Lectures. Talks. Ideas.
Dear Friends,
The weather is heating up—and so are things here at The Speakers Annex! Starting next week, we kick off our spring season with the first of three exciting new programs:
“The Spirit of the ‘60s”: Starts April 10. Course outline HERE. Registration HERE.
“French Impressionism”: Starts April 15. Course outline HERE. Registration HERE.
“The Wonderful World of Design”: Starts April 14. Outline HERE. Register HERE.
Spring Season Pass: Attend all three courses at a special discount. Registration HERE.
Check out our Facebook Page for more fun video greetings from our upcoming speakers and get yourself back into the Speakers Annex spirit by scrolling to the bottom for “Something You Might Enjoy,” our new newsletter feature with cultural recommendations. This week, we highlight a video that was made of our winter season finale with Canadian ballet legend Veronica Tennant, C.C!
Please contact our Help Desk ([email protected]) with registration questions and scroll down below for cool events from our partners, including a chance to check out the historic Arts & Letters Club!
Chag Pesach Sameach and Happy Easter to you. We cannot wait to learn with you this spring!
Will Di Novi
Host and Organizer
The Speakers Annex
The Speakers Annex is proud to be presented in partnership with
OUR EXCITING NEW SPRING COURSES!
Fridays, April 10-May 15
10:30 AM-12 PM
MNjcc Members: $99
Non-Members: $119
| The Spirit of the ‘60s
Join Speakers Annex favourite Dr. Peter Harris for a rollicking cultural history of the grooviest of decades!
From the election of JFK to the sultry sounds of Woodstock; from the landmark protest movements exploding in Berkeley and Paris to the cultural watershed that was Expo ‘67, we’ll take a spirited look at the people, movements and earth-shaking events that left their mark on the decade, leading to sweeping changes in politics, arts and culture.
Click HERE for the full course schedule and descriptions of each of the six sessions. |
Wednesdays, April 15-May 20
1 PM-2:30 PM
MNjcc Members: $99
Non-Members: $119
| The Impressionists: The Movement that Changed Art Forever
Art historian Angela Glover makes her Speakers Annex debut with this delightful series on one of the most beloved artistic movements in history.
A veteran art educator who’s led popular courses for the 92Y in New York, Angela will offer a fresh perspective on artistic icons like Monet, Degas, Mary Cassatt and Renoir, exploring the radical vision at the heart of their beautiful paintings and their dramatic impact on how we still look at art.
Click HERE for the full course schedule and descriptions of each of the six sessions. |
Tuesdays, April 14-May 19
10:30 AM-12 PM
MNjcc Members: $99
Non-Members: $119
| The Wonderful World of Design
In this exciting new series, an all-star roster of leading writers and scholars—including many longtime Speakers Annex favourites—guides us through the history of modern design, each delivering a talk on the design history of a favourite object or place.
From the architecture of libraries with critic Christopher Hume to the intriguing history of the “little black dress” with a leading fashion writer, we’ll look at stunning examples from innovative designers and examine the world around us with a fresh new set of eyes!
Click HERE for the full course schedule and descriptions of each of the six sessions. |
MNjcc Members: $214
Non-Members: $259
| All-Access Season Pass!
Interested in attending all three of our spring programs?
Then consider signing up for this all-access season pass.
Receive unlimited access to each of our three programs at a significant discount! |
SOME COOL EVENTS FROM OUR PARTNERS
| New Lecture Series with Phillip Silver!
Award-winning set, lighting, and costume designer Phillip Silver returns with a fascinating new three-part series exploring Jewish clothing across time and place. From biblical eras to contemporary communities, discover how Jews have dressed and accessorized themselves in distinct ways - whether through choice or imposition - to express devotion, liturgical practice, distinguish gender roles, or communal identity.
Widen your understanding of what Jews look like, in the past, in the present, and around the world. Join us in the Al Green Theatre, on Zoom simulcast, or register to receive the recordings.
Mondays, April 27-May 11, 1:00-2:30 PM
Questions? Email Lisa Roy at [email protected].
