Toronto Arts Foundation

06/03/2026

Meet the 2026 ArtWorksTO: Youth Cohort ✨

This year’s cohort brings together a powerful group of emerging IBPOC media artists who are shaping the future of storytelling in Toronto. Through ArtWorksTO: Youth, participants gain hands-on industry experience, build their creative practice, and grow meaningful networks in media arts.

👏 Introducing the 2026 cohort:
Abraham ‘Abe’ Villegas
Alyssa Vidal
Anthony ‘Tone’ Bailey
Charlie Yip
Dani Sadun
Erica Dionora
Francisca Rojas
Guilherme Morilha Ribeiro
Jem Montague
Juanita Arango
Lucy Ngo
Maria Angeles Sanchez Garcia
Maria Jose Fisher
Mio Muyoboke
Muzi Li
Nejmia Amedie
Rachel Wong
Samarika Dhiman
Sammi Ho
Shebonti Khandaker
Tiffany Hu
Tziara Reyes-Herrera
Yujie Wang

ArtWorksTO supports Indigenous, Black, and POC youth (ages 18–29) with opportunities to develop skills, gain professional experience, and navigate the media arts industry—while working toward a more equitable and inclusive sector.

A partnership between Toronto Arts Foundation’s Neighbourhood Arts Network (), City of Toronto (), and OCAD University ().

Welcome to the cohort! 💫

06/02/2026

Ready to launch your creative career in Toronto?🎨📸

Applications are now open for the ArtWorksTO Newcomer Program in Media Arts and Arts Education!

Whether you’re looking to build new skills, gain hands-on experience, expand your professional network, or explore career opportunities in the arts sector, ArtWorksTO is here to support your journey.

Join one of our upcoming info sessions to learn more about the program, eligibility requirements, and application process:

📍 In-Person Info Session
🗓️ June 8, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

💻 Online Info Session
🗓️ June 11, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

🌟 Network. Upskill. Get Hired.

Apply today and take the next step in your creative career. Registration link in .to bio!

05/28/2026

We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Cris Derksen, an extraordinary artist, exceptional person, and beloved member of our community. Toronto Arts Council was lucky to have had Cris on our music committee for three years, during which time they gave generously of their wisdom and time to make our work better. Cris elevated discussions, broadened perspectives, and advocated fiercely and kindly for where change needed to happen. Cris performed at our 50th Anniversary celebration in 2024, and at the Mayor’s Evening for the Arts in 2023, both times wowing audiences with their prodigious talent and powerful performances. Cris leaves a tremendous legacy. Our thoughts are with Cris’s wife, Bobby, and with their family and loved ones in this incredibly difficult time. 🕊️

Photo credit/description: Cris Derksen performing at the Mayor’s Evening for the Arts (2023). Photo taken by Kat Rizza.

Video credit/description: Cris Derksen performing at the Toronto Arts Council 50th Anniversary (2024). Video filmed by Selina McCallum.

05/19/2026

“While many of us come with master’s degrees or PhDs earned in other countries, the reality of starting over in a new professional landscape can be humbling, no matter how much expertise you carry. This program understood that gap and helped us bridge it, connecting our existing knowledge and artistic backgrounds with the Canadian arts ecosystem in a meaningful way.” - ArtWorksTO Newcomer Program participant, Naz Salih

The ArtWorksTO (.to) Newcomer Program application portal is now open!

Funded by the TD Ready Challenge (), this program helps newcomer artists in the GTA build sustainable careers in media arts and arts education through mentorship, training, and paid work opportunities.

