Market Newsdesk

TORONTO, April 29, 2021 /CNW/ – Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX: CTC) (TSX: CTC.A) will report its first quarter 2021 results and hold its Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The conference call will be webcast live in its entirety at 8:00 a.m. ET at http://investors.canadiantire.ca and it will be archived for 12 months.

SOURCE CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION, LIMITED

Highlights:

• Michael J. Fox Foundation grants Alterity $US495K for Parkinson’s disease research evaluation
• Strengthening profile at investment, scientific and clinical conferences
• Dr David Stamler appointed Chief Executive Officer
• Cash balance as at 31 March 2021 of A$32.8M

MELBOURNE, Australia, April 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Alterity Therapeutics Limited (ASX: ATH, NASDAQ: ATHE) (“Alterity” or “the Company”) releases its Appendix 4C Quarterly Cash Flow Report and update on company activities for the quarter ending 31 March 2021 (Q3 FY21).

The company’s cash position was $32.8M with operational cash outflows of $5M, in line with company expectations and reflecting ongoing preparation for the Phase 2 clinical trial for Alterity’s lead drug candidate ATH434 in Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) patients.

In accordance with ASX Listing Rule 4.7C, payments made to related parties and their associates are included at item 6.1 of the Appendix 4C incorporates directors’ fees, consulting fees, remuneration and superannuation at commercial rates.

Operational Activities

During the quarter, Alterity continued to make important advances in its Phase 2 program.

Most of the company’s efforts were focused on the bioMUSE Natural History study in MSA patients being conducted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. This study will provide important information and insights to inform patient selection and design of the Phase 2 trial, which is scheduled to begin later this year.  The study has now recruited 80% of the original target population and the company is evaluating the feasibility to expand enrollment.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation awarded Alterity US$495,000 to evaluate the pharmacologic profile of ATH434 to determine the optimal dose of the drug in future Parkinson’s disease clinical trials. It was the second grant the company has received from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for ATH434.

The profile of Alterity continues to strengthen with the company regularly invited to present at investor conferences and the leading clinical and scientific events around the world. In January and then again in March, Alterity CEO Dr David Stamler presented at life science and healthcare conferences hosted by HC Wainwright attended by institutional fund managers, HNW and other investors. Alterity also participated in the Biotech Showcase, a satellite event at the world’s largest healthcare conference hosted by JP Morgan.

In February, the company presented at the 7^th Annual International Congress of Multiple System Atrophy, the pre-eminent conference for scientists and clinicians focused on MSA. Alterity’s presentation featured as part of the Congress’ poster presentation and provided further data on ATH434. The new results included data on blood pressure following change in body position which demonstrated that ATH434 does not lower blood pressure when people move to the standing position. This is an important safety finding considering impaired maintenance of blood pressure is a key issue with MSA.

In January, Alterity announced the appointment of Dr David Stamler to the role of Chief Executive Officer.  Dr Stamler is based in San Francisco and joined the Company in June 2017 as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President Clinical Development.  Mr. Geoffrey Kempler, who founded the company in November 1997, has stepped down from the role of CEO and continues as Non-Executive Chairman. 

Authorisation & Additional information

This announcement was authorised by David Stamler, CEO of Alterity Therapeutics Limited.

About Alterity Therapeutics Limited and ATH434

Alterity’s lead candidate, ATH434, is the first of a new generation of small molecules designed to inhibit the aggregation of pathological proteins implicated in neurodegeneration. ATH434 has been shown to reduce abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein and tau proteins in animal models of disease by restoring normal iron balance in the brain. In this way, it has excellent potential to treat various forms of atypical Parkinsonism such as Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

ATH434 has been granted Orphan designation for the treatment of MSA by the US FDA and the European Commission.

For further information please visit the Company’s web site at www.alteritytherapeutics.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company has tried to identify such forward-looking statements by use of such words as “expects,” “intends,” “hopes,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “could,” “may,” “evidences” and “estimates,” and other similar expressions, but these words are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are described in the sections titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F as well as reports on Form 6-K, including, but not limited to the following: statements relating to the Company’s drug development program, including, but not limited to the initiation, progress and outcomes of clinical trials of the Company’s drug development program, including, but not limited to, ATH434, and any other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties relating to the difficulties or delays in financing, development, testing, regulatory approval, production and marketing of the Company’s drug components, including, but not limited to, ATH434, uncertainties relating to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the company’s business, operations and employees, the ability of the Company to procure additional future sources of financing, unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of the Company’s drug compounds, including, but not limited to, ATH434, that could slow or prevent products coming to market, the uncertainty of patent protection for the Company’s intellectual property or trade secrets, including, but not limited to, the intellectual property relating to ATH434.

Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

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SOURCE Alterity Therapeutics Limited

VANCOUVER, BC, April 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ – International Battery Metals Ltd. (the “Company”) (CSE: IBAT), (FSE: 8RE) announced today that it has appointed Garry Flowers and Ante Razmilovic to the Company’s advisory board. They bring extensive experience in both engineering and financing to the Company.

ANTE RAZMILOVIC
Ante has 25 years of Investment Banking experience with top bulge bracket firms as a derivatives and structured and secured finance specialist working on the public side in securities divisions. Credit Suisse First Boston and Credit Suisse Financial Products 1992 to 1997 having then joined Goldman Sachs International in 1997 first time. JP Morgan Europe 2007 to 2010. Goldman Sachs Asia and then Goldman Sachs International 2010 to 2017. In 2017 launched a new structured finance business housed inside London subsidiary of Swiss Private Bank REYL & Cie. Ante is an International Baccalaureate, 1989, ACS Hillingdon, London, UK. Imperial College, BEng Electrical Engineering, 1989 – 1992, London, UK.

Work history

Credit Suisse First Boston and Credit Suisse Financial Products, 1992 – 1997

Credit Suisse First Boston 1992 -1993, London.
Corporate Finance and Capital Markets. Assigned to the Bank restructuring team advising the Swedish Ministry of Finance team under the now Swedish Riskbank head Stefan Ingves and team on the government bail out of the Swedish financial system. The team under Stefan Ingves would become the Bank Support Authority and a best in class case study for government bank sector bail outs across the world.
Credit Suisse Financial Products 1993 -1997, London and Hong Kong.
1993 – 1995 Derivates marketing to banks and hedge funds, London.
1995 – 1996 Derivatives marketing to institutional clients in Asia including Greater China and Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
1996 -1997 Derivatives marketing to institutional clients in Scandinavia and Europe, London.

Goldman Sachs International, London 1997 – 2007

1997 – 1999 Derivatives Marketing and Structuring to institutional clients in Scandinavia, UK and Europe,

1999 – 2001 Derivatives Marketing and Structuring to institutional clients in Emerging Markets in EMEA including South Africa and Russia.

2001 – 2007 Head of Structured Credit Structuring and Derivatives Marketing Europe (Origination, Structuring, Placement).
Promoted Managing Director in 2006.

JP Morgan, London 2007 – 2010

Managing Director Head of Cross Asset Sales and Derivatives Marketing Scandinavia and Holland (across the FICC and Equities divisions).

Goldman Sachs, Hong Kong and London 2010 – 2017

2010 – 2012 Managing Director Head of Cross Asset Structured Sales and Structuring FI Asia, Hong Kong.

2012 – 2017 Managing Director Head of Cross Asset Structuring ME (London based) and Structured Finance Origination and Structuring (Europe & ME).
Retired as Managing Director from Goldman Sachs International 1 August 2017.
REYL & Co (UK) LLP, London 2017 – 2020
Managing Director, Head of Structured Finance.

GARRY FLOWERS


Garry W. Flowers has served as executive vice president and section 16b officer since 2016 for the Fluor Corporation, responsible for Construction & Fabrication, HSE, Corporate Security, Corporate Investigations, Industrial Relations, Corporate Supply Chain, and Corporate Risk.

From 2009 to 2011, Mr. Flowers served as president and chief executive officer of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC, the Fluor-led partnership that oversees the management, cleanup, and operations at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina. Mr. Flowers led the Fluor team replacing the original construction contractor on Westinghouse Nuclear Power Projects to construct four 1200-megawatt, nuclear-powered power projects for 2 public utilities in South Carolina and Georgia, valued at $9B Contract value. Additionally, he has oversight of the governor Mario M. Cuomo Cable Stay Bridge, a $3.2B fixed- price project in Tarrytown, New York, the Nuclear Weapons Storage facility at the F.E. Warren U.S. AFB in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and the U.S. Army Nitrocellulose Project in Radford, Virginia.

