How well do you know the area you call home? Wouldn’t it be fun to be a tourist in your own city? Visiting quirky neighbourhoods and neat stores, tasting food from around the globe, taking in exciting attractions and exploring the great outdoors. Would it surprise you to find out that there’s so much that’s available in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), either free or on a reasonable budget? 

Here are five ways to start exploring and be a tourist in your own backyard! 

1. Museums and attractions

The GTA is home to world-class attractions like the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada (both offer discounts for older Canadians and complimentary visits are available). It’s also full of other, less well-known surprises like the Aga Khan Museum and the Textile Museum of Canada. 

Did you know Ontario’s heritage treasures are open with free events every April to October? Doors Open Ontario has a number of locations opening their doors for you to explore. Visit the Doors Open Ontario website for a complete list of events.  

While there is an entrance fee to visit Casa Loma in Toronto, a guided tour at Spadina Museum right beside Casa Loma is always free. There are a number of free museum and cultural events in Toronto to explore. 

The Toronto Public Library offers the Museum + Art’s Pass (MAP) program. With a Toronto Public Library card, you can borrow the pass and get into many Toronto museums and attractions free. Mississauga offers a PAMA Family pass that lets families (bring the grandkids!) get into art galleries and museums free. Check out if your public library offers the same — most libraries offer this type of pass! 

Hot Docs is celebrating 30 years this year and begins April 27 in Toronto. Patrons 60+ can take advantage of free tickets to watch an amazing selection of documentaries from around the world before 5 pm daily.  

You may want to take advantage of Attractions Ontario Coupons for discounts to attractions all over Ontario, and if you use PRESTO on the GO system, you can get more price breaks. 

2. Markets and festivals

You’ll never run out of markets, festivals and fairs to visit in the GTA and surrounding area. To taste international cuisine at great prices, the St. Lawrence Market and its Market Gallery (always free) is a natural destination. That’s just the beginning, because farms such as the Brooks Farm in Mount Albert have seasonal festivals and events worth a visit.  

A number of farms in the GTA offer a fun day of exploring and strawberry picking. Most charge a small entry fee which includes the cost of the strawberries. To Do Canada offers a good list of farms to get you started.    

Why not take in a free movie or concert at various parks, including the Regent Park Film Festival, Toronto’s longest-running, free community film festival. Visit To Do Canada for an updated list of festivals near you. Don’t forget the Toronto International Festival of Authors, where browsing is free, and you can meet the authors. 

3. The great outdoors

The GTA has about 12 million trees covering beautiful trails, neighbourhoods, and attractions to visit and explore. A great place to start is ROMWalks, free guided tours of Toronto that include historical facts, and no registration is required. The Tour Guys offer inexpensive walking tours of various exciting Toronto spots. Along the way you can stop at some of the unique food trucks the city has to offer. Or you may want to check out a food truck festival. Canadian Food Truck Festivals lists upcoming festivals near you.  

You may decide to take an always-free stroll through the GTA’s many parks and gardens. Apart from popular destinations like Edwards Gardens or Toronto’s largest public park, High Park, consider visiting the fully accessible Rosetta McClain Gardens in Scarborough and the Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat along the shores of Lake Ontario in the west end.  

4. Natural wonders

Further afield, there’s an abundance of natural wonders and beautiful towns to experience. One of the most charming is Elora, and its most famous attraction, the Elora Gorge. It’s made up of 350 acres of riverside trails, scenic overlooks and some of the best trout fishing in North America. Another stunning area is the Cheltenham Badlands, one of the few places you’ll see rolling red soft rock, devoid of vegetation. The Elora Gorge and Cheltenham Badlands open for the season in May.  

Toronto Field Naturalists is a volunteer-run, non-profit nature conservation group that offers over 140 guided nature walks and you can participate in various conservation efforts. The Toronto Ornithological Club has regular field trips and funds bird-related projects in the GTA. Check out Senior Toronto for more nature groups like these. 

