Today we're introducing a new weekly column on this site in partnership with that roasted goodness artists collective known as Instant Coffee. Behold, Instant Coffee's weeky picks (a special to blogTO) of the grooviest, most-illuminating or otherwise too hot for Starbucks events that most justify losing sleep over.

1. 224 Wallace Ave - Making Room - Dec 2 & 3
2. DON MCKELLAR moderates LIFT OUT LOUD - Dec 6th
3. 5th Toronto Arab Film Festival - Nov 29 - Dec 3
4. Open Studio - ARTIST PROOF SALE & OPEN HOUSE - Nov 30
5. RESFEST Toronto, Nov 30 - Dec 3
6. OCAD Book Arts Fair - Dec 3
7. Goethe-Institut Films Nov 30, Dec 7
8. "compose yourself!" - music gallery fundraiser - Dec 10
9. Subtle Technologies Call for Submissions
10. Holiday Marketplace at 401 Richmond Dec 7-10
11. Gladstone Hotel - LINE ART AUCTION 2006 - Dec 2
12. Diaz Contemporary - Michelle Allard, Oona Stern - Nov 30
13. at the CCL1 - Emily Holton Exhibition - Opens Dec 7
14. YYZBOOKS Clearance Sale at OCAD, Thurs Nov 30
15. Gladstone Hotel - SPINS & NEEDLES CRAFT + DJ NIGHT - Dec 10

1. 224 Wallace Ave - Making Room - Dec 2 & 3

In a fabulous 30,000 square foot open space, independent curator/artist Heather Nicol is producing "Making Room", a weekend long event featuring major works by over 50 established and emerging artists. Coming together in an explosive artist driven spirit, these artists share an ambition to interact with this amazing space, surely one of the largest rooms in Toronto outside of the CNE grounds (see attached photos). Works address notions of scale, architecture, gatherings, celebration and beauty.

Seizing a unique yet time sensitive opportunity, Nicol has operated on a shoestring budget at lightening speed to coordinate this extraordinary event. A Canadian native who spent over twenty years as a practicing artist, educator and independent curator in New York City, this is Nicol's inaugural project since moving to Toronto two years ago.

Making Room for you, making room for me, making room for more, making room for bigger, stronger, sassier, sexier, making room for sculpture, installation, performance, new media, making room for music, video, drawing and painting, making room for Dorkbot, making room for eating and drinking beer and exchanging ideas, fan mail, phone numbers and manifestos.

Major works by: Shelley Adler, Barbara Astman, Josh Avery, Michael Bartosik, Bruno Billio, Adrian Blackwell, Paula Braswell, Bill Burns, Paul Campbell, Jennifer Cherniack, Carlo Cesta, The Deekons, Janis Demkiw, Emily Hogg, Olia Mishchenko, Fran Freeman, Susan Rowe Harrison, Katharine Harvey, Barbara Kerr, Maria Legault, Dyan Marie, Jon McCurley & Amy Lam, Lisa Neighbour, Heather Nicol, John Oswald, Jess Perlitz, Ed Pien, Shelly Rahme, Tanya Read, JP Robichaud, Soft City, Jenn Sciarrino, John Smith, Ilona Staples, Gloria Stein, Orest Tataryn, Kristin Tretheweyj, Jennifer Wardle

Special guests from the USA: Robin Kahn, Oui, Susan Chrysler White

A program of video by artists selected by Paulette Phillips, Katie Bethune-Leamen, Fastwurms, Denise Hawrysio, Kelly Mark, Liss Platt, Sheila and Nick Pye, John Sasaki, Evan Tapper, Laurel Woodcock

Dorkbot Toronto presents: David McCallum, Rob King, Gabe Sawhney, Nick Stedman

Music:

Saturday December 2, beginning at 7PM sharp: Darbazi (Georgian Choir), John Kameel Farah (NOW pianist of the year), Interrobang, The Last Word Trio

ONE WEEKEND ONLY!
Saturday December 2, 2006, 11AM - 11PM,
Performances begin at 7 PM sharp
Sunday December 3, 12 - 5 PM*
Vernissage, Saturday Dec. 2, 6-9 PM

*come and perform on Sunday, it's open piano recital day with free coffee courtesy of Balzac's

224 Wallace Ave., 2nd Floor
One block west of Lansdowne,
North of Bloor, south of Dupont

Admission: suggested donation $5.00

2. DON MCKELLAR moderates LIFT OUT LOUD - Dec 6th

The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is dedicated to supporting the independent film community and celebrating the medium of film. In LIFT OUT LOUD members workshop their scripts with professional actors and then get feedback from the audience of their peers.

