With just under three months to go until The Autists Gala bash, which, by the way, we aim to make Toronto’s most memorable, fun and creatively rewarding party of the year, we have been honoured and delighted to receive the support of several new corporate sponsors.

Gold ($5,000)

RBC

Verdirock Development Corp.

McMillan LLP

Silver ($2,000)

Altus Group

KPMG

Media (In-Kind)

Toronto Star

Globe & Mail

Messenger Experience Designers

Andora Graphics

Who will take the Title?

We still have room for more, many more — including Title Sponsor, by which a $20,000 donation gives you ‘Presented By’ billing. Because of the vastness of challenges faced by the Geneva Centre for Autism to meet demand for its services, The Autists’ acceptance of sponsors knows no limits. Our goal for this year is to cover all the expenses of staging the event through corporate and in-kind sponsorship, thus enabling ticket sales as well as live and silent auction sales to be the engines of fundraising.

It’s a balancing act

On the one hand, we want The Night to be irresistible to our city’s high net worth individuals — our art-buying attendees — by having fabulous food & bev, plus the in-demand artists and general glam factor necessary to do so. But we want to make it attractive and accessible to the autism community and families (on whose behalf this whole shebang exists) and also those looking to find wicked steals at our silent auction. To reach this delicate balance, we’ve set ticket prices this year to $195 per soul, we’re foregoing the big name full-length musical act (to shorten the event and reduce costs) and we’re keen to secure alcohol sponsorships, so we might easily keep our patrons’ spirits as high as they wish to take them.

Embrace Toronto’s most mind-expanding sponsorship opportunity

So if you or your company wish to be associated with something that’s doing much good while celebrating the intellectual ‘singularity’ that is autism, and be featured and feted at the finest bash this city dares to host, call Hindy Abelson, our fundraising goddess, at 416-322-7877 ext. 307 or email her at habelson(at)autism.net. She is whip-sharp and funny and knows how to make our sponsors feel very welcome and at home.

Paul Fenn

The quality just keeps standing and delivering. Our latest round of confirmed donating artists is in, and this is them and their works.

Bear in mind that these images aren’t representative of actual donated works, but samples intended to get you hot and bothered.

Freeman's 'Tim Burton' from her show, If The Paparazzi Could Paint

Carole Freeman, a Toronto-based Canadian/American artist, is re-emerging with series and projects derived from and commenting on her life experiences and observations, as well as illustrations for publication, and commissioned portraits. Recent commissions resulting from her solo exhibition, If the Paparazzi Could Paint, during TIFF 2010, include: Morgan Spurlock (writer/director/producer/star of Super Size Me), the Canadian Film Centre, Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company, and Blue Leaf Gallery, Dublin. Freeman’s illustrations have been published in the Globe and Mail, Saturday Night Magazine and more, with personal work profiled in the National Post, on CBC Radio Canada, CFRB, and TVOntario. Freeman has been the recipient of grants, awards, and residencies from the Canada Council, University of Toronto, Cite des Arts (Paris), and the Royal College of Art (London, England), where she graduated with an M.A. from the School of Painting. Her work is represented in private and public collections in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, and Italy. (Sourced from artist)

From Johnson's Ice Huts series, taken in Quebec.

Richard Johnson Although he spends much of his time, of necessity, tending a well-established career as an architectural photographer (he is greatly in demand for his spectacular shots of commercial interiors), Richard Johnson devotes some of his time, as well, to the production of photo-essays for his own enjoyment. In these personal bodies of work, Johnson demonstrates the same visual rigour as he does in his commercial undertakings. He tends to produce typologies of simple objects, culled from pop or vernacular traditions (chip wagons, say, or garbage bins from the Wasaga Beach area), objects which, though they clearly belong to one category of experience, are, when examined individually (as Johnson is at pains to show), charmingly and instructively different in feeling and, ultimately, in meaning. (Sourced from from the Globe and Mail)