In 2012 he served as group president of Global Services, Operations and Maintenance. He managed a $3B operations and maintenance business sector with 19K employees in 100+ countries, and subsidiaries AMECO (equipment rental company) and TRS, Fluor’s temporary staffing company. He oversaw a $500M contract between AMECO and U.S. Army to equip U.S. bases in Iraq.

Since joining Fluor in 1978, he has held numerous leadership positions across the company. Active in a variety of civic and professional organizations, Mr. Flowers is a past member of the Executive Council of the U.S. Department of State, Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) and was previously a director on the board of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance.

He is a graduate of Furman University in South Carolina, having earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. Mr. Flowers resides with his wife in Isle of Palms, South Carolina.

Dr. John Burba stated that “I am excited to have Garry and Ante on board with our team and look forward to working with them in building an ecologically, ethical, and industry leading lithium extraction company”.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

“Dr. John Burba“

Dr. John Burba, President CEO & Director

Tel: (778) 939-4228

Forward–looking and cautionary statements

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This release may contain statements within the meaning of safe harbour provisions as defined under securities laws and regulations.

This release may contain certain forward–looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Company and certain of the plans and objectives of the  Company with respect to the same. By their nature, forward–looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those  expressed or  implied by these forward–looking statements.

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SOURCE International Battery Metals Ltd.

NEW YORK, April 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Relmada Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: RLMD), a late-stage biotechnology company addressing diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), today announced that data related to REL-1017, the company’s lead product candidate, will be presented in six posters at the 2021 Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP) Annual Meeting, which is being held virtually between April 29 and May 1, 2021.

Details of the presentations are below:

Date/Time:

April 29, 2021, from 1:15 – 2:15 PM ET

Poster Number: T142
Title: Esmethadone (REL-1017) Antagonizes NMDA Receptors and Reduces Ca2+ Entry in Presence of Quinolinic Acid and Gentamicin 
Session: Poster Session I

Date/Time:

April 29, 2021, from 1:15 – 2:15 PM ET

Poster Number: T143
Title: Esmethadone (REL-1017) Reduces Glutamate-Induced Currents in NMDA Receptors with the GluN2D Subunit
Session: Poster Session I

Date/Time:

April 30, 2021, from 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET

Poster Number: F136
Title: Esmethadone (REL-1017) Compares with NMDA Receptor Antagonists in FLIPR Ca2+ Assay 
Session: Poster Session II

Date/Time:

April 30, 2021, from 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET

Poster Number: F137
Title: Esmethadone (REL-1017) Shows Similar Effects to Ketamine in Manual Patch Clamp Studies
Session: Poster Session II

Date/Time:

May 1, 2021, from 1:30 – 2:30 PM ET

Poster Number: S138
Title: Esmethadone (REL-1017) Restores NMDA Receptor 1 Subunit Expression in an In Vitro Model of Glutamatergic Excitotoxicity 
Session: Poster Session III

Date/Time:

May 1, 2021, from 1:30 – 2:30 PM ET

Poster Number: S143
Title: Esmethadone (REL-1017) Reduces Glutamate-Induced Currents in NMDA Receptors in a Concentration Dependent Manner
Session: Poster Session III

About REL-1017

REL-1017, a novel NMDA receptor (NMDAR) channel blocker that preferentially targets hyperactive channels while maintaining physiological glutamatergic neurotransmission, is entering late-stage studies as an adjunctive treatment for MDD in adults.  Our clinical program for REL-1017 will evaluate its potential as the first rapid-acting, oral, once-daily antidepressant treatment.  In a Phase 2 trial, REL-1017 demonstrated rapid onset and sustained antidepressant effects with statistically significant improvements as compared to placebo.  The Phase 2 study also confirmed the favorable safety and tolerability profile of REL-1017 observed in previously completed Phase 1 studies. In April 2017, the FDA granted Fast Track designation for REL-1017 for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder.

About Relmada Therapeutics, Inc.

