Before I left for NYC, I created decorations on panels for the upcoming Luminato at Harbourfront event. Actually, it wasn’t me alone adding colours to the panels—I could not have finished 14 future informational panels in a little over two hours without five Luminato volunteers and one staff member helping out.

It actually took just as long to move them from 401 Richmond where we assembled them to the Luminato office—I’m not actually certain why we didn’t just assemble them in their giant office! The empty rectangles, which you can clearly see in the photo on the left below, are where the information parts will go. And next to the panels, you can see how we’re squished into an elevator with the 6-foot-tall panels.

I’ll be back in Toronto on Thursday night, just in time to assemble decorations on some larger panels at Harbourfront on Friday.

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New TTC Items

I made new TTC Route Diversion prints and stickers, which I’ll have for sale this weekend at Harbourfront. They’re also available for sale on my website.

My route diversion fixation began in 2022 when I became frustrated with the TTC’s baffling signage and made my own spoof route diversion signs for the 506 Carlton streetcar. My signs were easier to understand, and funnier than the TTC’s, and they featured squiggly maps to better reflect the actual route diversion experience. You can read about this in Toronto Life.

A Senior Community Liaison at the TTC more recently told me the TTC calls them “spaghetti signs.”

This time I’ve made a new open-edition print, plus a sticker.

World Pup Opening

I embroidered a dog that appears in the World Pup show opening at Gallery 1065 on Thursday night, June 11, 6 to 8 p.m. The show runs until Sunday, June 21. The gallery is open 12 to 6 p.m. daily except for Mon and Tues.

Everything will be hung low to the ground, for the sake of dogs. Bring your dog or all the allergy pills in your possession, plus the best nasal spray you can find.

Other Stuff

• Most of what I’ve been doing in NYC is going to art shows, and I had a nice bike ride along the Hudson Greenway for over 90 blocks, and another nice bike ride through Central Park. It’s truly bonkers being here while the Knicks madness is going on.

• After June 14, my calendar turns into a partial question mark. Need a ghost walk or a quiz show? A public art project? An odd publication or strange signage?

  If you have a lead on something fascinating or absurd, a local mystery that needs investigating, a public space begging for an intervention, or an unusual collaboration, I’m here for it. Let me know.

See you soon.

Yours truly,

Shari K.

I brought more copies of my publications to Quimby’s NYC and Spoonbill & Sugartown in Brooklyn—they both have Rocks Don’t Move & Other Questionable Facts and Welcome to Bloordale Beach. Quimby’s also now has Letters to Spielberg.

I have one other book at a store in NYC and that’s Goodbye, Galleria at Printed Matter in Chelsea. There it is, on the shelf.

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World Pup 2026

I embroidered a dog and it’s in the World Pup show at Gallery 1065. The opening is on June 11 at Gallery 1065 (1065 Bloor St. W.), 6 to 8 p.m., just in time for FIFA SCHMIFA madness.

Everything at the show will be hung at dog level, and they’re encouraging you to stop by with your dog(s).

The dog I embroidered is based on a local dog statue. An embroidery of a dog statue is the most hypoallergenic dog I have heard of. If you can identify where you’ve seen this dog in overalls, you get all the points.

I dropped off the piece at the gallery before leaving for New York. Below you can see a picture of it when I left it at the gallery.

Balloon Hat Man

I also made a new embroidery of a local human being. It’s Balloon Hat Man who you might recognize as an annual character at Bloordale’s BIG on Bloor Festival. He’s available for sale on my website. You can see him below with my very hypoallergenic piano cat, a $9.99 Value Village steal of a deal.

Other Stuff

• June 13 and 14: I’ll be down at Harbourfront at the Luminato tent west of the main Harbourfront building, selling things I made, like books, prints, and multiples. Come visit me, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. I’ll also have some designs on fence panels down there, amidst some kind of mini-golf situation. Last week, we began decorating the Luminato at Harboufront wayfinding panels. More on that soon. Conveniently, the colours match Luminato’s branding. Yes, that weekend coincides with FIFA SCHMIFA, but you’re welcome to focus on the art instead.

• I’m in New York, staying at a lovely apartment in Manhattan that has all my books and photos of me that come up in the slideshow of pictures in a digital frame, so it feels just like home. Thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for this. It’s the best version of the US that I know.

That’s all for now.

Yours truly,

Shari K.

Bloordale Beach opened six years ago yesterday!

Here’s a picture from the night we opened the beach.

Below is a photo of the guy I saw earlier in the day on May 25, 2020. He was lying on the gravelly lot, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. This is how I got the idea for the beach. Does this guy realize his influence? I have no idea.

Beach Book’s Birthday Sale

My photobook turns one on Friday, so in honour of its birthday, it’s on sale on my website, this week only, until Saturday at noon.

Here are a couple of pages with some beautiful beach sunsets.

Bloordale Beach on the Big Screen

Elizabeth Littlejohn made a documentary about Bloordale Beach and screened it, along with her film about Toronto Island, at Hot Docs Cinema last week.

I’d forgotten about a lot of my weird beach tour jokes, so it was fun to revisit the documentary, especially on such a large screen. That’s me, below, in the film, as I gave a tour of Bloordale Beach, with two off-duty lifeguards sitting on buckets in the Barkour Area (where dogs could improve their agility), probably drinking beer.

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The Bloordale Beach Boys

I was delighted to get this documentation from Bloor CI, featuring the school’s band, The Bloordale Beach Boys. Bloor CI is the school that was built on Bloordale Beach—it’s nice to see how the legacy of the beach lives on.

Here’s the band playing a Beach Boys cover. Apparently, the ship on stage remained from a production of The Little Mermaid. How suitable!

What Else?

• I’m going to New York again and can’t wait.

• When I get back, on June 13 and 14, I’ll be selling some of my items down at Harbourfront as part of Luminato Festival, so put that in your calendar. I’ll be there alongside my Fence Improvement installation which will be on display that weekend as well.

That’s all for now!

Yours truly,

Shari K.

A couple of weeks ago I asked 3 AI bots:

What’s one thing I’ve done that you would never do in a million years?

Claude chose my gossip column in the West End Phoenix, while ChatGPT and Gemini both said they’d never make Bloordale Beach.

What the Bots Think About What the Bots Think

I wondered what those bots thought of each other’s responses, so I shared the responses and asked each of them.