ROYAL SUCKAGE By Christina Ray
Wednesday, December 6th, 2006
7:00 p.m Sharp!
Admission: $5.00

NEW LOCATION:
St. Stephen-in-the-Fields Church
103 Bellevue Street
(Entrance on South side of College Street, just West of Augusta Avenue)
Kensington Market

3. 5th Toronto Arab Film Festival - Nov 29 - Dec 3

The Toronto Arab Film Festival (TAFF) celebrates its 5th anniversary this year. Running from Nov 29 - Dec 3, 2006, tickets to all screenings are $10, and $5 for students and seniors. An all-access festival pass is $50 and $30 for students and seniors. Tickets at the festival venues 30 minutes before each film. All films have English subtitles.

Tribute to Michel Khleifi. He will be in attendance on Sunday!

PROGRAMME
Wednesday November 29: Bloor Cinema (506 Bloor St)
Opening Night Gala!
7 pm Leila Khaled: Hijacker.
Opening night party immediately after screening.

Thursday November 30: NFB (150 John St)
7:30pm Archival Catastrophes in Iraq & Palestine short by John Greyson (Co-presenter: A Space Gallery)
9 pm Oral History as Archival Recovery, Shorts by Michel Khleifi, B.H. Yael and others.

Friday December 1: Innis Town Hall (2 Sussex Ave)
9:30 pm In Cairo by R.M. Vaughan with Bedwin Hacker by Nadia el-Fani (Warning: Nudity & sexual content), Nadia el-Fani in Attendance! (Co-presenter: Inside Out)

Saturday December 2: OCAD (100 McCaul St)
1:00 pm Exploring Arab Feminisms: programme of shorts (Co-presenter: Alucine)
2:30 pm Absence in Lebanon: programme of shorts
(Co-presenters: V Tape & TSV)
4:30 pm Works by Jayce Salloum and The Balata Film Collective (Co-presenter: imagineNATIVE)
7:30 pm Canticle of the Stones.
10:00 pm Mohammed and Jane (Co-presenter: Images Festival)

Sunday December 3: Innis Town Hall (2 Sussex Ave)
1:00 pm Love, War, Snow, Water Curated and presented by Dr Laura Marks
3:30 pm Tale of the 3 Jewels
7:00 pm Route 181: Part 3 Michel Khleifi in Attendance!
Closing Night Party at 9pm

4. Open Studio - ARTIST PROOF SALE & OPEN HOUSE - Nov 30

Opening Night of Sale & Open House: Thursday, November 30, 6-9 p.m. Sale continues to Dec. 21. Payment options: VISA, cheque and cash

Regular hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 12-5 p.m.
Special hours: Sun. Dec. 3, 12-5 p.m.; Thurs. Dec. 7 + Fri. Dec. 8, 11a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun. Dec. 10, 12-5 p.m.

Kick off the holiday season with Open Studio's 22nd Annual Artist Proof Sale and Open House, Thursday, November 30 from 6-9 p.m. Come and select original, one-of-a-kind artists' proof prints -- screenprints, etchings, lithographs and relief prints -- at prices ranging from $50-$300!

On the opening night of the sale, the print preview is from 6 to 6:30 p.m. and the sale begins at 6:30 p.m. The sale continues to December 21.

Enjoy the food and festivities of opening night, including printmaking demonstrations by special guest artists Matt Crookshank working in the screenprinting area and Ehryn Torrell working in the lithography area -- take advantage of the opportunity to acquire one of the works they create that evening! Also available are new hand-printed greeting cards perfect for any time of the year, artist pins sold individually and in sets of 5, and our decks of playing cards featuring original work.

Open Studio
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 104

5. RESFEST Toronto, Nov 30 - Dec 3

RESFEST's Canadian tour visits Vancouver Nov 17 - 19, Montreal Nov 24 - 26 and closes in Toronto Nov 30 - Dec 3 at the newly renovated Theatre D, previously the Royal Cinema, 608 College St W . The 2006 global tour marks the 10th anniversary of the RESFEST film and digital arts festival. The 2006 lineup features a diverse mix of innovative film screenings, special presentations, experiential parties and cutting-edge performances.