Relmada Therapeutics is a late-stage biotechnology company addressing diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), with a focus on major depressive disorder (MDD). Our experienced and dedicated team is committed to making a difference in the lives of patients and their families. Relmada’ s lead program, REL-1017, is a novel NMDA receptor (NMDAR) channel blocker that preferentially targets hyperactive channels while maintaining physiological glutamatergic neurotransmission. REL-1017 has entered late-stage development as an adjunctive treatment for MDD in adults. Learn more at www.relmada.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf. This press release contains statements which constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including but not limited to statements regarding the expected use of the proceeds from the offering. Any statement that is not historical in nature is a forward-looking statement and may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “will,” “will likely result,” “will continue,” “plans to,” “potential,” “promising,” and similar expressions. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including the risk factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” set forth in the Company’s reports filed with the SEC from time to time. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. Relmada undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers are cautioned that it is not possible to predict or identify all the risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect future results and that the risks described herein should not be a complete list.

Investor Contact:

Tim McCarthy

LifeSci Advisors
212-915-2564
[email protected]

Media Inquiries:
FischTank PR
[email protected]

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SOURCE Relmada Therapeutics, Inc.

NEW YORK, April 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for NOK, VER, VET, APTO, and ATOS.

To see how InvestorsObserver’s proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver’s PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.

• NOK: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?stocksymbol=NOK&prnumber=042920211 
• VER: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?stocksymbol=VER&prnumber=042920211 
• VET: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?stocksymbol=VET&prnumber=042920211 
• APTO: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?stocksymbol=APTO&prnumber=042920211 
• ATOS: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?stocksymbol=ATOS&prnumber=042920211 

(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)

InvestorsObserver’s PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock’s overall suitability for investment.

 

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thinking-about-buying-stock-in-nokia-vereit-vermilion-energy-aptose-biosciences-or-atossa-therapeutics-301280214.html

SOURCE InvestorsObserver

VANCOUVER, BC, April 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ – PlantX Life Inc. (CSE: VEGA) (Frankfurt: WNT1) (OTCQB: PLTXF) (“PlantX” or the “Company“) is pleased to announce the launch of PlantXpress, a membership option giving its customers access to a variety of benefits and exclusive membership offers.

PlantXpress is the latest initiative designed for PlantX’s growing plant-based community. PlantXpress will be offered to customers for a fee of $24.95 per month or $199.95 per year. Membership benefits of PlantXpress include free shipping on orders of $49.95 or more on the PlantX e-commerce platforms, a 5% discount on PlantX purchases (online or at brick-and-mortar stores) and access to exclusive PlantXpress special events and promotions. PlantXpress orders will be shipped within 1-2 business days providing for swift access to PlantX’s products. 

“The new membership is a strategic decision rooted in the core PlantX commitment to the customer experience,” said Julia Frank, PlantX CEO. “By offering PlantXpress memberships, we are seeking to deliver improved customer satisfaction and value to our PlantX community.”

PlantXpress memberships can be purchased on the Company’s United States and Canadian e-commerce platforms by clicking here. Full terms and conditions of PlantXpress memberships are available on the PlantXpress website.

“We are always looking for new and improved ways to meet the needs and wants of our community and PlantXpress is an important step in achieving that goal,” said Sean Dollinger, PlantX Founder. “PlantX can now better engage with its customers by providing exclusive benefits to the PlantXpress members.”

About PlantX Life Inc.

As the digital face of the plant-based community, PlantX’s platform is the one-stop-shop for everything plant-based. With its fast-growing category verticals, the Company offers customers across North America more than 10,000 plant-based products. In addition to offering meal and indoor plant deliveries, the Company currently has plans underway to expand its product lines to include cosmetics, clothing and its own water brand — but the business is not limited to an e-commerce platform. The Company uses its digital platform to build a community of like-minded consumers and, most importantly, provide education. Its successful enterprise is being built and fortified on partnerships with top nutritionists, chefs and brands. The Company eliminates the barriers to entry for anyone interested in living a plant-based lifestyle and thriving in a longer, healthier and happier life.

The Company website is http://investor.PlantX.com/. 

To visit the Company’s YouTube channel, click here.

To sign up for PlantXpress, click here.

