Exhibit: Poetry at Toronto's Beaches!

Winter Stations Design Competition 2016 Winners Exhibition Review

It's been hard trying to get back to my daily life in Toronto, not only because I miss the excitement of travel, but I miss the summer heat of South America, and my tan is fading fast here in Toronto. So I decided to beat the winter blues by visiting Toronto's beaches in the east end and the Winter Stations Art Installations that have transformed the abandoned lifeguard stations along Kew, Balmy and Woodbine beaches into stunning works of art.

Flow by Calvin Fung and Victor Huynh

Seven winning designs of the Second Annual Winter Stations Design Competition has brought some much needed heat and beauty to both the desolate Toronto Beaches and for at least for a little while, chased my post travel winter blues away.

Floating Ropes by MUDO

Inside Floating Ropes by MUDO

Lithoform by Ryerson University Team

Almost 400 designs were submitted to this international competition, twice as many as last year., and winners were chosen by a selected jury. Unlike the 2015 Winter Stations Design Competition there were more winning designs displayed and the area covered was larger. Last year there were only 5 installations covering Kew and Balmy Beaches. This year there are eight installations spreading across Kew, Balmy and Woodbine Beaches including Douglas Cardinal's Fire Place.

In the Belly of a Bear by Caitlind r.c Brown, Wayne Garrett and Lane Shordee

Inside In the Belly of a Bear

SAUNA by FFLO

Designers and artists for this year's competition were to incorporate the theme of Freeze/Thaw and to keep in mind the changing weather of a Toronto winter. Another important component of the winning installations is to make them interactive to the thousands of visitors who will make the trek down to Toronto's Beaches. Although I found last year's winning entries a little more dramatic on a whole, this years winning installations are definitely worth the trip to The Beaches in the winter. In The Belly of The Bear by Caitlind r.c Brown, Wayne Garrett and Lane Shordee is one of my favourites and it was great to warm up in SAUNA by FFLO. I also love the idea of transforming Toronto's Beaches in the winter time to "pieces of poetry on the beach", according to jury judge Lisa Rochon.

Fire Place by Douglas Cardinal

The Steam Canoe by OCADU Team

Aurora Borealis by Laurentian University Team

Winter Stations runs until March 20, 2016. For more information please visit Winter Stations.

P.s!: The Douglas Cardinal Fire Place which will remain as a permanent fixture to the Beach.

P.s,

Melanie!