Artist Cooperative of Canada

Inside Out show for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2011 at Spadina Museum

2011-10-01T10:58:00.000-04:00

Several Photos from " Under the Surface" 2010

2011-04-25T22:12:00.000-04:00

wendy wobeser

elizabeth greisman

elizabeth greisman osnat lippa

Under the Surface Show at Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2010

2010-10-29T10:34:00.000-04:00

Artist Cooperative of Canada and guest artists, our scientist and the Hathorah Sound Collective had a spectacular show at Spadina Museum.
This was the third year that we participated at Spadina Museum for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche.
Our footpath for the show was different from the previous years and we installed some of the show inside the museum, to be viewed from the grounds. With great appreciation and thanks to our artists, museum staff, musicians and our scientist for an outstanding show.
A huge thank you as well to our audience for your continued support and interest!
Photographs to follow

Artist Residencies and Curated Studio Show

2010-09-19T10:42:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth Greisman returned to Ireland for two Artist Residencies in July/August 2010

The Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Co. Monaghan and the Cill Rialaig Project in Co. Kerry, Ireland

Elizabeth spent July with old and new friends at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre.

She concentrated on her dance figures, images from Dance Canada and the landscape of Ireland. Elizabeth spent some time drawing the Coisceim dancers in Dublin and then began to develop her portrait series. The portrait series of other artists was a concept developed at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. Elizabeth asked an artist to give her an hour and a half to sit for their portrait. She worked in acrylics for the portraits.

Elizabeth does two pictures of her subject and gives one to the sitter and keeps one for her series.

Elizabeth curated a show in her Studio at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. The show was open for informal visits during her stay and also during the Open Studio. Poets, writers, performance artists and visual artists were asked to contribute one photo of their work or one article or poem.

This year’s participants were:

Visual Artists:

Frith Bail, Canada

Gloria Stein, Canada

Alexander Moyle, Canada

Wendy Wobeser, Canada

Osnat Lippa, Canada,

Lluis Farre, Spain

Claudia del Rio, Argentina

Maya Foltyn, Canada

Robin Hollingbrook, Canada

Antoinette Breen, Ireland

Chari Cohen, Canada

Performance Artists:

Hortense Gerardo, USA

Poets and Writers

Juliet Bressan, Ireland

Jean O’Brien, Ireland

Helen Ryan, Ireland

Hoa Pham, Australia

Nick MacIssac, Canada

Rebekah Clarkson, Australia

Ariella Damelin, Canada

"Under The Surface" (Spadina Museum) - Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2010

2010-09-19T10:27:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth Greisman, lead artist

Artist Cooperative of Canada plus guest artists and vocal sound collective, Hathorah, will provide the viewer with an outstanding opportunity to experience the spectacular six acre site in downtown Toronto at Spadina Museum. The show will be outdoor, with multimedia exhibits and artwork lit within the House. The viewer will experience a varied response to the theme on a lit pathway around the site. Paintings of the costumed activities of women and men in the interwar period will illuminate the house. Ceramic sculptures, a mobile and digital imagery will convey the restoration theme currently being carried out at Spadina Museum. The medical history of Tuberculosis in the interwar period will be added by our medical advisor /artist. Hathorah Sound Collective will provide the added dimension of sound to the visuals of the show.

News for 2010

2010-06-20T19:37:00.000-04:00

2010 Residencies for Elizabeth Greisman

Elizabeth will be in Residence in Ireland in summer of 2010

She will be painting the historic dance figure and landscape while in Residence at The Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Co. Monaghan and then will go on to her scholarship Residency at The Cill Rialaig Project in Co. Kerry. She will be painting landscape at Cill Rialaig.

News about Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2010 -

Artist Cooperative and guest artists will be creating " Under the Surface" at Spadina Museum for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2010

This year we have two artists, a doctor/ artist and a sound collective joining our group:

Elizabeth Greisman, painter

Gloria Stein, installation artist

Frith Bail, ceramicist

with guest artists

Alexander Moyle, sculptor

Osnat Lippa, digital artist

Wendy Wobeser, scientist/artist

The Hathorah Sound Collective

The theme of the show is what is under the surface, keeping with the restoration of Spadina Museum to the 1920's period.

