If you are into design, innovations and the process behind it, this is the show for you! Toronto Design Offsite festival (TO DO) is a collection of exhibits across the city showcasing the latest trend in Canadian art and design. Most events are FREE, some even have complimentary food and drinks!For complete schedule and details of each show, click here.
Below is a list of shows that I find particularly interesting:
TO DO PechaKucha Night
January 17, 7:30-11:00 pm
@ The Garrison (1197 Dundas Street West)
Admission: $5http://www.pecha-kucha.org/night/toronto/
Originated from Tokyo, this is an informal gathering to share creative ideas, works, and thoughts. Presentation is fast-paced, such that presenters have 20 automatically forwarded images to talk about for 20 seconds each. This show is held approximately every two months. Check their website for more details.
Not Forkchops
January 25-29@ The Department Gallery (1389 Dundas St. West)
Free admissionhttp://imm-living.com/notforkchops/This is the only event during Toronto Design Week where audiences decide the outcome. Canadian artists and designers will showcase their work, each assigned with a specific colour sticky note. The attendee will then place the sticky note of their favourite designer on a blank wall, creating a new piece in the process. DO Design 2012
January 26-29 (
Opening reception: January 28, 3–8 pm. Guided tour: January 29, 2 pm.)
@ Dundas West (from Bathurst to Grace Street)Free admission
http://www.dowest.ca/DWD.html The street ‘gallery’ provides a unique format to see and discover design in the city. The visitor’s experience is shaped by the event’s diverse range of host venues, which includes boutiques, cafes, restaurants, pharmacy, hardware store, beauty parlors, dentist’s office. Most pieces will be visible from the street and can be seen outside of opening hours. Radiant Dark: The Devil Is The De
tailsJanuary 26-29,
noon-6 pm (
Opening reception: January 28 at 3-7 pm)@
St. Mathias Place (
859 Dundas St. West)Free admissionhttp://www.madedesign.ca/radiantdark/main.html This group of independent designers explore the process, materials and concepts that set their works apart from others.
Public Displays of Affection for 40 Oaks
January 27-29, 1-6 pm (Opening reception: January 27 at 6 pm. Panel discussion: January 29 at 1:30 pm)@ 40 Oaks Community Center (40 Oak St.)Free admissionhttp://publicdisplaysofaffection.ca/pdas/pda-for-40-oaks/ Local designers and students of OCAD, Sheridan, George Brown College have come together to create unique sustainable designed pieces for the residents of 40 Oaks. 
Ideacious CO_LAB Session
January 28,
7-11 pm@
ideacious (
176 John Street, Suite 408)
Free admissionhttp://ideacious.wordpress.com/ Attendees are encouraged to give comments and feedback of the products will be launched on ideacious, or propose product ideas of their own. Drinks, appetizers, games and music will be provided.MOTO at Domison
January 26-29, 10 am-8 pm (Cocktail hour: Thursday to Saturday, 5:30-7:30 pm)@ Domison (35 Jarvis St.)
Free admissionhttp://todesignoffsite.com/events-2/event/moto-at-domison/
The temporary installation presents the works of cutting edge designers from both cities, Montreal and Toronto. It’s about creating a dialogue between these two design hubs. In other words, let’s introduce Montreal to Toronto and Toronto to Montreal.
ASSOCIATES New Design
Collections
January 27-29 (Opening party: January 27 from 6–10 pm. Drinks will be served along with snacks)
@ Cooper Cole Gallery (1161 Dundas Street West)
Free admission
http://apache.ocad.ca/events_calendar/eventdetail.php?id=4017
This show asks 15 designers to create two or more objects that have a correlation to each other. Designers are encouraged to think outside the box and consider a deeper relationship between objects. The topics that may be addressed include but not limited to are: sexuality, luxury, ambition, symbols, and geometry.
STITCHES: Suzhou Fast Forward
October 26, 2011-February 18, 2012, Tuesday to Saturday, 12-6 pm
@ WORKshop (80 Bloor Street West, Concourse Level C-1) Free Admission
http://todesignoffsite.com/events-2/event/stitches-suzhou-fast-forward/ The show features 7 pieces of hand-crafted Suzhou embroidery from China and 6 contemporary works by invited designers.
The 7 hand-crafted embroidery pieces are from the Zhou XueQing Embroidery Art Center in Guangdong, China. Stitched in fine silk threads, these exquisite pictures represent an array of objects such as flowers, birds, and landscapes.
Using this ancient craft as the springboard for experimentation and expressions of what embroidery might be in the 21st century, WORKshop invited a small group of artists to create original works. Their responses make use of new technologies, processes, and materials that result in purely decorative to highly functional works.
The pumpkin creme brulee had a nice flavour. Due to the discount, the bill averaged out to only $14 per person (including tax and tip)! As I was leaving, the lady at the counter gave me another coupon... $10 off when you spend $30. Not bad! I guess that's their way to gain customers when they lose regulars due to Winterlicious restaurants!
