Author: Kevin Bourne

It was almost a year ago that the SHIFTER Magazine team headed out for a night on the town; part work, part pleasure. Our destination? Nature Nocturne- a monthly museum party held at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Canada. We weaved our way through the many exhibits and dance floors until we arrived at what would be our final stop for the night- the Barrick Salon. We heard the sounds of 112, Biggie Smalls and Ma$e mixed with some classic dancehall. We found our spot. The sounds were so nice I had to meet the DJ. That’s when…

Gary Baseman’s year-long exhibition My Eyes Are Bigger Than My Stomach is now on display at Drake One Fifty in Toronto. A gathering of all his furry friends from every corner of the imagination, from its darkest depths to its heavenliest highs are all brought together by food. Because even you can’t decide which food you eat sustains which appetite, you must feed all of yourself and hope that the best parts are nourished the most… The exhibition includes what I like to call “The Wall of Dangling Tobys” in the foyer of the restaurant, placemats featuring pictures of Baseman’s meals…

SHIFTER had the opportunity to profile Toronto radio show host and sometimes graphic desogner, R. Chung, about his creative expression and who inspires him to create. Name: R. Chung (Co-host of 100% Canadian on Toronto’s G98.7FM) Home Base: Toronto, Ontario, Canada (By way of parts Unknown) Biggest accomplishment so far: Producing and hosting an all 100% Canadian show on commercial radio in Toronto. What creativity means to me: To create with no restriction. Produce the way YOU intend to produce, but make sure you create with execution. Create your ideas and make them a reality! Past and present creative icons:…

Directed by David O. Russell, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Rober De Niro, Edgar Ramirez, and Bradley Cooper “The based-on-true-event story of a laborious woman who fights through her family business to gain back what’s her and follow her long-lost dream.” Joy is the third film by David 0. Russell (A Silver Lining Playbook, American Hustle) who returns with a recurring cast of Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro who were all in Russell’s previous and superior film, A Silver Lining Playbook. Joy brilliantly tricked the audience from its misleading yet promising thrilling trailer featuring a strong driven woman played by Jennifer…

Our very first art submission post comes from Hamilton, Ontario based artist VeronicaRadd.  This piece is an acrylic painting on canvas called Retro Babe. “My name is VeronicaRadd. I’m a 24-year old artist from Hamilton, Ontario. I’ve been painting for the past 5 years and it’s something I’ve very passionate about, I paint with acrylics as well as digitally. I love painting things that inspire me, that usually includes my dreams, outer space, and bright bold colors.” To see more of VeronicaRadd’s work visit website and Facebook page. Visit our Submissions page for information on how to submit your work to SHIFTER…

Now that 2015 is nearly over and 2016 is just around the corner, I’ve looked back at this year in film and created a list that in my opinion showcases the top 10 most well-made and entertaining films of the year. The list includes a great mix of both mega blockbusters as well as smaller indie films that many of you may not have had a chance to see. 10. Ex Machina This indie sci-fi thriller has an immensely talented cast and a suspenseful, thought-provoking story that will leave you on the edge of your seat and thinking twice about…

Justin Bieber had a rough time over the past few years. He’s had to grow up in the public eye, having his mistake-filled, adolescent years captured by the media. His questionable decisions made the most ardent Belieber raise their eyebrows and maybe even worry. But 2015 gave fans a few reasons to believe again. The turning point came in March when he appeared on The Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber. First, he conducted himself with maturity, being open about his mistakes. Apparently he requested the roasting. Second, he looked mature in a slim fitting blue suit with a black…

Directed and Written by Quentin Tarantino, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russel, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demiam Birchir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Bruce Dern, score by Ennio Morricone “Move a little strange, you’re gonna get a bullet. Not a warning, not a question. A BULLET” – Major Marquis Warren I usually know what to expect from Quentin Tarantino. A well-written script, strong performances, some intriguing dialogue and of course, lots and lots of violence and carnage. Somehow Tarantino always manages to blend these elements together and turn them into pure cinema gold that still amazes me. Once more,…

Fresh off his latest album, What A Time To Be Alive, a joint project with fellow hip-hop sensation Future, it’s without a doubt that Aubrey Graham, better known as Drake, is on top of his game and on top of the hip-hop world. While the world is listening to the album over and over again, it’s what Drake is currently working on that’s making the world impatient, wanting more from the Toronto native. Views from the 6 (or 6ix, as referred to on social media) has been in the works for some time, and to add to the hype of…

We are happy to announce that the SHIFTER Magazine Person of the Year for 2015 is none other than recording artist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Akon. This year the Right Now singer had a big year, probably more so for his development work than his music. Earlier this year Akon announced his Lighting Africa project where he would bring solar power to 600 million Africans in 1 million homes through his company Solektra International. So far the project includes 480 communities in 15 countries, 100,000 solar street lamps, and 5,500 indirect jobs created. On December 15th Akon launched the Solektra Solar…

SHIFTER had the opportunity to profile fashion designer, artist and The Indi founder, Elsa Ebada, about his creative expression and who inspires him to create. Name: Elsa Ebada Home Base: Nowhere in particular I’d call home, but Ottawa is where I live and work. Biggest accomplishment: Thus far it’s been teaching design to the apprentices on my team. It’s an incredible thing to realize that the ideas and techniques you developed are getting through to another creative, that your leaving a real impression that might outlive you, and that they might design something incredible with those ideas. I was taught…

Directed by JJ Abrams, written by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, starring John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Harrison Ford. “The Force Awakens is the newest installment into the beloved Star Wars franchise, and follows the adventures of Finn, a disheartened Stormtrooper and Rey, a scavenger living on the desert planet Jakku, as they try to stop an evil unleashed by the powerful and mighty First Order. This review contains NO SPOILERS, so don’t worry.” Star Wars. Is. Back. The Force Awakens boasts incredible lead performances, stunning visuals, incredible fight scenes, and although the story isn’t anything special, it was well worth…