Plum Viewing
Welcome to the latest edition of Plum Viewing, my weekly round-up of arts and culture to enjoy online.
Hello lovely readers! Well, we survived the week. TFIF (for anyone new to this twist on the familiar phrase, we can thank our friends across the pond — it’s an oldie but a goodie)
And, like our British friends, shall we start the weekend with a tipple of choice? It’s slightly chilly in Montreal today, so tonight I suspect I’ll be returning to an old favourite, the Paloma and for Mr. Fairs, a gin martini made with Newfoundland’s very unique seaweed gin. It’s quite divine.
And with that, here are this week’s picks!
Well, it’s here. Luminato, an art filled immersive experience that takes over the city of Toronto, is back live and in person! It started yesterday and runs until June 19.
The highlight (for me at least) is Edward Burtynsky’s takeover of Toronto’s Dundas Square. 40 years in the making, here’s how it is described: “this major multimedia project bears witness to the impact of human industry on the planet. This spectacular immersive public art piece challenges us to have an important conversation about our legacy and the future implications of sustainable life on Earth.”
Titled In the Wake of Progress, it runs on June 11 & June 12 at 8 pm ET and will feature new and never before seen pieces. For those lucky enough to be in Toronto, do check it out! (It will be moving inside later this month — details to follow in future a Plum Viewing!)
The Kingston Festival of Live Digital Air is back and true to form, they are once again, completely online. Needless to say, they understand the future of the arts!
This festival, focused on supporting emerging artists and online artistic practice, runs from June 8 to 11, so you have two more days to check it out. And, if you so inclined, here are a couple suggestions for you: a VR version of You Should Have Stayed at Home, Tommy Taylor’s performance about the disturbing events that took place during G20 in Toronto in 2010; and Through My Lens, an interdisciplinary performance that shares with audiences what it is to live with blindness. You can see the full schedule here.
Next, we have a delicious play, SINGULIÈRES, which has just finished its very successful run at Crows Theatre in Toronto and lucky for us, it is now moving online. Directed by one of Quebec’s fastest rising directors/auteurs, Alexandre Fecteau, here’s what you need to know: “SINGULIÈRES is an unexpected, hilarious, and moving encounter with five single ladies from Quebec. This brilliantly imagined live-documentary, explodes with theatrical vitality, and follows the women in their 30's and 40's over two years, each of them living the single life with joy and purpose, all the while defying society’s expectations and redefining their own concepts of happiness, identity, and love.”
Well, as someone living in Montreal at the moment and obsessed with all things French, this is right up my alley. I hope it tickles your fancy as well! It runs from June 11–26 and we can get tickets here.
The Museum of Philadelphia is world renowned for its storied collection of art and while it would lovely to go there and walk the “Rocky stairs” (at this very moment, you’ve started to hum ‘Eye of the Tiger’, haven’t you?!), we can enjoy their extension library of arts talks and tours online. PMA’s dedicated YouTube channel offers hours and hours of entertainment. To save you a little bit of time, here are a couple of recommendations. Portrait of James Baldwin and New Voices: Artists on Jasper John.
Okay, as we’re (finally!) spending more time outside and enjoying warmer, sunnier weather, we need music to match our mood. Well, fear not, I have you covered — regardless of style.
For a more soothing soundtrack for your gardening or afternoon pimms, I have just the thing: The Montreal Orchestra’s Rafael Payare and the Lyricism of Bruckner. For anyone new to Bruckner, his symphonies are often compared with Brahms and scholars of his work have this to say, “Bruckner expanded the concept of the symphonic form in ways that have never been witnessed before or since. … When listening to a Bruckner symphony, one encounters some of the most complex symphonic writing ever created.”
I think your plants (and your pimms) will approve! Tickets are $10 and can be reserved here.
And, after you’ve spent the day in the garden, showered and come down for an evening cocktail (flip back to the start of this newsletter for recommendations), you can look forward to this: The Best of Duke Ellington, brought to us by our friends at Jazz at Lincoln Center. I mean, this is your Saturday evening sorted, non! It is streaming tomorrow evening at 8 pm ET. Tickets are $25 and you can reserve yours here (Mr Fairs and will definitely be in the audience).
It’s been a minute since I talked to you about Partial, the wonderful online gallery that promotes and supports Canadian artists. If you haven’t already done so, do check us out. We’ve added a bunch of new artists, including many of OCAD U’s recent graduates. And, we’ve also added a gift card feature, which acts as a great wedding, birthday and housewarming gift. They are unique, convenient and can be easily customized. Plus, it’s a great way to support our artists, a shared character trait for this audience. Okay, my sales pitch is over :)
And to end, the Tony Awards are this Sunday, so needless to say, we all know what we’ll be doing. And, in honour of this, let’s revisit one of my favourite clips ever. I dare say I watch this at least once a month (again, this is a NO judgement place!!). Here is Broadway Carpool Karaoke with James Corden, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Audra McDonald, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jane Krakowski. Oh god, this is my happy place. Enjoy!!
Have a great weekend and see you next week!
And, an ask: While we’re enjoying these wonderful performances, let’s remember that for the arts organizations producing this incredible content, this is their livelihood; not a hobby. If we can, now is our time to continue to support our incredible arts community!
And, if you’d like to receive Plum Viewing weekly, send me a note at maggiefairs@gmail.com and I will add you to my mailing list.