Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Artur Walther outside the Ryerson Gallery doors - sweirsweir They photographed African women’s gazes, now those women look at us – new exhibition at Ryerson’s art gallery By Stephen Weir Artur Walther is that guy.   A self-made billionaire who in retirement has shucked off his golden handcuffs and dedicated himself to doing good things, including the collection and exhibition of historical and contemporary photographs. Over the course of the past 26-years, the former co-head of Goldman Sachs’ worldwide capital markets group in 1983 and the founding partner of Goldman Sachs’ operations in Germany  has managed to create one of the world’s most important privately held photography collections. His Walther Collection Foundation has opened two photography museums – one in Germany, the other in New York City. On Tuesday the 70-year old collector was in Toronto to open a photography exhibition of African women. Way She Looks: A History of Female Gazes in African Portr

.   . AS MAY FADES, SO DOES THE CONTACT FESTIVAL. STILL TIME TO SEE MAGGS, MACLEANS AND SCHOOL EYED KENYA! (Draft article for Huffington Post Blog) Somewhere in the great city of Toronto, there is an art lover who has seen every single Contact Festival picture hung by over 1,500 Canadian and international photographers in 175 venues throughout the city.  But for the rest of us,  it is a challenge to  see at best a few of the exhibitions that make up the  world's largest month long photography festival.  With only a few days left in the At the Design Exchange Big Show, what will you see? May I suggest three -  the late Arnaud Maggs (AGO/Ryerson), Maclean's Face to Face (Gladstone Hotel)  and the intriguing group show - I Am Standing In The Place Where I Live - by four students from Emori Joi High School in Kenya (Design Exchange)! I Am Standing In The Place Where I Live : Christopher Nokes is a well-known figure in Toronto's art scene, and an inspirationa