5. Lesser known

The GTA also has some unique attractions in its nooks and crannies you might not know. The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, part of University of Toronto, holds around 700,000 fascinating rare books and manuscripts, including a publication from 1551. A mainstay of the Toronto skyline is the Redpath Sugar Refinery, where you can tour the active factory and visit the museum.  

There’s so much to see and do in the GTA — and so much of it is right in our own backyard. We hope you can get out and explore some of these amazing places and find some new ones too.  

What would we do without our pets? We love our dogs, cats, guinea pigs, iguanas, rabbits, and snakes because they make us feel good. But why does being with our pets make us feel so much better?

It turns out there are a number of health benefits to owning a pet. They can help reduce our levels of stress, anxiety and depression because the feelings they stir in us increase our levels of feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine, making us feel more calm and relaxed.

Understanding the pet effect

April 11 is National Pet Day. This day was first recognized in 2006 and was created by animal welfare advocate and family lifestyle expert Colleen Paige. Colleen believes that animals in shelters should be adopted as pets and given an opportunity to be loved and cared for. Pets make us humans happy and healthy.

Dogs and cats in particular are exceptional at cuddling and many won’t turn down a hug, stroke or scratch behind the ear. We are a perfect match with our furry family members because we both thrive from personal touch and interaction and are happiest in the company of our “pack”. In fact, there are so many health benefits to the connection humans and animals have, that it’s often referred to as the “pet effect”.

Pets can keep you physically and socially active

Studies suggest that those of us who are over 65 and have a pet make fewer visits to the doctor. We are more physically active when we take our furry friends for a walk every day and play with them at the park, for example. They also provide us with welcome companionship and help improve our feelings of loneliness by giving us a purpose and routine — they even help us to meet new people!

Owning and caring for a pet, like a dog or a cat, is a commitment and may not be possible for everyone based on their health or financial situation, or perhaps because of where they live. But it’s worth a visit to your nearest shelter, perhaps to fall in love with your new pet or just to get some of that “pet effect”.

Read more about the mood-boosting power of dogs, and about the “pet effect”.

How many books are you reading right now? Maybe you have two or three books on your nightstand plus that page-turner you just picked up and can’t seem to put down. Reading books offers several health benefits that are worth noting.

The stress-relieving benefits of books

Books can take you away to another place and time, introduce you to new people and ideas, and provide a much-needed distraction from the challenges of everyday life. In fact, studies suggest there’s a measurable reduction in stress levels when we read books. One study suggests just 30 minutes of reading offers the same stress-relief benefits as 30 minutes of yoga or humour. Reading stimulates your imagination while igniting so many parts of your brain, essentially giving you a cognitive workout. When we try to imagine the facial features of our favourite character, and perhaps what their voice might sound like, we stimulate our imagination, which can help us to relax.

How we read today

There are so many options for how we read today, making it easier than ever for us to read at home and on the go. We can choose hardcover or softcover books, ebooks or audiobooks and may decide that certain genres suit one format more than another. The audiobook format is an especially good option when the book’s author narrates.

Book clubs offer readers an introduction to new books and new social connections while providing a healthy dose of mental stimulation and distraction.

Virtual book clubs keep us connected throughout the pandemic

During the pandemic, many of us attended virtual book clubs and we looked forward to them more than ever to distract us from gloomy news reports and keep us connected with others. The Bright Spot launched its first virtual book club in May 2020 and continues to offer its virtual book club, the Author Spotlight, on the last Monday of every month.

Recently, the Author Spotlight featured Canadian writer Dennis Bock. Dennis discussed and answered questions about his latest book, The Good German. Participants heard about his sources of inspiration and got insights into his writing process. Participants are encouraged to read the book ahead of time but can just drop in to listen to the conversation.

Whether you read on your own, are part of a book club, or have joined The Bright Spot’s Author Spotlight we hope you will continue to ignite your brain with books!

There’s no such thing as a typical day for Samantha Casmey, Manager of Adult Health and Fitness programs at the YMCA of Greater Toronto. That was especially true on March 14, 2020 when COVID-19 shut down in-person classes and the organization had to pivot to a virtual offering.