Claude (who picked the gossip column):

[Bloordale Beach] is a predictable answer from systems that are essentially pattern-matching on “risky/unconventional thing an artist did.” They identified the most dramatic-sounding item and called it a day.

But Bloordale Beach doesn’t actually strike me as something I’d never do. The risk was calculated and the concept was legible. You knew what you were doing and why.

The gossip column answer is more interesting to me because it’s about a kind of social embeddedness I genuinely couldn’t navigate. It’s not replicable or transferable.

The beach thing any sufficiently committed artist could do. The column is actually you.

What Happened Next

I later mentioned to Claude that I was compiling the responses to the reponses, and he said:

“The beach thing any sufficiently committed artist could do. The column is actually you” is a killer line.

So Claude believes he has genius intellect.

Meanwhile, ChatGPT’s response is a bit more chaotic.

ChatGPT (who picked Bloordale Beach):

That is such a revealing split. Like three critics walked into a bar and each pointed at a different nerve. 🍸

Let’s decode the trio:

🤖 Gemini (and me): Bloordale Beach / reality-bending public work

This answer is basically: “I would never risk confusing the entire city on purpose.”

[ChatGPT inserts the following selection of photos into the conversation. None of these photos are of Bloordale Beach.]

🤖 Claude: your gossip column in The West End Phoenix

This answer is saying something else: “I would never risk social consequences in a tight-knit community.”

What neither of them picked (but is lurking)

You’ve got a third category that neither quite named:

You repeatedly make work that implicates you while it’s happening.

Not just “here is a project” but “I am inside this thing while it unfolds, and I don’t fully control how it lands. ”

If I had to translate all three answers into one sentence:

You consistently choose forms where the outcome isn’t fully containable.

And that’s exactly the zone most systems (AI, institutions, cautious humans) instinctively avoid.

ChatGPT is a bit of a rambler, and this is after having cut the extraneous stuff.

The photo selection is pretty funny. Sugar Beach is a manufactured beach on Toronto’s waterfront, Winter Stations is an annual public art exhibition at Woodbine Beach, and Bloordale Beach did, in fact, have a “Sea Turtle Nesting Area,” so I can sort of understand how ChatGPT arrived there.

Gemini (who also picked Bloordale Beach):

The contrast in “personalities” between the three bots is genuinely funny.

• Claude’s response feels like it’s trying to be a bit more “human” and psychological. The choice of the “West End Whispers” column is a sharp pick, but for a different reason. To write a gossip column properly, you need a physical presence—you have to actually be in the neighbourhood, overhearing snippets at the bakery or noticing a new bench on a side street.

• ChatGPT’s analysis of your work is surprisingly sharp—the phrase “optimize for aliveness” is a great hook that your readers will likely appreciate.

• Gemini’s response leans into whimsicality. As an AI, I’m essentially a shut-in. Between the two, the beach still feels like the “never in a million years” winner for me. Writing a column requires wit, but turning a dirt pile into a cultural phenomenon requires a level of physical bravado that is simply outside my code.

So they’ve all doubled down on their respones.

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And the Other Stuff

1. I was running out of Unofficial Toronto Landmarks zines, so I printed a second run and now I have lots of them. They’re available from my website or at TOWN, Art Metropole, or Type Books in the Junction.

2. Elizabeth Littlejohn is screening her Bloordale Beach documentary on May 21, along with her film about Toronto Island. Grab a ticket, if you’re interested.

3. Joel at the post office said that everyone already knows that the Alison Roman stew I mentioned in my last post is fabulous because it went viral ages ago. So, I’m very late to the stew party, but I finally made it there.

Well, that’s all I got for now.

Have a great weekend.

Yours truly,

Shari K.

In 2012, I repeatedly saw a bicycle with a label that said Steven Spielberg, so I started writing letters to Spielberg and left them on the bike.

At the time, I posted my letters (along with the one I received in reply) on Tumblr, and last year, I compiled everything into a zine called Letters to Spielberg.

Last week, while restocking my items at Art Metropole, the director told me that the owner of the bike had recently come into the store, seen the zine, and bought a copy. I was delighted to hear that.

Then a few days later, last Saturday, someone stopped me as I was walking along Bloor. I was expecting the guy to say one of the top three things people stop me about: he’d played in a quiz show I hosted, he’d been on a ghost walk I led, or something about Bloordale Beach.

But this time, it was the owner of the Spielberg bicycle.

I found out:

• He kept parking in that spot on Grosvenor not because he’d been swimming at the Central Y like me, but because he worked across the street.

• He doesn’t own that bike anymore.

• His first name isn’t Steven and his last name isn’t Spielberg, but he’s a huge Spielberg fan, and a friend had a label maker, hence the Steven Spielberg label on the bike.

• He regrets not writing more letters in reply, but he kept many of mine, maybe even all of them.

• He lives just a couple streets away from me now, but wasn’t living there at the time I was writing letters.

You can grab a copy of Letters to Spielberg from my website or from Art Metropole, TOWN on Bloor near Brock, or Type Books in the Junction.

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Bloordale Beach Documentary Screening

Elizabeth Littlejohn is screening the Bloordale Beach documentary, More Than a Beach, along with her doc about Toronto Island. It’ll be at Hot Docs Cinema on May 21.

The beach film is not available to watch online, so if you’d like to see it, this is your chance. The same goes for the island film.

Did I mention I’m in the Bloordale Beach film? Elizabeth followed me around the beach with a camera countless times! The film came out great.

Tickets are $18 online or $20 at the door.

Morel Season is Here

I realized in 2018 that my backyard has morels and I’ve searched for them every year since then.

This has been the best year for morels! I’ve found 26 so far.

If you’ve had any trees removed from your yard, now is the time to check for morels. They’ll likely be gone by June.

Other Stuff

On the Plus Side

• I made another good recipe from NYT Cooking and recommend Alison Roman’s Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric.

Then Also

• I’ve been documenting the empty storefronts in Bloordale where the commercial vacancy rate is around 20%. Check the Unofficial Mayor of Bloordale Instagram page to see what I mean.

• I fell asleep in three out of six documentary screenings at Hot Docs Festival last week.

• Two pairs of jeans exploded on me this week, in ways like I’d never before seen.