Mitic's Gundala, with strategically placed bullet holes

Viktor Mitic is a University of Toronto graduate artist classically trained in art schools in Europe. Mitic has produced a major body of work that spans a career of over two decades. For a number of years, he was painting non-representational paintings using natural elements such as rain and hail to render surfaces of the paintings in oils on canvas. Mitic has successfully integrated various materials into his recent body of work: charcoal, graphite, oil, acrylic, watercolour, pen and ink, and Japanese traditional natural pigment. He has recently developed a distinctive, some would say provocative, method: He paints portraits of international iconic images and later shoots the outline of the figures using various weapons, with live ammunition. He has had many successful solo and group shows of his paintings in Europe, the United States, Canada, and, most recently, Japan. He lives in Toronto. (Sourced from the artist’s website)

Smith’s ‘Blue Chair with Cow’

Bronson Smith, 54, is a self taught visual artist and has been creating his modern-primitive wood paintings — acrylic paint on routered pine — since 1983 capturing images of the outports of Newfoundland and the barns of Ontario — a world that he feels is lost or at least disappearing in the blink of an eye.

His early works focused on various images found in rural and urban Ontario — ranging from cows and barns to Toronto street cars and old Victorian houses.

Later, heading eastward, he began to  capture scenes of eastern Canada, chiefly the more elemental visual feasts offered up in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Travis Shilling‘s paintings tell a story. A filmmaker and playwright, Travis’ work reflects a rich imagination and exceptional skill. Travis’ recent paintings juxtapose civilization and the animal world in a narrative dreamscape. His short film “Bear Tung”, featuring Gary Farmer, was a selection in the 2011 National Museum of American Indian in NYC as well as the Santa Fe independent film festival in October. Travis was born in Rama, Ontario, the second of two artist sons of acclaimed Aboriginal artist Arthur Shilling. Travis has exhibited since age 21 in Canada, Europe and the US. He travels between a studio in Rama and one in Toronto. (Sourced from the artist’s website)

#3 from a recent show, Clothesline Series

Bewabon Shilling was born in Orillia, Ontario in 1977, and is currently living in Toronto. Bewabon studies at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, 1998-2001. Off-campus studies include Florence, Italy and Graphic Design at George Brown College, 1997. Awards include the Rose of Cedarvale Scholarship, 2000, Norman & Margaret Jewison Charitable Foundation Scholarship, 2000. (Sourced from collectorsgalleryofart.com)

Paul Fenn

Charlie Pachter has been at it hammer and tongs.

As of today, he informs me that 15 artists are now confirmed to donate works for auction at our May 17 event.

Let’s tour their work

The artist's mastery at seizing the guts of our north is never in short supply

Over the past 30 years, Ed Bartram, one of Canada’s foremost printmakers, has consistently found his source of inspiration to be the rugged northern landscape of the Precambrian Shield. Unlike his predecessors, such as the Group of Seven, Bartram explores contemporary techniques and influences to focus upon the abstract and dynamic elements in the landscape. With his innovative techniques, he effectively captures the powerful forces which were at work during the formation of Georgian Bay’s metamorphic bedrock.

Book pages meticulously repurposed into something magical; from the artist's 'Solitudes' series

Born in Joliette, Québec in 1971, Jérôme Fortin lives and works in Montréal. Represented by Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain in Montréal, Fortin has shown in Québec, Japan, Europe and the USA. In 1998 he participated in the first edition of the Biennale de Montréal. Since his first solo show at Skol in 1999, Jérôme’s works have been widely exhibited, as in 2006 at the Canadian Embassy in Washington. A room was devoted to his works in 2007 at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. Jérôme was awarded the Prix Pierre-Ayot in 2004. In 2010, he is presenting his recent works at Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain.

More and then more, soon.

Paul Fenn

Our sponsorship package for 2011 is ready.

