Toronto: Canadian Modern & Beyond – 43rd Annual Symposium

Join us for this two-day cultural event. Registrants will enjoy private studio tours, access archival materials, curator-led presentations and private exhibition tours, lectures, panel discussions and even a guided walking tour of The Annex!  *Open to members and non-members alike*

VIRTUAL PACKAGES are available to those who cannot attend live. $40 CAD to access four lectures – DAY 2 (listed below)

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DAY 1 – Archives / Exhibitions / Studio Tours (Charter bus service and lunch is included):

• Guided Tour of Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, Robarts Library
• Studio Tour with Brothers Dressler
• Guided Tour of 401 Richmond with President + Founder, Margie Zeidler
• Presentation with Justine Woods, Curator of Indigenous Collections at Bata Shoe Museum

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DAY 2 – Lectures / Panel Discussions / Walking Tour  (Coffee/tea/pastries and a guided walking tour of The Annex is included):

• MODERN HERITAGE, presented by Michael McClelland of ERA Architects – Exploring contrasting visions of modernism in Toronto’s postwar architecture, this presentation considers how architectural expression, material culture, and cultural value intersect in the city’s evolving heritage landscape. Using case studies like Mies van der Rohe’s TD Centre and Uno Prii’s sculptural apartment buildings, the presentation examines how differing approaches to modern design and their cultural associations have shaped what is celebrated, conserved, or overlooked in the city’s architectural legacy. Building on themes introduced in Concrete Toronto, it reflects on how both widely recognized and unconventional modernist works contribute to Toronto’s identity — and why some remain on the margins of preservation discours

• ORNAMENTUM SPOTLIGHTS MODERN MAKERS – Join Ornamentum’s online editor Julia Brucculieri in conversation with quilter Kristy Woudstra and furniture designer and maker Daniel Greutter as they share their insights as modern makers in the evolving world of craft and design. From finding inspiration in their surroundings to reimagining time-honoured techniques, this session explores how these contemporary artisans are interpreting traditional practices to reflect today’s world, balancing heritage with innovation and functionality with meaning.

• PAUL MCCLURE: DESIGNER – MAKER – EDUCATOR – In this presentation, Paul McClure examines the convergence of biology, craft, and contemporary jewellery through his studio practice. His work investigates microscopic and cellular forms, employing them as both metaphorical and formal devices to explore themes of the body, mortality, and materiality. McClure’s ongoing technical research combines traditional goldsmithing techniques with emerging digital fabrication technologies, resulting in works that function not only as adornment but also as sculptural inquiries into the aesthetics of the unseen. In addition to discussing his studio practice, McClure will provide an overview of the renowned School of Jewellery at George Brown College (GBC) in Toronto, one of the oldest and largest programs of its kind in North America. As GBC, like many other craft programs in Ontario, faces the threat of closures and underfunding, McClure will address this crisis and its impact on the sustainability of craft skills in Canada.

• CANADIAN MODERN CRAFT & DESIGN: DISPLAY, DOCUMENT, INTERPRET a panel conversation with Dr. Rachel Gotlieb, Dr. Jan Hadlaw & Dr. Michael J. Prokopow – This session will examine institutional stewardship of post 1920 Canadian design and craft. Panelists will consider the interpretation and display of artifacts in the context of audiences, value, social culture and the critical narration of histories through objects. The importance of digital research networks will also be discussed. 

Can’t make it for the full two days? We’ve got you covered with DAILY RATES and VIRTUAL PACKAGES. Registration information HERE. 

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About CSDA/CCAD – The Canadian Society of Decorative Arts/ Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs (CSDA/CCAD) is a national, non-profit organization founded in 1981 for the study, appreciation, and promotion of design and decorative arts in Canada through programming and publications. The CSDA/CCAD publishes Ornamentum magazine twice yearly, with articles in both French and English written by makers, scholars, collectors, and journalists. Ornamentum is the only magazine dedicated to design and decorative arts in Canada. 

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Image 1: Brothers Dressler, Onedge Rocker, Handmade solid wood black rocking chair. Photo credit: www.brothersdressler.com 

Image 2: Ceiling of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library 

Image 3: Paul McClure, Cell Slice, Ring, 2020, Laser sintered and fabricated silver; 4 x 2.5 x 3.5 cm. Photo credit: Digital by Design