2. ART & DESIGN TOURS of Toronto
With Betty Ann Jordan, Art InSite tours
www.artinsite.com
3. TOUR FOCUS
• A blend of art, design, architecture, urbanism, local history
and popular culture larded with anecdotes
• Encounters with artists, artisans, gallerists, designers and
architects
• Behind-the-scenes access to new or hard-to-find venues off the
beaten track
www.artinsite.com
4. TOUR LEADER
• Art InSite founder Betty Ann Jordan is a Toronto art writer,
art educator and columnist specializing in art, architecture
and design tours of Toronto since 1996
• Trained as an artist
www.artinsite.com
5. ARTS WRITER
• Artist File columnist for Canadian House and Home
magazine
• Freelance arts writer for visitor magazines including Toronto
magazine, Where Toronto, Essential Toronto
19. SPADINA/ KING WEST/ YORKVILLE
Spadina fashion and King West arts buildings, studios, galleries
Yorkville galleries shopping, history
20. U of T CAMPUS/ DUNDAS WEST
University architecture, art, history
Dundas West including Morrow Avenue, exclusive arts
complex
21. RIVERDALE/ LESLIEVILLE/ HARBOURFRONT
East-end studios, galleries, collectibles
Waterfront galleries,
Museum of Inuit Art,
Toronto Music Garden,
artisans’ studios,
one-of-a-kind shopping
Riverdale, Leslieville & Carlaw east-end studios, galeries
collectibles
Harbourfront waterfront galleries,
Museum of Inuit Art, Toronto Music
Garden, artisans’ studios,
one-of-a-kind shopping
22.
23. ART BUYING ADVENTURES
Looking to buy art?
Art InSite takes you to galleries that best
reflect your interests, including painting,
sculpture, First Nations, fine craft, design-art
24. ARCHITECTURE ADVENTURES
Best of Toronto’s new buildings by celebrated architects
including Frank Gehry, Will Alsop, Daniel Libeskind, KPMB,
Diamond & Schmidt
25. ARCHITECTURE ADVENTURES
Architecture best of Toronto’s new buildings by celebrated
architects including Frank Gehry, Will Alsop, Daniel Libeskind,
KPMB, Diamond & Schmidt
27. ARTISTS’ STUDIO ADVENTURES
Intimate encounters leading practitioners in painting,
sculpture, printmaking, glass art, design-art, video, photo-based
art
35. Photography & Design: Ivona Konart
mail@freshbrand.net www.freshbrand.net
Betty Ann Jordan
Art InSite
416 979 5704
bajordan@sympatico.ca
Editor's Notes
ART INSITE TOURS INTRO
+ Art InSite is the go-to company for art, design and contemporary architecture tours of Toronto
+ Founded in 1996 by me and I am the principal.
+ We organize and lead walking and other tours of Toronto’s creative districts and venues, partnering with other experts when necessary
+ Particularly known for tours of Yorkville and Queen West
PUBLIC TOURS:
+ a weekly Saturday afternoon walking tour of West Queen West
+ a First Thursday of the month evening walking tour of Queen West, in partnership with the Queen West BIA (beginning in Dec. 2009)
PRIVATE TOURS
+ meeting and convention groups
+ GTA groups (private and corporate)
+ visiting media (through Tourism Toronto)
+ individuals interested in art or going off the beaten track in a neighborhood
Tour Focus
+ A blend of art,design, architecture, urbanism, local history and popular culture
+ Privileged access to artists, craftspeople, gallerists, designers, architects
+ Behind the scenes access to the new, the novel, places off the beaten track
TOUR LEADER
+ Betty Ann Jordan is a Toronto art writer, gallery columnist and educator
+ Trained as an artist
+ Has led art appreciation courses at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art and Classical Pursuits, University of Toronto
ARTS WRITER
+ Columnist with a regular art column called Artist File in Canadian House and Home magazine (for past 3 ½ years, appears 7 issues out of 12)
+ Have written for visitor magazines including Toronto magazine, where I wrote a feature on Toronto: Art City, which reported on the Gehry transformation of the AGO and the gallery scene
+ Original Gallery-going Columnist for the Globe and Mail, co-authored the column that Gary Michael Dault now writes
+ Former contributing editor to Toronto Life, where I wrote the monthly Art & Museum listings for 7 years
+ Former Gallery Going columnist for Where Toronto magazine for 8 years
+Art InSite is been named “cultural concierge” by the Drake and Gladstone Hotels. This is an honorific title, which nonetheless signifies the highly supportive relationship we have with the hotels and other businesses in Queen West + Ossington/ Dundas area
+ The two hotels promote Art InSite’s Queen West tours on their web sites and regularly offer an Art InSite walking tour as part of a premium hotel package for their guests
WEST QUEEN WEST
+ Art InSite is the Go-To tour guide for West Queen West
+ Have lived in the area since the mid-80s.
CLIENTS
+ Corporate: Campbell’s (as in Campbell’s Soup), Young Presidents of America, Merchandise Mart Properties Inc.
+ Art Travellers: Contemporary Collectors of Orange County, Art Seminar Group of Baltimore, Los Angeles County Museum of Contemporary Art
+ Local Groups: Junior League, Book clubs, birthday groups,
+ Meeting and Convention Planners: Welcome to the City, JPDL, Toronto Tours
+ Hotels: Gladstone Hotel, Drake Hotel, Four Seasons, Intercontinental
+ Hospitality: Clefs d’Or members, GTA and Regional
+ Individuals: interested in art, design, architecture, Toronto’s creative areas
+ Students (University of Western Ontario, Western Tech art students
+ Tourism: Tourism Toronto (Fam tours)
+ BIAs: Yorkville Gallery Association (in conjunction with gallery owners, founded the Yorkville First Thursday gallery walks and led them for 8 years
Now Queen West BIA
+ Art Groups: Riverdale, Wilson-Drummond, Menkes, Alison Groups
+ The Saturday Queen West art walk includes a tour of several artist-designed rooms at the Gladstone Hotel.