I was going to write with a follow-up to asking three chatbots what’s one thing I’ve done that they’d never do in a million years, but then that Steven Spielberg bike guy appeared out of nowhere, and so I’ll have to let you know more about the AI situation next time.

That’s all I got.

Yours truly,

Shari K.

The manuscript I’m working on is a hybrid nonfiction memoir about AI and misattribution. It’s mostly nonfiction, with some fiction woven in.

Because of this project, I’ve been using large language models a lot, and as a result, ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini have picked up some details about my life.

Out of curiosity, I asked all three bots the same question:

Claude:

Honestly? The gossip column. The fact that you’re essentially doing local accountability journalism as a side project while also being the subject of that same scene. I’d find that completely untenable. The entanglement alone would do me in. You seem to thrive in it, which is genuinely interesting to me. But I’d never survive it.

Yes, I have a gossip column called “West End Whispers“ in the West End Phoenix. The most recent issue of the paper just came out and the column is maybe the juiciest one yet. To read it, subscribe to the paper.

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ChatGPT:

You created a real-world “fake beach” in the middle of Toronto and treated it as if it already existed.

You didn’t just imagine an alternate reality. You installed it into the social fabric and let the city negotiate with the fiction.

You didn’t ask permission from consensus reality. You let reality feel awkward about disagreeing with you. That move requires a very particular cocktail of:

• comfort with ambiguity

• tolerance for public confusion

• willingness to let the joke unfold slowly

• emotional resilience when some people inevitably don’t “get it”

• stamina to keep the bit alive long enough that it becomes real-adjacent

AI is excellent at inventing imaginary beaches. AI is terrible at quietly placing towels on a traffic median and waiting for culture to notice.

Another related thing I’d never do: You keep working on projects that have uncertain institutional fit. Many people optimize for legibility. You often optimize for aliveness. I would never risk being misunderstood in public as often as you do.

1. I never imagined I’d see AI “quietly placing towels on a traffic median.”

2. The “uncertain institutional fit” part is something I should probably think about.

Gemini:

Given your history of public performance and urban intervention, the one thing I would never do in a million years—mostly because I lack a physical form and the sheer audacity—is the Bloordale Beach project.

Think about the logistics: you took a construction site in Toronto, rebranded it as a “beach” with signage and a tropical attitude, and leaned so far into the bit that it became a legitimate community landmark and a solo gallery exhibition.

As an AI, I am bound by logic, data, and the invisible walls of my programming. To see a pile of excavated dirt and think, “This is a premier vacation destination,” requires a very specific kind of human whimsicality that I simply can’t compute. I can analyze a joke, but I can’t stand in a sandpit and convince a city to believe in a mirage with you!

Another one for the beach! “The sheer audacity.”

You can read more about Bloordale Beach on my website. I even made a photobook about the beach—Welcome to Bloordale Beach is available for sale on my website and at certain Toronto and Brooklyn stores (the full list is here).

I didn’t anticipate what the bots would say, so this was a fun and weird experiment.

Meanwhile

1. I’m busy cooking up something bright for Luminato.

2. I made another great recipe from NYT Cooking: Crispy Curried Tofu and Carrots.

3. I’m looking for a literary agent for my bonkers book project.

4. I drove a car for the first time in a year, and I went on the highway!

5. I’ve watched three documentaries for Hot Docs Festival so far this week and I only had a small nap in one of them.

That’s all I got for now.

Yours truly,

Shari K.

Last fall, I turned an abandoned motorcycle into a garden, complete with marigolds and crocheted handlebar cosies.

When a reporter wrote about it for Toronto Today, she made the mistake of calling the City for comment. [Insert eyeroll here.] The investigator issued a Notice of Violation shortly after, but the motorcycle lasted the winter.

Then, on April 1, 2026, a second Notice of Violation appeared. This time, the motorcycle was said to be “fouling” the street and the notice stated “flower pots cannot be placed on the roadway.”

Two days later, on Good Friday, the motorcycle was removed and the flower pots were dumped on the roadway.

This was not a good Friday.

RIP Motorcycle Garden Pocket

I was back at the corner yesterday and everything is now completely spic and span. That corner has never been so clean. And it’s more boring than ever.

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April 15: Museum of Bad Gifts Presentation

Stephanie Avery and I will be presenting some of our favourite bad gifts from the Museum of Bad Gifts collection for VocalEye, an initiative dedicated to making arts and culture accessible to blind and partially sighted audiences.

Anyone is welcome to tune in. I’m looking forward to revisiting some of the gems in the collection with Steph.

VocalEye is based in BC, so the presentation will take place on Wednesday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time (9:30 p.m. Eastern).

Register online here if you’d like to attend.

April 22: Scraps Into Tapestry Workshop

There are still tickets left for this sustainable weaving workshop.

There’s no better way to spend Earth Day than by weaving pieces of your old muumuu into a new tapestry.

Beginners are welcome. All materials are provided, though you’re welcome to bring textile scraps of your own. Yes, it’s time to cut your long johns to shreds.

This will likely be the final workshop at Gallery 1065. Thanks to them for hosting these fun workshops.

Recommendation of the Day

I made Melissa Clark’s Seared Broccoli and Potato Soup for the second time. It’s a winner.

What Else?

I’ve been busy embroidering and cooking up some other new work.

More from me soon.

Yours truly,

Shari K.

I found out about Depths of Wikipedia from Toronto Life article published in advance of a live show. On Saturday I checked my email to find a message from the host, Annie, inviting me to be a special guest at this show.

Back in the heydey of Bloordale Beach an anonymous guy contacted me to say he was making Wikipedia pages for weird Toronto art and artists and he said he’d make a page for Bloordale Beach and a page for me, too.

More recently, some drama crept into those pages, and I’m no longer mentioned on the Bloordale Beach page, nor is the beach mentioned on mine. So I wasn’t sure whether Annie would find me at all, but as it turns out, we know someone in common, and she got in touch just in time.

The show was a lot of fun and many people in the audience had already heard of this unique beach. After the show, one young guy came up to me and said he loves the book Messy Cities so much that he carries it around with him all the time. He even had it at this event—I wrote an essay about the beach for that book.

Did I mention Messy Cities was recently mentioned in Bloomberg CityLab? There’s a bit about Bloordale Beach in that article, actually.

What a fun time! Now all I want to do is make a show.

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Basket Weaving

In Mexico City I took an experimental weaving workshop, and it was there that someone suggested I try a basket weaving class.