Casmey has been working for the YMCA of Greater Toronto since 1994 in a variety of roles. Pre-pandemic, she would train the trainers, oversee quality of the programs and establish new ventures with partner organizations. In that respect, not much has changed about her job. But over the past year, the way these programs are being offered has dramatically shifted.

Going virtual — No time to wait

The programming at the YMCA has always been about helping people connect. For seniors who had an existing relationship with the YMCA, they would come in on a regular basis to socialize with friends while improving their mental and physical health.

The Bright Spot was created as a central, digital hub for older adults to deliver the fitness and meetups to which they had become accustomed. And the journey from program conception to a live website and programming happened in less than a month.

“Virtual had to become a reality,” says Casmey. “There are so many benefits though. Especially for older adults who have mobility issues, transportation problems or a tough time physically getting to the building.”

Launching new programs

The Bright Spot launched with 15 programs that ranged from fitness classes and workshops to book clubs and travel talks. A handful were extensions of ones already offered at the YMCA, while others were new to the mix.

“Some classes have grown to a few dozen people and others were cut after a few weeks,” says Casmey. “It was a bit of trial and error but overall it’s gone really well. We just want to make sure we’re targeting a variety of interests.”

Navigating the right technology

The YMCA has always wanted to use technology as a way to connect older adults. Naturally, COVID-19 accelerated those plans. That’s where Zoom came in. The platform delivered a lot of flexibility that allowed for larger gatherings or alternative programming not normally available in the facility.

“Before COVID, people didn’t have a lot of experience with these tools,” says Casmey. “All of that has changed. I think it’s great that we have participants teaching one another how to use the technology now. We’ve really come a long way.”

Resilient connection

With self-isolation and stay-at-home orders, the pandemic can bring feelings of isolation. That’s why The Bright Spot has been so important. Classes act almost like support groups, where virtual strangers can share their struggles. People often comment that they learn more about people that they take classes with online than they did with casual, in-person conversations.

Moving forward, programming like this doesn’t have plans on slowing down — even after COVID-19 does. The classes delivered and lessons learned will continue to facilitate meaningful conversations that allow older adults to connect with each other, with or without the Internet.

Want to spark a conversation or improve your fitness? Check out the YMCA of Greater Toronto’s programming for a full list of ways you can connect with older adults.

Sam Casmey has an honours BSc in kinesiology from the University of Waterloo and is a YMCA Canada Trainer Educator. She’s currently the YMCA of Greater Toronto’s Manager of Health & Fitness Adult Programs. In the 20 years she’s been working at the Y, Sam’s taught thousands of fitness classes and trained hundreds of volunteers to teach classes including Arriba, MuscleFit, Bootcamp, and many more. She’s currently spending her time on Sudoku, cryptic crosswords, and books on habits and behaviour change.

When COVID-19 dimmed the stage lights on the Young@Heart seniors’ choir, the singers didn’t retreat into silence.

The Massachusetts choral group (minimum age requirement 75) has toured the world and starred in a 2008 documentary. But the pandemic put its 2020 holiday concert in jeopardy. So Young@Heart live streamed the show instead. Each singer performed their parts from home online, belting out hits like Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”

The lyrics of that rock anthem were especially fitting for the times: 

We’re not gonna take it

No, we ain’t gonna take it

We’re not gonna take it anymore!

Young@Heart’s members aren’t just standing up to COVID by seeking physically distanced solace in song. By filling their lives with music, they’re also nurturing their physical and mental health as they age.

Arts and aging 

A groundbreaking 2006 study suggests art and culture are good for the body, mind and spirit of older adults.

In the experiment, 150 seniors aged 65 to 100 took part in community arts programs like music, painting, dance, drama and pottery for a two-year period. Compared to a control group, these seniors: 

• Made fewer doctor visits
• Used fewer prescription drugs
• Used fewer over-the-counter medications
• Suffered fewer falls 

In terms of mood and mental health, the seniors who participated in arts programs also reported:

• Higher morale 
• Improved depression symptoms
• Less loneliness 

For brain health

Can arts and cultural activities actually improve cognitive performance in older adults?