Forward Looking-Information

This press release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “likely,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “potential,” “proposed,” “estimate,” “believe” or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” happen, or by discussions of strategy. The forward-looking information contained herein includes, without limitation, statements relating to the benefits, offers and privileges associated with a PlantXpress membership, the shipping standards of PlantX, the business and strategic plans of the Company.

By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and that give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate; that assumptions may not be correct; and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this press release including, without limitation: the Company’s ability to comply with all applicable governmental regulations including all applicable food safety laws and regulations; impacts to the business and operations of the Company due to the COVID-19 epidemic; a limited operating history; the ability of the Company to access capital to meet future financing needs; the Company’s reliance on management and key personnel; competition; changes in consumer trends; foreign currency fluctuations; and general economic, market or business conditions.

Additional risk factors can also be found in the Company’s continuous disclosure documents, which have been filed on SEDAR and can be accessed at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this press release and is based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations and opinions of management on the date such forward-looking information is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

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SOURCE PlantX Life Inc.

Canadian and international artists will present a diversity of lens-based projects in public spaces starting in May and in museums and galleries through 2021 as health restrictions permit

TORONTO, April 29, 2021 /CNW/ – Today, the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival announced the full program for its 25th edition of the city-wide event. Every year, CONTACT enlivens greater Toronto with photo-based exhibitions and outdoor installations by Canadian and international artists. CONTACT is presenting a diverse slate of powerful projects and virtual features that dynamically engage viewers during these challenging times. This year’s Festival extends beyond its customary month-long event in May to roll out programming throughout the year, as it responds to fluctuating public health guidelines. Full details are now available on CONTACT’s redesigned website, including insightful photo essays for each of the 41 projects in its Core Program.

All indoor exhibitions planned for May will open later in the year, as government guidelines related to the  COVID-19 pandemic permit. Artists featured in Core Program exhibitions at artist-run-centres, galleries, and museums include: Laia Abril, Dawoud Bey, Persijn Broersen &Margit Lukács, Fatma Bucak, Dana Claxton, Nicole Coon, Jenni Crain, Susan Dobson, John Edmonds, nichola feldman-kiss, Kelly Fyffe-Marshall, Timothy Yanick Hunter, Onyeka Igwe, Emmanuelle Léonard, Christina Leslie, Wardell Milan, Sebastein Miller, Chris Myhr, Bidemi Oloyede, Jon Sasaki, Krista Belle Stewart, Miao Ying, Rehana Zaman, and Tereza Zelenkova. Toronto Photo Laureate and artist Michèle Pearson Clarke is curating a group exhibition featuring works by Nicholas Aiden, Lacie Burning, Séamus Gallagher, Tom Hsu, Christopher Lacroix, Wynne Neilly & Kyle Lasky, Isabel Okoro, Michelle Panting, and Brianna Roye.

A selection of Core Program outdoor projects will be on view as of May 1 in spaces across the city, adhering to public health regulations, with other installations’ dates to be confirmed, pending government lockdown guidelines. Artists presenting Core Program outdoor projects include: Sara Angelucci, Jeff Bierk & Jimmy James Evans, Dayna Danger, Gohar Dashti, Max Dean, Kim Hoeckele, Sasha Huber, Lili Huston-Herterich, Vid Ingelevics & Ryan Walker, Leyla Jeyte, Aaron Jones, Erik Kessels & Thomas Mailaender, Luther Konadu, Esmond Lee, Ange Loft, Peter Morin, Esmaa Mohamoud, Ebti Nabag, Taiyo Onorato & Nico Krebs, Frida Orupabo, Andrew Savery-Whiteway, Thirza Schaap, Fallon Simard, Skawennati, Greg Staats, Malgorzata Stankiewicz, and McAlister Zeller-Newman.

Winners of the 2020 and 2021 New Generation Photography Award, recognizing outstanding photographic imagery by emerging Canadian lens-based artists age 35 and under, are Dustin Brons, Chris Donovan, Noah Friebel, Dainesha Nugent-Palache, Curtiss Randolph, and Katherine Takpannie, whose works will be featured in an outdoor installation at Ryerson University. Click here for further information.