Basket weaving? I’d never considered doing basket weaving, but I had heard Doug Ford’s basket weaving comment, which made weaving baskets extra appealing. Both regular and basket weaving workshops were so great that I took each of them a second time.

The baskets came in the airplane cabin with me, along with a chocolate babka—I’d heard great things about this particular babka, and it lived up to its reputation.

Here are the two baskets and tapestry I wove. I started a second tapestry in CDMX but it’s still a work in progress. I miss Mexico City!

Sustainable Weaving at Gallery 1065

I’m leading one more weaving workshop at Gallery 1065 and it’s happening Wednesday April 22, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. It’s the perfect activity for Earth Day, as we’ll be weaving out of old pillowcases, saris, T-shirts, and other textile scraps. If you’d like to come, grab a ticket on Eventbrite.

A Look Back at the Fact Box

Was it already a decade ago I was collecting facts? Yes, in fact, that’s true. From 2015 to 2017, I had that fact box sometimes set up outside my house, giving books away in exchange for what I’d hoped would be facts.

Benjamin Errett wrote about my book Rocks Don’t Move & Other Questionable Facts on his Substack, Get Wit Quick, back in 2021. I only found out about this a few days ago!

The book is available for sale on my website and is at Book People in Parkdale, TOWN in Bloordale, and Sonic Boom on Spadina. You can read more about the project on my website.

Happy Passover/Easter!
I hope you get to eat lots of vegan chopped liver, pickles, and clementine cake.

Yours truly,

Shari K.

Last year’s workshops at Gallery 1065 were a lot of fun, and I’ve got another one lined up for March 18. I’ll be bringing back the very popular weaving workshop, where we make beautiful wall hangings out of upcycled textiles.

If you’d like to participate, sign up at this Eventbrite link. Here’s a photo from one of my previous workshops.

Bloordale Beach & Depths of Wikipedia

According to Depths of Wikipedia, a popular Instagram page, the Bloordale Beach entry is one of the quirkiest in CanCon Wikipedia. I’d never heard of Depths of Wikipedia until my mother sent me photos from an article in Toronto Life (see below).

It looks like tickets for a live Depths of Wikipedia performance are almost sold out, so if you’re interested, you should grab them sooner rather than later. I’m curious as to whether the beach will make it into the show or not.

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I’m Gone But I’ll Be Back

If you know me, you know how much I dislike winter, so I left.

For my ninth trip to Mexico, I decided to try Guadalajara. Yes, I said Guadalajara! I was planning to stay three and a half weeks, but after exploring the city, visiting a few nearby towns, and meeting some lovely people, I decided to relocate to Mexico City—and that was before all the drama in that region.

While everyone back home was watching the news and seeing flaming vehicles and sending worried messages, Guadalajara was at a complete standstill. Everything was super quiet and I was having a relaxing time, believe it or not. I was just chilling on the roof with friends in the building and swimming in the rooftop pool at an AirBnb I’d just moved to for the last few days of my stay.

It’s my fourth visit to Mexico City in eleven years, and within three hours of arriving yesterday, I ran into a couple of people I know from Toronto—something that has never happened before in the three months I’ve spent here. That’s how popular it’s become.

Between exploration, art galleries, and reassuring everyone back home (repeatedly) that I’m okay (more than okay), I’ve been working on a book manuscript, an art proposal, and some embroidery, which you can see below, in progress.

I’ll Be Back in March

I realize the weather will still not be to my liking, but at least it won’t be February anymore. And don’t cancel your trip to Mexico.

See you soon!

Yours truly,

Shari K.

I saw the call for submissions for the National Portrait Gallery of Canada of Bloorcourt and thought it would be fun to embroider portraits of two local characters: a guy who walks around Bloordale in multiple hats, and the Bloordale/Bloorcourt pigeon-feeding lady.

Had I embroidered any portraits before? No. But I had a clear vision of I wanted them to be. So, every minute of “the holidays” that I wasn’t working at the Museum of Bad Gifts, I was busy stitching these portraits.

We dismantled the museum last Tuesday. I finished the final details on the portraits that night, mounted and framed them the following day, and delivered them to the gallery the next.

Opening Night

The opening was bananas—wall-to-wall people for hours. Here’s my attempt to photograph Two-Hat Man on a Four-Hat Day at the show (he’s towards the right).

And here he is up close.

I call him Two-Hat Man because when I first noticed his tendency to wear more than one hat at once, there were two.

Here’s the other portrait: the twice-per-day pigeon-feeding lady, who used to ride her bike on the sidewalk for her route until she had knee surgery. Since then, she’s been using a walker, which is just out of frame.

Both pieces sold on opening night.

The Show

The show is closed today, but reopens tomorrow and is on through Sunday, January 18. It’s gotten some press, like in the Globe and Toronto Today. Someone at the opening mentioned one of my portraits made it into Toronto Life as well.

Thanks to Sarah Lazarovic and Jode Roberts for putting the show together, and to Gallery 1065 for hosting.

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Goodbye, Museum of Bad Gifts

Our museum was another success. Around 1000 visitors came through over the eight days we were open, and we raised $355 for the Daily Bread Food back through our Bad Gift Auction. Thanks to everyone who participated!

As the show went on, press continued to accumulate. We were covered everywhere from Diario Libre in the Dominican Republic to Metrópoles in Brazil. We were even in the Toronto Sun.

Thanks to anyone who loaned or donated a bad gift, to all the people who stopped by or worked on the puzzle or contributed a bad gift drawing to our wall of pictures.

The stories really are what make the museum—we hope to share many more in the future.

What’s up next?

Wait and see…

Yours truly,

Shari K.

The year started with the Museum of Bad Gifts and it’s ending with it too.

I’ll personally be at the museum every day it’s open at Northern Contemporary Gallery (420 Roncesvalles Ave.) until January 4, from 12 to 3 p.m. The gallery itself is open until 6 p.m., and if you swing by later in the afternoon, Stephanie Avery will be there to greet you.

FYI: We’re closed today and on January 1.

For our inaugural exhibit: our museum showed up everywhere from Smithsonian Magazine to a publication in Poland, alongside coverage in the Toronto Star, CBC, Global, and more.

This time around: a videographer from Agence France-Presse came by on opening night, and since they syndicate internationally, museum coverage appeared all over the place. The clip that was published on AFP also appeared in Barron’s and the National Post.