Yes, according to a 2017 study that tracked the health of 1,498 Americans aged 55-plus for a 15-year period. Seniors who created art and attended arts events scored seven-fold higher on cognitive function tests than those who did not partake in those activities. 

The art participants also saw improvements in their bodies, recording lower rates of hypertension and better physical functioning overall than the control group.

The sound of music

Remember Oliver Sacks, who inspired the movie Awakenings? In real life, the late neurologist witnessed the powerful impact of music on Parkinson’s patients who had lost the ability to move or speak.

In the presence of music “they could be transformed,” Dr. Sacks told NPR back in 2009. “If there’s music, these people could dance, they could sing, they could talk, they can do things.”

Clinical research has also shown that: 

• On fMRI scans, music activates parts of the brain involved in memory, emotion and physical movement — areas of function that commonly decline with age
• Singing or listening to music can improve the general cognition, attention and memory recall of seniors with dementia
• Taking music lessons late in life can increase neuroplasticity in older adults, and aid their ability to recognize speech in noisy environments

The artful Rx

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it might do wonders for the aging brain and body as well. 

According to research cited by the British government, seniors who create artworks on a regular basis exhibit:

• Greater functional connectivity in the brain
• Reduced stress levels
• Increased psychological resilience 

Further, a 2019 study from ‘down under’ suggests you can bolster your brain power through art without lifting a paint brush. After a six-week program of visits to the National Gallery of Australia, a group of seniors with dementia showed improvements in their depression symptoms, verbal fluency and immediate memory recall.

In Ontario, Quebec and the UK, physicians have actually prescribed visits to galleries and museums for patients with depression, Alzheimer’s and heart conditions.

Books for brain health

You don’t have to write books to help your brain age gracefully. Reading them packs a cognitive punch of its own.

When researchers surveyed 300 elderly people over a six-year period, bookworms reported 30 per cent less memory decline than non-readers. After the participants passed away, autopsies found no neural tangles or lesions (common markers of memory loss) in the brains of the avid readers.

Like the Young@Heart choir, Toronto seniors can still find their creative voice during the pandemic. The Bright Spot offers a variety of activities, including Music with the TSO, Book Club and Art for Personal Wellness, so you can get your creative juices flowing from the comfort of your home.

Explore innovative ways to prioritize your well-being when two charities join forces to bring wellness to the community

The Bright Spot family, you now have new ways to find inner peace and gain wisdom with a partnership between the YMCA of Greater Toronto and the Aga Khan Museum. The two charities partnered to offer a series of mindfulness and educational programs. Leaders in community programming with a focus on inclusion and diversity, this partnership is a natural fit for both organizations. The YMCA of Greater Toronto is pleased to bring together members of the community in new ways to support overall health and well-being.

The YMCA and the Aga Khan Museum will offer both online and in-person mindfulness sessions now that Ontario is in Stage 3 of its Roadmap to Reopen plan. Virtual educational sessions hosted by Aga Khan Museum curators will be offered at The Bright Spot and at the Museum’s virtual museum: #MuseumWithoutWalls.

Explore a peaceful means of practising mindfulness meditation, a method of meditation that combines “probing for inner truth” with physical relaxation.  The educational sessions at The Bright Spot and #MuseumWithoutWalls will take you on a virtual exploration of the Aga Khan Museum with specialized museum curators. These interactive and engaging sessions will explore displays, collections, objects and more.

• Educational classes start on September 1, 2021, at The Bright Spot.
• The next mindfulness session happening at the Aga Khan Museum will be on August 18, 2021, at 10 am.

Look for more details about upcoming events in this series at The Bright Spot’s activities calendar.

Canadian seniors are proving you’re never too old to become an Internet sensation.

Instead of focusing on the tick-tock of their advancing years, they’re racking up millions of views on the Tik Tok app. In hilarious videos, Quebeckers aged 70 to 75 have been engaging in activities like dancing, applying makeup and dressing up for a tea party. The Quebec government created a cheeky campaign to promote a spirit of optimism and unity among all ages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And people are watching! As of spring 2021, one of the Tik Tok videos was viewed more than 7.5 million times! At a time when social distancing has left many older people feeling isolated, these elderly Canadians used mobile technology to connect with the entire world.

