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North York Arts

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Toronto, ON
North York Arts

Uplifting Artists, Celebrating Communities.

North York Arts is working in collaboration with North York City Councillors, and the City’s Culture Division to foster arts programming and engagement in North York. North York Arts offers marketing and promotion services, networking and community development workshops, programming, and administrative support to the North York arts community.

08/25/2026

Wrapping up our Summer Guest Artist program, Zere shares her finished painting and an inspiring blog post reflecting deeply on what it means to her. 🖼️🎨

Here's a sneak peak of it:

"It was a great experience to have my first-ever artist residency. I had the opportunity to think deeply about my project and what I wanted to explore during the residency. When I first started thinking about what this project could be, I realized that this August marks my five-year anniversary of moving to Toronto. I have decided to celebrate it by creating an oil painting called 'Looking Back, Moving Forward'...
..Now, at 23, I am still young, but when I look back, I realize how much I have changed... "

You can read Zere's full blog post on our website at https://www.northyorkarts.org/2026/08/zere-abylgazina-guest-artist-blog

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You can keep up with Zere's artistic journey and projects through her social media on Instagram:

Thank you for following Zere's guest artist journey, and we hope you continue to support her work! 🧡✨

08/20/2026

Want to learn the art of audiovisual storytelling and be part of a collaborative project in North York? 🎥

We are seeking participants (ages 18-29) for "The North Side of Everywhere," a program where participants will collaborate on the production of a podcast documentary focused on the North York community, what it means to them, and what growth they wish to see in the future.

Facilitated and led by artist, Uchenna MacDonald, participants will have the opportunity to:

⭐️ Learn audiovisual storytelling principles.
⭐️ Develop interviewing and ethical journalism skills.
⭐️ Gain experience using audio and video recording equipment.
⭐️ Produce an original interview-based story connected to North York.
⭐️ Build confidence telling community-based stories.

💰$100 honorarium provided to each participant

Please Note: No previous experience is required. Applications from North York residents will be prioritized for this program.

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📆 Workshop Dates:
Opening Workshop - August 31
Filming Days - September 16, 21, & 24

🕐 Times: 6pm-7:30pm (for all workshops)

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HOW TO REGISTER?

Number of participants for the program are limited. You can register and learn more about the program using the link - https://form.jotform.com/262294576642264

Deadline to register: Thursday, August 27 by 11:59PM

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ABOUT THE ARTIST

Uchenna MacDonald is a committed Documentarian, Editor, Writer, Community Engager, and Reader! Born in Boston, he has since lived in Montreal, Toronto, Providence, and Seville, Spain. Uchenna has an undergraduate degree from Concordia University in Creative Writing and a Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Media from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Uchenna’s art explores topics such as individual and communal identity and how that identity locates people within broader societal dynamics.

08/14/2026

Bingo! Find your local Charitable Bingo and Gaming centre today.

North York Arts is a proud participant of Charitable Gaming! Through volunterism at Rama Gaming House, we can continue our important work in the community.

Charities across Ontario raise funds through the Charitable Gaming initiative so when you play, local charities win!

Bingo! When you play, local charities win.

Thank you to our partners at and .gaminghouse for their continued support in funding our community programs here in North York! 🌟

08/07/2026

Continuing with our Summer Guest Artist program, see more behind the scenes of Zere's painting process and her story expressed onto canvas. 🌟🎨

Here's a note from Zere as she continues to shape her painting to life:

"A look inside the beginning of this painting.

I’m putting down the first layers of oil paint and exploring the colour palette that will shape the rest of the piece. This stage is all about making decisions, responding to the canvas, and allowing the painting to slowly reveal itself.

I’m excited to see how this work evolves. Stay tuned for the next layers."

Look forward to Zere's blog post to wrap up the Summer Guest Artist program! ☀️

08/04/2026

We are excited to officially welcome Deanna Cadette as North York Arts' Executive Director! 🎉

🌟See a note from Deanna on her journey starting as NYA's Interim Executive Director to now:

"Leading an organization, regardless of its size, is not for the faint of heart.

In NYA’s 15th anniversary year, I’d like to send a special shoutout to its past executive directors who took on the challenge with grace, hard work and plenty of humour: Lila Karim as founder, and most recently, Christina Giannelia.

Having served as interim leader for the past year, I’m very honoured to step into their shoes as NYA’s third permanent ED.

