On May 14, the Year 10 art students embarked on a field trip to explore Toronto’s vibrant photography scene, visiting both the Art Gallery of Ontario and Contact Photography Festival galleries along Queen and Richmond Street. Surrounded by the many astounding feats of Canadian photography, students gained fresh artistic insight and left with a more tangible vision of how they would channel that inspiration to their own photographic work.
The day started off strong as fifty art students relished a much deserved late start, wore casual clothes, and luckily avoided the forecasted rain. About an hour after squeezing onto the TTC, we arrived at our first stop: The AGO’s exhibition ‘Light Years: The Phil Lind Gift.’
As a tribute to the late Phil Lind (1943 -2023), a prodigious contemporary art collector and UCC alumni of 1962, the exhibition reflected his support for the Vancouver school of Conceptual Photography. The collection featured photos by Vancouver-born artists, with the goal to shed light on social and political histories. Curator Adam Welch led students through the lens-based artwork, including standout pieces like Rodney Graham’s ‘Media Studies’.
The next highlight of the field trip was the lunch at The Village by the Grange food court. Situated just by the AGO, we were immediately greeted by a lively, bustling atmosphere, living up to its Toronto Star designated reputation as a ‘hidden gem’. With a myriad of options – from fast food to cafés to international eateries – I opted for the umami delight of Niku udon noodles from Manpuku and sampled my friend’s mango bingsoo from Kanom. Both were delicious and made for the perfect end to a busy morning.
The trip’s final destination was the Contact Photography Festival. As an accessible platform for art appreciation, they had venues scattered across Toronto celebrated photography by displaying a wide array of lens-based artwork. Students were tasked with exploring, reflecting on, and absorbing the different approaches to photography on display. After a bustling ride on the TTC, the day finally came to a close as students journeyed back to UCC with a renewed sense of creative inspiration for how they would tackle their photography projects.
Until the next anecdote drops,
Jeffrey
The Blue and White 