The Arts

"Twenty-seven contributors--artists, cultural professionals, scholars, a journalist, grantmakers--were asked this question: 'Are the arts essential?' In response, they offer deep and challenging answers applying the lenses of the arts, and those of the sciences, the humanities, public policy, and philanthropy. Playing so many parts, situated in so many places, these writers illustrate the ubiquity of the arts and culture in the United States. They draw from the performing arts and the visual arts, from poetry and literature, and from culture in our everyday lived experiences. The arts, they remind readers, are everywhere, and--in one way and another--touch everyone"--

City Hall proclaimed 2006 the Year of Creativity. 'Live With Culture’ banners flap over the city. And across the city, donors are ponying up millions for the ROM and the AGO. Culture’s never had it so good. Right? The State of the Arts explores the Toronto arts scene from every angle, applauding, assailing and arguing about art in our fair burg. The essays consider the big-ticket and the ticket-free, from the Opera House and the CNE to the subconscious art of graffiti eradication and underground hip-hop. In between, you'll find considerations art in the suburbs, how business uses art to sell condos, questions of infrastructure, an examination of Toronto on film and a history of micro press publishing. You'll read about the fine line between party and art, the trials of being a capitalist in a sea of left-wing artists, the power of the internet to create arts communities and a plea for spaces that cater to musicians and their kids. Throughout, you'll find equal doses of optimism and frustration, and a good measure of T.O. love. Taken together, the thoughts of these writers, thinkers, musicians and city-builders aim to create an honest survey of where we're at and where we can go.

"In a new compact and portable format - the accessible, award-winning A-Z guide to the world's great painters and sculptors. The Art Book is a landmark in the world of publishing. Available in a range of different formats and in over 20 different languages, it has received rave reviews since its first publication and can be frequently found on bestseller lists around the world. Now available for the first time in a highly covetable and portable midi format, this second edition is an updated and substantially expanded version of the hugely successful original book. An A-Z guide to 600 great artists from medieval to modern times, it debunks art-historical classifications and pairs brilliant examples of all periods, schools, visions, and techniques. By breaking with traditional classifications, The Art Book represents a fresh and original approach to art: an unparalleled visual sourcebook and a celebration of our rich and multifaceted culture." --Publisher's website.

Learning in and through the visual arts can develop complex and subtle aspects of the mind. Reviews in: Journal of aesthetic education. 38(2004)4(Winter. 71-98), available M05-194.

"A brand-new revised and updated edition of Phaidon's accessible, acclaimed A-Z guide to the most important artists of all time. Updated for only the third time in its 16-year history, this new edition of the award-winning landmark publication has been refreshed with more than 40 important new artists, including many previously overlooked and marginal practitioners. The new edition spotlights more than 600 great artists from medieval to modern times. Breaking with traditional classifications, it throws together brilliant examples from all periods, schools, visions, and techniques, presenting an unparalleled visual sourcebook and a celebration of our rich, multifaceted culture. Artists featured for the first time in this edition include: Berenice Abbott, Hilma af Klint, El Anatsui, Romare Bearden, Mark Bradford, Cao Fei, Cecily Brown, Judy Chicago, John Currin, Guerrilla Girls, Lee Krasner, Jacob Lawrence, Kerry James Marshall, Joan Mitchell, Zanele Muholi, Takashi Murakami, Louise Nevelson, Clara Peeters, Jenny Saville, Wolfgang Tillmans, and more"--

'A perfect introduction to art for parents and children to enjoy together.' - The Guardian A brand-new combined, revised, and expanded edition of the ground-breaking, iconic art book series for children - perfect for readers aged 7-12 Two decades ago, Phaidon published the first volume in The Art Book for Children series (adapted especially for children from Phaidon's iconic The Art Book), which quickly became beloved by children and parents the world over. To share its legacy with a new generation of readers, this combined, updated, and expanded edition pairs a selection of 'best of' artists from the original series with 30 brand-new contemporary entries. This single volume features 60 artists through a wide range of large-scale, full-page reproductions of their artworks, including paintings, photographs, sculptures, video, prints, and installations from across time and space. Each page showcases defining artworks by the artists, combined with an interactive and informative conversation, giving relatable and memorable contexts for children, and inspiring a curiosity and appreciation for the Visual Arts that will continue into adulthood. With a fresh new design, this book both features the 'best of' from the original two volumes, plus new entries, specially selected in collaboration with art historian and writer, Ferren Gipson. Ages 7-12