To discuss sponsorship involvement with The Autists or to get more info, or if you would like to discuss an idea for sponsorship that is not outlined in this document, please contact:

Ms. Hindy Abelson

Geneva Centre for Autism

112 Merton St.

Toronto, ON

M4S 2Z8

Canada

Tel: 416-322-7877 ext. 307

Fax: 416-322-7482

Email: habelson@autism.net

Website: www.autism.net

Paul Fenn

Take a look at the work and CVs of some of our other donating artists. Exceptional talent, wit, and guts melded with raw talent — all.

Honoured and stoked to have these folks join us

And we hope to add a several more in the coming weeks both to our live and silent auctions.

From Thomas' 2010 show 'All Things Being Equal', Goodman Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

Hank Willis Thomas is a photo conceptual artist working primarily with themes related to identity, history and popular culture. He received his BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and his MFA in photography, along with an MA in visual criticism from California College of the Arts (CCA) in San Francisco. Thomas has acted as a visiting professor at CCA and in the MFA programs at Maryland Institute College of Art and ICP/Bard, and has lectured at Yale University, Princeton University, the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris.  His work has been featured in many publications including Reflections in Black (Norton, 2000) 25 under 25: Up-and-Coming American Photographers (CDS, 2003), 30 Americans (RFC, 2008).  Thomas’ monograph, Pitch Blackness, was published by Aperture in 2008.  He received a new media fellowship through the Tribeca Film Institute and was an artist in residence at John Hopkins University. He has exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the U.S. and abroad including Galerie Anne De Villepoix in Paris, the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg, the Studio Museum in Harlem, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco and the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford. Thomas’ work is in numerous public collections including The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum, The High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the Museum of Fine Art in Houston. (Text sourced from artist’s website)

The intriguing 'Torn', 2009, graphite on paper

Katharine Ferns work focuses on the construction of identity through our remembering and the mis-remembering of the past. Our conceptions of the past, whether vivid or distorted, form our current mythologies and perceptions of ourselves. Her work questions how identity is constructed when memory is disconnected, repressed or absent. She focuses on how the body holds events from the past that cannot be expressed through language. Through the visual imagery of scars, whether physical or mental, tacit communication of the body is possible. Utilizing layers of different media, the reoccurring element of healing is constant throughout her practice. Whether using surgical sutures or thread, the process of repairing and combining materials is crucial to the construction of meaning in the work. In combining mixed media, the images created are not fully resolved despite the attempts of reconstruction. This work relates to the healing process that produces not only physical scaring but also involves the re-conception of self. (Text sourced from theartmarket.ca)

Evidence of Harley's many gifts, on display

Harley Valentine studied Art History at the University of Toronto and spent time living at the height of “hipsterism” on the Plateau in Montreal. Harley synthesizes a modern classic approach, pulling hard on constructivist compositions and the glamour of pop art installations. Harley’s works are larger than life and are genuinely commanding. His exhibitions have included imagery unearthed on Toronto’s Great Fire of 1904, used to kaleidoscopic effect. He has done a great service to Toronto’s forgotten past with his works that hang as historical portals, testament to our city’s resilience to prevail at all odds — witness to the driving force of its people to re-build and re-define a city’s image. Theatrically staged rubble coming to be transformed over the following 100 years into a diverse international city leading on the world stage. (Text sourced from artist’s website.)

More art, more artists, soon. Lots more.

Paul Fenn

Already, our first dozen artists have generously signed on with donations of work for The Autists’ live auction. They’re all great talents with vastly different approaches.

Charles Pachter makes things happen

Most were brought aboard by our Curator, Charles Pachter, inexhaustible promoter of Canadian and foreign talent, artist-provocateur and self-made success story.

Well done, Charlie. You’ve only been at it a few weeks and your big signal fires are attracting the talent already.