“Collaborating with artists and cultural partners across greater Toronto, CONTACT affirms artists’ roles in building awareness and stimulating meaningful dialogue about important issues, whether individual, collective, or global. Many 2021 projects envision more inclusive realities and honour diverse voices—visually transporting viewers to places of understanding, empathy, and resilience,” said CONTACT Executive Director Darcy Killeen.

In addition to CONTACT’s Core Program, Juried Call Exhibitions are planned at established galleries, and Open Call Exhibitions present work by emerging artists at galleries and alternative locations across the city. Several of these exhibitions can be seen outdoors, in storefront windows, or virtually, while other venues plan to safely welcome visitors by appointment as government guidelines permit. Visit CONTACT’s website for regular updates, and check venues’ websites or call ahead for the most accurate information on public hours or closures.

While CONTACT is not currently planning any onsite events or gatherings this year, it is offering new ways to engage with the Festival on its redesigned website, with virtual exhibitions,conversations,workshops, and more, throughout the month of May and beyond. For the first time, the website will feature brief audio talks about selected outdoor installations, providing unique insights into the projects as described by the artist(s) and/or curators. QR codes posted at selected sites will connect visitors directly to these audio tracks, making them accessible both on location and from home. 

Highlights of the Core Program outdoor projects opening May 1 include:

Jeff Bierk & Jimmy James Evans, For Jimmy


Billboards at Dupont St/Emerson Ave & Dupont St/Perth Ave, May 1 – 30
With a practice grounded in respect and consent, Toronto artist Jeff Bierk creates images evolving from an ongoing collaboration with his close friends who live on the city’s streets, highlighting the strength and resilience of this community. Bierk presents billboard-sized portraits honouring his friend Jimmy James Evans, one of his earliest and closest collaborators.

Kim Hoeckele, epoch, stage, shell


Billboards at Dupont St/Dovercourt Rd & College St/Dovercourt Rd, May 1 – 30
New York-based artist Kim Hoeckele confronts viewers with her nude body which echoes moments shaping the Western art-historical canon and notions of beauty. She proposes a messier standard: one mixed, eroded, and patched together. Hoeckele’s billboard photomontages challenge viewers to consider the psychological violence caused by the idealization of women’s bodies.

Lili Huston-Herterich, A Room with Four People

 
Billboards at Runnymede Rd/Ryding Ave, May 1 – 30
Rotterdam-based artist Lili Huston-Heterich presents a series of photographs drawing on methods of character and narrative development through the arrangement of found clothing as bodily forms. Each image represents one character, with their name and characteristics presented as overlaid text, with typefaces mimicing the signs of local businesses. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition In an Archipelago, at nearby Pumice Raft.

Thirza Schaap, Plastic Ocean


Davisville Subway Station, May 1 – 30
Dutch artist Thirza Schaap addresses the global plight of plastic waste in the world’s oceans. Positioned along the Davisville subway platform, her images of carefully composed sculptures appear beautiful and delicate but on closer inspection reveal they are constructed from bits of scavenged plastic the artist has found along the seashore.

Check the CONTACT website for updates on when additional outdoor projects will be on view in the coming the months. Highlights include:

Esmaa Mohamoud, The Brotherhood FUBU (For Us, By Us)

 
Westin Harbour Castle Conference Center, on display through 2023
Focusing on the physical connection between Black male bodies by amplifying the symbol of the durag, Esmaa Mohamoud confronts the dynamics of gender and race. Her massive photographic mural, the first phase of a two-part commissioned project, asserts a commanding occupation of public space. Foregrounding two men within an expansive scene, the Toronto– and Markham-based artist opens a powerful dialogue about systemic inequity while signaling positive change.

Group Exhibition,


Force Field


 
Fort York National Historic Site, Garrison Common 
Force Field is an Indigiqueer, immersive intervention within the Fort York National Historic site in Tkaron:to, featuring images by Dayna Danger (Métis/Saulteaux/Polish), Ange Loft (Kahnawake Mohawk), Peter Morin (Talhtan Nation), and Fallon Simard (Anishinaabe-Metis). Through a series of curved panoramic billboards arranged in a circular formation, the installation draws inspiration from a medicine wheel, as each artist responds to one of the four directions and their associated natural elements.

