Steam Whistle hosted their monthly art show last Wednesday, September 4th. The September Art Show was entitled “Poster Party”, showcasing the works of local poster artists and printmakers. Matt Moreland, an OCAD graduate, curated the show with the help of Kyle Michael Murray and Steam Whistle’s special events manager, Matt Weed.
Steam Whistle’s monthly art shows are awesome in that they support local talent. This month, the artists that showcased their works originated from OCAD and Punchclock, a collective studio that outputs screen-printed work in Toronto. The showcasing artists are a community of friends that work with similar mediums of art. As a community, they work together to showcase and distribute their works to a greater audience.
In the past, poster art and printmaking has been directed towards basic commercial needs. Instead of representing the intent of an artist, the artistic medium became a vehicle for capitalism and consumption. In recent years, there has been a reaction against the medium’s commercial traditions. Today, contemporary artists are using the medium to reflect their own artistic intent.
“Poster Party” was a celebration of poster art and printmaking as a legitimate artistic medium in the art industry. Since its origin, the medium of poster art and printmaking has revolved around mass production and wide distribution. “Poster Party’s” contributing artists embraced this phenomenon and sold their works at a rate that was affordable. In this, the artists made the visual arts accessible to the general public.
The artists showcasing their works are: Jay Beckett, Nathan Enkel, Susan Grace, Miles Ingrassia, Reid Jenkins, Iris Karuna, Rebecca Ladds, Jackie Lee, Eunice Luk,Reid Millard, Matt Moreland, Kyle Michael Murray, Ella Selbie, Nick Shick, Jordan Warmington, and Lee Wiesblatt.
Steam Whistle’s exhibitions are open and free to the public. It’s open from Monday to Thursday, 12 to 6pm, and Friday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm. Steam Whistle Brewing is located at 255 Bremner Blvd, south of the CN Tower. The Poster Party will close on September 30th.
