Opening night: Thursday, April 26 | 6:30 p.m.
Exhibit: April 26 to 29, 2012

Every year, Ryerson School of Interior Design celebrates the creativity and ingenuity of its students through a three day exhibit. Curated by faculty and organized by students, in[sid] connects students with industry leaders while displaying the diverse design solutions to a broad selection of contemporary issues from all four years of the program. This year the show examines the concept of Impression, concentrating on the transformative effects an experience can have on an individual.

As young designers, we are looking for a way to leave our impression on the world. Impressions have a variety of manifestations – including first, last, fleeting or deep – all of which are formed by our experiences. Experience the impressions the school leaves upon its students, and the impressions graduating students will leave behind at Ryerson.

For more information, visit insid.ca.

Please step in[sid], engage, and make your impression.

Location:   Ryerson School of Interior Design, 302 Church Street, Toronto, ON

6:30 p.m to 8:00 p.m Industry Event
7:30 p.m. Entrance to General public

$10 at the door. Free for industry.

3pm, Sunday April 1, 2012

Part of Pre-Occupied: An Exhibition of Ideas, Objects and Occupations

Hosted by Parkdale’s newest pop-up gallery
“Pre-Occupied” is a pop-up exhibition inspired by the Occupy Movement which explores how pre-occupations are manifested in objects. Presented by the Cadence Collective and hosted in an alternative venue, the exhibition runs from March 11- April 1, 2012. The closing reception on April 1 will feature artist talks and discussion.

Artists include: Kasia Czarnota, Department of Unusual Certainties, Brothers Dressler, Hugo Didier, Heyday Design, Taliaferro Jones, Amanda McCavour, Sally McCubbin, Public Displays of Affection (PDA), Liz Pead, and Ruth Scheuing.

Exhibition: There is value in claiming space for expression and allowing room for ideas to be discussed, to grow and to transform. While social media have been credited with facilitating recent protests around the world, the occupation of physical space – the undeniable presence of people and camps – has captivated attention and underlined the commitment of demonstrators. Inspired by the Occupy Movement, this exhibition considers how pre-occupations are manifested in objects. How do ideas occupy space? How are they shared and made tangible through the creation of objects, both as process and in final form? How do those objects act as catalysts to help transform and revitalize space and discussion? Two slogans serve to organize the work: “Resistance is fertile” and “It’s not a protest, it’s a process.” By exploring a series of definitions of “occupy,” connections are drawn between the act of making objects, and issues of expression, communication, employment, community and production.

Closing reception and artist talks: Artists featured in the exhibition, including the Brothers Dressler, Department of Unusual Certainties, Sally McCubbin, Public Displays of Affection and Liz Pead, will participate in “Artists Rants.” Each speaker will have five minutes to share their ideas and “pre-occupations” before the “hot potato” is passed on to the next participant. The audience is invited to engage in the discussion. The closing reception will follow.

Where: 173 Macdonell Avenue, Toronto (please enter by the side gate)

The exhibit is temporarily occupying a pop-up gallery in a new studio/gallery space in an alley garage in Parkdale, designed in collaboration with Johnson Chou. This exhibit will be the first ‘occupation’ of this alternative venue.

When: Closing reception and artist talks – Sunday April 1, 2012, 3-5pm

Exhibition hours: March 11 to April 1, 2012, Weekends noon- 6pm, weekday hours by appointment.

More information: To find out more about the exhibition and to book appointments, please visit www.preoccupied.ca

Organized by: Founded in 2008, the Cadence Collective is a fluid collective of thinkers, artists and curators who collaborate on interdisciplinary community art projects. For more information, please visit www.cadencecollective.ca

With the support of: The Ontario Arts Council.

Inspired by the Occupy Movement and the act of claiming a physical space to express ideas, “” is a pop-up exhibition that deals with various themes of occupation. It explores how our preoccupations (concerns, desires and actions) are manifested in objects.

Featuring work from known artists such as Kasia Czarnota, Heyday Design, Hugo Dieter, Brothers Dressler, Public Displays of Affection (PDA), Sally McCubbin and Amanda McCavour, Liz Pead, the exhibition is organized by the Cadence Collective and hosted in an alternative gallery space at 173 Macdonell Avenue, Toronto from March 11 to April 1, 2012.

Admission is free. Hours are weekends from noon-6 pm, weekdays, by appointment.

Closing artist talk on April 1, 2012 at 3pm

Please visit the website for more information: www.preoccupied.ca