+ Art InSite includes in its tours creative independent retail businesses like the Drake General Store, adjacent to the Drake Hotel
(a great source for unique Canadiana souvenirs with a high kitsch-collectibles quotient)
WEST QUEEN WEST
+ urban story of change:
gentrification, impact of arts communities, condo development, CAMH project,
WEST QUEEN WEST
Streetscape of car wash, hose added recently to existing wave mural
WEST QUEEN WEST
+ Changes from week to week.
+ Because it’s a sprawling evolving district spread over many blocks, east of Bathurst, Art InSite finds that even locals don’t venture as far west as they should given the evolution of the area
WEST QUEEN WEST
+ we’re inside Nyood tapas restaurant and bar, one of the nicest of the new eateries on Queen West, owned by the Kultura people
+ touring the interiors by local designers Commute Home
WEST QUEEN WEST
This concludes our virtual tour of WQW
PRICING
PUBLIC TOURS
+ Saturday Walking tour of West Queen West (2 ½ hours)
*$25 for one, $45 for two
+ First Thursday Walking tour of West Queen West
(may be free to the public, TBC)
TOURS ON DEMAND
+$50/hour
+ Average cost $250 for individuals and small groups (2 ½ tour)
+ Average cost $550 for groups of more than 8 people (3 – 4 hours)
DISTILLERY
+ Art InSite offers walking tours of creative districts in the city (see the hand-out card for a list)
(Distillery is one of the most popular)
SPADINA AND KING WEST arts buildings, studios, galleries
+ LIBERTY VILLAGE (to be added)
+ YORKVILLE galleries shopping, history
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO University architecture, art, history
DUNDAS WEST + MORROW AVENUE Dundas West including Morrow Avenue, exclusive arts complex
RIVERDALE + LESLIEVILLE East-end studios, galleries, collectibles
HARBOURFRONT Waterfront galleries, Museum of Inuit Art,
Toronto Music Garden,
artisans’ studios,
one-of-a-kind shopping
TESTIMONIALS
+ “In my 20 years of organizing art excursions, I have never met a more loved or knowledgeable guide.” Connie Glenn, Art Express, Newport Coast, CA
+ “Your enthusiasm for art, your superb organizational skills and your carefully cultivated connections in the art community made for just a wonderful trip. Given the opportunity, I will not hesitate to recommend Art InSite.”
Mary Chasen, Contemporary Collectors of Orange County, Laguana Beach, CA
+ “Your comments were cogent, your selection of galleries was fascinating. It was especially interesting that you began your talk on what helps a city stay vital with insights from Jane Jacobs. Your own spirited approach to your work and life will carry on Mrs. Jacobs’ vision.”
Beverly Martin, Meritas Group, Seattle, Washington
MEDIA
+ “Equal parts art lesson, gossip session and an insider’s guide to Parkdale, a walking tour of West Queen West is led by in-the-know journalist Betty Ann Jordan. Expect stops in design venues as well, including restaurant interiors.”
Brad Wheeler, Going Out, Globe & Mail, July 2009
ART BUYING ADVENTURES
Looking to buy art? Art InSite takes you to galleries that best reflect your interests, including painting, sculpture, First Nations, fine craft, design-art
ARCHITECTURE ADVENTURES
Best of Toronto’s new buildings by celebrated architects including Frank Gehry, Will Alsop, Daniel Libeskind, KPMB, Diamond & Schmidt
ARCHITECTURE ADVENTURES
Will Alsop, Ontario College of Art and Design Tabletop
ARCHITECTURAL ADVENTURES DETAIL Will Alsop,
ARTISTS’ STUDIO ADVENTURES
Intimate encounters leading practitioners in painting, sculpture, printmaking, glass art, design-art, video, photo-based art
DISTILLERY (Art InSite does tours of many other creative neighborhoods including the Distillery)
+ At the Distillery Art InSite does an overview walking tour of the architectural and industrial features of the site
+ an in-depth art and design tour focussing on gallery encounters with dealers, artists, and studio visits
THEMED ADVENTURES
Artists’ gardens, fine craft, architects, fashion,
interior design
ART FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Nuit Blanche, Gallery Hop and Crawl, Contact Photography month, Luminato, Toronto International Art Fair
These are scenes from Nuit Blanche 2008
ART FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Nuit Blanche detail of vintage street car
For art travellers Art InSite offers premium privileged access tours of private art collections
For Saturday art walkers, we can offer a visit to the Ydessa Hendeles Art Foundation (open Saturdays only)
WHY ART INSITE?
+ ART AND CULTURE are KEY ATTRACTIONS FOR SOPHISTICATED VISITORS
+ exclusive Insider Access to artists, galleries, creative community
+ We have great contacts and can get art groups from other cities into private collections and studios of our top artists
+ As a former editor of Canadian Art magazine (where I worked for nearly 10 years) I (and my associates) are known experts
+ Touring since 1996, with years of experience
+ Many very happy clients (see testimonials)
+ Warm, welcoming and unstuffy approach to art and culture
+ Trained as an artist, I can demystify the art making process
+ Can access high-profile experts (Lisa Rochon, architecture critic of the Globe and Mail led a private tour for a high-end group from California)
+ Talented associates: Mia Nelson, Leah Sandals, Bill Clarke, Nicholas Langstaffe
+ Current, on top of new places and people in the city, ahead of the curve with upcoming art events
This concludes my presentation today
Any questions, comments, suggestions?
