May 2019
Honest Workshop
Want to contribute something to the Honest Shop? Join us on select weekends for the Honest Workshop, a drop-in maker space where you can produce your own useful item to trade with others made in the workshop. We will supply different materials each week. All ages.
Find out more »Members’ Preview: Spring 2019, Mark Dion: ‘The Life of a Dead Tree’
Be part of a “live” and sensory experience. Artist Mark Dion brings a massive, fully grown, deceased tree, along with its inhabitants, to MOCA for the museum’s first summer exhibition in the Tower Automotive Building.
Find out more »Mark Dion in conversation with Marc Mayer | ‘The Life of a Dead Tree’
Mark Dion is an artist whose work examines the ways in which dominant ideologies and public institutions shape our understanding of history, knowledge, and the natural world. In Dion’s practice, the lines between art and science are often blurred. On the opening of his exhibition, 'The Life of a Dead Tree', the artist is joined by Marc Mayer for a lively discussion that focuses on the intersections between art and science in relation to nature and how these considerations manifest in his exhibition at MOCA.
Find out more »Dead Tree Walks | ‘The Life of a Dead Tree’
In conversation with Mark Dion’s exhibition, 'The Life of a Dead Tree', a series of guided walks led by biologists, field naturalists, and arborists will investigate the multifarious lifeforms that are supported by dead trees and their importance to Toronto’s ecosystems.
A biodiversity exploration series, these walks will happen every other Saturday in different park areas across the city of Toronto.
Find out more »Sterling Weekend
Coinciding with Doors Open, MOCA’s Sterling Weekend activities take inspiration from Mark Dion’s exhibition, 'The Life of a Dead Tree' and the 100th anniversary of the Tower Automotive Building. Reflecting on the life that has returned to the Tower Automotive Building, artist Mark Dion’s exhibition brings a massive, fully grown, deceased tree into the gallery along with its inhabitants, to create a sensory experience and exploration of the natural cycle of life and death.
Find out more »Nature Drawing and Journaling | ‘The Life of a Dead Tree’
Join botanical artist Nellie Sue Potter for a workshop that explores the world of nature drawing and journaling. In this workshop, participants will learn about different journaling styles and will be guided on how to render natural objects and begin their own nature drawing and journaling practices. This workshop takes place in the gallery on Floor 3 alongside Mark Dion’s exhibition 'The Life of a Dead Tree'. Participants will have the opportunity to draw directly from the tree on display and study some of the myriad life forms it supports.
Find out more »Melanie Sifton Talk | ‘The Life of a Dead Tree’
Horticulturalist Melanie Sifton presents a talk on urban ecosystem management and nature in the city. Intersecting with Mark Dion's exhibition, 'The Life of a Dead Tree', Sifton discusses her in-depth experience in building and supporting urban oases and natural areas in cities. Soil ecology and restoration—often overlooked factors in urban design and construction practices—will also be discussed.
Find out more »June 2019
Invasive or not? | With in-museum scientist Alexandra Ntoukas
Throughout 'The Life of a Dead Tree', insects will be collected as they emerge out of the ash tree on display. This workshop begins with an introduction on what invasive species are, how they enter our ecosystems, and the risks they present. Participants will then have the opportunity to look at insect specimens and identify whether they are invasive or not. Those interested will also have the option to stay and draw an insect or write what about they learned in the workshop.
Find out more »Decomposers: Molds, Fungi, Mushrooms, Yeast | With in-museum scientist Alexandra Ntoukas
Decomposers, such as molds, fungi and mushrooms, are part of the final stages in the decline of a tree. They break down wood and create opportunities for insect life. Join our in-museum scientist, Alexandra Ntoukas, for a workshop that focuses on the different types of decomposers and their unique characteristics and functions. Using magnifying glasses, participants will learn how to identify molds and the important role decomposers play in our ecosystems.
Find out more »Dr. Sandy Smith | ‘The Life of a Dead Tree’
Dr. Sandy Smith is a Professor in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto. She specializes in forest health, urban forestry, and is a leading expert in the ecology and biological management of invasive forest species. Taking the ash tree on display in Mark Dion’s exhibition as her starting point, Smith discusses her research investing the effects that invasive insects and dying trees have on forests.
Find out more »