NEWS

A CIRCLE OF WOMEN

November exhibition at the Steam Whistle Gallery

(Toronto, ON, October 29, 2009) – Bringing painters Misha Masek and Jane Roos together for the exhibition “A Circle of Women,” the Steam Whistle Gallery will showcase women from different corners of the globe and explore the roles they play in their community. Tenacity, compassion, ambition and grace are words that frame this exhibition.

Opening night gala to be held in Steam Whistle’s gallery space on Wednesday November 4th from 6-10pm.

The exhibition will remain on display until Friday November 27th.

The Painters:

Misha Masek: Misha is a photographer from Toronto, Canada who relocated to Barcelona for artistic inspiration and a personal challenge. She received a BFA in photography from Ryerson University and has over 10 years of experience in the field. She is an avid traveller, having shot in many corners of the globe. Her photographs have been selected for SNAP! The AIDS committee of Toronto annual photographic fundraiser and in 2008 she was the Grand Prize winner of LCBO’s Whisky in Focus photo competition. Currently she is selling out her latest mixed media collection called, “Deconstructed City,” and is excited to have the opportunity to be involved in this Canadian collective.

During a recent trip to East Africa, Misha was inspired by the courage and warmth of its people. She was blessed with the opportunity to meet the ambitious students of Rwanda and the skillful women of the Tanzanian Maasai. “Empower” was her chance to share this human experience with you. The chosen pieces showcase a glimpse of a generation of East African women, on their quest to achieve greatness in the classroom and in the workplace. It is a celebration of their rich cultural heritage and it represents hope and possibility for many.

1994 Rwanda was plunged into a violent genocide that saw almost 1 million Tutsis and Hutu political moderates killed in the 100-day genocide. There were no guarantees that the children of that generation would be able to attain a meaningful adulthood, free from the ravages of violence. The killing left hundreds of thousands of children orphaned and a generation of girls and women at risk. The majority of women were traumatized. A large number of them were displaced and taken as sexual hostages. Senator Inyumba believes, much has changed when it comes to gender, politics and education. “Setting up a strong Ministry of gender, family and social affairs after the genocide was a demonstration that a strong gender policy was going to be a basis for building a strong nation,” The government recognized women and gave them a vital role to play in rebuilding the country. This vitality is most strongly demonstrated in the education sector. Great progress has been made throughout Rwanda and across Africa with the assistance of Government campaigns and the generosity of countless private organizations.
Gender equality is being promoted by projects such as MWA, that directly benefit hundreds of Maasai women in Northern Tanzania, Arusha, Meru and Monduli Districts. Rural poverty in the Maasai culture is deeply rooted in imbalance. The women are responsible for the labour that sustains life - growing and cooking food, raising children, maintaining a house, collecting water and firewood. This work is accorded low status and no pay. Rural Tanzanian women are a profoundly disadvantaged sub-class in one of the poorest countries in the world. Without power, money and education, they are least able to cope with rapid structural change and have less possibilities of becoming independent and self-reliant. Maasai Women Art is an informal network of Maasai women groups located in Northern Tanzania. It was founded to create the correct conditions to enable poor rural women in Northern Tanzania, to integrate into the mainstream of social and economic development. Their mission is to help these women overcome poverty by improving their access to education and income generation opportunities, while protecting their natural environment. Since it was established, MWA has increased Maasai women’s access to literacy courses and has fostered Maasai traditional bead and leather skills to produce marketable products as an alternative income in poor rural areas. Maasai Women Art’s goal is to fight poverty and illiteracy, to enhance the status of Maasai women in the community and to promote environmental awareness in Northern Tanzania.

You can view a selection of Misha’s work at www.restlessambition.ca
* Commission pieces available

For more information about Massai Women Art and to download their 2009 catalogue, please visit: www.maasaiwomenart.net

Steam Whistle Brewing- The Roundhouse
255 Bremner Blvd., Toronto.
(just south of the CN Tower)
416 362 2337 x 246.

