Matthew Marigold photos at Lattitude 44 as part of CONTACT Photography in the Junction.

One of the many beauties of the CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival is its size. Over 200 venues from one end of city to the other pretty much guarantees everyone a short walk or ride to the nearest exhibit (so there's no excuse for not seeing at least one). The only problem with so many venues is the difficulty in seeing more than a few of the shows.

Thriving art districts teeming with galleries and cafes naturally have a high concentration of venues (such as West Queen West and the Distillery District), but the absolute best place to see more than a handful of exhibits is within a few short city blocks in The Junction.

Over 22 participating venues on Dundas St. W. between Keele and Quebec Ave. (even more if you walk down to Runnymede) will be hosting CONTACT shows from a wide variety of photographers in a WIDE variety of venues. No place in the city better embraces the festival, turning furniture shops, an architect's office, hair salons, and a pilates studio into impromptu galleries.

To kick it all off, simultaneous exhibit openings will take place in almost all the venues this Saturday night from 6-9 PM as part of the sixth annual Contact Photography in The Junction. Why go to only one opening this festival when you can hit 20 in the same night!

At 9 PM there will be a outdoor projection slide show called The Junction: Past. Present. Future. The show is going to feature photos from the 100 year history of the neighbourhood, and its photographers - including some from all of the artists participating in the CONTACT festival in the Junction. This event will be taking place on the train platform constructed on an empty lot in the North side of Dundas Street West between Keele and Pacific.

I took a stroll through the Junction on Thursday and although not all the photography was up, I did get a peak at about a dozen shows. As much as I enjoyed seeing the photography, the real joy is seeing all the different exhibiting spaces. The Junction is really proving itself to be an unpretentious and united community that embraces art.

The following venues will have simultaneous exhibit openings on Saturday, May 3 from 6 - 9PM as part of the sixth annual Contact Photography in the Junction and will be exhibiting photos through the month of May.

Academy of Realist Art - 81 (numbers relate to the exhibit venue numbers found in the CONTACT literature)
UNTITLED TORONTO / IMMEDIATE PAST by DON MICHIE, JULIE PASILA

Agora Mediterranean Cafe (photo above) - 82
RE: MAKING HISTORY
by THE GATHERING SPACE COLLECTIVE

AXIS Gallery and Grill - 83
LOSING SIGHT OF THE SHORE by STEVE FENECH

Bending Spoons Gallery at VESUVIO (photo above) - 84
SECOND CITY by JAIME HOGGE

Cornerstone Fine Furniture & Antiques - 85
THE PLIGHT OF SRI LANKAN TAMILS by SAMI SIVA

Deborah Friesen Architect Inc. (photo above) - 86
THE SALTON SEA by SANDI WHEATON

Eclectic Revival - 87
NAMING/FRAMING by BARBARA STAULUS

Forever Interiors - 88
DON VALLEY BRICK WORKS by ANGELINA FRISKNEY

Kaleidoscope Photography - 89
DOWN ON MAIN STREET by JANIS REES

Lattitude 44 Gallery Framing Decor(photo at top of post) - 90
CULTURES OBSCURED by BRIAN ANDERSON, FABIENNE GOOD, MARILYN LIGHTSTONE, MATTHEW MARIGOLD

PANDEMONIUM New & Used Books & Discs - 91
REMEMBER DO NOT REMEMBER by DRAGA JOVANOVIC

Picture it Framed - 92
LIFE IN THE JUNCTION by FELIX RUSSO

Post + Beam Reclamation - 93
DEAD OF NIGHT by NICK RUDNICKI

The Hair Lounge (photo above) - 94
WAX OF LIFE by DEREK EVANS

The Junction BIA - 95
MEMORY AND THE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE by TRACY PRYCE

The Relax Shack - 96
CONSERVE/CONDEMN by ALAN JOSON

The Troubadour Bar - 97
ROCK REMEMBERS WATER by NANCY CENEVIVA

UrbanScape - 98
PRESENCE by SHELLEY WILDEMAN

Loft Gallery - 113
SOJOURN by DODA

Smash - 173
PIN UP'S by KAREEM AJANI, STEVE CARTY

Streets of Toronto - 179
FACES OF TORONTO by JOHN BEEBE
FacesOf is hosting a portable portrait studio on the street for pedestrians to observe and to participate.
May 3rd - Junction Opening Night 4 - 9 pm

Also in the Junction:

Opening May 15, 6 - 9PM
REBAS Cafe & Gallery - 157
MEMORY IN 3 QUARTERS by GERARD DOYLE, FABIAN GARZON, RICHARD KOROLL