The Art of Clairtone: The Making of a Design Icon, 1958-1971
Exhibit runs from May 9th – October 12th, 2008

For a decade, in the 1960s, Clairtone Sound Corporation captured the spirit of the times: sophisticated, cosmopolitan, liberated. From its modern oiled-walnut and teak consoles to its minimalist logo and promotional materials, Clairtone produced a powerful and enduring body of design work.

Founded in 1958 by two young Canadians, Peter Munk and David Gilmour, the fledgling manufacturer of hi-fi and TV consoles quickly became known for its iconic designs and masterful advertising campaigns. The company employed some of the most talented designers and original thinkers working in Canada at the time––among them, Carl Dair, Dalton Camp, Chris Yaneff, and Hugh Spencer––who ensured that Clairtone used the wittiest copy, the latest typefaces, and the most up-to-date exhibit and signage systems.

Clairtone’s acclaimed Project G stereo, with its space-age styling, epitomized the Swinging Sixties. Famously, Hugh Hefner owned a Project G. So did Frank Sinatra. Oscar Peterson affirmed that his music sounded as good on a G as it did live. In 1967, suggesting how deeply Clairtone’s G series had come to be identified with popular culture, the G2 appeared in The Graduate alongside Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft.

With more than 70 artifacts on display––including original Clairtone hi-fi consoles, vintage furniture and fashion, as well as TV commercials from the 1960s, Hollywood film clips, interviews with the founders, archival photographs, brochures, notebooks, and rare blueprints––the exhibition is an in-depth look at an iconoclastic company that once seemed to represent all the promise of Canada.

Connect
Exhibit runs from May 2 - 28, 2008

CONNECT is a program targeted to Canadian post-secondary students enrolled in design, the visual arts and/or engineering. The aim is to bridge the gap between students and future users of their services, helping them jump-start future careers in their respective fields.

CONNECT est un programme conçu pour les étudiants canadiens de niveau postsecondaire en design, en arts visuels ou en génie. Il vise à rapprocher les étudiants des futurs utilisateurs de leurs services et à favoriser des démarrages de carrière rapides dans les champs de compétence ciblés.

For more information please click here.

Canada in the Making - Showcasing the most compelling Canadian developments
in modern design history and contemporary design

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Physics is Nature's Design for the universe. In conjuction with the University of Toronto, DXphysics presents informal noon hour talks about a diverse array of current topics.

Stephen Morris
Professor, Experimental Nonlinear Physics, University of Toronto

Wednesday May 14th, DX Studio (main floor)
12:10 - 1:00pm
Free

For more information please click here.

Design Exchange Summer Camps – 2008
The Design Exchange offers engaging design-based summer camps for young designers aged 7 to 16. Sessions run weekly from July 7th to August 29th, 2008. Conveniently located in the heart of Toronto’s financial district, the former Toronto Stock Exchange building offers a unique and inspiring setting for these specialized camp sessions. Programs are led by a qualified and creative team of counsellors, senior camp staff, and visiting design professionals.

This year’s line up of design camps is sure to engage your young designer. Don’t delay; register early to ensure a spot in Toronto’s most prestigious summer program.

For more information about out DX March Break and Summer Camps please click here.