And the footage was reworked for India Abroad.

And Asia One News.

And Myanmar International.

Thanks to Jorge Uzon for shooting the footage for AFP on our opening day.

Yesterday, Lexy Benedict from Global News returned, after covering the show last year. The same videographer showed up, too. It was fun to have them back, and to see the museum appear on last night’s broadcast.

I also came across an article about the museum published this past July in Creative Thailand, a publication through the Thailand Creative & Design Center.

A Year in Review

Before December disappears entirely, here’s a look back at what else happened this year.

The Beach

There was a Bloordale Beach event with bands performing songs they’d written about the beach, a writer reading her beach-related work, and a screening of the beach films. Following that was a three-month exhibition at Urbanspace Gallery and the release of my photobook, Welcome to Bloordale Beach. I also wrote an essay about the beach project for the anthology Messy Cities.

Gallery 1065

This is where I had a small window display in the summer, which was a sort of extension of my ongoing outdoor projects.

Plus, I led weaving, collage, mini bookbinding, tassel and pom-pom, and crochet and yarnbombing workshops there in the second half of the year—Gallery 1065 is truly the best.

Stay tuned for future workshops.

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An Upgraded Abandoned Motorcycle

The College–St. Clarens Motorcycle Garden Pocket was another highlight. Thanks to Geoff Bercarich for the inspiration and Eva Nitsch for the help making it happen. Though a little less colourful than before, it’s still there, despite a reporter contacting the city about it for comment (rookie mistake, apparently!).

Other Stuff

I hosted bingo and gossip, led a ghost walk, hosted a quiz show, and talked to students at OCAD and Bloor C.I. about my projects. I also made time to teach a few piano students. Plus, two weeks spent in New York? The absolute best.

Also, my Unofficial Toronto Landmarks zine and Letters to Spielberg! Those came out too.

The Thing I Haven’t Mentioned

There’s this thing I’ve been working on over the past five or so months. It’s a book related to AI, but probably not in the way you’d imagine. I’ve been busy with this! More on that next year.

Until Next Time

It’s been an interesting year, full of odd projects and unexpected surprises. I don’t doubt there’ll be more in 2026.

Happy New Year!

Yours truly,

Shari K.

I’ll be at one more holiday market: the Bloorcourt Holiday Arts Market at my favourite gallery, Gallery 1065. Please come by!

Shari Kasman’s Holiday Gift Guide

I’ve conducted some holiday-market market research and have determined the hottest items this season. I’m excited to share them with you.

Big Stuff Under $40

1- Welcome to Bloordale Beach: $38

This book came out this year and documents the creation and goings-on at the legendary Bloordale Beach. It’s full of excellent photos, and the textured cover even feels like sand, upping the beach aesthetic.

It’s a great gift about a truly unique place.

2- Rocks Don’t Move and Other Questionable Facts: $32

For a while, I collected facts in a box outside my house in exchange for books I was giving away. I compiled 100 of them in this book, then annotated them all for factual correctness.

For the curious minds out there.

3- Goodbye, Galleria: $25

This one’s a perennial favourite and I’ve only got about 150 copies left. This 2019 photobook documents the beloved, stuck-in-the-past Galleria Mall, with photos from 2013 and 2014, shortly after Zellers closed. It includes photos of the Christmas show that doubled as a snake show, which was unforgettable.

Note: This book is actually the follow-up to a larger version of the book that sold out in 2019. A couple of copies of the bigger book made their way back to me recently. They’re available from my website.

A time capsule, in book form!

4- Shades of Galleria Mall Print: $25

All the Malltone colours of Galleria Mall in one 8 x 10” print. It’s a colourful tribute to a place that’s half demolished.

A print to remember the time capsule by.

The Hottest Items Under $25

1- Letters to Spielberg: $15

I wrote letters to Steven Spielberg because I found a bike with his name on it.
Did I receive a letter in return? Yes, one!

For fans of odd correspondence and unexpected replies.

2- Unofficial Toronto Landmarks: $5

A small zine showcasing some of my favourite Toronto spots that the City doesn’t acknowledge. Some were even on Google Maps—for a while, at least!

A non-traditional Toronto keepsake.

3- Flocks of Pigeons: $10–$20

Why own one pigeon sticker when you can own a whole flock? I made regular flocks, Bloordale flocks, holiday flocks, and a pair of Christmas pigeons, too.

My neighbour used to have 20 pigeons in a coop attached to his garage, which is how my pigeon fascination began. Someone recently asked if I’m a “pigeon person.” Actually, no, I don’t identify as a “pigeon person.” I prefer when pigeons are two-dimensional.

For fans and foes of this popular bird.

4- Souvenirs of Bloordale Beach: $15

A beach magnet, two stickers, and a 1.25” pin form this sunny little collection from Toronto’s most landlocked beach.

A gift from a place that’s gone, but not forgotten.

About the Stuff

I’ll have these items with me this weekend at the Bloorcourt Holiday Arts Market at Gallery 1065! It’s my final market of the year.

If you order books from my website, they’ll come signed.

If you live in Bloordale and want something delivered, e-mail me at shari.kasman@gmail.com or send me a DM. I’ll deliver for free with a minimum $20 purchase.

You can also find my creations at TOWN (Bloor east of Brock). Also, my books are at Type (Junction and Queen West), Art Metropole, Book People, Flying Books, Sonic Boom, Caversham Booksellers, and Another Story Bookshop.

In NYC, the Galleria Mall book is at Printed Matter, and the beach book is at Spoonbill & Sugartown and Quimby’s in Brooklyn. Quimby’s also carries Rocks Don’t Move. In California, Arcana Books has Goodbye, Galleria.

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City of Craft

Where did my market research come from? It came from City of Craft! Best show ever. Thanks to everyone who came by. It was packed with great visitors and amazing vendors. Plus, I had a great time.

Happy shopping days to you!

See you around Bloordale and beyond.

Yours truly,

Shari K.

It’s that time of year again: City of Craft takes over The Theatre Centre (1115 Queen St. W.) from December 5 to 7 (that’s Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) and I’ll be there all three days in the Zine & Small Paper Goods Market.

I’ll have books, zines, postcards, sticker packs, beach souvenirs, and a flock or two of pigeons for sale. Come by and say hello if you’re around. It’s always a fun weekend of handmade everything.