This is only the beginning

Over the coming days and weeks, we’ll take you on quick tours of our donating artists’ work starting with, in no particular order…

A Pachterian masterwork, 'Conclusion'

Charles Pachter produces ironical work that is both serious and self-parodying. Pachter works hard, even at the trivial. The paintings are beautiful in one way or another, like joke panels that take your breath away. These witty, occasionally dry images are more than urban jokes; they have emotional staying power. Pachter invades Pop culture with surreal wit. He sometimes paints as an insider to culture and at others like a true outcast. His work escapes a tendency towards intellectualism through the sheer power of talent and love of image. (Text sourced from artist’s website)

A sample of her mastery entitled 'Cobalt et al'

Kathryn Bemrose is a Toronto artist who has been painting professionally for more than twenty years. Bemrose is one of the finest colourists painting today. She deals masterfully with line and tone within colour fields. Her recent works reduce formal elements to contrasts between dense surfaces of saturated colour and lightning-like linear markings. These elements are combined with a sense of balance and interval so that events become discoveries rather than intentions. (Text sourced from artist’s website)

The wonder that is 'Silkworm'

Shary Boyle currently lives and works in Toronto, though her career has involved travel and residencies in several European countries. She is well-known for her bold, fantastical explorations of the figure. Highly crafted and deeply imaginative, her multi-disciplinary practice mines the history of porcelain figurines, animist mythologies and historical portraiture to create a symbolic language uniquely her own. From sculpture to performance, Boyle interprets her personal observations of sexuality, relationships and human vulnerability through a darkly feminist lens. She is the winner of the 2009 Iskowitz Award and her work is exhibited and collected internationally. Boyle also collaborates with musicians, creating “live” drawings, which are animated and projected onstage during their performances. She has worked with Peaches at the Sonic Youth-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in Los Angeles and performed in 2005 with Feist at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris.  (Text sourced from artist’s agent’s website)

The astonishing 'Critical Mass'

Shayne Dark was born 1952, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and currently resides in Hartington, Ontario. Shayne  has participated in numerous exhibitions in Canada and the United States since he began his artistic career in the mid 1980s. Dark creates mainly sculptural works, taking a keen interest in every aspect of the process of art production, which he feels draws upon and focuses the physical and perceptual experience of the world. His works often evoke the contrasts between urban settings and the natural world, they are meant to stimulate a spiritual or visceral reaction in the viewer. Most recently, Dark won a significant public art competition: a permanent site-specific sculpture installation for the “X – The Condominium” project at Charles and Jarvis St in downtown Toronto. (Text sourced from artist’s website)

The brooding city, from the series 'Cityscrapes'

Ryan Dineen’s ongoing series of cityscape paintings display a unique viewpoint of urban life, as many of his own personal experiences growing up in a major city center are reflected in the work. Striving to portray the raw beauty in the scenes he paints, Dineen finds grace and delicacy in mundane imagery frequently associated with in an urban setting. These latest works present desolate yet serene depictions of space. Although often portrayed without the physical presence of people, the human impact on the surroundings is instantly recognized in his images. The viewer is drawn in to the strong presence of each environment through both its loneliness and character. His work can be described as soft and quiet, yet simultaneously violent and loud. Dineen aims to capture a calm moment in a chaotic period of time. (Text sourced from artist’s website)

Coming soon:

Profiles of contributing artists Katherine Ferns, Richard Johnson, Pat Rice Bronson Smith, Hank Willis Thomas and Harley Valentine.

NB: The images shown above are (probably) not the works to be auctioned, but examples of the artists’ work from their websites or other sources.

Paul Fenn

The final tally of funds raised for the Geneva Centre through The Autists on May 2, 2010, after every cent of expenses, is just over $177,000.

The Autists will rise again in spring 2011 — precise date still pending

Yes, we are amazed. Yes, the Geneva Centre will be able to do a great deal more good for those with autism who need a hand with socialization into the world out there. And yes, darn right we’re doing this again next year.

Where the money goes

The programs that receive this money cover many aspects of getting oneself productively into society — from the basic life skills of communicating, socializing and interacting to helping children and youth with autism spectrum make friends, participate more completely in school and learning skills that help them tap the job market and launch a career.

