World In a City
Exhibition runs from May 2nd to 27th, 2026
During the month of May, the Visual Art section of the club features an art show called World in a City.
The group show is inspired by the Doors Open theme, featuring a diverse selection of artwork by members and invited guests inspired by themes of architecture, culture and community in the city of Toronto.
The show has 2 free public showings: Saturday May 2 (2-5pm), and Wednesday May 13 (4:30-7pm), and will also be open to the public during 150th Anniversary celebrations on May 16 (1-3pm) and Doors Open on May 24 (10-4pm).
Free public viewings:
Or you can view by appointment. Please contact: info@heliconianclub.org
Convenors: Tanya Murdoch and Doris Purchase
Frédéric Chopin: A Soirée of Musical Dances and Poetry
Performed by Dr. Melody Chan
Doors open 6:30pm, concert begins 7:00pm
Location: Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto, ON, M5R 2E3
Tickets: $25 members, $30 public. Refreshments and cash bar will be available. Dr. Chan's album 'Children's Corner' will be available for $20.
Inspired by the salon concerts of the nineteenth century, please join us for an intimate gathering of works by Fredéric Chopin.
Widely considered as the poet of the piano, Chopin poured his innermost struggles, patriotism, and hope into his compositions. Stepping away from the standard musical forms of his time, Chopin also explored and developed more miniature creations presented in his Mazurkas, Waltzes, Nocturnes and Barcarolle. Despite the shorter length of these pieces, their emotional intensity, beauty and poignancy resound with the human experience, and continue to timelessly captivate and inspire audiences.
Program:
1. Waltzes no. 1-3, Op. 64
2. Mazurkas no. 1-4, Op. 17
3. Nocturnes no. 1-2, Op. 27
4. Nocturne, no. 1, Op. 48
5. Barcarolle, Op. 60
For more information on Dr. Melody Chan, please visit:
www.melodyyvonnechan-li.com www.youtube.com/c/MelodyChanLiPiano
www.melodyyvonnechan-li.com
www.youtube.com/c/MelodyChanLiPiano
Convenor: Velma Ko
We're participating again this year! This popular open-house walking tour throughout Toronto helps you discover the world in a city, with rare access to buildings usually closed to the public and free access to sites that typically charge admission. Participating sites span heritage buildings, studios, galleries, sports centres, theatres and more. See our entry on the Doors Open map here.
FREE OPEN HOUSE:
Sunday May 24, 2024, from 10am to 5pm
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave, Toronto (Yorkville neighbourhood)
Come and enjoy performances, art, and a warm welcome!
Monday Life Drawing Spring 2026
Dates: Mondays 10 am – 12 pm quick poses, 1 pm - 3 pm sustained pose. Doors open at 9:40 am. The doors will be locked at 9:55 am so we can start at 10 am sharp.
Health & Safety If you feel unwell, please stay home. Be considerate to your fellow artists. Masks may be worn.
The Ribs of a Place by Doris Purchase
Exhibition runs from June 6-24 2026
My exhibition titled The Ribs of a Place, is an installation of large "frame ribs" suspended along the walls like an echo from the stage in a former church now transformed into a women’s club, where architecture, body, and community converge.
The ribs function as both structure and metaphor: they are the bars of the heart, suggesting that the true heart of any place lies in its people. Like a rib cage, the space is not fixed but adaptive—its many joints expanding and contracting with breath, with sound, with presence. The Gothic frame of the building—its arches, stained glass, and vaulted ceilings—echoes this anatomy, turning the architecture itself into a body that holds and protects.
In moments of singing, dancing, and gathering, the ribs expand outward, amplifying breath and voice, creating a shared resonance that moves like an echo through the space.
Drawing on the biblical origin of Eve, formed from Adam’s rib, the work reflects themes of partnership, equality, and mutual support, reimagined within a women-centered space built upon the legacy of those who came before. Ribs, as both frame and protector, symbolize continuity and regeneration; to build within this structure is to honour those foundations while allowing the space—and its community—to grow, breathe, and feel at home.
Framing Workshop & Swap
Wed. June 10 from 5:00-8:00pm
Free public viewings for Ribs of a Place:
The popular Heliconian Club Writing Workshop Series is returning in 2026 with
three new sessions. REGISTER TODAY. SPACE IS LIMITED.
The sessions run from 1 to 4 pm on the following days:
Getting Your Book Published: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Literary Agents, Editors and Publishers but Were Afraid to Ask
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Deirdre Kelly, author, editor and long-time culture critic for The Globe and Mail, will moderate a panel comprising a literary agent, editor and publisher. Get help with draft query letters and submit your questions to the experts in advance of the workshop for the answers you need to map your path to publication!
Humour Writing with Terry Fallis
Friday, July 10, 2026 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Join Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour and the author of ten national bestsellers, for a multi-part workshop featuring an interactive session on discovering your writing voice, examination of examples of humour writing to see why they work, and prompted humour writing with the opportunity to read and receive feedback. And of course, lots of laughter!
Mining for Memoire with Kate Marshall Flaherty
Tuesday, August 11, 2026, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Back by popular demand, a new memoir writing program with Kate Marshall Flaherty. Kate is an award-winning poet, playwright and author who leads memoir writing workshops online and in libraries and community centres. Memoir is a magical platform for self-discovery. Prompts like an object or a photograph can stimulate memories that transport us back to the past and shed light on the present. Kate guides participants using the AWA method, which provides a safe space for taking writing risks and where each unique voice is valued.
All 3 workshops: Members $120 | Public $150
Registration for Individual workshops is now open on the main events page
****Free Bonus Session: In the fall of 2026. Advance notice to subscribers of a workshop on grant writing with representatives of the various arts councils.
The Heliconian Writing Workshops 2026
Getting Your Book Published with Deirdre Kelly
Thursday June 11, 2026 from 1 to 4 pm- Getting Your Book Published with Deirdre Kelly
Getting Your Book Published: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Literary Agents, Editors and Publishers but Were Afraid to Ask Get help with draft query letters and submit your questions to the experts in advance of the workshop for the answers you need to map your path to publication! Deirdre Kelly, author, editor and long-time culture critic for The Globe and Mail, will moderate an expert panel comprising an editor, literary agent, publisher and book publishing instructor.
Sarah Miniaci-Davis is the Publisher of Whitecap Booksand Director of Publicity at Sutherland House Books and Fitzhenry & Whiteside. Founded in Vancouver in 1977, Whitecap quickly established itself as a leader in beautifully produced, visually distinctive books focused on food and lifestyle topics such as gardening, travel and regional history. In 2012, Whitecap was acquired by Fitzhenry & Whiteside, strengthening its national reach and distribution. In 2025, Whitecap became part of Sutherland House’s acquisition of Fitzhenry & Whiteside and its family of imprints. The imprint is now being relaunched in 2026 with a renewed editorial mandate, visual identity, and sales strategy, building on nearly five decades of publishing excellence. Sarah worked with Sutherland House Books in a freelance capacity for six years prior to joining them full-time. Sutherland House Books is a dynamic, important and independent publisher of non-fiction books founded in 2017 by Kenneth Whyte author and former Editor-in-Chief of The National Post.
Literary agent Bridgette Kam studied English literature and Art History at the University of Hong Kong and at UCLA, and has a master’s degree from Durham University (UK). After a stint at McClelland & Stewart (Penguin Random House), she joined Westwood Creative Artists in 2019 as International Rights Associate. Over the years, she has grown her client list as an agent and represented authors to publishers in North America. She regularly meets and speaks with writers at events, including those by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, SFU’s Master’s of Publishing, Humber School for Writers, and the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD). She is looking for non-fiction books for general readership from journalists, researchers and experts on biography, sociology, culture and personal growth, book club/upmarket books with compelling characters and interesting conversations, middle grade/YA books about historical and contemporary stories, and picture books for children.
Dr. Matthew Bucemi is a full-time member of the staff of the York University Writing Department as a book publishing instructor. He holds a PhD in English from Cornell University (2013) and followed that up with a degree in Illustration and cartooning from George Brown. He has had over ten years experience in leadership roles at publishing houses, media studios, and creative agencies, including his tenure as the founding Managing Editor and Associate Publisher at Sutherland House Books. He is also an Associate Member of the Communication & Culture graduate program. Dr. Bucemi specializes in literature, media studies, and editing as well as many other topics related to language and cultural studies. He has been awarded a number of prizes for teaching excellence.
Club Members: $45 Public: $55 Space is limited.
Free Bonus Session: In the fall of 2026. Advance notice to subscribers of a workshop on grant writing with representatives of various arts councils.
Photo credit: McKenzie James
Convenors: Leslie McIntosh & Marianne Miller
Friday, July 10, 2026 from 1 to 4 pm- Humour Writing with Terry Fallis
Join Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour and the author of ten national bestsellers, for a multi-part workshop featuring an interactive session on discovering your writing voice, examination of examples of humour writing to see why they work and prompted humour writing with the opportunity to read and receive feedback. And of course, lots of laughter!
Club Members: $45 Public: $55
Free Bonus Session: In the fall of 2026. Advance notice to subscribers of a workshop on grant writing with representatives of the various arts councils. Space is limited!
Photo credit: Tim Fallis
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 from 1-4 pm - Mining for Memoire with Kate Marshall Flaherty
Back by popular demand, a new memoire writing program with Kate Marshall Flaherty. Kate is an award-winning poet, playwright and author. She has published seven poetry books and many creative non-fiction essays, had one play produced at the Great Canadian Theatre Co. and is working on a memoire. She has been published in CV2, Vallum, Grain, Room, Trinity Review, The Literary Review of Canada, Event and Tamarack Review and others. She gives memoire workshops online and in libraries and community centres. She guides StillPoint Writing and Editing Circles in person and online. Memoire is a magical platform for self-discovery. Prompts like an object or a photograph can stimulate memories that transport us back to the past and shed light on the present. Kate guides participants using the AWA method, which provides a safe space for taking writing risks and where each unique voice is valued.
Space is limited
Free Bonus Session: In the fall of 2026. Advance notice to subscribers of a workshop on grant writing with representatives of the various arts councils.
Photo credit: Sue Reynolds
416-922-3618 ~ info@heliconianclub.org ~ HeliconianClub.org
