This week Amil took the mic and interviewed the artists from Xspace Gallery's latest show Found and Crafted - Explorations in Furniture.

Had I been able to be in the studio that day, I would have totally plugged Heather Goodchild's upcoming show at the Katherine Mulherin Gallery, opening this Thursday and told everyone to check out the Block on the Spot Event at the Theatre Centre, Friday November 30th. It's an art party/cabaret featuring a visual art, contemporary dance and performance art mash up that will become a wicked dance party DJed by artist Ulysses DeCastellanos, word has it to bring your bathing suits. Last year's event turned into a pretty wild night and will end promptly at 1am, doors open at 7:30pm.

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This week Amil and I got back in the studio to talk about some of the great art exhibitions happening around the city, including a beautiful show by Olena Kassian going on at the Mittica Gallery and Kent Monkman's exhibitions at MOCCA and the ROM.

We enjoyed two great interviews with Ana Serrano the Director & Founder of the CFC Media Lab, plus we also spoke to contemporary dancer Susie Burpee and choreographer Serge Bennethan about how Japanese anime has influenced their latest performance called Manga happening at Harbourfront Centre's Enwave Theatre opening November 22.

This week's podcast is sponsored by the CFC Media Lab.

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Contact us with feedback, upcoming shows or anything in between at artsnow [at] blogto.com

This week Amil & I had a great show talking about everything from Halloween costumes, to the Toronto International Art Fair, the Hysteria Festival and more.

We enjoyed two really interesting interviews. One with Jason Goodman, who is both CFC Media Lab Alumni and president of Cieo Creative a new interactive toy company that grew out of a group project initially created at the CFC.

Plus Malgorzata Nowacka, Artistic Director & Choreographer of The Chimera Project came into the talk to us about her piece in this weeks Hysteria Festival North America's largest multi-disciplinary showcase of work by women that is happening at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre through til November 3rd.

This week's podcast is sponsored by the CFC Media Lab.

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The Arts Now is a weekly podcast all about the Toronto arts scene hosted by Ella Cooper & Amil Niazi.

Contact us with feedback, upcoming shows or anything in between at artsnow [at] blogto.com

On this week's show, SLS Singing teacher, Brandon Brophy, joined me on the mic in place of Amil. We talked about upcoming shows like the Kaeja's MADance Screen Salon at the Drake Hotel Friday October 26 and Clay and Paper Theatre's upcoming Halloween procession Night of Dread October 27 at Dufferin Grove Park.

We enjoyed an interview with choreographer and dancer Laurence Lemieux from the acclaimed dance company Coleman & Lemieux, who talked about her upcoming show Interiors premiering at the Harbourfrontcentre Enwave Theatre from Oct 25 - 27, shows at 8pm.

This week's podcast is sponsored by the CFC Media Lab.

Listen | Download the podcast

The Arts Now is a weekly podcast all about the Toronto arts scene hosted by Ella Cooper & Amil Niazi.

Contact us with feedback, upcoming shows or anything in between at artsnow [at] blogto.com

Image -Laurence & Juliette Lemieux

This week Amil & I chatted with the curators of the Big Fibre, Little Fibre Exhibit happening at the Gladstone Hotel until November 25. We talked about how the featured textile artists are bringing sexy back and proving that textile art is just as edgy and relevant as all contemporary art forms.

In addition we chatted about the latest exhibit at Magic Pony plus the naughty burlesque delights and politically charged drag acts going on at the Art House Cabaret show at the Buddies in Badtime Theatre.

This week's podcast is sponsored by the CFC Media Lab.

Listen | Download the podcast

The Arts Now is a weekly podcast all about the Toronto arts scene hosted by Ella Cooper & Amil Niazi.

Contact us with feedback, upcoming shows or anything in between at artsnow [at] blogto.com

Image - Fifteen Fucks by artist Andrea Vander Kooij - size 2"x2"

This week Amil let me stay home and be sick while she was the star of the show. Listen to her rockin' interview with Shira Leuchter and Sarah Teitel about their group show 'Bardbie' happening at the Engine Gallery as part of tonight's Scotiabank Nuitblanche Don't miss the slideshow presentations of great tales from literature and the bible illustrated in the medium of Barbie doll.

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The Arts Now is a weekly podcast all about the Toronto arts scene hosted by Ella Cooper & Amil Niazi.

Contact us with feedback, upcoming shows or anything in between at artsnow [at] blogto.com

Image care of Bardbie Exhibit

This week Amil and I talked about theSmall World Music Festival and photographer Luis Jacob's latest show at the Birch Libralato Gallery featuring naked images of Keith Cole in the snow. Plus we gushed about all the other great theatre and arts openings happening around the city this week.

In addition, we had a great interview with the very well informed Shannon Cochrane, who is the Director of FADO and a local performance artist. She spoke to us about the show Art that Binds a performance arts extravanganza featuring many local Toronto artists which she curated for this weekend's Queen West Arts Crawl. Don't miss it.

This week's show is sponsored by the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche.

Listen | Download the podcast

The Arts Now is a weekly podcast all about the Toronto arts scene hosted by Ella Cooper & Amil Niazi.

Contact us with feedback, upcoming shows or anything in between at artsnow [at] blogto.com

Image by Ruipereira

This week Amil and I caught up and chatted about her perspectives on the Canadian arts scene in Europe, MOCCA's latest show 'Eat Food' plus the plethora of openings and season launches happening around the city. I also reported back on what the Gallery TPW and Trinity Square Video's joint show Grand Gestures was really like.

We had a fun little interview with acclaimed Illustrator and Toy Maker Gary Taxali, who's work you'll likely recognize as he has worked with many of the big wigs of the entertainment industry, can anyone say Rolling Stone.

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The Arts Now is a weekly podcast all about the Toronto arts scene hosted by Ella Cooper & Amil Niazi.

Contact us with feedback, upcoming shows or anything in between at artsnow [at] blogto.com

This week I co-hosted the show again with my friend Brandon Brophy, a SLS singer teacher and fellow podcaster. We chatted about home videos and Gallery TPW and Trinity Square Video's upcoming joint show called Grand Gestures by the 640 480 Collective - opening this Thursday.

Plus, we enjoyed a fun interview with our three guests from the Z*otz Collective, who talked about what it's like to work collaboratively on the same drawing and their current show at the G-plus Gallery running through til September 23, 50 Gladstone St.

Listen | Download the podcast

The Arts Now is a weekly podcast all about the Toronto arts scene hosted by Ella Cooper & Amil Niazi.

Contact us with feedback, upcoming shows or anything in between at artsnow [at] blogto.com

This week's show (after a minor technical glitch) I had a lot of fun with my guest co-host Brandon Brophy, a SLS singer teacher and fellow podcaster. We chatted about the Buskers Festival , Meagan O'Shea's Dance Like Nobodies Watching, a guerilla dancing in the streets event and Promises last two Cherry Beach parties happening this Sunday and next labour day weekend.

We also had the opportunity to interview Haema Sivanesan, Executive Director of the South Asian Visual Arts Collective and artist/photographer Ambereen Siddiqi about the latest arts/audio show and partnership with [[murmur]] called Big Stories, Little India. Audio & Art Installations: August 25th to September 8th, in Little India along Gerrard Street.

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The Arts Now is a weekly podcast all about the Toronto arts scene hosted by Ella Cooper & Amil Niazi/