Ice Breakers : Interactive Art Installations, along the Waterfront

c="http://www.loulou.to/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/art-installation-toronto-waterfront.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-38796 blk-brdr">Ice Breakers is another new-to-Toronto public art installation, intended to get people outside during the cold winter months. Like the "Toronto Light Festival" in the Distillery District, (which I wrote about last week, in this post), 2018 was the second year for this exhibition.Having seen both now, I'm surely hoping there will be a third year, a fourth year, and so on, for both shows. During a season when instincts strongly urge one to stay indoors, getting out to see some art has been quite lovely. Cold? Yes. But, also lovely.There are five interactive installations set up along the waterfront, between Bathurst and York Street. Three were created by Canadians, one by artists from Portugal, and one from China. They will be there until March 18th (the original run was extended).After a few abnormally warm days, all the snow has melted -- I wish we'd gone before that happened, because, no doubt, these pieces were intended to be displayed under snowy conditions. They must have been extra nice against a clean white backdrop.The show was still good without snow, though. As an adult, seeing them was interesting and fun, however, I bet children must really love these. With March break next week, if you have kids, you might want to take them down for a look. If you do go, you'll want to bundle up as the proximity to the water makes it quite frosty down there. Also, I suggest you wear boots that you don't mind getting dirty because it was pretty mucky around a couple of the displays.We went on Saturday, walking eastward from the foot of Bathurst Street. I was surprised by how few people were down there, in contrast to the crowds encountered every time I've been on a weekend day during the summer.A trip to the waterfront comes with the added benefit of visiting one of Toronto's prettiest places! It's hard to be blue while surrounded by so much blue. (My profound thought for the day, haha.)

The LP Concert at The Danforth Music Hall

This story begins back in November. We were in Quebec City for a little anniversary holiday, and I checked email and found a note from the music site Spotify, stating that an artist whose songs I listened to frequently was going to be performing in Toronto. That was singer songwriter LP.When we got home, I went over to "Rotate This" and got tickets to surprise Nick with for Christmas. The show wasn't until February, and since I'd gone so early, I happened to score tickets #1 and #2! (Tickets were also available online, so I'm pretty sure we weren't the first to get tickets in the whole city, but we got the first 2 printed ones.)

A Coffee Shop Date with Friends : Noble Coffee Co. (Closed)

UPDATE 2022 : Noble Coffee has closed permanently.—————Meghan, Julie and I had a lovely coffee shop date recently. At Julie's recommendation, we went to Noble Coffee Co (on Bloor Street, south side between Lansdowne and Dundas West).It was really cold outside but warm and inviting inside. The steamy windows added to the cozy ambiance, as did the aroma of freshly ground coffee and tray of homemade cookies, which had just been taken out of the oven as we arrived.

Beautiful Lights on a Dark Winter’s Night : The Toronto Light Festival in The Distillery District (2018)

c="http://www.loulou.to/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/toronto-light-fest-sign-the-distillery-district-at-night.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-38669 blk-brdr">On Thursday night, I added a new event to my "try to see this every year" list!It's The Toronto Light Festival, held for the second time in The Distillery District. After seeing photos of it (too late) last year, I made sure to get over to experience it this year, and Nick came with me.With 20 or so large scale light-driven sculptures created by artists from around the world, set up in the dark cobblestone lane-ways amoungst some of Toronto's oldest buildings, it was quite stunning to see. The festival runs until March 4th, so there's still time for you to see it, if you haven't yet, and if you're planning ahead for next year, it's usually on from mid January until the end of February. It is free.Here's a little look at some of the 2018 installations. Some pieces are static but most of them appear to be in motion, with colour changes and light sequences. Some are interactive, reacting to your proximity.We took the streetcar over, along King Street West, which dropped us off at the easternmost entrance to The Distillery District.

Art, Drinks and Food on Bloor Street : Mercer Union Gallery and The Emerson

Julie, Meghan and I went to the opening night party for the new installation at The Mercer Union Contemporary Art Centre, (located on the north side of Bloor, just east of Lansdowne), last Friday evening.

The exhibition, guest curated by Denise Ryner, is called Common Cause: before and beyond the global, and runs until March 24, 2018. Described as "Installations by Fayçal Baghriche, Sandra Brewster, David Hartt and Jeneen Frei Njootli consider historical, present and speculative expansions on the global, as a permanently unfixed, interdependent but disordered whole."