Muse & Museums

03/07/2026

Vestigial is an upcoming exhibition exploring the parts of ourselves we carry, shed, integrate, or attempt to outgrow. We are seeking artists whose work examines identity as something layered, evolving, and often contradictory.

This includes investigations of emotional residue, inherited behaviors, shadow selves, personal mythology, trauma, memory, ritual, and transformation.

Artists working across all disciplines are encouraged to apply. We are especially interested in works that engage with:

· Shedding or extraction of traits, narratives, or identities.

· Integration of shadow, complexity, or contradiction.

· Remnants, residue, and what lingers after change.

· The tension between light and darkness within the human experience.

10/18/2025

Today’s muse is Dawit Abebe, a pioneering Ethiopian contemporary artist whose vibrant works interrogate the intersections of history, society, and human progress. Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Dawit’s art seeks to raise awareness of Ethiopia’s contemporary art scene while exploring how the past shapes the present, asserting that understanding history is essential for any society to move forward.

Graduating in 2001 from the Alle School of Fine Art and Design at Addis Ababa University, Dawit studied painting, sculpture, graphics, photography, and industrial design, cultivating a multidisciplinary approach that would define his career. His paintings are instantly recognisable for their bold, lively colours that often stand in stark contrast to the dark subject matter they depict, exploring themes of urbanisation, environmental change, and the complexities of modern progress.

07/23/2025

📝DEADLINE EXTENSION for Northbound Songs of Sovereignty!

We are seeking to feature original artworks by five (5) emerging and mid-career Black and Indigenous artists.

In order to give artists more time, we have decided to extend the application deadline to this Wednesday July 16th, 5PM!

🔗Use the link to learn more or apply by the deadline extension: https://form.jotform.com/251744912181254

The exhibition will highlight Black and Indigenous artists in North York reflecting shared histories of resistance, resilience, and survival in the face of colonialism, systemic oppression, and cultural erasure.

-

More About Northbound 2025:

Northbound is NYA’s signature exhibition program that supports the professional development of emerging artists while prioritizing new-generation, newcomer, and North York artists.

In August 2025, in celebration of Emancipation Month, NYA will present Northbound alongside curators Muse and Museums, curatorial duo Shadio Hussein and Funmi Ajala, to curate Songs of Sovereignty.

Songs of Sovereignty is composed of works by Black and Indigenous artists imagining the liberation of their people. Each piece presented exists as a visual “song” or story exploring how freedom is both personally experienced and interconnected on a communal and societal scale.

A jury composed of the curators, arts professionals and community representatives will select the participating artists guided by a set of criteria (can be found on the application form).

07/23/2025

04/01/2025

Join us for a vibrant African Textile Collage Workshop led by !

Explore the creative world of textile collage using African fabrics, colours, and textures to craft your unique masterpiece. No experience is needed, just bring your creativity!

📍 It’s OK* Studios
🗓️ Saturday, May 3 1 11 AM - 2 PM EDT
🎨 All materials & light refreshments provided

Spots are limited, register now in the link in our bio to secure yours! 🎟️

04/01/2025

Today’s muse is Bahati Simoens, a Belgian-Congolese artist based in Johannesburg. Simoens paints “love letters to the Black body,” exploring identity, belonging, and self-expression through vibrant figurative works. Her masterful use of light and shadow creates warmth and depth, drawing viewers into an intimate and evocative visual experience.

As a self-taught artist, she forges her own path, telling stories of joy, pain, and resilience with every brushstroke. With exhibitions in Cape Town, Madrid, and London, her influence continues to expand on the global stage.

03/08/2025

Muse & Museums presents Studio Ododo, an immersive installation that explores the rich floral traditions of Yoruba culture. Rooted in both historical documentation and contemporary interpretations, the installation will be on view from March 8 to March 16, 2025, at It’s Ok Studios.

