Art Toronto returns for its 24th edition from October 26–29th, 2023 featuring 110 galleries from Canada, the USA, and abroad including 17 new first-time exhibitors like Andrew Rafacz (Chicago), Bonny Poon /Conditions (Toronto), Nil Gallery (Paris), as well as some returning heavy hitters like Catriona Jeffries (Vancouver),, Cooper Cole (TO), Daniel Faria Gallery (TO), Fazakas Gallery (Van), Pangée (MTL) and more. 

Founded in 2000, Art Toronto is Canada’s international fair for modern and contemporary art. Attracting respected galleries, artists, and art lovers from across the globe, the fair is the most important annual art event in Canada. 

OPENING NIGHT GALA 

Art Toronto kicks off with the Opening Night on Oct 26, 2023, a ticketed benefit for the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. This event is a return to the ‘gala opening’ format putting a celebratory spin on the night. It’s time to dress up, enjoy drinks, lite bites and take advantage of the first chance to see and buy works from the fair. Tickets are $400 (tax incl) for the Collectors First Look (4pm entry) and $300 (including tax) for 6pm entry. 

DISCOVER SECTION 

Discover, presented by RBC Wealth Management, is a dedicated gallery section designed to provide a platform for artists in the early stages of their careers. Each gallery is dedicated to shining the spotlight on rising star artists and connecting them with enthusiastic new audiences.

The eight galleries selected for the Discover program are: Fazakas Gallery (Vancouver), Galerie Nicolas Robert (Montréal), Katzman Art Projects (Halifax), Lalani Jennings Contemporary Art (Guelph), Macaulay & Co. Fine Art (Vancouver), McBride Contemporain (Montréal), Rivalry Projects (Buffalo), and Unit 17 (Vancouver). 

FOCUS EXHIBITION CURATED BY KITTY SCOTT  

Legendary art curator Kitty Scott was chosen to curate the second annual Focus Exhibition at the fair. The large-scale group exhibition titled “Good Foot Forward” includes museum-quality work by 15 artists who are represented by participating Art Toronto galleries. The artworks speak to the contradictions of contemporary life and prompt questions about the land, issues of sovereignty, ancestral knowledge, healing, care, the political economy of real estate and the undersides of domesticity. The exhibition is placed as you enter the main floor from the west escalators and works can be purchased by collectors. 

As curator of the Focus exhibition, Scott will bring together artworks from participating Art Toronto galleries to create an exhibition from which works can be purchased by collectors. This represents a major collecting moment given Scott’s longtime support of emerging and established artists. Fairgoers are encouraged to view the Focus section as a unique piece of Canadian art history and watch as Scott’s institutional hat comes off for the first time in years. 

WORLD-CLASS PROGRAMMING 

With two different public stages located on the main floor, Art Toronto has a lineup of world-class talks, panel discussions and curator tours throughout the weekend.

Below is a highlight of some of the free programming. 

Centring Outside the Margins

Saturday, October 28th, 12:00 PM, Platform Stage

Ghanaian-American independent curator and cultural critic, Larry Ossei-Mensah is joined by Michelle Jacques, head of exhibitions and collections/chief curator at the Remai Modern and Miguel A. López, co-curator of the 2024 Toronto Biennial of Art, as they discuss dynamic art institutions outside of large urban centres around the world. 

Breaking Protocol Book Launch 

Saturday, October 28th, 12:30 PM, Event Stage

Celebrate with transdisciplinary artist Maria Hupfield for the Canadian launch of Breaking Protocol, with PS1. Hupfield’s first book references the protocols of Indigenous performance—tracing Indigenous knowledge systems, land-preservation practices, and Native feminist scholarship to illuminate strategies for enacting refusal within anticolonial frameworks.

Indigenous Artists on the World Stage

Saturday, October 28, 12:30 PM, Platform Stage 

In recent years Canadian indigenous artists have increasingly been attracting international attention. Hear from Caroline Monnet, Rene Condo and Meryl McMaster on upcoming projects.

Curators in Conversation 

Saturday, October 28th, 1:00 PM, Event Stage 

Join Kitty Scott, Canada’s most respected curator as she sits down with Connie Butler, incoming Director of MoMA PS1, as they discuss feminism in art as well as the importance of institutional representation. 

As We Rise, Record Release and Discussion 

Saturday, October 28th, 6:00 PM, Event Stage 

Established by Dr. Kenneth Montague, founder of the Wedge Collection, “As We Rise” started as a global travelling photography exhibition of 108 works including one video, recognizing the complex strength, beauty, vulnerability, and irreducibility of Black life. Join Dr. Kenneth Montague in conversation with Canadian musician and broadcaster, Odario Williams, as they introduce and give a first listen to As We Rise, the record.

GLOBAL LAUNCH OF THE JACK BUSH CATALOGUE RAISONNÉ

Art Toronto will launch the compilation of a comprehensive record of paintings produced by the Canadian artist Jack Bush (1909 – 1977). The catalogue raisonné will thoroughly document more than 1,800+ paintings, including full information on provenance, exhibitions, bibliography, and excerpts from the artist’s own diary. Join Sarah Stanners, Ph.D, director of the Jack Bush Catalogue Raisonné and adjunct professor at the Department of Art History, University of Toronto as she introduces the catalogue and shares some of Bush’s most prolific works. 

CONTENT: BOOKS AND EDITIONS 

In its second year at the fair, Content is a section dedicated to showcasing and selling editions and books produced by non-profit institutions and independent artists. This is the place where audiences will have an opportunity to connect with museums and non-profits, learn about their programming and purchase prints, books and catalogues. Exhibitors include: Art Gallery of Hamilton, Brampton Arts Organization, Canadian Association of Professional Conservators, Esse arts + opinions, International Society of Appraisers, Open Studio and Peripheral Review.

Art Toronto – October 26 to 29, 2023 – Metro Toronto Convention Centre – 255 Front St W, Toronto

Ticket prices range from $15 – $125 per person 

Tickets can be purchased HERE. 

 

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.