ART TORONTO ANNOUNCES THE 2023 EDITION AT THE METRO TORONTO CONVENTION CENTRE OCTOBER 26–29
110 Galleries from Canada, the USA, and outside are included at Canada’s Art Fair, presented by Principal Partner RBC. The 24th edition of Canada’s Art Fair will be headed by renowned curator Kitti Scott as the focal exhibition curator. The opening night gala will return as a benefit for the Michael Canadian Art Collection.
This October 26–29, Art Toronto will hold its 24th edition, showcasing 110 galleries from Canada, the United States, and overseas. Among them are 17 new galleries that are debuting for the first time, like Andrew Rafacz from Chicago, Bonny Poon / Conditions from Toronto, and Nil Gallery from Paris. There will also be some returning heavyweights, like Catriona Jeffries from Vancouver, Cooper Cole from Toronto, Daniel Faria Gallery from Toronto, Fazakas Gallery from Vancouver, Pangée (MTL), and more.
“This year, Art Toronto has real gravitas,” says Mia Nielsen, the organization’s director. We have spent the last year focusing on growing our network of renowned galleries and museums in order to offer their programs to Toronto. We offer a great mix of established and up-and-coming artists and galleries in every price range thanks to our varied collection of galleries, many of which are bringing in fresh and exciting artists.
Discover, presented by RBC, is a new multi-year program that RBC co-created this year for the fair. It will fund eight galleries that will be exhibiting some of the top up-and-coming artists in the nation. According to David Agnew, CEO of RBC Wealth Management, “this program is part of RBC’s ongoing commitment to highlighting and championing Canadian galleries who have had an impact on emerging artists.”
OPENING NIGHT GALA
The Opening Night benefit for the McMichael Canadian Art Collection is a ticketed event that opens off Art Toronto. This event puts a festive touch on the evening by bringing back the “gala opening” tradition. It’s time to get dressed up, have some beverages and light fare, and make the most of your first opportunity to view and purchase artwork from the fair. Tickets for the Collectors First Look entry at 4 p.m. are $400 (tax included) and for the 6 p.m. admittance are $300 (tax included).
Discover Section
Discover, a special exhibition area sponsored by RBC Wealth Management, is intended to provide up-and-coming artists a chance to showcase their work. Every gallery is committed to showcasing up-and-coming artists and introducing them to eager new audiences.
Galerie Nicolas Robert (Montréal), Fazakas Gallery (Vancouver), Macaulay & Co. Fine Art (Vancouver), McBride Contemporain (Montréal), Rivalry Projects (Buffalo), Lalani Jennings Contemporary Art (Guelph), and Unit 17 (Vancouver) are the eight galleries that were chosen for the Discover program.
FOCUS EXHIBITION CURATED BY KITTY SCOTT
The second annual Focus Exhibition at the festival will be curated by renowned art curator Kitty Scott. The extensive group show called “Good Foot Forward” features museum-caliber pieces by fifteen collaborating Art Toronto galleries’ artists. In addition to raising questions about the land, sovereignty, healing, caregiving, the political economy of real estate, and the darker aspects of domesticity, the artworks also address the paradoxes of modern existence. Collectors can buy pieces from the show, which is located as you come up the main level from the west escalators.
WORLD-CLASS PROGRAMMING
Art Toronto features two main floor public stages with an impressive mix of international speakers, panel discussions, and curator visits all weekend long. A selection of the free programming is shown here.
Centring Outside the Margins
Date and Time: Saturday, October 28th at 12:00 PM
Location: Platform Stage
Description: Join the conversation with Larry Ossei-Mensah, an independent curator and cultural critic of Ghanaian-American heritage, who will be 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. Together, they will explore the vibrant art institutions situated beyond the boundaries of large urban centers worldwide.
Breaking Protocol Book Launch
Date and Time: Saturday, October 28th at 12:30 PM
Location: Event Stage
Description: Be part of the celebration as transdisciplinary artist Maria Hupfield launches her groundbreaking book, “Breaking Protocol,” in Canada. This book, titled with reference to Indigenous Performance Protocols, delves into Indigenous knowledge systems, land-preservation practices, and Native feminist scholarship, shedding light on strategies for asserting resistance within anticolonial frameworks.
Indigenous Artists on the World Stage
Date and Time: Saturday, October 28th at 12:30 PM
Location: Platform Stage
Description: Gain insights into the growing international recognition of Canadian Indigenous artists in recent years. This session features discussions with Caroline Monnet, Rene Condo, and Meryl McMaster, who will share their perspectives on upcoming projects that showcase the talent and creativity of Indigenous artists on the global stage.
Curators Engage in Dialogue
Date and Time: Saturday, October 28th at 1:00 PM
Location: Event Stage
Description: In this enlightening session, you are invited to join a captivating conversation between Kitty Scott, one of Canada’s most esteemed curators, and Connie Butler, the incoming Director of MoMA PS1. Together, they will delve into the themes of feminism in art and underscore the significance of institutional representation in the art world.
Unveiling “As We Rise” Record and Discussion
Date and Time: Saturday, October 28th at 6:00 PM
Location: Event Stage
Description: Driven by the vision of Dr. Kenneth Montague, the founder of the Wedge Collection, “As We Rise” initially embarked on a global photographic exhibition journey featuring 108 captivating works and one video. This exhibition aimed to celebrate the multifaceted strength, beauty, vulnerability, and indivisibility of Black life. Join Dr. Kenneth Montague in a stimulating conversation with Odario Williams, a prominent Canadian musician and broadcaster, as they unveil and provide an exclusive first listen to “As We Rise,” the highly anticipated record inspired by the exhibition.