Frida Orupabo, Woman with book / Woman with snake


460 King Street West North façade
Exploring questions of race, gender, culture, class, and their complex intersections, Frida Orupabo fuses varied archival materials to question colonial and modern representations of Black womanhood. Positioned on the façade of a Victorian-era building, monumental images by the Oslo-based, Nigerian-Norwegian artist portray Black women’s bodies as sites of knowledge and empowerment.

Skawennati, Calico & Camouflage: Assemble!


Yonge-Dundas Square
Working within the 3D virtual realm, Tiohtia:ke/Montreal-based Mohawk artist Skawennati creates projects that posit Indigenous futures. In Calico & Camouflage: Assemble!, a new site-responsive installation, cyberpunk activist avatars reinforce the fusion of personal fashion and protest. Occupying digital screens and concrete columns at Yonge-Dundas Square, they powerfully uphold Indigenous presence in Tkaron:to/Toronto.

Max Dean, McAlister Zeller-Newman, Andrew Savery-Whiteway and Chris Hampton, Still—Your Bubble


With a trailer transformed into a mobile photo studio, this new public art project by Toronto artists Max Dean, McAlister Zeller-Newman, Andrew Savery-Whiteway, and writer Chris Hampton is inspired by the itinerant photographers of the 19th century. The studio will travel across the city, inviting the public into the trailer to have their picture taken and processed, with the photographs serving as mementos. To ensure social distancing, the role of photographer has been taken over by animatronic figures known as ‘Andy and the lads.’ Visit the CONTACT website for details about where and when to see the mobile trailer.

CONTACT is also co-presenting the Hot Docs screening ofStill Max, April 29, 10 a.m.– noon – Directed by Katherine Knight.

Facing a cancer diagnosis, multidisciplinary artist Max Dean asks, “How do we fix ourselves?” Discarded animatronic figures from a decommissioned Ontario Place attraction and wild imagination drive this vivid journey of resilience and creativity in the face of illness. Purchase Hot Docs Festival tickets online here.

CONTACT will offer a variety of virtual programs beginning in May and continuing throughout 2021.

Virtual Exhibitions showcase over 20 juried and open-call solo and group exhibitions on view May 1, including:

Laura Kay Keeling, The Advantages of Tender Loving Care

 
Examining aspects of reciprocal care, Keeling seeks to understand how people form connections with each other and with nature, and how they capture and cherish memories and moments in time. This exhibition features the first in Keeling’s new series of moving images and collages that merge sourced imagery with scanned floral elements.

Maximum Exposure 2021

 

Maximum Exposure the annual capstone exhibition for Ryerson University’s School of Image Arts, features innovative work by 200+ emerging artists working in photography, video, and digital media. This year’s Max Ex also includes its first ever public art installation, an image wrap installed on the IMA building, at the centre of the university’s campus at Gould and Bond streets in Toronto.

2021 Sheridan Honours Bachelor of Photography Graduating Class, GRADWORK



GRADWORK highlights diverse perceptions of the conceptual, technical, and aesthetic possibilities of photography as a professional medium. In addition to the virtual exhibition, work of the 2021 graduates will also be displayed outdoors in Toronto’s downtown west end. Clickhere for information about locations.

Martha Davis, DREAM SCENES: SENIORS ON THE GREEN SCREEN


Senior citizens collaborate with photographic artist Davis to create their “dream scene” using the magic of green-screen photography. In doing so, they fulfill long-held fantasies, virtually. Engage with these feisty seniors as they meet royalty, go on safari, walk a tightrope, hobnob with celebs, ride a bucking bronco, “diss” politicians, and much more. 92 is the new 29!

Conversations– artists and curators discuss their CONTACT projects online. Highlights include:

McMichael Canadian Art Collection: Celebrating the Group of Seven with Jon Sasaki and Sarah Milroy

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May 7, 3–4 p.m.
Sarah Milroy, Chief Curator, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, in conversation with Toronto-based artist Jon Sasaki on the 101-year anniversary of the Group of Seven’s first exhibition, discuss reframing the genre of landscape painting through the lens of photography. Moderated by Jennifer Withrow, Head of Exhibitions & Publications, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, this virtual talk will mark the opening of the exhibition Jon Sasaki: Homage.