Another round of thanks

And all of you who volunteered, attended the event, played and performed at the event, donated cash, services and materials to transform The Autists from an uncut diamond into a gleaming, spanking, vivid reality — you are to be congratulated, thanked and lauded publicly. Let it be known that all of us on the Gala Steering Committee as well as the management, staff and volunteers at the Geneva Centre for Autism are doing our best to see that that happens.

Avoid disappointment — visit here often

Keep coming back here to the official insider blog of The Autists. I will keep you posted on all the news, gossip, breakthroughs and other listable things (I seem to like listing) that come along, as they come along.

Cheers for now,

Paul Fenn

Uncle Charlie Creative Inc.

Since May 2, the day of The Autists, I’ve not had a moment’s rest. Pitching new clients, launching a new business and keeping up with demand from existing clients. So a quick postmort.

In sum, a massive success. We sold off virtually everything on auction, both the live and silent versions, at generally strong prices. We had three exceptional musicians — Chaka Khan, Matt Savage and Samantha Mutis — perform for us at what several conductors and musicians have already ranked among the finest concert venues in North America, Koerner Hall. And we raised a considerable sum for Geneva Centre for Autism, the exact amount I do not yet know.

I have big plans for The Autists in future, which I’ll share as they inch toward fruition.

Vast thanks to all those who worked with me, donated product, time and sweat to help our event rock the world. In no particular order they are:

Charles Pachter, for curating like the true master he is, and bringing in all those talents whose work gave our event much added oomph

Albert Schultz, for selling the goods, making us laugh and making it look far too easy

Peter Doig, for donating a fine and valuable work that helped our cause immeasurably

Stan Morantz, for saying yes to all our printing needs faster than it took him to read the list of them

Wallace Edwards, for donating a fabulous work (two actually — long story) without hesitation

Curt Detweiler, for hooking us up from San Fran with a top ad creative team in Toronto to do the outdoor and print campaigns

Jon Freir & Chunky, for producing those ads quickly and tastefully

David Shephard, Dali and Cornelius, for the blog design, ad tweaks and other last-minute favours

Fidel Pena & Claire Dawson, for designing The Autists logo and invitations that set a high and early mark and made a mere idea shine a few million candlepower brighter than it would’ve in lesser hands

Chaka, Matt & Sam, for singing, playing and giving all and remaining at the top of your respective games throughout

John Alcorn, for organizing the music, bringing such consummate pros to back up Chaka, to the extent that she took the time to write and thank us for making the experience unusually rich for her

Hindy Abelson, for believing, acting on it, tapping her people, and watching my back

Holly Bannerman, for watching Hindy’s back, and being a calming presence throughout many typhoons of uncertainty

Katie Wilson, for feeding me much useful info and enabling me to experience more personal organization than I’ve ever known, or may ever know again

Boss Marg Whelan, for saying yea not nay to a loony fundraising event, then being such a class act while attending it

The Koerner Hall-ers, for your professionalism, understanding and endless assistance

The staff at Geneva Centre, for doing what you do and making an absolute difference to the lives of people who really need a difference made

Paul Fenn

Uncle Charlie Creative Inc.

On all counts — funds raised, art auctioned, Autists well served, music played, music heard, venue utterly appreciated, food devoured, booze knocked back, hearts lifted, people helped — The Autists was a smash-bang success.

The Gourmet Reception (aka the eating and champagne bit) was brilliant, everyone nicely ravenous for the irresistible catered morsels cooked up by the masters at Daniel et Daniel. By 6pm, Koerner Hall’s glassed-in lobby was chock-a-block with well-dressed, well-intentioned Torontonians and out-of-towners, all about to be entertained, if we were getting our way, to the outer limits of possibility.

Marg Whelan, Director at Geneva Centre for Autism, made a perfect welcome speech — by turns moving, cheeky and short. On her heels came 19-year-old singer Samantha Mutis, who shared with us how she’d once been a reserved young girl with autism, picked on by lesser minds and made miserable by it all. To see her now, you’d never suspect — she absolutely outclasses all imaginable nemeses. She sang her beautiful, sweet heart out with a fine piano accompaniment. When you meet Sam in the flesh, you’re instantly a fan, you want to witness her career in ascension — a feeling that cannot be helped. To her, there’s an intelligence and grace seldom encountered in your typical 19-year-old.

