Artist name/Product title
A few sentences about the artist and or the item for sale.
Be the first to experience the emerging talent Lawrence Heights has to offer! The Spotlight page will highlight young artists that are making moves in the Lawrence Heights community.
You will be able to learn more about these influential creatives and become inspired by their artistic journey.
David Labrada Moré (he/him) was born in Cuba where he completed his studies as a professional world percussionist and an ensemble practice teacher. He moved to Toronto in 2014, later graduating from the University of Toronto’s Music Program. David has performed as a pianist for various festivals in the Greater Toronto Area including Luminato Festival and the PanAm Games and with various bands in Cuba. David continues to teach music in Toronto and also runs his own music production company called DLM Music Production.
Type of art you create: I am a music composer,music arranger, songwriter, music producer, music teacher, and multi instrumentalist, pianist, vocalist, drumer and world percussionist.
When you got started: I played my first professional concert in 2007 and since then I’ve been playing all kinds of music with all kinds of band format ranging from Symphony Orchestra to Jazz Band and small format such as Jazz piano trio or as classical piano soloist.
Favourite thing about your community: It offers amazing opportunities for all community members. I had the opportunity of expanding myself as a music teacher, music producer and working especially with students living in this community.
Kareem Bennett (he/him) is a second-generation Jamaican Canadian multidisciplinary creative, community youth worker, and mental health advocate based out of Toronto, ON.
With a blend of visual and literary arts practices, his work encompasses the experiences of diverse community initiatives through artistic activism.
Type of art you create: Multidisciplinary Projects – Poetry, Music, Photography & Film
What are you working on right now:
Currently working on a audio/visual EP entitled “Where Black Boys Bloom: Volume #1”, it is amixture of lofi hip hop, spoken word poetry and vintage 8 mm film visuals for a seven track compilation addressing gun violence, mental health in the black community and overcoming the social barriers we face as young black boys growing into young black men.
Favourite local artists:
Randell Adjei, Mustafa, Mark Stoddart, Quentin Vercetty, David Delisca, Caelin Holmes, Nathan Baya, Germain Carter
Marianne Botros (she/her) is an M.Ed. graduate in Adult education and Community Development, Leadership Higher and Adult Education at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education OISE, University of Toronto, and has received a B.A.SC in Applied Arts and Science from Helwan University. She is currently working as a Teacher Assistant in the Department of Visual Studies as well as an Art Leader at TN Gifts of Lights at CAMH.
Marianne is passionate about empowering minority communities and promoting collective consciousness by leading community arts workshops.
Type of art you create: Acrylic Contemporary Art
Favourite thing about your community: My Egyptian coptic orthodox community is strong in their social networking and building a spiritual connection among all generations, the mental support they provide is an essential factor.
What are you working on right now: Mindfulness using Visual Arts followed by journaling and discussion workshops/sessions for students and staff at the university of Toronto, also working to support my coptic culture of Community work Iconography mixed media abstract painting.
A few sentences about the artist and or the item for sale.