RESPASSES AND TICKET INFORMATION

All Access RESPasses are $75 for Toronto and Vancouver and $99 for Montreal (a savings of up to $75). Individual tickets for RESFEST can now be purchased for $10/screening.

6. OCAD Book Arts Fair - Dec. 3

"In a culture that increasingly sees the book as obsolete, artists are contemplating its role as an information vehicle. The book has stood the test of time but will it survive the new information digital revolution? It must! See how artists meet the challenge of creating in the book format and addressing the issues of the role of books in our future." - George Walker

When: Sunday, December 3rd, 2006 from 10-5
Where: OCAD Great Hall, 100 McCaul Street, Toronto, ON

What's there: hand-printed, hand-bound books; original prints; artists' multiples; wearable multiples like buttons, pins, and totes; unique book works; letterpress posters; blank books; handmade paper and cards.

Who's there: 50-60 book artists, printmakers, very very small publishers, zinemakers, OCAD students, professional artists, letterpress printers papermaking and printmaking suppliers, and cooperative print shops like Open Studio.

What it's for: This long-running, historically DIY event serves as a venue to showcase the work of book artists. Book Arts is a passionate, underground branch of fine arts that has typically been quite under the radar, but is currently gaining more and more visibility. The money raised by donation and raffle tickets goes to support budding student book artists and printmakers in the OCAD Printmaking Department. This year's proceeds will also go towards the establishment of a Student Press that will produce a limited edition, letterpress-printed publication in the Spring 2007term.

Activities: In addition to table-browsing in the Great Hall, the OCAD Printmaking Studios will be open. Visitors can tour the studios and watch/participate in demonstrations in printing, binding, and papermaking given by printmaking students and professional guest artists.

Cost: Admission is pay-what-you-can/donation

7. Goethe-Institut events

Thu, Nov 30, 6 pm
"Laughing Heirs" (1933)
An absurd tale of an unorthodox will and the heir to a champagne business. The film was later banned by the Nazis. Goethe-Institut Kinowelt Hall, $5 single/$8 double feature

Thu, Nov 30, 8 pm
"M - A City looks for a Killer" (D 1931)
A child-murderer threatens the serene Berlin life and alarms the population. The organized criminal underground goes in search of the pathologic murderer. Goethe-Institut Kinowelt Hall, $5 single/$8 double feature

Thu, Dec 7, 6 pm
"Baron Muenchhausen" (D 1943)
The amazing adventures of the "Lying Baron" M?nchhausen, staged in a high-spirited, ironic and opulent manner. The most expensive film made during the Nazi era - and yet it dispensed with political propaganda. Goethe-Institut Kinowelt Hall, $ 5 single/$8 double feature

Thu, Dec 7, 8 pm
"Titanic" (D 1943)
This story of the sinking of the Titanic was intended as a tool of anti-British propaganda. The film's director perished in a Nazi prison before completing the film. Goethe-Institut Kinowelt Hall, $ 5 single/$8 double feature

More info: Goethe-Institut Toronto

8. "compose yourself!" - music gallery fundraiser - Dec 10

Featuring music presented by guest composers:

Julia Aplin (dance artist)
Keith Cole (actor/filmmaker/gadabout)
Atom Egoyan (filmmaker, Where The Truth Lies, The Sweet Hereafter)
Sheila Heti (author, The Middle Stories,Ticknor)
Mark Kingwell (Harper's, Toronto Life, U of T philosophy prof)
Peter Mettler (experimental filmmaker)
Roger D. Moore (new music patron)
Darren O'Donnell (theatre artist, Mammalian Diving Reflex)
Veronica Tennant (National Ballet of Canada)
Michael Trent (artistic director, Dancemakers)
Moses Znaimer (co-founder, CityTV/MuchMusic, MZTV)

And performed by improvising supergroup:

Andrew Downing (double bass)
Scott Good (trombone)
Geordie Haley (guitar)
Kathleen Kajioka (violin)
Tilman Lewis (cello)
Jean Martin (drums)
Sandro Perri (electronics)
Casey Sokol (piano)

Date: Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006
Location: The Music Gallery, 197 John St.
Time: 8pm
Tickets: $25
Reservations: artsboxoffice.ca or 416-204-1080

9. Subtle Technologies Call for Submissions

May 24th - May 27th 2007
University of Toronto, Toronto Canada
Submission Deadline January 3, 2007.

