Step into The Drake Hotel, where art has always found its home. Our walls serve as an ever-evolving gallery, showcasing the talent of both local and international artists. With each stroke of the brush and each sculptural form, our space becomes a canvas for boundless imagination. This year's exhibition is a testament to the diversity of creative expression. Two distinct art shows, featuring exhibitors; Sean Weisgerber and Tara Newell, converge within the timeless elegance of The Drake Hotel's Classic Wing. As boundaries dissolve, we invite you to lose yourself in the magic of art and connect with the vibrant spirit of creativity that pulsates within the heart of The Drake.
SEAN WEISGERBER
2H PENCIL + PRICE STICKERS
The artist has installed 3 new wall drawings in our classic wing, offering transparency into the unique financial negotiations between artist and patron. For Wall Drawings #6 and #7, he drew a 1x1 inch grid of pencil dots over the entire wall and then placed price stickers in each square inch. The cumulative value of all of these price stickers represents the artist’s fee. In Wall Drawing #8, the artist bartered for an alternative form of payment – a strategy akin to Ed Kienholz’s Barter series from the late 1960s – to create his latest wall drawing using stickers that document this specific form of exchange. About the Artist: Sean Weisgerber is an artist based in Toronto. His work centers on the nexus of art and commerce with an interest in how art and labour are commodified. He has shown his work across Canada and the US, with recent solo exhibitions at Blouin Division (Montreal) and Arsenal Contemporary (New York). He has a forthcoming exhibition at Blouin Division (Toronto) opening in February 2024.
TARA NEWELL
INSTALLATIONS
These larger scale pieces installed throughout the lobby and first floor are a combination of altered found objects and fabricated designs that were featured in the artist's most recent solo show - ‘YOU HAVE MY WORD’ (2023). These works aim to combine language and emotion within a physical structure. About the Artist: Tara Newell is a British artist based in Toronto. Using varying mediums, her work focuses on the concept of wordplay and double entendre. Her work aims to encourage the viewer to consider a different perspective around seemingly familiar objects and scenes. In recent years her work has progressed into larger scale installations, which she plans on continuing to explore further.