Living in the modern world requires courage. Those resisting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s sabre-rattling against Taiwan or homegrown threats to western democracies experience the consequences of speaking out. In these troubled times, LunarFest GTA organizers have decided to respond in a constructive way by celebrating and honouring bravery.
The Arts for Canadians Tomorrow Society invites local residents to embrace the festival’s artistic theme of Brave the Wind (乘風而行) to welcome the Year of the Horse. Almost every LunarFest GTA event will take place for free on February 21 and 22 at the Varley Art Gallery in the historic Unionville neighbourhood of Markham.
“Horses charge forward even in the face of a storm, guided by instinct and resilience,” LunarFest GTA states on its website. “Inspired by this noble spirit, ‘Brave the Wind’ becomes LunarFest’s call for courage: a challenge to each of us to move forward through life’s turbulence with grace, conviction, and openness.”
The society encourages members of all communities to re-imagine Lunar New Year for the 21st century. It seeks to encourage hope and a sense of community in the face of global conflicts, climate anxiety, economic precarity, and xenophobia.
“It is not enough to simply weather the wind—we must meet it head-on,” LunarFest GTA continues. “This means confronting racial tensions with honesty, through storytelling that honours pain and uplifts resilience; recognizing the diverse journeys of those whose identities are complex, hybrid, or misunderstood; and creating space for people to come together—not in sameness, but in solidarity.”
LunarFest GTA welcomes families
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Fooderlon Theater co-founders Shan-Ting Hsu and Ya-yu Tseng will offer free workshops for children between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on February 21 and 22. And Taiwanese-Canadian writer Joanne Kwok will read from her debut children’s book, Akemi’s Song, about a young flamecrest bird selected to sing on Lunar New Year. But this bird, Akemi, is unable to do this. That leads her to travel across Taiwan’s shimmering landscape.
Kwok will distribute paper craft and colouring sheets to children at this reading, which begins at 1:45 p.m. on February 22.
Children and the young at heart can also take in a puppet show. The Merry Moppets will perform The Tail of Great Aunt Tiger, which is based on Taiwanese folk tales. The troupe has made a name for itself for promoting Hakka culture and preserving Hakka language, cuisine, dance, music, and puppetry.
“The puppet show will be presented in a humorous way, allowing children to learn about staying cautious of strangers while having fun,” the LunarFest GTA website states. “At the end of play, there will be interactive moments with the children to inspire their creativity and cleverness.”
The Tail of Great Aunt Tiger will take place at 3 p.m. on February 21.
Cello ensemble will perform
This year’s LunarFest GTA will also feature live concerts bridging East and West. At 12:30 p.m. on February 22, EnCello Toronto will perform Vivaldi’s “Double Concerto”, Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”, Shostakovich’s “Waltz No. 2”, and Bach’s “The Cello Song” (arranged version). In addition, the cello ensemble will play the jazzy “Fly Me to the Moon” and the Turtles’ sunshine pop rock hit “Happy Together”.
For lovers of popular Asian music, EnCello Toronto will also offer their interpretation of five songs. They are 鼓聲若響 (The Drumbeat), 雨夜花 (Flowers in the Rainy Night), 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart), 周杰倫：千里之外 (Faraway), and 朋友 (Friends).
Later at 3 p.m., Mississauga-raised indie folk artist Tennyson King will perform. The award-winning songwriter has played the Glastonbury Festival and toured with Aysanabee and Lindi Ortega. King sings his original songs in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
The only ticketed event at this year’s LunarFest GTA is a screening of a documentary called A Chip Odyssey. It recounts how Taiwan became the world’s leading manufacturer of semiconductors, transforming the economy as well as the nation’s identity. It will be shown inside the Varley Art Gallery at 5:30 p.m. on February 21.
Lunar Lanterns back in the Courtyard
Over the years, LunarFest GTA has drawn many visitors to its Lunar Lanterns. Works by a diverse selection of artists will be on large cylinders once again in the Varley Art Gallery Courtyard. This exhibition runs from February 21 to March 20.
Korean-born Toronto street artist Jieun Kim (a.k.a. June) and Ontario- and B.C-based Sikh-Panjabi multi-disciplinary creator Keerat Kaur have each contributed designs. Other lanterns designs came from Sundancer and Sweat Ceremony leader Philip Cote, and Toronto-based multi-disciplinary artist Stephanie Avery, Iranian-Canadian visual artist Yasaman Mehrsa, and Taiwanese illustrator. Celebrated Taiwanese graphic novelist Jian-xin Zhou created the design for the sixth lantern.
Furthermore, the Arts for Canadians Tomorrow Society lists two upcoming Varley Art Gallery exhibitions on its LunarFest GTA schedule. One is Sameer Farooq: The Fairest Order in the World, curated by Mona Filip. It features works by Toronto-based interdisciplinary artist Sameer Farooq to prompt reflection about the violent histories and colonial origins of art and anthropological museums.
Anik Glaude curated the second Varley Art Gallery exhibition. Sketching the Past features drawings by F.H. Varley.
“Varley visited the ROM several times, sketching in the Natural History and Art and Culture galleries, where the Chinese collection was his favourite subject,” the Varley Art Gallery states on its website. “His curiosity extended beyond objects to his fellow visitors, particularly in the dinosaur galleries, where smartly dressed groups could be seen admiring the specimens.”
Both of these Varley Art Gallery exhibitions runs from February 7 to May 3.
LunarFest GTA will take place in the Varley Art Gallery Courtyard in Unionville Markham on February 21 and 22. For more information and a schedule of events, visit the website. Lunar Lanterns: Brave the Wind will be in the Varley Art Gallery Courtyard from February 21 to March 20.
The Toronto Spark is on Bluesky @torontospark.bsky.social.