GLOBAL LAUNCH OF THE JACK BUSH CATALOGUE RAISONNÉ
The first full catalog of paintings created by Canadian artist Jack Bush (1909–1977) will be unveiled by Art Toronto. More than 1,800 paintings will be fully documented in the catalogue raisonné, which will also include complete details on provenance, exhibits, a bibliography, and passages from the artist’s personal journal. Come hear about some of the most prolific works by Jack Bush from Sarah Stanners, Ph.D., director of the Jack Bush Catalogue Raisonné and adjunct professor at the University of Toronto’s Department of Art History.
BOOKS AND EDITIONS CONTENT
Content, a component of the fair in its second year, features and sells books and editions created by independent artists and non-profit organizations. Here, viewers will be able to get in touch with museums and nonprofits, discover more about their activities, and buy books, prints, and catalogs. The Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Brampton Arts Organization, the International Society of Appraisers, Esse arts + opinions, the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators, Open Studio, and Peripheral Review are among the exhibitors.
EXHIBITOR LIST
For the fair’s 24th edition, 110 galleries are featured by Art Toronto. In addition to seasoned favorites, the exhibition list includes 17 first-timers. View the complete list of exhibitors below.
ACI Presents: Kent Monkman (Toronto)
Aperture Foundation (New York)
Art Mûr (Montréal)
Artshift (Montréal)
Andrew Rafacz Gallery (Chicago)
Baader-Meinhof (Omaha)
Bau-Xi Gallery (Toronto, Vancouver)
Blouin Division (Toronto, Montréal)
Bonny Poon / Conditions (Toronto)
Bradley Ertaskiran (Montréal)
Canadian Fine Arts (Toronto)
Catriona Jeffries (Vancouver)
Caviar20 (Toronto)
Central Art Garage (Ottawa)
CEREMONIAL/ART (Vancouver)
Chiguer Contemporary Art (Québec, Montréal)
Christie Contemporary (Toronto)
Christina Parker Gallery (St. John’s)
Christopher Cutts Gallery (Toronto)
CLINT ROENISCH GALLERY (Toronto)
Cooper Cole (Toronto)
Corkin Gallery (Toronto)
Daniel Faria Gallery (Toronto)
David Mirvish Gallery (Toronto)
Dianna Witte Gallery (Toronto)
Duran Mashaal (Montréal)
Eli Kerr (Montréal)
ELLEPHANT (Montréal)
Equinox Gallery (Vancouver)
Fazakas Gallery (Toronto)
Feheley Fine Arts (Toronto)
Franz Kaka (Toronto)
Galerie C.O.A (Montréal)
Galerie Hugues Charbonneau (Montréal)
Galerie Isabelle Lesmeister (Regensburg, DE)
Galerie Nicolas Robert (Montréal,Toronto)
GALERIE PICI (New York, Seoul)
Galerie Raphael (Frankfurt)
Galerie Robertson Arès (Montréal)
Galerie Simon Blais (Montréal)
Galerie.a (Montréal)
Gallery Jones (Vancouver)
General Hardware Contemporary (Toronto)
Han Modern & Contemporary (Montréal)
Involute Fine Art Inc (Scarborough)
IOTA Studios (Halifax)
Katzman ART Projects (Halifax)
Lalani Jennings (Guelph)
Macaulay & Co. Fine Art (Vancouver)
Marion Scott Gallery (Vancouver)
Masters Gallery (Calgary)
McBride Contemporain (Montréal)
Melissa Morgan Fine Art (El Paso)
Michael Gibson Gallery (London, ON)
Miriam Shiell Fine Arts (Toronto)
MKG127 (Toronto)
Monte Clark (Vancouver)
Monica Reyes Gallery (Vancouver)
Monte Clark (Vancouver)
Myta Sayo Gallery (Toronto)
National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa)
Nicholas Metivier Gallery (Toronto)
NIL Gallery (Paris)
Norberg Hall (Calgary)
Odon Wagner Gallery (Toronto)
Olga Korper Gallery (Toronto)
Open Studio (Toronto)
Pangée (Montréal)
Patel Brown (Toronto, Montréal)
Patrick Mikhail Gallery (Montréal)
Paul Kyle Gallery (Vancouver)
Paul Petro Contemporary Art (Toronto)
Pierre-François Ouellette Art Contemporain (Montréal)
Plataforma ArtBase (Montréal)
Portrait Gallery of Canada (Ottawa)
Quimera (Buenos Aires)
Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery (London, UK)
Rivalry Projects (Buffalo)
Roberts Gallery (Toronto)
Royale Projects (Los Angeles)
Rukaj Gallery (Toronto)
Sandra Ainsley Gallery (Toronto)
Simon Bentley Fine Art (Toronto)
smoke the moon (Santa Fe)
Studio Sixty-Six (Ottawa)
Taglialatella Gallery (Toronto, New York City, Palm Beach, Paris)
TAP Art Space (Montréal)
The Blue Building Gallery (Halifax)
The Drey (Toronto)
The Joe Plaskett Foundation
The New Other (Calgary)
The Next Contemporary (Toronto)
The Power Plant Contemporary Gallery (Toronto)
Towards (Toronto)
TrépanierBaer Gallery (Calgary)
Trotter&Sholer (New York)
Unit 17 (Vancouver)
United Contemporary (Toronto)
VIVIANEART (Calgary)
Wil Aballe Art Projects (Vancouver)
Yield Gallery (London, UK)
Yves Laroche Galerie D’Art (Montreal)
Zaal International (Toronto)
Zalucky Contemporary (Toronto)
About Art Toronto
Canada’s international fair for modern and contemporary art was established in 2000 and is called Art Toronto. Bringing together prestigious galleries, artists, and art enthusiasts from around the world, the fair is Canada’s most significant yearly art event.
To learn more, go to arttoronto.ca.