Media Contact Gallery Contact
Steve Murdoch Mike Arlotto
OEB International Steam Whistle Brewing
905 682 7203 416 362 2337 x 293
smurdoch@oebenterprise.com mikea@steamwhistle.ca

For more information, please visit http://www.steamwhistle.ca/artShows/cttd.php

DESTINATIONS

Inauguration - Barcelona, Spain, August 9, 20h

While the colloquial definition of “destinations” implies location, .:ART NIGHTS BCN:. is proud to present a more holistic idea on this concept. Through photographs, paintings, montage, and drawings, the artists have captured the moods, essences and tones of their worlds. Using vastly different styles and mediums, this group of artists has created a truly enchanting collective account of our world.

Exhibiting both spaces that come from within the minds of our artists, and the creative environments in which they produce their works, we are honored and excited to present “Destinations.”

"We came, we saw, there were too many FUCKING PEOPLE"

An enormous Thank You to everyone for coming out to the opening of our "Destinations" exhibition. We understand that there were too many people to sufficiently view all of the works, also, to answer everyone's questions.

We'd like to invite all interested collectors to a private event, 20 August, 7 - 10 pm. This is a closed-door event, and you must reserve your space. This event will provide an opportunity to view additional pieces, speak with many of the artists and the gallery directors about the featured work.Again, please be sure to confirm your attendance to ensure entrance.

BARCELONA SUMMER WEEK

Barcelona, Spain, 3 - 9 August, 2009

Misha Masek was a featured live painting artist this year at BSW, in collaboration with Revivelanoche.com. This week long festival featured some of the best DJs in the World; Tiesto, David Guetta, Armin Van Buuren, Erick Morillo and the list goes on. Attendees were expected to exceed 50,000 over 7 days.

ACTION ART

.:ART NIGHTS BCN:. is proud to present Action Art!

Featuring Karen Klink and Misha Masek, followed by an invited aperitivo at Hotel Casanova.

Karen and Misha will be working in our space every day. Except Sunday.
Then we'll be at the beach!

VOLCOM GIRL PRESENTS ANTI-VALENTINE PARTIES THROUGHOUT EUROPE

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 29 January, 2009 : - - On Friday 13th February, 12 European countries will be holding simultaneous Volcom Girl Anti-Valentine Parties. France, UK, Spain, Portugal, Finland, The Netherlands, Greece, Romania, Ukraine, and Poland will each be hosting a black and red Anti Valentine themed night.

Volcom Girl Anti-Valentine Party Spain, featured work by Canadian artist MishaMasek. The event was a success with record attendance and surprise appearances by industry pros.

GRACIA ARTS PROJECT

Introduces Misha Masek, in this Christmas collective.

(Barcelona, Spain, December 07, 2008) Misha has shot in all photographic styles, but is most passionate about photojournalism, travel and fine art photography. She spends the remainder of her time exploring Barcelona at street level and allowing herself to be consumed by the many layers of the eccentric Barcelona scene. Misha now makes Spain her home as she feels Barcelona oozes with talent, respects rebellion and inspires those seeking divine influence. These two pieces are the first of a series focusing on her exploration of Barcelona at Street Level. The heartbeat of a city. A city which embraces resistance or defiance of any authority, control or tradition. A conundrum of rebellious minds unified by belief in freedom of expression.  

WHISKY IN FOCUS

December 7, 2007   09:19 ET
LCBO’s largest-ever whisky promotion, Whisky in Focus, was also LCBO’s most integrated, multi-media campaign including a photography competition that received more than 20,000 online entries during a two-week period.  Misha Masek of Toronto won the first place photography prize pack worth approximately $2,600. Her winning photo “Bean Smile,” featuring a blind horse from Caledon, Ontario, will be published as a newspaper advertisement in Toronto’s Metro News on December 14 and the Toronto Star on December 15.  Masek’s photo was voted one of the top 10 photos by the public, who voted online nearly 6,000 times. A judging panel of professional photographers and marketing experts then selected it as the final winning photo…