Hickox, Pahwa, Woolaver – Scenes from Toronto

In November 2023, I traveled to Toronto for the opening of “Hickox, Pahwa, Woolaver – Scenes from Toronto,” an exhibit at the City of Toronto Archives. The show features photos from the 1980s to the late 2000s, and explores how contemporary artists capture the ever-changing city. The reception was well attended and I had a chance to meet some interesting people, including Patrick Cummins–a former City of Toronto archivist.

My portion of the exhibit is a digital slide show with 250 images on 90 slides. The slides are shown at 7 second intervals. They are drawn from my collection of 700 digital images contained in the archives–primarily street photographs taken in the 1980s. There are also two vinyl enlargements of a street scene, and a phone booth on the wall beside the monitor. The curator of the exhibit, Naoise Dunne, did a wonderful job sequencing the images and identifying themes in my work. It an honour to have my photos in the City of Toronto Archives and I’ll mark this as a highlight in my photographic journey.

April Hickox’s photography documents the unique landscape of Toronto Island and seasonal changes.Vik Pahwa captures the city’s built environment, focusing on forms and shapes, creating abstract images. The three digital slide shows encourage viewers to explore the city through the photographers’ perspective and picture-making methods.

A second exhibit, “If These Walls Could Talk – Researching the history of where you live,” focuses on the unique stories of 11 homes. The exhibit opened on October 19, 2023 and runs until August 2024.

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m – 4 p.m. Free entry

City of Toronto Archives
255 Spadina Rd.
Toronto, ON M5R 2V3

Promo poster for “Hickox, Pahwa, Woolaver – Scenes from Toronto”

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Queen East and Parliament, Toronto, 1983 – © Avard Woolaver

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Pears Avenue, Ramsden Park, Toronto, 1984 – © Avard Woolaver

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Avard Woolaver with Vik Pahwa

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Avard Woolaver with exhibit curator, Naoise Dunne