Register HERE. |
| Art History Lecture with Sarah Milroy, Chief Curator at McMichael Collection
In 1975, revered Ukrainian-Canadian painter William Kurelek created 16 paintings titled Jewish Life in Canada, depicting mid-twentieth century Jewish Canadian traditions, community, and family. This suite was an homage to his immigrant experience, his Jewish art dealer and friend Avrom Isaacs, and a gesture across the cultural divide. Join Sarah Milroy, Frances and Tim Price Executive Director and Chief Curator of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in-person (including afternoon tea!), on Zoom, or register to receive the recording.
Thursday April 30, 1:00-2:30pm
Afternoon Tea, 2:30-3:30 PM
Questions? Email [email protected].
Learn more and register here.
|
| A Special Invitation from The Arts and Letters Club
The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto is a social club for people interested in literature and the arts. Located in a historic downtown building at 14 Elm Street, the Club hosts wonderful literary talks, stage productions, musical performances, painting sessions and more.
It will be open to visitors from The Speakers Annex (almost) every Friday from 4 pm to 7 pm. Let them know you’re coming so that someone is there to greet you by emailing [email protected].
To learn more, email Daphne Maurer, [email protected] or visit www.artsandlettersclub.ca. |
| Life Model Drawing at the WAAC
Join the Women’s Art Association of Canada for life drawing sessions in its Dignam Gallery. These non-instructional sessions will feature a nude model and are open to artists of all levels.
The first three sessions will feature the same model, Lena Tzur, offering participants the opportunity to work with and get to know one model over multiple sessions.
Mondays
April 13 · April 20 · April 27, 2026
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Dignam Gallery
23 Prince Arthur Ave, Toronto
Learn more and sign up HERE. |
| Dance Panel Discussion At The Heliconian Club!
Fans of our recent Ballet series will want to check out a fun event that the Dance Section of the Heliconian Club is hosting on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 7 PM: a panel discussion of contemporary issues in classical ballet and modern dance featuring four celebrated dancers—Linda Maybarduk, Svea Eklof, Anisa Tejpar, and Jordana Daumec.
This panel will be moderated by Deirdre Kelly, the former Globe and Mail dance and fashion critic, who will also be leading a talk in our upcoming series, “The Wonderful World of Design.”
This event will be taking place at the historic Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue. For tickets and more info, please click HERE. |
SOMETHING YOU MIGHT ENJOY
Regular recommendations of fun things to read, watch and listen to!
| WATCH OUR WINTER FINALE!
As many of you know, we had the great honour of closing our recent series on the “History of Ballet” with an onstage conversation between our lecturer, Natasha Frid Finlay, and the legendary former prima ballerina Veronica Tennant, C.C.
We were also honoured that Dance Collection Danse, a national arts organization devoted to safeguarding Canada’s dance archives, was able to join us and make a special recording of the event for their archives.
Veronica and Natasha thrilled us with the highlights of Veronica’s career as a dancer and filmmaker, and if you’d like to watch the video of the event, it will be viewable HERE as of Friday April 3rd. You can also click HERE to see the wonderful photos that were projected onstage.
For more on Veronica and her extraordinary work, make sure to check out her personal website HERE, which contains lots of fun clips from her film and TV work.
A huge thanks to all of you who came out for the event—and to our friends at DCD for the wonderful work they do! |
SPEAKERS ANNEX READING GUIDES
Last June, I asked some beloved Speakers Annex contributors to share a few books that we all might enjoy over the summer months. The result was our first ever “Summer Reading Guide,” which you can see HERE.
We now return with a new “Winter Reading Guide,” presented in partnership with friend-of-The Speakers Annex Eleanor Wachtel, the host of CBC’s Writers & Company, who has offered her own list of wonderful reading suggestions!
HELPFUL LINKS AND MORE!
For registration assistance, please contact the MNjcc customer support team at 416-924-6211 x0 or email [email protected]. You can also refer to this detailed, step-by-step registration guide.
Email me about our upcoming programs, or anything else on your mind, at [email protected]. I always love to hear from you!
Consult this FAQ Help Sheet for answers to common questions about our events.
Thank you so much again!