During this time, I’ve seen the direct impact NYA makes in the lives of artists and the community. Just this spring, we kicked off our 15th anniversary year with an incredible DJ workshop led by artist-entrepreneur and founder of Love Music Initiative Canada, DJ Elegance. This series brought several generations together to learn and celebrate a beloved artform, to transform the Meridian Arts Centre and to connect local residents, elected officials and business members.

I’m grateful to our stellar team whose passion and dedication power the day-to-day work of the organization. We’ve grown together over the past year, becoming a stronger, more resilient unit while delivering on ambitious goals and navigating demanding timelines.

And here’s to our supportive Board of Directors for their vote of confidence in our efforts and shared vision for the organization. Their thoughtful leadership, rigorous governance, and genuine care provide the foundation that allows NYA to thrive

Together, we’re excited to take NYA to the next level, working with artists, the community, local businesses, partners and elected officials to make North York a flourishing home and destination for arts and culture.

Let’s go, Team NYA!"

07/27/2026

Zere shares glimpses of her painting progress with us as we continue on with the Summer Guest Artist program! 🎨☀️

As we see her canvas transformation begin, see a note from Zere below about her process:

"Every painting starts with a foundation.

A little glimpse into my process: transferring my sketch onto the canvas and laying down the first underpainting. This stage is all about establishing the composition, values, and the base that the oil paint layers will build upon.

This is only the beginning - stay tuned as I slowly bring this painting to life, one oil paint layer at a time."

Stay tuned to see her painting come to life! 🌟

07/24/2026

Visiting our last stop in our Local Palette series, our team got to visit a gallery hidden in the heart of York University, The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery of York University!

With installations from artists including Anne Duk Hee Jordan and D’Andrea Bowie up until July 25th, the Goldfarb Gallery is free to visit and a fun stop in North York to view some cool art they have up. 🎨

We hope this series was able to give you a glimpse of the many creative spots and artwork hidden across North York. And remember that art, creativity and inspiration can be found much closer to you than you think.

Thank you for joining us across North York, and we can’t wait to create more memories in our communities. 🧡

07/22/2026

In partnership with North York Arts, Cuddles Learning will be leading free, introductory pixel art workshops for kids (ages 6 to 12) at Grandravine Community Recreation Centre throughout August for Digital Learning Month! 👾🎨

Participants will have the opportunity to explore how pictures are built using simple grids while developing creativity, focus, and problem solving skills through hands-on activities.

📆 When: Saturday, August 1st, 8th and 15th
📍 Where: Grandravine Community Recreation Centre (23 Grandravine Dr, North York, ON M3N 1J4 )
🕐 Time: 1PM-2PM

Note: iPads and laptops will be provided for participants!

There is limited space available per workshop, so fill out the form to reserve your child's spot and spark their creativity through the exciting world of pixel art! 🌟

🔗 Register for the workshops here - https://form.jotform.com/262013514354245

07/21/2026

That's a wrap on the paint-by-numbers community mural! 🎨

During Play on the Runway on July 11 and 12, we had a bookmark making booth, alongside a paint-by-numbers community mural led by artist, Breetwo.

With an focus on "finding your place within the city", Sabrina (Breetwo) created a mural that embodies community connection and wonder through the theme of kite flying. 🪁

We hope everyone who grabbed a paint brush with us was able to make some memories, connect, and find their own place within this mural.

Thank you to everyone who dropped by and helped us bring this giant mural come to life, and to the people who made this amazing weekend possible. 🧡

Check out the photos to see how the finished mural turned out!

07/20/2026

Lee Lifeson Art Park and Mel Lastman Square are two special places to us at North York Arts, so we hope you can enjoy all the community activities and events that happen throughout the year.

This summer for example, there are several free concerts happening at both locations here in Willowdale:

Concerts in the Park

📍 Lee Lifeson Art Park
📆 Every Thursday until July 30th (bonus encore stage happening on August 12)
🕖7PM-9PM

Sunday Serenades

📍 Mel Lastman Square
📆 Every Sunday starting July 26th until August 16th.
🕖7PM-9PM

Both these events are hosted by the Willowdale Arts Collective, and you can learn more through their page!

As we prepare for our last spot, we hope this series has helped you catch some of the creative community events and local art North York has to offer.

Stay tuned for our last creative stop in our Local Palette series! ☀️🎨

Address

5040 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
M2N6R8

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16474776059

Website

http://northyorkarts.org/

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