ScotiaBank Nuit Blanche 2009 - Another Fabulous Year!!!

2009-10-26T20:44:00.000-04:00

The Artist Cooperative of Canada and guest artist Ximena Berecochea did it again! We pulled it off! Despite challenging weather conditions, technical issues and last minutes adjustments the show was an even better than the year before. As last year this was primarily an outdoor exhibit on the grounds of historical Spadina museum. Due to the fact that the show was outside the weather played an important role in what needed to be done. And it did not cooperate at all. The rain did not stop until an hour before, preventing us from properly pre-installing as we did last year; the wind was obnoxious, ripping the installations from their places and hurling pieces of artwork into the ditch; the lighting provided an added melodrama to a drenched and tense scene.

But we did it in spite of all of this. The lighting people and our installers worked till midnight. Your efforts will not be soon forgotten. Everyone who worked outside had major adjustments to deal with. Nancy Reynolds, the Museum Site Co-ordinator at Spadina was key to our success. Her kindnesses, generosity, support and flexibility was priceless. We could not have pulled it off without her.

Great many thanks to all involved! With well over 2200 visitors and many accolades we will not soon forget this memorable night.

Fabulous Event, Suitable for All

2009-09-22T11:01:00.001-04:00

Fall is an exciting season for the Artist Cooperative of Canada. We are all participating in "Wild!" at the Spadina Museum as part of Scotiabank's Nuit Blanche 2009 from October 3 to 4. In preparation, our members continue their artistic pursuits with passion and imagination.

Elizabeth is preparing a series of nine-foot canvases in acrylic paint and is working on handpainted furniture in nighttime tones. These are based on the wild animals, insects and the flora and fauna of the pre-colonization area of Toronto.

Alina is preparing a digital media show based on her paintings from on her kayak trip in the wilds of Georgian Bay. She is linking her interpretation to the "Wild!" show at Spadina Museum.

Frith is preparing a large, ceramic sculpture of a woman in the wild. On the pathway for the "Wild!" show, she will show a series of ceramic birds, eggs and nests in a naturalized setting.

Gloria is keeping her installation under wraps, waiting to surprise "Wild!"'s audience with her outstanding work. Her creation is bound to impress with its multi-level imagery.

Guest artist Ximena is working on a series of photographs to display on a large screen. These are based on her interpretation of insect bites.

Elizabeth Greisman: Solo August show entitled "Resonances from the Tyrone Guthrie Centre"

2009-05-11T21:15:00.010-04:00

The show ran from August 6th - 13th 2009 and was held at the Canadian Embassy in Dublin, Ireland. Elizabeth is supported by the Ontario Arts Council. Below is the description that was available for posting on the Web at the time of show.

ART EXHIBITION

“Resonances from the Tyrone Guthrie Centre”
By Elizabeth Greisman

The exhibition shows Elizabeth Greisman’s impressions of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, in Monaghan, Ireland and its surrounding landscape where she has had a summer residency during 2008 and 2009.

The idea was conceived as a continuation of a project begun at a residency in the Banff Centre in Canada while drawing and painting each day from the same vantage point. At TGC she paints each day in a similar way looking at the lake or the formal gardens and colleagues, noting the changes in weather, light and subtle changes of the plant forms and reflections on the water. For 2009, a palette dictated by the historical artifacts and gardens of the big house at TGC was imposed on her landscape paintings in a panoramic format. This series of paintings highlights the rich interior of the house, formal gardens and vast landscape of the area. An anecdotal bridge from the architectural details of the gardens, lake and house is shown. Elizabeth’s passion for the spiritual qualities of the landscape while shaped by an intuitive link with the historical setting have afforded the inspiration and encouragement to develop this project.

Elizabeth’s artistic practice concentrates thematically on two life-long interests, landscape and the moving figure. She works mostly in oils and acrylics on canvass and paper. In a residency setting she paints on canvass of a uniform size, out of doors, with the intention of enlarging these images during the year at her studio in Toronto.

Her visual art is experienced through her training as a landscape designer and as a dancer. She attended Canadian and international residencies since 2001 and finds that the cultural immersion and time to work without distraction has given her an accelerated growth opportunity to develop her work within a thematic context.