These tech-savvy seniors are part of a growing trend. An autumn 2020 study of Canadians aged 65 and older found that during the pandemic:

• 23 per cent had used video calling on their smartphones (that’s double the 2019 figure)
• 37 per cent had used social media to communicate with friends and family 
• 50 per cent said technology has had a positive impact on their lives during COVID-19

Despite those encouraging findings, the same survey showed that since the pandemic began:

• Only seven per cent of seniors had used video for a health appointment 
• Just 13 per cent had tried exercise apps or fitness trackers 
• Only 13 per cent engaged in online activities like games or book clubs 

Although 60 per cent of the surveyed seniors believe technology can help reduce their social isolation during COVID-19, older Canadians still face hurdles to adopting high tech. Here are some of the most common obstacles, and how to overcome them. 

Tech training 

There are now more senior citizens in Toronto than children under the age of 15. Unlike today’s kids and teens, however, many seniors did not grow up using technology at home or school. Here are some resources to help them develop digital literacy.

• Toronto Public Library’s Seniors Tech Help program offers free:
  • Online tech workshops
  • Laptop, computer and smartphone training
  • Internet safety, security and privacy education
  • Assistance accessing digital health and support services
• TechServeTO, founded by one of YGTA’s Youth Advisors, helps older adults with:
  • Technology workshops
  • Articles
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Digital resources
• The non-profit organization, Connected Canadians, offers seniors hands-on training in:
  • Using email
  • Video chatting
  • Phone texting
  • Social Media
  • Online gaming
  • Staying socially connected online in hospital or long-term care

Accessibility 

Changes in vision, hearing, cognition and manual dexterity can hinder the ability of older adults to use digital technology and devices. Here are couple of helpful avenues to explore:

• Virtual assistance: this voice-activated technology allows seniors to use tablets, smartphones and smart speakers via spoken commands instead of keyboards or touchscreens
• FamliNet: Created in Canada, this desktop and mobile app is adapted for seniors with loss of vision, hearing and motor skills so they can play games, read news or send photos, texts, voice and video messages. It also features automatic message translation in seven languages!

Making wise digital decisions

Choosing a user-friendly device and affordable connectivity plan can be overwhelming for seniors, not to mention concerns about digital privacy, online safety and cybersecurity. Not to worry — there is help for that.

The charitable organization, HelpAge Canada, provides links to valuable information on all of those challenges under the Cellphone Guide For Seniors section of its website.

Opening a wider doorway to the online world won’t turn every senior citizen into a social media star. But digital connectivity can keep them socially connected, both during the pandemic and after it.

If you’re looking to brush up on your tech knowledge, The Bright Spot is a great place to start. Our Tech Basics class is a beginner-level meetup that covers the fundamentals of online safety and how to make the most out of your digital experience.

Spice up your summer reading list with a brand-new month’s worth of Bright Spot book club fun, hosted by YMCA staff members and book lovers Beth Morgan and Andrea Muller.

We’ll be reading a piece of lit every two weeks, which will give us plenty of time to dig deep and get familiar with the themes, characters, and storyline. Then, we’ll share our impressions with each other over a virtual coffee or tea. As always, our intention is to build connections with all of you through our shared love of reading!

How do I join?

Sign up on this page of The Bright Spot. Once you RSVP, we’ll send a Zoom link to your e-mail. On Thursday, shortly before 1:00 pm, click on the link to connect to our virtual book club.

How will the book club be organized?

Each meeting will be moderated by Beth Morgan, General Manager of the Markham YMCA, and Andrea Muller, supervisor and individual conditioning coach at the Markham YMCA. We’ve asked people to pick a variety of books for us to read together (scroll down to see the reading schedule!). We’ll read a new book every two weeks, then get together virtually to discuss them.

What can I expect in a typical book club meeting?

