The book also gives insights into Curnoe’s eccentric personality. (NGC)
Artist and Vancouver Pride grand marshal Idris Hudson presents “The Symbol of Unconditional Love.” Work by the local Indigenous artist and LGBT advocate will be at On Main Gallery in Vancouver’s Chinatown. The exhibit opens August 8. (CBC)
In London, UK, a teenager was arrested for throwing a young boy from the 10th-floor viewing gallery of the Tate Modern. The 17-year-old, who is being charged with attempted murder, is in custody. The 6-year-old boy is in critical but stable condition. (CBC)
