Thursday, June 2, 2016 / 7 pm
Presented by The Power Plant and Max Mara
The Power Plant
231 Queens Quay West
This years theme for the annual fundraiser was the Pleasure Principle and it was presented lavishly so. Pleasure comes in different forms according to different tastes and desires. The art installations seemed well fit to the theme as did the decor.
Inflatable culture
Contemporary dance seemed to at the forefront of the entertainment and many guest packed the theater to watch international performance artist Ryan McNamara and his troupe of dancers. They danced along the walls and intermingled with guests. The performance was sponsored by The Drake Properties. Though I didn’t catch a glimpse of McNamara in the theater performance I did see him hit the dance floor with Chicago DJ Mark Farina spinning tunes in the main gallery space. Dancer Javon Jones seemed to come out of nowhere and gave a powerful dance performance.
Performance by Ryan McNamara
Artist Jordan Soderberg Mills had video projections going for his installation. Visitors hung around the bar while the videos played on the walls and monitors. Artists Coryn Kempster and Julia Jamozik used inflatable toys to remember childhood’s pleasurable moments.
Video projection by Jordan Soderberg Mills
Coryn Kempster’s and Julia Jamozik’s inflatable toys
Among the visitors I saw Jeff Stober of Drake Properties, Sara Diamond President of OCADU, Gallery owners Jamie Angell and Clint Roenisch, artist and Toronto Arts Council Officer, Peter Kingstone, artist Luis Jacob, emerging artist Yan Wen, curator Lisa Dean Smith of OCADU’s Onsite Gallery and of course Power Plant Director, Gaëtane Verna was there to greet visitors. There were plenty of media as well capturing the evening.
Max Mara displays
Karen Tam’s OPIUM Den
Parts and Labour did an excellent job with their barbeque of chicken and pork. Guests inhaled the food while they lined up like they were in a cafeteria and had to be told by Parts’ staff to just dig in. For those who like cottage life there were some deck chairs around a roaring fire complete with huge containers of s’mores. Curious onlookers walking the Queens Quay boardwalk wondered what was going on on the other side of the fence that separated them from the party.
I am sure the 1500 plus guests continued to party on after I left and hopefully leave with some pleasurable moments to remember. And of course money raised from a successful event will help with the expenses of programming at the Power Plant.
Text and photo: Phil Anderson