Subtle Technologies is a four-day multidisciplinary Festival exploring complex and subtle relationships between art and science. The annual international event combines symposia, exhibitions, workshops and performances that juxtapose cutting-edge artistic projects and scientific exploration.

More info on the Subtle Technologies web site.

10. Holiday Marketplace at 401 Richmond Dec 7-10

401 Richmond Street West (Richmond + Spadina)
Thursday December 7 - Sunday December 10, 2006

401 Richmond is celebrating an amazing 14 years of the holiday marketplace with yet another stellar line-up of gift giving opportunities coming straight out of the creative community at 401 Richmond Street West. The marketplace boasts over 30 participants offering handmade, one-of-a-kind creations and a fantastic selection of artworks. Admission is FREE.

The marketplace will be open on Thursday + Friday 11 - 8, Saturday + Sunday 11 - 5.

11. Gladstone Hotel - LINE ART AUCTION 2006 - Dec 2

Get your cheque book ready for another year of the Line Art Auction! Organizers Peter Kingstone and Will Munro have once again put together an impressive list of local and international artists that have generously contributed work for this auction. With title sponsor TD Canada Trust, the annual live auction raises funds for the Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line, the Ontario-wide phone help line for LGBTQ youth.

LIVE AUCTION: SATURDAY, DEC 2 @ 1PM
With guest auctioneer Salah Bachir
The Gladstone Hotel - 1214 Queen Street West at Dufferin
Attendance is FREE, Donations welcome

OPENING RECEPTION & PREVIEW: THURSDAY, NOV 30 @ 6-8PM
Hosted by Nik Redman and Will Munro
The Gladstone Hotel - 1214 Queen Street West at Dufferin
Attendance is FREE

12. Diaz Contemporary - Michelle Allard, Oona Stern - Nov 30

November 30, 2006 - January 13, 2007
Opening Thursday, November 30, 6-9 pm Artists in attendance

Diaz Contemporary
100 Niagara Street (at Tecumseth)
Toronto ON M5V 1C5
416.361.2972

13. at the CCL1 - Emily Holton Exhibition - Opens Dec 7

Drawings (Karl Lagerfeld and celebrity hand jobs)
By Emily Holton
December 7 until January 11 at The Centre for Culture and Leisure No.1
83 Elm Grove, #102
416 588 3168

Opening reception: Thursday December 7, 8pm until 11pm

Created on small pieces of vellum, Emily Holton's drawings are a promise of quick glamour and dirt. Crude in gesture and image, the effect of Celebrity Hand Jobs is strangely, euphemistically, polite. In the Karl Lagerfeld series, the fashion beast is no longer declaring certain fabrics or careers over. He is spouting hokey adages about death, he's a Mohel at a bris and the peacemaker stopping a bar fight but he's also Laura Secord's executioner and a distant, manipulative boyfriend. Holton has added levels of complexity to the idea of Lagerfeld and revels in the secrets to be found in that mad, fluttering fan.

Emily Holton is an artist and writer living in Toronto. This is her first solo exhibition since graduating from NSCAD. Her first collection of drawings and art books is forthcoming from Conundrum Press.

14. YYZBOOKS Clearance Sale at OCAD, Thurs Nov 30

YYZBOOKS is the publishing arm of YYZ Artists' Outlet, one of the foremost artist-run centres in Canada, known for its innovative visual and media arts programming, events and publications.

Ontario College of Art & Design
Lobby, 100 McCaul Street, Toronto

15. Gladstone Hotel - SPINS & NEEDLES CRAFT + DJ NIGHT - Dec 10th

Date: Sunday December 10th
Time: 7 p.m. onwards
Location: Gladstone Hotel : Art Bar (1214 Queen St. W.)
Cover: $8 before 9 p.m. | $10 after 9 p.m.

Get crafty + creative while listening to funky beats when Ottawa's Spins & Needles Craft + DJ Night comes to Toronto for the first time. For all creative types, who want to work on projects, bounce ideas off one another, hear some funky music, and get their drink on.

Dive into the craft bins, bring your own art/craft project, or using the materials provided work on featured projects:

-DIY plush monsters
-hip holiday stockings
-tile drink coasters.

Funky beats provided by:
-Jason P. (Ottawa)
-Kris Steeves (Toronto)
-Raul Vargas

About Instant Coffee

Instant Coffee is a service oriented artists collective. They see their listserv as a project within a larger framework of their art practice.

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