In 2008 Elizabeth Greisman formed and became director of the Artist Cooperative in Canada to further the development of a diverse group of Canadian visual artists on a national and international level.

The exhibition shows the broad talent of Elizabeth Greisman through painting and drawing on different media including material such as vintage wedding dresses and chiffons.

Current Work - Elizabeth painted the mountainous Banff landscape daily, from the same vantage point over three summer residencies. She continued this project while at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland, working in both small and large canvases, recording subtle changes in weather, light, form and texture on the mountains, lakes and trees. Summer 2009 found Elizabeth returning to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland to continue her series from the surrounding landscape and the Great house of Tyrone Guthrie.

Community engagement - Elizabeth’s extensive voluntary contribution includes her recent donation of a series of hand painted bridal gowns to the Bride’s Project, featured on “ Breakfast Television” in Toronto. She was one of the featured artists on the video for “ Design Hope Build Toronto”, raising money for the homeless at Dixon Hall, and advises several Toronto school communities on the creation of public garden space.

Elizabeth Greisman returns to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland, Summer 2009

2009-05-11T21:06:00.007-04:00

For the second summer in a row, Elizabeth Greisman will be continuing her landscape series at Tyrone Guthrie to include some house interiors as well. She is curating a show of photographs of the work of the Artist Cooperative of Canada, and four guest artists (whom Elizabeth met on previous residencies in Spain, the US and Banff, Canada) to be shown in her studio on an informal basis to visitors.

Guest Artists will include:

Hortense Gerardo - Boston, MA
Pauline Mathrick - Australia
Claudia del Rio - Argentina
Ximena Berecochea - Canada

Elizabeth received a Residency Grant from the Ontario Arts Council.

(Photo courtesy of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre)

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche October 3rd 2009 - "WILD!" at Spadina Museum

2009-05-11T20:57:00.005-04:00

The Artist Cooperative of Canada, plus guest artist Ximena Berecochea, will be returning to Spadina Museum in October for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009. This year's show is entitled "WILD!" The Spadina Museum is located on 285 Spadina Road beside Casa Loma. The show will be open from 7 pm October 3, 2009 and closes 7 am the next day. Above is the show's promotional photograph.

(Photo credit: Jalani Morgan.)

Nuit Blanche article features the Sounds of Shadows!

2009-05-11T20:47:00.001-04:00

NUIT BLANCHE A HUGE SUCCESS!!!

2008-11-19T13:49:00.031-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to support the Artist Cooperative of Canada at Scotia Bank's Nuit Blanche on Oct. 4th 2008 at Toronto's Spadina Museum grounds & gardens. The event was a huge success and has received excellent feedback and reviews, and the ACOC has been invited to participate again in 2009!!!

Here are some photos from the night:

(Elizabeth Greisman)

(Gloria Stein)

(Alina Lloyd)

(Frith Bail)

(Special Guest Ximena Berecochea)

THE MOOD OF NUIT BLANCHE:

Nuit Blanche - The Sounds of Shadows

2008-10-02T17:14:00.002-04:00

This show will portray an interpretation of nature themes and the role of women at Spadina around the gardens and house historically. A pathway will be provided to guide the viewer around the grounds and gardens of Spadina Museum. Moonlight and lighting will illuminate the focal points in the exhibit.

The intent of the Sounds of Shadows will be to bring into focus the past of Spadina Museum and link it to the present time.

www.toronto.ca/culture/museums/spadina.htm

Artist Cooperative of Canada shows pieces at Elizabeth Greisman's studio at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre

2008-10-02T17:09:00.004-04:00

In Summer 2008, Elizabeth Greisman was in residence at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Ireland. Each artist sent 5 pieces with Elizabeth. She showed them informally to guests to her studio throughout her residency. Along with the Artist Cooperative of Canada, Elizabeth brought the work of two guest artists, Ximena Berecochea and Hortense Gerardo.

Introducing the Artist Cooperative of Canada

2008-09-30T13:15:00.009-04:00

Elizabeth Greisman:

Born in Toronto, Canada in 1954. Her work as a painter draws upon her training and experience as a dancer, educator and landscape designer.

