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 Afri...

--> Proposed Jamaican Film Gets The Nod From The Big Pitch By Stephen Weir Horrific crashes are the stuff movies are made of. The Titanic. The Hindenburg. The Twin Towers. And if the judges at the Caribbean Tales Film Festival (CTFF) are right the next Jamaica feature film to be made is sure to be the second biggest train wreck of them all. The CTFF has given the nod to a film proposal that wants to create a drama around the most famous Jamaican train wreck you have never heard of! The 1957 crash of a packed train near Kendal, Jamaica. “Yeah you probably never heard of the Kendal. I didn’t, and I am Jamaican,” said award-winning filmmaker Gabriel Blackwood.   “When I did learn about the Kendal crash I knew I had to tell the story. You know when the train derailed over 60 years ago, it was the world’s second worse train wreck!” filmmaker Gabriel Blackwood picture by sweirsweir Kendal is the name of the feature length film the young Jamaican is g...

Nelson Mandela.  His Toronto visits.   His South African life. By Stephen Weir Two important exhibitions about the life and times of Nelson Mandela are set to be on display in Toronto this fall.  A free Toronto Star Mandela photo exhibit opens next Wednesday downtown at Brookfield Place and on October 10 th  a full-scale museum exhibition will open in North Toronto at the Meridian Art Centre  (formerly the Toronto Centre for the Arts) Clyde Wagner, the president and CEO of TO Live told the Caribbean Camera yesterday, that given what is happening in the world today, Nelson Mandela’s life story must not be forgotten.  “ The time is right for this photo exhibit!”   Mandela: Through the Eyes Of the City  will be on display for almost a month at  Brookfield Place in the Allen Lambert Galleria, 181 Bay Street.  The free photography show has exclusive images from the Toronto Star’s photography archives. In addition ...

Three of Twelve books picked for the Giller Longlist are by Caribbean Canadian authors.  by Stephen WEIR Ian Williams A dozen Canadian authors were just named to the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist and three of them are Caribbean-Canadian!  The Scotiabank Giller Prize, one of the richest book awards in the country gives $100,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English. Giller finalists will receive $10,000 each. The Scotiabank Giller Prize's annual celebration of Canadian literary talent began on Tuesday morning with the announcement of this year's longlist. Last year’s winner, Esi Edugyan (Washington Black) hosted the event and unveiled the nominees. Esi - 2018 The three Caribbean Canadian authors who made this list are  André Alexis  for his novel  Days by Moonlight ;  Ian Williams  for his novel   Reproduction  and  Zalika Reid-Bent...

Poster for Swiss Caribana Music Festival By any other name would Caribana smell so sweet? By Stephen Weir Toronto’s annual Carnival has had many names since it burst out of the gate in 1967as Caribana.   Since then the summer street festival has been called, Scotiabank Caribana, Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, Peeks Caribbean Carnival and the current Toronto Caribbean Carnival. No matter what you might see on the official logo, for the past 52 years the citizens of Toronto and visiting carnival tourists call this amazing festival and parade simply Caribana. Caribana Swimsuit Caribana is the name that just won’t go away. So embedded is the name in our collective psyche the first Monday in August is always been called the Caribana holiday.   There are Caribana parties, cruises and concerts.   Stores have Caribana specials; hair dresses have stay open late for Caribana treatments. There are even Caribana porno movies! So pervasive is the ...