The City of Toronto has announced the curators and the event-wide theme for its annual all-night celebration of contemporary art to be held on October 5, 2019. Created by the City in collaboration with Toronto’s arts community, the event will return to Scarborough for its second year. Other details released today include the Open Call Project and Independent Project submission information, and new funding for the Independent Project Program. Applications forms and information are available at https://www.toronto.ca/nbto.
Art enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience contemporary art at Fort York National Historic Site and Garrison Common and surrounding neighbourhoods in addition to displays in the Scarborough Centre neighbourhood and on Nathan Phillips Square.
“Nuit Blanche Toronto will help shine a light on the vibrant and robust art scene in seven neighbourhoods in 2019,” said Mayor John Tory. “Each year, this event provides Torontonians and visitors alike the opportunity to experience art made accessible for all.”
City-produced exhibitions
Nuit Blanche Toronto 2019 will feature two City-produced exhibitions led by curators Ashley McKenzie-Barnes (Toronto) in Scarborough, and Layne Hinton and Rui Pimenta (Toronto) at the Fort York National Historic Site, Garrison Common and surrounding neighborhoods. The event will also feature a large-scale installation at City Hall created by Daniel Arsham (New York).
The 2019 curators and artists will reflect on the event-wide theme of “Continuum” in developing their projects. In a world that feels increasingly polarized, the theme of “Continuum” responds to the interconnected and often contradictory paradoxes of life in the changing city.
Open Call Projects
The Open Call Project program will give artists the opportunity to have their works presented as part of the City-produced exhibitions. Up to four projects will be chosen by curators and should respond to the curatorial theme of the selected exhibition area. Applications for the Open Call Program will be accepted until Monday, February 4.
Independent Projects
Nuit Blanche Toronto welcomes proposals for self-produced projects by professional artists, collectives, not-for-profit organizations, galleries, cultural and educational institutions and neighbourhood organizations as part of the Independent Projects Program. New for 2019, successful applicants to the Independent Projects Program will receive an honorarium of $1,500 to offset production costs related to their project, such as artist fees, staffing, and equipment rental.
Also new for 2019, the City is pleased to announce a partnership with the Toronto Arts Council (TAC), which provides Independent Project applicants the opportunity to receive up to $20,000 through the TAC “Animating Toronto Streets – Nuit Blanche” pilot program. Eligible applicants must be Toronto-based professional artists, collectives or not-for-profit organizations. Projects must be proposed specifically for the public right of way, which includes Toronto streets, sidewalks and laneways.
Applications for the Independent Project program will be accepted until Thursday, February 14.
The City will hold the following information sessions for community participation in the Independent Project and Open Call Project programs. Location details are available at https://www.toronto.ca/nbto.
• Tuesday, January 15 – Downtown info session from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Thursday, January 17 – Scarborough info session from 2 to 4 p.m.
• Tuesday, January 22 – Scarborough info session from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Thursday, January 24 – Downtown info session from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
About Nuit Blanche Toronto
Nuit Blanche Toronto is the city’s annual all-night celebration of contemporary art, produced by the City of Toronto in collaboration with Toronto’s arts community and funded by the Government of Ontario and Tourism Toronto. Since 2006, this award-winning event has featured almost 1,490 art installations by approximately 5,200 artists and has generated more than $355 million in economic impact for Toronto. Information and updates are available at http://www.nbto.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/nuitblancheTO, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nuitblancheTO, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/nuitblancheTO. The event hashtag is #nbTO19.
Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TorontoComms, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.