Gord Smith was at the top of the Canadian art world in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. A Montreal-born sculptor who originally learned to weld with a torch his older brother used to rebuild old cars, Smith's rise to prominence was a rapid one. By the time he reached his early thirties, he had already built up an impressive list of public and private commissions, collaborated with architects like Arthur Erickson, and exhibited with such international heavyweights as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth.

Of the many sculptures Smith produced during this period, the most significant was surely the Canada Screen, which was commissioned by the Canadian government for its pavilion at Expo '67. A $65 000 project at the time, the finished product was a massive 110'x12' Cor-Ten steel sculpture that weighed approximately 13 tons.

By the late 1970s, however, Smith's life and work was in ruins. The Canada Screen lay in pieces in a gravel pit outside of Montreal -- removed from the Expo grounds by the same government that commissioned it -- and its creator was in the process of drinking himself to death.

The annual Whodunit? Mystery Art Sale at the Ontario College of Art & Design always represents a great opportunity to buy art incredibly low prices. When you throw in an element of mystery, by learning the identity of the artist only after purchasing the art, it can be pretty fun as well.

The 2009 Whodunit? Sale is just around the corner. From November 18th to 20th, prospective buyers will be able to preview this year's vast collection of lovely, donated 5.5x7.5 works, each created by a mystery artist (some famous and others aiming to be) and available for purchase for just $75 on a first-come-first-served basis on November 21st. Only after the works are sold will the artists be revealed.

blogTO has prize vouchers to give away to three lucky readers.

Art Off the Lot, hosted by The Cryptic Canvas, took place this past weekend.

Brightening what was once a Chrysler dealership at 1030 King Street West, the 75 all-Canadian artist show was a "pay what you can" event with a recommended donation of five dollars. Happy to pay the fiver, I took full opportunity to admire the paintings, sculpture, photographs, and chat up the artists.

Canzine returned at the Gladstone Hotel.

Brought to you by your friendly quarterly magazine Broken Pencil, Canzine is Canada's largest celebration of small press publishing and "alternative culture." Five bucks got me access to an all-day gigantic zine fair, interactive art installations, and a bunch of awesome activities, including a screen printing workshop... plus a free copy of BP's latest Olympics issue. Not bad for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I maneuvered the Melody Bar of The Gladstone in a daze (not sure if that was due to my previous night's festivities or because it was so packed with people). Over 150 kooky and creative zines were on display, from small press zines and comics to arts and crafts.

Business for the Arts held their 31st award gala this past Thursday evening at the AGO. The awards are given out to corporations and individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts.

October's been a busy month for the visual arts throughout the city, headlined by the Leona Drive Project and the Toronto International Art Fair. And along with these major (although sadly short-lived) events, there's been plenty of stimulating shows at galleries across the city, many of which are still running, if only for a few more days.

Here's a roundup of the exciting events I've checked out over the last few weeks and some recommendations for upcoming shows.