James AllenEnjoy the Splendid Display of Crafts and Craftsmanship
If you are into visual arts you may probably want to hit up the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (TOAE).
The exhibition takes place on Nathan Phillips Square during second weekend of July every year. It’s one of the most sought after event in the art community of Toronto.
Being a cultural capital of Canada, art and culture play a vital role in the life of the city of Toronto and have become cornerstone of Toronto’s identity. The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition is one of those events enriching the cultural life of the city.
The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition holds the distinction of being the largest outdoor art exhibition in Canada and attracts close to 100,000 avid art-lovers and visitors every year.
Each year more than one thousand artists apply to participate in the event. The panel of juries at TOAE, consisting of prominent artists and arts professionals, select around 400 artists based on set of selection criteria, which include originality, quality and consistency of the ideas, execution and design in each applicant’s work.
Each year the process becomes more demanding as the variety of techniques expands and the quality of work gets better and better. But people like you and me are not complaining:)
The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition features approximately 400 talented visual artists and craftspeople each year, from recognized artists to rising talents to innovative students.
They exhibit their original artwork in the 14 categories including painting, watercolour, drawing, digital media, printmaking, sculpture, photography, ceramics, jewellery, fibre, glass, metal, wood and mixed media.
The exhibition is an opportunity for experienced and emerging artists to showcase their work, be it conventional or contemporary, and sell their work.
Each artist is assigned separate tent so you will see lots of tents setup adjacent to each other all over the Square.
You will find the talent on the Square as rich as it is diverse.
You will enjoy gorgeous painting and watercolour showcasing various themes like landscapes, cityscapes and natural scenes. In modern art, you will find stunning work in digital media and mixed media categories.
The magnificent craftwork in ceramics, fibre, glass, metal and wood are equally fascinating.
What about the jewellery? The booths in this category are real show stoppers, specially for women.
You will find that the atmosphere at the TOAE is quite unique compared to the conventional art shows and galleries. You will feel sense of the vibrancy in the air.
The exhibition offers visitors great prospect to interact directly with the artists. You can talk to the artists one-to-one, ask any question about their work and learn about scrupulousness and intricacy of their work.
You can also buy the artwork of your choice directly from the artists. Most of the artists accept payment by cash and credit cards (Visa and MasterCard).
Many of the artists do not prefer their work to be photographed at the TOAE. So before taking snapshots, do take the permission from the artists.
The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition introduced new programming series from 2010. The programming series includes artist workshops, public speakers and walking-tours.
Several awards are given in each category and the artists are rewarded generously with cash prizes of more than $30,000 each year.
If you have never been there before, I advise you to check it out. It is fun, excitement and you never know when you will fall in love with the art.
After visiting the exhibition you will surely agree with legendary artist Pablo Picasso who once said that “The purpose of art is washing dust of daily life off our souls”.
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition – Tourist Information
Venue: Nathan Phillips Square – 101 Queen Street West, Toronto, M5H 2N2
Exhibition Date & Hours:
Exhibition takes place during first weekend of July for 3 days.
July 5 – 7, 2020
The timing is 10.30am – 7.30pm.
Price:
Admission is Free
Transit and Driving Directions:
TTC:
Nathan Phillips Square is easily accessed by the TTC Queen street car (501), the Yonge Line subway (exit Queen station) or the University line (exit Osgoode Station).
Driving Directions:
From the South or West – Follow the QEW into Toronto, where it turns into the Gardiner Expressway. Exit onto Spadina Ave. North and turn right onto Queen Street
From the East – Take Highway 401 into Toronto and exit onto the Don Valley Parkway Southbound. As you approach Downtown, this will turn into the Gardiner Expressway. Exit at Spadina Ave. North and turn right onto Queen Street
From the North – Take Highway 400 into Toronto, exiting onto Highway 401 West. Continue until you reach Highway 427 southbound. Follow Highway 427 to downtown via the QEW/Gardiner Expressway. Exit onto Spadina Ave. North and turn right onto Queen Street
Parking: Beneath Nathan Phillips Square is one of the world’s largest underground parking garages, with space for 2,400 cars. Look for the ‘Green P’ parking signs at the entrance to the lot on Queen Street, just west of Bay. There are also several above ground parking lots within walking distance of Nathan Phillips Square.
For more information visit www.torontooutdoorart.org