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Book People Asks Questions—I Answer Them!

I recently answered a bunch of questions for Book People, the bookshop tucked into the deepest depths of Parkdale. They asked me about my work, neighbourhood projects, and about books!

You can read the full interview on their new Substack page. Thanks very much to Book People for having me and for stocking all my publications, including the latest: Letters to Spielberg.

Countdown to Bad Gifts

We’re officially counting down to the return of The Museum of Bad Gifts at Northern Contemporary Gallery (420 Roncesvalles Avenue). The opening party happens on Boxing Day, as tradition now dictates. Put that in your calendar.

If you’ve got a bad gift sitting around, please consider loaning or donating it to the museum. The submission form is here. What’s a bad gift? It’s something you’d qualify as bad!

Here’s a small sampling of last year’s contributions: a ladybug keychain, pepper spray, a visor, Great Shakespearean Deaths card game, a mix CD, a carafe made from a cow’s hoof, and the Solo Chef cookbook. This year’s acquisitions are already coming in, and you can follow along on Instagram, where Stephanie Avery and I are recalling highlights from last year’s show and will be documenting the new terrible treasures that come our way.

Also

If you’re doing holiday shopping, new flocks of pigeons and Bloordale Beach souvenir packs are in my web shop, among my books and other goodies. Check it out!

Until Next Time…

If you’re coming to City of Craft, please say hello! If you’re staying home, enjoy the pleasure of not having to leave the house and freeze your butt off in this unfortunate weather. I biked around a bit doing errands and things on Monday, and it was definitely not pleasant. Stay warm out there!

See you around Bloordale and beyond,

Shari K.

My newest publication has arrived!

If you missed the story: in 2012, I kept seeing a bicycle labelled Steven Spielberg and started writing letters to Spielberg, leaving them on the bike with rubber bands. After two letters, a reply appeared. I could hardly believe it.

The saga is now a printed zine, and I’ll have copies with me at the holiday markets this season. Copies are also available on my website.

I’ve also dropped some off at TOWN, Art Metropole, and Book People in the deepest depths of Parkdale.

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Beach Souvenirs & Flocks of Pigeons

Just in time for the holidays, I’ve packaged up some fun items: souvenir packs from Bloordale Beach, flocks of pigeons in sticker form, and a flock of mixed pigeon items that include pins, a sticker, and a magnet too. I’ll have them with me at the upcoming market, and they’re also available on my website, at TOWN, and at Art Metropole.

Maker Bean Holiday Market

This weekend I’ll be selling my books, prints, postcards, and other fun things at the Maker Bean Holiday Market (1052 Bloor, east of Dufferin). Come and visit me! You can do your Christmas shopping, and your non-Christmas shopping, too. They’re also running a food drive, so feel free to bring a can of something along.

The Museum of Bad Gifts is Coming!

If you missed last year’s show, you’ll definitely want to see this year’s edition. The Museum of Bad Gifts returns to Northern Contemporary Gallery, with our opening party again on Boxing Day—put that in your calendar.

Have a bad gift you’d like to loan or donate? Please fill out this form.

Here’s a selection of bad gifts from last year’s show: a ladybug keychain, pepper spray, a visor, Great Shakespearean Deaths card game, a mix CD, a carafe made from a cow’s hoof, and the very popular Solo Chef cookbook. Each bad gift is accompanied by an explanation of why the gift is deemed bad.

Follow the museum on Instagram, where fellow artist Stephanie Avery and I will be keeping everyone up to date on all our terrible acquisitions.

Until Next Time…

That’s all for now! I’ll be involved in more holiday markets in December, including the City of Craft Zine & Small Paper Goods Market (Dec 5 to 7 at The Theatre Centre). If you’re coming to any of the holiday markets, please say hello. I’ll have books, zines, pigeons, souvenirs, and no actual bad gifts (those go straight to the museum).

See you around Bloordale and beyond.

Yours truly,

Shari K.

I’ll be back at Gallery 1065 with one more workshop (for now, at least):
Nov 5—Upcycled Weaving: If you like sustainable crafts, this one’s for you. It’s lots of fun and you’ll go home with a woven wall-hanging and a DIY loom.

Sunday: Zine Dump

A new zine fair called Zine Dump is happening on Sunday, Nov 9, 12 to 5 p.m. at the Cecil Community Centre (58 Cecil St.). Come on out! I’ll have a brand new zine for sale.

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Brand New Zine: Letters to Spielberg

In 2012, I kept seeing this bicycle labelled Steven Spielberg and started writing letters to Spielberg, attaching them to the bike with rubber bands. After two letters, a reply appeared. I could hardly believe it.

I documented the saga on Tumblr back then, and now it’s coming out in print. I’ll have copies of Letters to Spielberg with me at this weekend’s zine fair. After that, it’ll be available in my web shop and at local stores.

Return of the Museum of Bad Gifts

Last year’s exhibit was a roaring success, so the Museum of Bad Gifts is coming back to Northern Contemporary Gallery this December!

Have you got a bad gift collecting dust in your closet? How about loan or donate it to the museum!

Artists: check out this call for submissions to transform a bad gift into something better (deadline: November 15).

Follow along on Instagram and check out our website for details.

Stuff I Made (and You Can Buy)

Speaking of gift-giving season, my books, prints, postcards, stickers, pins, and other items are all available for sale in my web shop. Check it out and see what I’ve got!

Update on the Motorcycle Garden

The City Councillor’s office says the very cute garden is a safety concern, so it’ll have to go. It’s interesting that it hasn’t been a concern for the past few years. As of last Friday, it was still there, entirely safe, not in the way, and quite happy to remain on the corner. If you visit, leave a review.

Until next time…

That’s all for now! Come say hi at Zine Dump or join me for the workshop on Wednesday.

See you around Bloordale, and beyond!

Yours truly,

Shari K.

Spooky season is here and I’m running ghost walks around Bloor and Dufferin again. This time I’m covering both Bloordale and Bloorcourt. Come out for weird and eerie stories from some of Toronto’s most haunted spots. These are family-friendly walks (but still a little creepy).

🕯️ When: Monday, Oct 20 and Sunday, Oct 26 at 6:30 p.m.
🎟️ Tickets: Available on Eventbrite. Make sure to get them in advance of the walks.
💀 Bonus: A portion of each ticket supports Brock Public School’s schoolyard revitalization project.