The individual who chose the book will bring three discussion questions to our meeting to get the ball rolling, and then our conversation will pick up from there.

What are some examples of discussion questions?

We’re going to be pretty open to whatever comes up, but some of the questions we are thinking of using to get us started are:

• What themes did you notice throughout the book?
• How did the characters change throughout the story? How did your opinion of them change?
• Which character did you relate to the most, and what was it about them that you connected with?
• Did the book change your opinion or perspective about anything? Do you feel different now than you did before you read it?

Where can I get copies of the books we’re reading?

There are a few different ways you can get books for free online.

1. Log on to your local library’s website. If you do not have a library card, your library card is expired, or you lost your library card, your library website will have directions on how to get a new card.

2. Use the Toronto Public Library Instant Digital Card.This gives non-Toronto Public Library cardholders in Toronto free, temporary access to the TPL’s large collection of e-books and audiobooks using the code TPL2020. You need a Toronto cell phone (area codes 416, 647, or 437) that can receive text messages.

3. Subscribe to Scribd or Kobo audiobook, which both offer a free 30-day trial.

4. If you prefer audiobooks, Audible has a free 30-day trial as well.

Which books are we reading?

We already have our selection for June but we want to hear your suggestions for the coming months, too. Head over to The Bright Spot and send us your ideas through the live chat.

In the meantime, here are the June titles we’ll be digging into.

Please note: all of the following synopses are quoted directly from goodreads.com.

June 11 meeting: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage: Stories

“In the her tenth collection (the title story of which is the basis for the new film Hateship Loveship), Alice Munro achieves new heights, creating narratives that loop and swerve like memory, and conjuring up characters as thorny and contradictory as people we know ourselves.

A tough-minded housekeeper jettisons the habits of a lifetime because of a teenager’s practical joke. A college student visiting her brassy, unconventional aunt stumbles on an astonishing secret and its meaning in her own life. An incorrigible philanderer responds with unexpected grace to his wife’s nursing-home romance.

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage is Munro at her best, tirelessly observant, serenely free of illusion, deeply and gloriously humane.”

June 18 & 25 meetings: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

“From the award-winning author of Station Eleven, a captivating novel of money, beauty, white-collar crime, ghosts, and moral compromise in which a woman disappears from a container ship off the coast of Mauritania and a massive Ponzi scheme implodes in New York, dragging countless fortunes with it.

Vincent is a bartender at the Hotel Caiette, a five-star glass and cedar palace on an island in British Columbia. Jonathan Alkaitis works in finance and owns the hotel. When he passes Vincent his card with a tip, it’s the beginning of their life together. That same day, Vincent’s half-brother, Paul, scrawls a note on the windowed wall of the hotel: “Why don’t you swallow broken glass.” Leon Prevant, a shipping executive for a company called Neptune-Avramidis, sees the note from the hotel bar and is shaken to his core. Thirteen years later Vincent mysteriously disappears from the deck of a Neptune-Avramidis ship. Weaving together the lives of these characters, The Glass Hotel moves between the ship, the skyscrapers of Manhattan, and the wilderness of northern Vancouver Island, painting a breathtaking picture of greed and guilt, fantasy and delusion, art and the ghosts of our pasts.”

Happy reading! We can’t wait to hear what you think of these books in our coming meetings.

What if you could travel to far-off, exciting destinations without ever leaving your living room? That seems like the ideal scenario for many of us travel lovers right now. We have the perfect virtual activity to satisfy your wanderlust! Join us for Virtual Summer Vacations every Friday at 2:00 pm starting June, 12 2020.

How do I join?

Sign up on the activities page of The Bright Spot. Once you RSVP, we’ll send a Zoom link to your e-mail. On Friday, shortly before 2:00 pm, click on the link to connect to our Virtual Summer Vacations.

How will Virtual Summer Vacations be organized?

These online activities will be hosted by a number of Y staff members who share your love of travel. You can think of them as your virtual tour guides! They’ll share their adventures to some of their favourite places.

What can I expect in a Virtual Summer Vacation meeting?

