Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF) returns to the city from July 2nd to 11th for its 60th anniversary.
This Indie88 feature is presented in partnership with the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair.
Canada’s largest and longest-running outdoor art fair will be bigger than ever, with more than 400 talented artists. These artists will be presenting original works for the public to discover and purchase at TOAF.ca.
The event will primarily take place online for the second consecutive year. While it won’t be in person, the fair will still boast some amazing digital programming, including several talks and tours. This programming will feature everything from information about collecting art to NFTs to virtual reality exhibits.
The 60th annual Toronto Outdoor Art Fair will feature guest designer and TV personality, Tiffany Pratt, art collector and philanthropist, Aaron Milrad, art collector and tech founder, Rudy Adler, and more.
TOAF will also present an in-person showcase at stackt market throughout the entire 10 days of the fair. This will feature a rotating roster of artists showcasing their works. These works will be available for the public to interact with and purchase.
In celebration of their impressive milestone, TOAF will host a 60 Over Sixty exhibit. Curated by Flavio Belli, the exhibit will feature 60 notable Canadian artists like Barbara Astman, Robert Bateman, Robert Houle, Suzy Lake, and many more.
Pratt will be kicking off TOAF60 on July 2nd with Instagram Live conversations with participating artists. Pratt will also be launching a series of 100 hand-painted original postcards. The proceeds from the sales will go toward TOAF’s Gifts of Heart initiative, which supports artists and frontline workers.
Milrad will be speaking with The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery on July 6th about how he’s invested in fostering connections with TOAF artists. He will also discuss how he’s donated significant works to major museums across North America.
On July 10th, Adler, one of the top NFT collectors in the world, will be discussing digital art, why NFT’s are a viable way of supporting artists, and ways in which you can begin your own digital art collection.
Additionally, TOAF will feature an exhibit called TOAF60 in Virtual Reality. This event will boast select artworks from the TOAF60 artists in VR. Curated by TOAF Winner Daniel St-Amant and Toronto’s #Hashtag Gallery, a VR opening reception will take place on July 3rd in partnership with Art Gate VR.
Not only will TOAF once again be hosting its robust Awards Program, which features $40,000 cash and in-kind awards for top artists of each discipline, but it will also feature the Flavio Belli Emerging Curator Award. Supported by The Lindy Green Family Foundation, the special 60th anniversary award will grant a mentorship opportunity for an early-career curator. This program will see an early-career curator working with a mentor to curate a five-week online art exhibition and a two-week in-person exhibition at Propellor Gallery in January 2022.
You can learn more about the event and check out a full list of artists and programming here.