With Charlie Pachter intro-ing the works and Albert Schultz selling them in his fearless, witticism-flecked manner, this was about the best excitement to be found anywhere in the city that night. Drama, tension and a touch of potential heartbreak — because you’re willing each artist’s work to fetch a solid, flattering price, which alas can’t always happen… but we were pleased at the results. (More on them in upcoming days and weeks.)

Next up, Matt Savage playing insanely tricky jazz numbers on the grand piano like he was walking his dog. And I don’t mean a few cool licks. I’m talking Miles Davis played with a style and an ease that was simply too sophisticated for any kid of just 17 (I believe he’s 18 at this time) to possess. After a few numbers, Matt was joined by Samantha who sang once again in pitch-perfection.

The two of them personified the whole point of the event: That those with autism can achieve the most unlikely heights, given the encouragement, education, patience and love that they need.

By this time I was veering nicely into champagne country, and feeling so proud of what all our people had put together that I could barely concentrate on what was going on in front of me. We took another lobby refreshment break while Chaka Khan & the band got set up.

And Chaka was masterful. Brave, reaching up and taking wild risks, but never stumbling. Her band, all locals, were as tight as a new pair of socks, and Chaka gave them ample moments to shine their own lights with wickedly fine solos. Consummate pros, all.

Five short hours after it began, it was done. Few people departed in the interim, meaning, I’ll venture, that they were having a great time while underwriting this great cause. The trick to holding everyone so rapt seemed to be variety and economy; not too much of anything along with plenty or everything — to keep imaginations fully engaged right to the last.

The amount raised is still being calculated. But whatever it comes to in the end, it will go in aid of Geneva Centre for Autism programs that help those living with autism spectrum disorders.

In coming posts I’ll add pictures, thank our sponsors, artists and volunteers, and everyone else I can think of, who helped this event rock our city.

But for now, collectively, Thank You to all involved.

Paul Fenn

Uncle Charlie Creative Inc.

Confirmed yesterday morning via email from Hungary, Albert Schultz, founding artistic director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, stage and television actor, master of the spoken word, all around man’s (and woman’s) man, will walk the planks at Koerner Hall as auctioneer for the The Autists Gala live art auction.

Experts agree, we couldn’t have found a better candidate for the job. Albert has done many auctions before and is widely viewed as one of Toronto’s great wits. A native of Port Hope, Ontario, Albert has worked for years getting onto stage, and acting in, some of the most creative and cutting edge theatre ever seen in the nation.

It’s fair to say that Albert is live theatre in these parts, playing roles ranging from Hamlet to Chief Executive Fundraiser, and most everything in between. He even played Conrad Black in a major Canadian TV biopic on the now-incarcerated business titan — not a role just any old actor could wear well.

One space left to fill; and, of course, sponsorship

Albert’s joining us means The Autists now has but one key Gala Night position remaining: That of Master of Ceremonies. No contenders’ names ought be mentioned just yet, but we hope to bring you news of this soon.

With just 3.5 months to lift-off, we are now into the sponsorship drive phase of the event, and in earnest. We’re looking for corporate and individual sponsors able to fund various portions of our event in amounts ranging from $5k to $50k, though we promise not to scoff at offers exceeding the latter amount. If you inhabit such a corporate or institutional entity, or are a generous person of means, we invite you get in touch with The Autists’ fundraising chief, Hindy Abelson at habelson (at) autism.net.

As for Albert, from the depths of our well-peppered souls, we organizers thank you, sir, for stepping forth as you have. We can’t wait to see you do what you do best — speak really quickly on stage with minimal syllabic entanglement.

Behold our Save This Date thingy, which brings you up to speed on The Autists at a glance: