The exhibition, Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics and Painting, features over 70 works by these prolific 20th century artists, a couple who shared a passion for each other and for Mexico's revolutionary culture during the 1920s and 1930s.
Running until January 20, 2013, the exhibit features almost one-quarter of Kahlo’s paintings, a selection of Rivera's works, with styles from his early cubist period, to his Mexican murals and his portraits and landscapes. There are also watercolours, prints and over 60 photos of the couple. As the name of the exhibit suggests, the works showcase Rivera and Kahlo’s lives together and apart, their politics and how their passionate views and social activism affected their work.
Kahlo is best known for her surreal self-portraits, while Rivera was famous for his mural frescos, which helped establish the Mexican Mural Movement in Mexican art. This exhibition highlights both their developments as artists through the years.

www.ago.net
317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, Canada
Google map: bit.ly/10E074C

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Toronto is the second city in the world to showcase Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style, following its premiere at London’s Barbican Centre this past summer. What claims to be the largest and most comprehensive exhibition ever devoted to the famous spy, it features costumes, gadgets, set designs, artwork and other special gadgets.
The exhibit runs until January 20, 2013 and is part of the 50th anniversary of Bond in cinema, and examines how the famous spy has influenced design, culture and technology. Bond items featured in the exhibition include the poker table from Casino Royale and multiple gadgets from Q Branch. Also on view are elegant clothes designed by Giorgio Armani, Donatella Versace, Tom Ford, Hubert de Givenchy and Oscar de la Renta.
Special tours are also available on a first-come, first served basis and run weekly: Thursdays at 6 pm, Saturdays at 11am & 6pm and Sundays at noon. Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes.
Prices, not including taxes, are:
Adults: $15
Students & Seniors: $12
Children: $10.50
Don’t forget to stop for martinis and great food at the Luma restaurant, also located in the TIFF Bell Lightbox upstairs, or for something more casual, Canteen restaurant, located on the main floor.

www.tiff.net
TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King Street West, Toronto, Canada
+1 416 968 3456
Google map: bit.ly/UUYNny

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One of my favourite places to visit – on weekends or a night after work – is the TIFF Bell
Lightbox, an avant-garde cultural centre and home to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Opened in 2010, it houses a cinema complex, galleries, workshops, two restaurants, and a roof-top terrace.
With different events every day of the week, TIFF offers screenings, lectures, festivals, great food, special exhibits and, of course, great cinema. There are 5 public cinemas with insulated sound space and the first in North America to show 16 mm, 35 mm and 70 mm film in addition to digital movies.
I love brunching at LUMA restaurant. With attentive service and great food, this is the perfect spot for a small or large group. LUMA also has a great dinner and cocktail menu. The Canteen restaurant, located on the ground floor, is a great spot for more casual and quick dining.
My favourite films to watch are those offered by the Contemporary World Cinema programme, where you can see some of the best films from around the world, many of which are unlikely to be widely released.
Ever since its opening last year, the space has featured outstanding exhibits, from Tim Burton to Federico Fellini and now the Grace Kelly exhibit.

www.tiff.net
350 King Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
+1 416 968 3456
Google map: bit.ly/ycH4AC

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The Royal Ontario Museum has millions of items on display in over 30 galleries and one of my favourites is the “Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures.” It is composed of the Gallery of Minerals, the Gallery of Gems and Gold and the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame Gallery.
The mining industry in Canada is extremely important, and it’s only fitting that a large part of the second floor is devoted to such exquisite treasures. The exhibits showcase wonderful specimens of minerals in a variety of colours and shapes, including fluorescent green. There are several cases filled with gold, diamonds, garnets, opals, and jade, as well as exquisite pieces of jewellery. Throughout the exhibits, there are about 40 interactive touch stations that provide in-depth information on several specimens. I can spend hours browsing here, admiring the beauty of so many pieces, all while learning so much about geology.

www.rom.on.ca/
100 Queens Park Toronto, ON M5S 2C6, Canada
+1 (416) 586 8000
Google map: bit.ly/sYw4d0

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Since its opening in 1969, this science museum has been attracting families, teens and adults.
The Centre has several hundred interactive exhibits, featuring everything in science and nature, including geology, astronomy, human anatomy, communication, Toronto’s only planetarium, and KidSpark, a play area designed specifically for kids aged eight and under.
Until November 30, there is a special exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop, with 20 scale physical models of his inventions, including a mechanical lion, a robot soldier and the self- propelling cart. Visitors can also interact with his famous paintings by zooming into details on the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. There are also interactive touch-screens to help you turn the pages of his notebooks, with sketches and 3D models leaping from the page.
The IMAX has some great screenings, too. Catch “Rocky Mountain Express”, where you take a steam train through the Canadian Rockies, learning about train travel while seeing spectacular mountain scenery and gorges along the way. Also on IMAX, “Under the Sea” where spectators visit the beautiful underground world of the Great Barrier Reef.
Finally, there are various food options, from snacks to beverages to full meals, ranging from fast food to healthy options.

www.ontariosciencecentre.ca
770 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Canada
+1 416 696 1000
Google map: bit.ly/tHQkNT

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The Gardiner Museum is the only museum in Canada devoted exclusively to ceramic arts. Since its $20 million makeover in 2006, the museum is a great example of modernist architecture. Spread over three floors, the permanent collection of over 3,000 pieces cover several millennia. Items include ceramics from Ancient American works, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, Dutch Delft pottery, Maiolica from the Italian Renaissance, and Canadian and international contemporary collections. Free guided tours with admission are offered every day at 2pm. You can also catch the exhibits for free every Friday night, from 4pm to 9pm.
Upcoming exhibits include The Tsar’s Cabinet, October 13, 2011 to January 8, 2013, featuring a selection of imperial Russian porcelain and decorative arts, most of which were specifically designed for and used by the tsars and members of the Russian imperial family.
Complementing these exhibits, the museum offers clay classes for adults and children; Family Sundays, from 1pm to 4pm, the Gardiner Café, with a lunch menu.

www.gardinermuseum.on.ca
111 Queen’s Park, Toronto
+ 1 416 586 8080
Google map: bit.ly/o1zHCp

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The leading public gallery in Toronto has a manageably-sized collection. Intricately carved medieval prayer beads, a selection of some lesser works of 20th Century greats, some interesting Canadian pieces and a world-renowned collection of Henry Moore.

317 Dundas Street West
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
M5T 1G4
www.ago.net

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