Shari Kasman
Alma materYork University
McMaster University
OccupationMusician, visual artist, and writer

Shari Kasman is a multidisciplinary artist and writer based in her hometown, Toronto, Canada.[1]

Education

Kasman has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in music from York University[2] and a diploma in Music Performance in classical piano from McMaster University.

Career

In the 2010s, Kasman photographed and provided guided tours of Toronto's Galleria Mall.[3] She created two photo books about the mall. Her related exhibit Memories of Galleria Mall was featured as part of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival in 2019.[3]

In 2022, after failing to persuade the City of Toronto to address flooding in a bicycle lane on Bloor Street, Kasman named the location "Bloordale Pond".[4] The same year, Kasman drew attention to the unused land on Brock Street, Toronto, by putting up unauthorised signs suggesting the location was "Parkdale Provincial Park".[5]

Kasman's work provides commentary on the issues within Toronto, such as public transit,[6] alcohol consumption in public parks,[7] and vandalism.[8]

Kasman is also a frequent contributor to the West End Phoenix, a local newspaper in Toronto.[9]

Books

  • Everything Life Has to Offer, Invisible Publishing, 2016, ISBN 9781926743844[10][11]
  • Galleria: The Mall That Time Forgot, Salted Pepper Projects, 2018, ISBN 9781999483302[12][13][14]
  • Goodbye, Galleria, Salted Pepper Projects, 2019, ISBN 9781999483319[15]
  • Rocks Don't Move and Other Questionable Facts, Salted Pepper Projects, 2021, ISBN 9781999483326[16][17][18]

References

  1. ^ Ricci, Talia (4 May 2019). "Photography exhibit preserves memory of Galleria Mall as it undergoes transformation". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived 30 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  2. ^ "About Shari Kasman". Shari Kasman. Archived 2 August 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. ^ LeBlanc, Dave (17 April 2019). "Toronto's Dufferin Galleria: The 'mall that time forgot' gets its moment in the spotlight". The Globe and Mail. Archived 19 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  4. ^ Gamrot, Sabrina (19 October 2022). "Toronto cyclists ring the alarm over dangerous bike lane that continuously floods and freezes". BlogTO. Archived 6 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  5. ^ Gamrot, Sabrina (6 December 2022). "New Provincial Park lands in abandoned Toronto wasteland slated for development". BlogTO. Archived 25 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  6. ^ Shea, Courtney (25 May 2023). "'The TTC should start paying me': Meet the artist posting satirical signage along the Queen streetcar route". Toronto Life
  7. ^ Mudhar, Raju (8 October 2023). "Soon, 27 city parks involved in a pilot project will no longer allow alcohol consumption. But is it really last call?". Toronto Star
  8. ^ Goudge, Alex (24 October 2024). "Toronto artist adds colour to Geary and deters vandalism with fence art piece". Toronto Today.
  9. ^ "West End Phoenix — Contributors"
  10. ^ Beattie, Steven W. (25 July 2016). "Fall Preview 2016: Fiction". Quill & Quire. Archived 3 March 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  11. ^ Kasman, Shari (2016). Everything Life Has to Offer. Halifax: Invisible Publishing. ISBN 9781926743844. OCLC 945951021
  12. ^ Delap, Leanne (11 April 2019). "Are shopping malls making a comeback?". Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Archived 23 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  13. ^ "The most popular photo essays of 2018". Toronto Life. 31 December 2018. Archived 30 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  14. ^ Kasman, Shari (2018). Galleria: The Mall That Time Forgot. Toronto, Ontario: Salted Pepper Projects. ISBN 9781999483302. OCLC 1077280944
  15. ^ Kasman, Shari (2019). Goodbye, Galleria. Toronto, Ontario: Salted Pepper Projects. ISBN 9781999483319. OCLC 1112667725
  16. ^ Kasman, Shari (28 November 2021). "Fact-finder Shari Kasman gave herself a mission. Her new book, 'Rocks Don't Move', tells us what she found". Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Archived 24 October 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Rocks Don't Move and Other Questionable Facts". Spacing Store: Toronto's City Gift Store. Archived 22 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  18. ^ Kasman, Shari (2021). Rocks Don't Move and Other Questionable Facts. Toronto, ON: Salted Pepper Projects. ISBN 9781999483326. OCLC 1313482098