Participants will receive:
• Credentialed education delivered by OCAD U
• A guaranteed paid creative contract valued at $5,000
• Group and one-on-one mentorship with industry professionals
• Networking opportunities through workshops, panels, and masterclasses
• Wrap-around supports
• Access to the ArtWorksTO Alumni Pathways Program upon completion

The program is structured into two specialized streams:
🎬 Media Arts
🎨 Arts Education

Before applying:
✔️ Review the FAQ and eligibility requirements
✔️ Prepare your creative portfolio
✔️ Sign up for FREE one-on-one professional portfolio feedback by emailing [email protected]

🗓 Deadline to apply: June 18, 2026

Questions? Reach out to Program Lead, Ximena Berecochea at [email protected]

Learn more and apply through the link in bio.
https://torontoartsfoundation.org/programs/artworksto-newcomer/

05/12/2026

On June 5, join Toronto Arts Foundation and some of the city’s most vibrant artists and performers for a celebration of all things creativity in Dufferin Grove Park!🌲🎨

The Season Kick-off event is an invitation to get outside, touch grass, and make art.😌

The festivities will include live musical performances, interactive cyanotype and screen printing workshops, a garden tour, free treats and more! Over 140,000 Torontonians came out to Arts in the Parks last summer — now it’s your turn to play outside. 🌞

Friday, June 6, 2026, 1-4 pm
Dufferin Grove Park, 875 Dufferin Street
FREE, no registration required
Learn more here (link in bio) https://torontoartsfoundation.org/programs/arts-in-the-parks/

DufferinGrovePark

Alt Text:
Poster for the Arts in the Parks Season Kick-Off. The top features colorful nature icons (leaves and flowers) above the title "“rts in the Parks Season Kick-Off.” The date is listed as June 5, 1 PM – 4 PM at Dufferin Grove Park, 875 Dufferin St. Three circular photos show a person painting, a performer in a colorful mask, and two people smiling. Logos for Toronto Arts Foundation and various sponsors are at the bottom.

Hundreds of family-friendly, inclusive free arts events in parks across Toronto, all summer long

05/05/2026

Red Dress Day is a call to remember, to honour, and to demand justice. ❤️
 
May 5, also known as the National Awareness Day for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people (MMIWG2S+), is an important day to reflect, learn, and raise awareness about this ongoing crisis. It’s also a day to support Indigenous communities, and to honour the lives of those missing and murdered. Red Dress Day was inspired by Métis artist Jamie Black after she hung hundreds of empty red dresses in public places to represent missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
 
This violence is an ongoing human rights emergency rooted in colonization and systemic racism. Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people continue to face disproportionate levels of harm, disappearance, and murder. In Canada, more than 6 in 10 Indigenous women have experienced physical or sexual assault in their lifetime.
 
Red dresses hanging empty serve as powerful reminders of lives stolen, voices silenced, and futures disrupted. They make the invisible visible.
 
More than remembrance, this day is about action:
❤️ Wear red and encourage others to wear red dresses, pins, or shirts
❤️ Participate in memorial walks, community fires, and smudging ceremonies
❤️ Learn more through Indigenous-led resources, workshops, and webinars
❤️ Amplify Indigenous voices
❤️ Support Indigenous organizations
❤️ Demand full implementation of the 231 Calls for Justice
 
As Lori Campbell said, “The chances are if you know an Indigenous person, they’re related to someone who’s gone missing or murdered.”
 
We will not look away. We will not forget. Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people is long overdue.
 
See more ways you can take action! (link in bio)https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Calls_for_Justice.pdf
 
 

04/29/2026

Vladimir Kanic is the recipient of the Breakthrough Artist Award!🎉

A transmedia artist known for his innovative living algae sculptures, Vladimir transforms breath, carbon emissions, and ecological awareness into immersive works that confront the climate crisis. His visionary practice bridges art, science, and sustainability while imagining more symbiotic futures.

The Breakthrough Artist Award recognizes emerging artists making a significant impact with bold, innovative work early in their careers.

Congratulations Vladimir!✨🎉

Watch all finalists and recipients videos on our YouTube channel!

04/29/2026

Alexis Baró is the recipient of The Muriel Sherrin Award!🎉

An internationally acclaimed trumpeter, composer, and producer, Alexis Baró has made an extraordinary impact on Toronto’s jazz scene through his virtuosity, innovation, and dedication to musical excellence. His work continues to shape and elevate Canada’s cultural landscape.

The Muriel Sherrin Award recognizes an international achievement in music or dance by a Toronto artist. Endowed by the surplus from the 1984 Toronto International Festival of Music and Dance and named in memory of Muriel Sherrin.

Congratulations Alexis!🎼🎊

Watch all finalists and recipients videos on our YouTube channel!