Thirza Schaap in conversation with Sara Knelman

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May 8, 1–2 p.m.
A conversation between photographer Thirza Schaap and curator Sara Knelman, presented in conjunction with Schaap’s project Plastic Ocean at Davisville Subway Station.

Erik Kessels & Thomas Mailaender in conversation

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May 14, 1–2 p.m.
www.eventbrite.ca 
Erik Kessels and Thomas Mailaender discuss their collaborative artistic practice and use of re-appropriated images in relation to their outdoor installation Play Public, presented at The Bentway’s Canoe Landing site.

IMAGE/IMAGINE(ING) A WILD GARDEN: Sara Angelucci in conversation with Charlie Briggs
 May 26, 12–1 p.m.
Artist Sara Angelucci discusses her upcoming public installation Botanica Colossi at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) with horticulturalist and arborist Charlie Briggs. In her project Nocturnal Botanical Ontario, Angelucci images plants that grow in the Pretty River Valley in southern Ontario, surrounded by the Niagara escarpment and a provincial park. Her compositions uncover the ecological impacts of settler colonialism and global trade.

Virtual Workshops – online instruction in photography, film developing, photobook design and production, and portfolio mapping by professional photographers and publishers. Highlights include:

Self Publish Be Happy presents: How To Design a Photobook with Brian Paul Lamotte
, May 29, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

Gallery 44 presents: Liz Ikiriko – Field of Vision – Mapping the Portfolio
, May 29, 1–3 p.m.
eventbrite.ca 

25^th Anniversary Partners

CONTACT’s 2021 Core Program is developed through collaborations with partners across Toronto, including: A Space Gallery; Aga Khan Museum; Art Gallery of Ontario; ArtworxTO: Toronto’s Year of Public Art 2021–2022; BAND Gallery; The Bentway Conservancy; Brookfield Place; Campbell House Museum; City of Toronto; Doris McCarthy Gallery; Fort York National Historic Site; Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography; Gallery TPW; Harbourfront Centre; John B. Aird Gallery; Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Art Museum at the University of Toronto; Koffler Gallery; McMichael Canadian Art Collection; Mercer Union, a centre for contemporary art; MOCA Toronto; National Gallery of Canada; Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives; The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery; Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art; Pumice Raft; Ryerson Image Centre; Scotiabank Photography Award; Todmorden Mills Heritage Site; Trinity Square Video; Waterfront Toronto; The Westin Harbour Castle; and Yonge-Dundas Square. 

CONTACT gratefully acknowledges the support of ArtworxTO, Canada Council for the Arts, Institut Français, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso, Mondriaan Fund, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, Partners in Art, Pro Helvetia, Toronto Arts Council, and all funders, donors, and program partners.

About Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival

CONTACT fosters and celebrates photography with its annual Festival across greater Toronto in May and year-round programming in the CONTACT Gallery. CONTACT presents lens-based works by acclaimed and emerging artists, documentary photographers, and photojournalists from Canada and around the world. The Core Program includes primary exhibitions (collaborations with major museums, galleries, and artist-run centers) and public installations (site-specific public art projects). These are cultivated through partnerships, commissions, and new discoveries, framing the cultural, social, and political events of our times. The Juried Call and Open Call exhibitions present a range of works by local and international artists at leading galleries and alternative spaces across the city. CONTACT presents a wide range of programs including a book fair, lectures, talks, panels, workshops, and symposia during the Festival and hosts exhibitions and programs at its Gallery throughout the year. The Festival is free and open to the public, with some exceptions at major museums.

CONTACT, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1997, is generously supported by its title sponsor Scotiabank, and Scotia Wealth Management, as well as 3MCanada, NIKON Canada, Beyond Digital Imaging, BIG Digital, Four By Eight Signs, Pattison Outdoor Advertising, Toronto Image Works, and Transcontinental PLM. Media Partners: Akimbo Aperture, Art Papers, Artdaily, Artnet, ARTnews, Blog TO, British Journal of Photography, Canadian Art, CBC Toronto, Contemporary And, Hyperallergic, JAZZ.FM91, Maclean’s, Momus,  NOW Magazine, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Life and Toronto Star.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is a Leading Bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: “for every future”, we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of approximately 90,000 employees and assets of approximately $1.2 trillion (as of January 31, 2021), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

SOURCE Scotiabank