Our guides will share imagery, stories, and music with the group, giving all of us a chance to immerse ourselves in the local culture of our “destination.” We’ll talk about history, food, music, art, architecture and so much more.

How can I find out each week’s destination?

Keep an eye on the Bright Ideas page. Every few weeks, we’ll post details about our next vacation destinations! You can also subscribe to our weekly email newsletter, where we announce new virtual activities and share updated information on existing ones.

On June 12, we’re heading to Rome, Italy!

Your tour guides are YMCA staff members Sarah Earl and Adela Colhon. Adela says, “Taking a virtual trip to Rome will be a great start to our summer vacation adventures! We chose Rome as our first destination because of its world-famous beauty, rich history, and culture. Are you ready? Pronti? Andiamo insieme a Roma!”

Sarah says she’s particularly excited for this trip because after visiting Rome eight years ago, she made travel plans to return again this July. Due to COVID-19, her in-person trip had to be postponed. “I’m excited to experience Rome with all of our community members, virtually. And because I am hoping to visit in person again in 2021, this will be a great pre-trip planning opportunity!”

On June 19, we’re visiting St. John’s, Newfoundland.

After Rome, our guides will take us a bit closer to home. Stay tuned for more details to come.

Everyone is welcome to join our travels. Whether you’re totally new to these locales, or you’ve been before and want to share your own stories with us, we are so excited to explore these beautiful corners of our big, vast world with you!

Calling all Art Lovers! We have a new activity on our schedule called Art Club. Think of it like our book club, but instead of reading and discussing a book every week, you’ll observe the works of a well-known artist and chat about your impressions and ideas.

The YMCA’s Art Club is moderated by Dana Pelham, art lover and staff member at the West End YMCA. We asked him what people can expect from this weekly event and here’s what he had to say.

How can people join Art Club?

We’ll be meeting once a week to discuss a well-known artist’s work. Our meeting time is every Monday at 3:00 pm, starting June 8 2020. All you have to do is sign up on The Bright Spot activities page. Then, on Monday shortly before 3:00 pm, you will receive an email with a link to the Zoom session.

What would you say to someone who feels intimidated by Art Club?

Taking in art is such a personal experience for everyone. The impressions we get from each work can vary greatly from person to person, and are often rooted in the experience we have in our own lives. It’s natural to worry how others will respond to our interpretations because we feel so vulnerable sharing them. That holds some people back from expressing their ideas, but it shouldn’t! We have such a great opportunity to connect in a meaningful way during our discussions. What I’d like to tell people is that in this format, they don’t need to worry.

The first thing you can do as a participant in Art Club is sit back, relax, and enjoy the feelings that the art inspires in you. Then, share those feelings with the group.

Facts and historical details about the piece and the artist will come up in our discussions, but it’s not the first thing you should concern yourself with. What we’re really here to do is connect over our shared love of art!

How can participants prepare for the discussions each week?

Start by looking over the artwork and asking yourself a couple of basic questions:

• Does the art set a certain mood?
• What stands out to you?
• Where do your eyes travel first, second, last?
• What is it that draws your attention and why?
• Why do you think the art makes you feel the way it does?

If you want to delve deeper into technique and style, consider these questions:

• How is the artist using colour, lighting, texture, shape, perspective, form, shading, and space?
• How has the artist used these elements to create emotions and a story?
• Has it been effective?

In the end, there is no one singular understanding of a piece of art (not even the artist’s intent!). Why, for instance, did I cry, feeling the horror of the act, while viewing The Death of Innocence at the Vatican, but not when reading the story of Herod’s horrid decree? Why do Monet’s Poppies fill me with warmth and a sense of well-being? Ask yourself what it is about yourself and your personal history that influences your response to each piece of art, and you’ll be right at home in Art Club.

Starting Monday, June 8, 2020, at 3:00 pm, we will be discussing the works of Thom Thompson. You’ll get a chance to enjoy a viewing of some of his most famous pieces of work, like The West Wind. We’re looking forward to seeing you and hearing your insights and impressions!