This year’s Gardiner SMASH: Nourish was held on Wed June 26, 2019. It was a splendid evening with new and old faces – young and old – art enthusiast and cultural philanthropists alike joining the night of nourishment at the museum.
SMASH: Nourish is a night of bold artwork, delicious cuisine, refreshing drinks, and invigorating experiences. The art was directed by RBC Senior Curator Corrie Jackson and hosted by the Gardiner Museum Young Patron Circle. Corrie brought together the following leading Canadian contemporary artists (Diana Lynn VanderMeulen, Ness Lee and Jon Sasaki) for a vibrant party dripping with creativity. The music of the night was by one and only DJ Dre Ngozi.
Gardiner quoted: “Nourish – This year, we’ll explore and experiment with different forms of nourishment: food and drink, good company and conversation, and of course, art—all of which provide deep and rich sustenance. To nourish is a positive action associated with thoughtfulness, reflection, strength, and support. It can mean caring for yourself and for others through small habitual examples of nourishment or bold gestures.”
It truly was like that! The night started with a VIP reception from 7 to 8 pm and general entrance at 8 pm to midnight. A unique feature during the VIP reception, the guests got to experience a mindfulness session with MINDSET. Throughout the night, MINDSET had set up stations to introduce this first-of-its-kind mental and emotional fitness hub. People were found to be dancing the night away to Dj Dre Ngozi and exploring the art throughout the evening and enjoying the amazing food samplings by Food Dudes. Many guests enjoyed chilling on the patios as it was finally the start of summer.
It was the perfect weather combination to make it a nourishing night to remember.
SMASH Committee
Kulin Matchhar (Chair) / Gen Blouin / Jennifer Franks / Julie Hicks Riches / Azadeh Houshmand / Michael Liebrock / Linley McConnell / Anjli Patel / Jennen Phelan / Penny Soo
Photos by Nick Lee