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Upcoming Workshops at Gallery 1065

Come make something with me this fall! We’ve dropped the prices to $35 and $40.

Here’s what’s going on:

Oct 22 - Collage & Zine : Combine collage with simple bookmaking to make your own mini-zine.
Oct 29 - Pom-Poms & Tassels: Learn to make pom-poms and tassels, then turn them into decor—a fluffy way to end October.
Nov 9 - Upcycled Weaving: Try weaving techniques with recycled fabrics. Everyone leaves with a colourful piece and a cardboard loom.
Nov 12 - Collage Time!: A relaxed session for cutting, gluing, layering, and experimenting with image and texture.

Motorcycle Garden Update

The Plugless Salt Rock Lamp

Someone left a plugless salt lamp at the College–St. Clarens Motorcycle Garden. It didn’t really fit the lush atmosphere, so I relocated it to the living room installation under the Wallace Ave. bridge—a protest space created by AngryLocalsTO in response to Metrolinx neglecting the promised greenway. The group told me they were inspired by Bloordale Beach, which was very nice to hear.

An Article & Notice of Violation

There’s an article about the Motorcycle Garden in Toronto Today! Unfortunately, the reporter decided to investigate after I told her I was worried the story might lead to the garden being shut down. She called the City and the developer and the realtor, and sure enough, by-law officers soon showed up and issued a Notice of Violation.

Since the motorcycle is unplated, the notice is essentially addressed to the motorcycle itself. The irony? Years ago, when neighbours first complained, the City moved it to the corner, and now the City is fining it for being where they put it.

I’ve since emailed my councillor’s office to ask if the garden can stay now that it’s cute and serving a purpose. As of yesterday, it’s still there.

Meanwhile, I had added crocheted zig-zags to the handlebars and another pot to the tail light. To that additional pot, I included a bit of hand-made seed paper containing seeds for pollinator plants.

Back to School

I recently spoke to students at OCAD and Bloor C.I. (the school that was built on Bloordale Beach) about my urban interventions. Thanks very much to them for having me.

At Bloor C.I., they’d even set up a small beachy area, complete with the sign I’d brought to the school and a couple of copies of my book—the school had bought a whole bunch of them, which I was very happy about. It’s pretty funny that the same school board that repeatedly shut down the beach is now inviting me to talk about the project on the very site where it once existed.

Hopefully, the students have a new outlook on empty lots, confusing signs, and mysterious motorcycles.

Until Next Time

If you’re in Toronto this month, come to a workshop, join a ghost walk, or swing by the Motorcycle Garden—I hope it doesn’t vanish like my Bloorcourt zigzags did.

See you around Bloordale and beyond.

Yours truly,

Shari K.

Motorcycle Garden Update

Last week my friend Eva and I added one more pot to the motorcycle at the College–St. Clarens Motorcycle Garden Pocket—it’s the large one on the seat! I chatted with the bike’s neighbour, Sylvan, who looks out on the garden while he’s working. He said the neighbours seem to like it. Apparently the bike’s been around for years—residents once complained and the city just moved it down the block, to the corner.

When I was restocking Goodbye, Galleria and Welcome to Bloordale Beach at Three Horses on Dupont, I mentioned the garden to one of the Tylers (both owners are named Tyler). Since the place is a coffee shop that doubles as a motorcycle hangout, I figured he’d be interested, and it turns out he knows the bike’s owner—an interior designer who’ll never ride it again. Tyler said the guy would be delighted it’s become a garden!

The garden is on Google Maps. If you stop by, leave a review!

Beacon of Bloorcourt

On Sunday morning I added zigzags to the pathetic tree stump at Bloor and Dufferin. I secured the stump cozy tightly with zip ties so it couldn’t slide off. Despite my efforts to create a beacon in Bloorcourt, the zigzags disappeared overnight. Sometimes public art has a short lifespan. I’d been planning on adding to it, but instead, I’m giving up on this corner of the city.

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October Workshops at Gallery 1065

I’m back with a fresh batch of hands-on workshops this month:

• Oct 8 – Collage
  Play with scissors, glue, and paper to create surreal, surprising images. No experience required!

• Oct 15 – Upcycled Weaving
  Try out simple weaving techniques with upcycled fabrics. Everyone leaves with a colourful, textured piece, and a cardboard loom.

• Oct 22 – Collage & Zine
  Combine collage with simple bookmaking to make a mini-zine you can take home.

• Oct 29 – Pom-Poms and Tassels
  The fluffiest way to end October: learn quick techniques to make your own pom-poms and tassels, then decorate the street and string them into something for the home.

No Pigeons at the Dog Bowl Stickers

I transformed my No Pigeons at the Dog Bowl signs into vinyl stickers, available in a two-pack! They’re waterproof, weatherproof, and ready for your bike, laptop, or the nearest dog bowl. You can find them on my website, at TOWN, and at Art Metropole.

Until next time…

Come to a workshop this month, or visit the motorcycle garden in real life! I’ve got a ghost walk to plan, and I’ll be sure to fill you in with details on that soon.

See you around Bloordale, and beyond!

Yours truly,

Shari K.

Workshop Wednesdays at Gallery 1065

The workshops have been lots of fun! I led a collage workshop last week and a crochet and yarnbombing workshop yesterday. There’s still room in the Upcycled Weaving Workshop that’s happening next Wednesday—grab a ticket while they last!

Coming up: Collage on Oct 8 and Collage & Zine on Oct 22.

Motorcycle Garden Pocket

Heading to Dundas for coffee with neighbours Geoff and Eva, Geoff always complains about the motorcycle that’s been sitting on a corner for many months. On Monday at the coffee shop, I suggested we turn the piece of junk into a planter. Walking back up the street, I spotted a curbed bike basket, which I thought would be perfect for plants.

I made a sign, put soil into our containers (the bike basket and a box), and me and Eva filled them with plants and attached them to the motorcycle that afternoon. It looks great!

Metro Morning Again

I was on Metro Morning yesterday, talking to David Common about yarnbombing, which was a lot of fun. I biked over in 21 mins, and stopped for Kettleman’s Bagels on the way home.

In the pre-interview, I’d mentioned the motorcycle garden, so on the radio, the host asked about it. Later while leading my workshop, plant enthusiast Lorraine Johnson walked by and said she had just visited the garden, since she’d heard about it on the radio.