Elizabeth completed her diploma in Dance at the Laban School of Dance in London, England in 1977. She holds degrees in Visual Arts and Education from York University, Toronto, 1978, and a Certificate in Landscape Architecture from Ryerson University, Toronto, 1989. She has been a guest visual artist in the studios of the National Ballet of Canada, the Toronto Dance Theatre, The Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company in Toronto and The Burklyn Ballet in Vermont.

Elizabeth's recent residencies at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Ireland, The Banff Centre (Canada), the Pouch Cove Foundation (Canada) and the Vermont Studio Center (USA) have afforded her the opportunity to paint landscape from a singular vantage point. During her 2007 residency at Fundascion Valparaiso in Spain, Elizabeth worked on horticultural elements from ancient times. She is currently focusing her attention on the natural resources of Canada. She works in oil on paper and canvas primarily. Elizabeth has recently begun to paint with silk dyes on organza and vintage bridal gowns.

Elizabeth has exhibited her work in Canada, U.S.A.,and through Open Studios at Residencies in Spain and Ireland , since 2000.

Alina Lloyd:

I was born in the Soviet Union. My paintings serve as a record of my experience of the world around me. I collect images and feelings about my world and try to reproduce my impressions visually. The themes of nature intrigue me because of the difference in my state of mind when I am surrounded by nature. I want to provide the viewers a springboard, a trigger for familiar feelings or images. If there is something in a painting that talks to you, it’s only then that you can truly appreciate it.

Gloria Stein:

Gloria Stein was born in 1953 in Toronto, Canada. After completing Secondary School, she attended the Ontario College of Art for two years in the Fine Arts program, moving on to York University where she completed an Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Education. She then taught Art at a Toronto High School for several years.

After taking off some time to care for her two small children, she returned to school and graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Architecture. While she worked in residential architecture, she continued to explore her own artistic projects, eventually finding that her work had evolved into a synthesis of architecture and art – a most personally satisfying outcome.

In her most recent work, she is experimenting with large-scale oil drawings that are executed on tightly stretched transparent heavy-gauge vinyl. These panels create spaces through and around which the viewer can move. The structures and mechanisms that raise and lower the vinyl, and hold it in place, are an integral part of the work.

Ms. Stein’s work has been exhibited at the Toronto City Hall, the Hummingbird Centre, the Hamilton Art Gallery, the Gladstone Hotel (‘Glad to Be Here’), 224 Wallace Open Studio Shows and, most recently, at the ‘Making Room’ art event in Toronto.

Frith Bail:

Frith Bail is a ceramic artist who obtained her Master’s Degree in Art Therapy (M.P.S., A.T.R.) in 1981. In 1975, she began focusing her artwork on the creation of figurative work in clay, cement, and bronze. She has taught clay and sculpture classes from 2002 to the present. She worked for thirty years as an Art Therapist.Her shows have included:
- Glad to Be Here, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, 2004
- Celebrating Spirit, Victoria Spa, Toronto, 2004
- Fusion Fireworks 2005 Exhibition (Juried, 2 year traveling show)
- Women’s Art Association of Canada, Beecroft Fine Arts Show, Toronto, 2006
- Passages, Mad and Noisy Gallery, Creemore, Ontario 2007
- Purple Hills Studio tour, Glen Huron, Ontario, Juried show, 2007
- 1001 Pots Show, Val David, Quebec, juried show, July-August 2008

Artist Statement

Since I was a young child, my hands have always been in clay. I have been a sculptural artist since 1975, working part-time on my art and part-time as an Art Therapist. In 2001, I committed myself to working full-time as an artist; I also teach ceramics and sculpture to adults. I have always been drawn by figurative art, particularly the female form. After going through treatment for breast cancer, my figurative work deepened to explore the inner dialogue we have within each of us and the deep bonds between people. During these periods I created two series of work: the Canoe and Vessel Series and the Rock Series. In the Canoe series I explored mould-making and working with large textured slabs to convey a sense of women in canoes on journeys – the journeys that we embark on with ourselves and those with the important people in our lives. The Rock Series recreated scenes of women in connection with each other while sitting on the glacial boulders of the Laurentian Mountains. The ‘rocks’ are made from clay that I burnished and then sawdust-fired. My work reveals pure deep emotions, from vulnerability to serenity and all the way to joy and strength.