Inspired by the works of celebrated African photographers such as Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé, and Leonce Raphael Agbodjelou, Studio Ododo is a reconstruction of a vibrant West African photo studio. It features a boldly patterned backdrop, archival photographs, vintage-inspired props, and intricately arranged floral compositions by that highlight the cultural significance of flowers in Yoruba customs, spirituality, and everyday life.

To drop by and experience it, visit the link in our bio!

Poster by

Times: Mon-Thurs, 12 PM - 4 PM
Dates: March 8 - March 16, 2025
Location: It’s Ok* Studios | 468 Queen St W, Toronto, ON

02/13/2025

01/21/2025

Today’s muse is Xaviera Simmons, an acclaimed American contemporary artist whose interdisciplinary practice spans photography, performance, video, sound, sculpture, and installation. Her work, rooted in an ongoing exploration of experience, memory, and shifting historical narratives, challenges linear conceptions of time and space. Simmons’s studio practice is cyclical, dedicating different periods to various artistic modes such as photography, performance, and installation, ensuring her work is in constant rotation and engagement.

Simmons received her BFA from Bard College in 2004, following a two-year pilgrimage retracing the Transatlantic slave trade with Buddhist monks. She completed the Whitney Museum’s Independent Study Program in Studio Art in 2005 while also undergoing actor training at The Maggie Flanigan Studio. In recent years, her work has been included in numerous major exhibitions at institutions such as the ICA Boston, SFMOMA, The Studio Museum in Harlem, and The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Notably, in 2017, The Museum of Modern Art in New York acquired three of her works. Simmons has exhibited nationally and internationally, featuring her work in major collections including the Guggenheim Museum, The Rubell Family Collection, and the Nasher Museum.
In 2019, Simmons was named the inaugural Solomon Fellow at Harvard University and served as a visiting lecturer. Her prestigious accolades include the 2015 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grant and The Charles Flint Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters from Bard College in 2020. A descendant of Black American enslaved persons, European colonizers, and Indigenous peoples, Simmons’s work often reflects the complex interrelationships between identity, history, and landscape.

01/20/2025

Today’s muse is Kwesi Botchway (b. 1994, Accra, Ghana), a Ghanaian artist whose distinctive angular brushstrokes and vivid use of color redefine the portrayal of Black identity in contemporary art. With a signature emphasis on purple-hued Black skin—a color historically associated with royalty, mystery, and wisdom—Botchway celebrates the beauty, vitality, and expansiveness of the Black experience. Rooted in the Black Art tradition, his work challenges anti-Blackness and confronts dominant narratives by reinterpreting the portraiture of western art to center the long-overlooked Black figure.
Blending European painting styles with African Realism, Botchway transforms traditional portraits into explorations of identity and possibility. His evolution from realist works influenced by Ghanaian street art to surrealist-infused, introspective portraits reflects his commitment to pushing the boundaries of representation. His subjects—whether drawn from people he knows, imagined figures, or composites of his surroundings—embody a striking combination of realism and abstraction.
Botchway’s art transcends visual beauty, offering a space for dialogue about identity, race, and the enduring legacies of anti-Blackness. His work invites viewers to challenge societal myths and stereotypes, instead revealing the richness and majesty of Black existence. Today, his paintings are celebrated globally, residing in prestigious collections such as the Brooklyn Museum of Art (New York), the Institute of Contemporary Art (Miami), and the National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne), among others.

01/17/2025

Muse & Museums invites you to another exciting installation in our Artist Workshop Series: a beginner-friendly Ebru (Turkish Water Marbling) Workshop led by the talented Hacer Özcan.

Discover the mesmerizing beauty of Ebru, a centuries-old Turkish art form, known for its meditative process and stunning water-pigment patterns. Learn foundational techniques, explore its rich cultural heritage, and create your own unique marbled artwork to take home.

When: Monday, Feb 10, 2025 | 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Where: CAPSUL Studio, 25 Liberty Street 200, Toronto, ON

Spaces are limited—grab your ticket via the link in our bio! All supplies provided, no experience needed.