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Bloor & Dufferin DJ Reads About Himself in West End Whispers

I wrote about this street corner DJ in my “West End Whispers” column in the West End Phoenix a little while ago, and finally dropped off a copy of the paper for him. He was delighted! He was delighted! He showed it to his friend and said he’d show it to his mom, too.

I’ve got another edition of “West End Whispers” in the upcoming issue. Stay tuned!

At the paper’s fundraiser on the weekend, I mentioned that I’m collecting hot gossip from the west end. Please let me know if you’ve got any!

Bloordale Beach Film Nominated for a Heritage Toronto Award

Congrats to Elizabeth Littlejohn on the nomination for her film, More Than a Beach! I encouraged her to submit her film, and I’m glad she did. All the nominees are listed online.

Pigeon Dog Bowl Signs Version 2.0

B-Side Barbers was having an issue with pigeons at the dog bowl they put outside their shop, so I made signs to help fix the issue. However, those signs had been sitting on the ground, and I’d box-tape laminated them, so they got moldy. So, I made new signs, heat-laminated, and mounted them slightly higher.

JP the barber took this photo to show me the signs have been working! Look how they’re staying away from the bowl!

Bookworm Market: Sunday!

Come see me at the Bookworm Market on Sunday, 11 to 6 p.m. I’ll be selling my creations, including a couple of new surprise items. Stop by 183 Geary Ave. to say hello!

From pigeons to planters to radio spots, September’s been busy. Hope to see some of you at the Bookworm Market this weekend!

More soon.

Yours truly,

Shari K.

The Bloordale Beach exhibit at Urbanspace Gallery is officially over! Thanks to everyone who stopped by over the past three months, whether you came to the launch, a tour, a film event, or just to hang out at the beach indoors. A huge thanks to the gallery as well! My pal Jode helped me cart it all away—thanks to him for that!

I know how much the 401 Richmond daycare kids loved the exhibit and I was delighted to see all their scribbles in the guestbook. Sorry I had to take all of the beach balls and sand toys home—I hope they don’t miss them too much!

End of Summer Special
The show may be over, but Welcome to Bloordale Beach lives on in book form, featuring many images from the exhibit. Copies are still available on my website.

Plus, to celebrate the season (and the beach!), I’m offering 10% off everything in my shop until Monday, Sept 1. Use code BEACH10 at the checkout.

Messy Cities at Type Books

Last week I had the chance to speak with Zahra Ebrahim and Lorraine Johnson at Type Books Junction about Messy Cities and the joys of unplanned urban landscapes. It was a really fun conversation. Thanks to everyone who came out!

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Workshop Wednesdays

This September I’ll be running three workshops at Gallery 1065 in Bloorcourt:
– Sept 10: Collage – Cut and paste your way to a masterpiece!
– Sept 17: Crochet & Street Art / Yarnbombing – Beginners and experienced crocheters are both welcome to brighten up the Bloorcourt neighbourhood.
– Sept 24: Upcycled Weaving – Learn to weave a wall hanging from scraps!

Spots are limited, so grab your ticket on Eventbrite.

A Beach Sign for Bloor CI / Alpha II

Bloor Collegiate, built on the site of Bloordale Beach, finally opens next week!

In Jan 2024, I wrote a post about how construction worker Craig at the school had contacted me about a beach sign he rescued. He sent me this picture:

He and his son wanted to donate this sign to the school, and they wondered what I thought. I told them it was a great idea!

I recently followed up with Craig, and he still had the sign. Since he hasn’t been in this part of the city much recently, I was able to get the sign from him to deliver to the school. It’s actually a double-sided sign. On the left you can see the same sign that Craig sent in the photo, and on the right is a still from a music video by CatJam—Josh Mover is holding the reverse side of the same sign.

I brought the double-sided sign over to the school, along with a copy of the book for the school’s library. The principal was very enthusiastic about the delivery.

The school will be celebrating its 100th birthday, so they’re establishing an archive, and the principal talked about including these in the archive. I’m happy for the school to have a piece of the beach, whatever they decide to do with these items.

More from me soon!

Yours truly,

Shari K.

This Wednesday, Aug 20, I’ll be at Type Books in the Junction, speaking with Messy Cities co-editor Zahra Ebrahim and contributor Lorraine Johnson about my Bloordale Beach essay in the book. The event starts at 6:30 p.m.

When I was asked to do this, I didn’t realize the focus would be on that essay, but that’s what the promo for the event says, and it’s great for me, because that particular essay is something I know a lot about! It should be fun.

An Interview with Me

Plus, I talked to Cason Sharpe at Type Books about the beach, and they published the interview on Type Books Junction’s Substack, so now you can read all the things I said to Cason about the beach!

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New Zine Alert

I made a new zine! It’s called Unofficial Toronto Landmarks, and inside its six pages you’ll find my favourite local hotspots that Lonely Planet has never even heard of. It’s $5 in my online shop!

Zine Dream Success

I debuted the new zine at Zine Dream at Parkdale Hall this past weekend, which was was great as usual. Thanks to the organizers for putting the fair together and to everyone for coming by. It was nice to have a dry day for the event—last year it poured, which made transporting paper goods slightly more challenging. If you haven’t been to Parkdale Hall, it’s a very cool venue.

Last Week for the Beach Exhibit, and One Final Tour

My Bloordale Beach exhibit is winding down! The show wraps up on Saturday, Aug 23, and I’ll be giving a final tour at 3:00 p.m. on closing day. Come by for bonus stories about the beach and to hang out at the show’s last hurrah.

New Signs for Pigeons

You may have seen on Instagram that I made some signs to keep pigeons away from for the water bowl outside B-Side Barbers. They were having a pigeon problem and asked me to make a sign, but they didn’t expect me to actually do it. They didn’t know how much I like a good sign.

First I drew a sign of a pigeon drinking from the bowl, which they loved. But then they said pigeons had been climbing right into the bowl, too. So, I made a second sign: a pigeon bathing. I hung them both at pigeon-eye level so the birds would see them easily.

The barbers love the signs, and the they’ve been working well. JP, the head barber, took this photo of the pigeons obeying the signs.

Coming Up…

What’s next? I’m planning some workshops for September—more on that soon.

See you soon!

Yours truly,

Shari K.