The 4th annual Yogen Früz Brain Project is an outdoor exhibit deemed as “Interactive Brainstallation” held every year in Toronto across more than 15 locations. 

It’s a summer event through July and August to help bring awareness to brain health and diseases like Alzheimer’s and Dementia.  

This year the project has teamed up with a group of various artists from around the world that have transformed brain sculptures into thought provoking pieces of art and sponsored by corporations and philanthropists.

Josh Cooper, President and CEO of the Baycrest Foundation talked about improvements to the event in a recent interview. 

He began: “The Brain Project debuted a new format for the brains last year. They are now 2D and can be wall-mounted, which is different than the previous two years, providing a more curatorial approach.” 

He continued “One can get involved by adding to your art collection and buying a brain sculpture – funds raised by The Yogen Früz Brain Project will support brain research, patient care, education and innovation at Baycrest, which is a leader in the field of aging and brain health. People can also use the hashtag #NoBlankBrains on social media to follow the latest news from The Brain Project 4.0.!”  

There will be an opportunity to vote for The People’s Choice 2019 Award, which runs from July 3 to August 31st.  

One of the artists involved in the project is Tony Taylor, a Torontonian and oil painter who shares his thoughts on his involvement and how he maintains a healthy lifestyle.

Here is our Q&A with Josh Cooper:

Q: Tell us your involvement with the Brain Project?

A: I’m an artist who painted a brain to raise money and awareness about brain health and the impact preventative measures can have on us in the future.

It’s very important to me as it’s something I’ve seen happen to my grandparents and also my wife, who is currently in a permanent memory care center.

Q: Tell us about your sculpture entered this year – of Gord Downie – and why this musician?

A: This will be my third version I’ve done of him and the first one I knew I wanted to title, Courage, 

My Word, which led me to portray him as a grizzly bear to represent the symbol of courage. 

He really inspired me to do more with the time I have here on the planet.  Even 

when faced with adversity he focused on the issues that were important to him and gave him a purpose to push forward in his hardest times. 

This was the best way I could pay tribute to a man that gave me so many songs associated with great times with friends at cottages growing up and who stood out and up for all the right reasons.

Let’s Just See What Tomorrow Brings is about maintaining the optimism it takes when dealing with brain health issues and advancements.

Q: How excited were you to be one of the artists this year?

A: Very! I was really excited about doing something for a good cause and would be put on display in public areas. 

Also I looked forward to the challenge of it being more sculptural than I’m used to. 

Q: How do you maintain a healthy lifestyle?

I try to stay active, eat healthy – got an exercise machine last year and getting into running outdoors more this year with my wife who’s an avid runner. . . 

I also try to feed my brain information as much as possible, I watch/listen to a lot of global news and documentaries while I work.  

I really enjoy seeing kids and adults look at this image and instantly understand who it is, why I did it and what my art is all about. 

I want people to laugh and think when they see my art; get engaged with deciphering my visual language.