Nuit Blanche East Danforth, 2023!


Nuit Blanche is coming to back East Danforth for its third time! Join us on September 23rd for this special all-night celebration of contemporary art from sunset to sunrise!

Nuit Blanche – East Danforth 23
Saturday September 23, 2023 | 7pm – 7am
Various locations along Danforth Avenue, between Donlands and Woodbine TTC Stations
Cost: FREE to attend!
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Toronto’s sunset to sunrise celebration is the largest contemporary art event in North America, and we’re so excited to be welcoming our third hub in East Toronto this fall! Thanks to our main partner, The Danforth Mosaic BIA, and our new partner, Native Women in the Arts, we’re presenting another all-night art experience to our East Toronto communities along Danforth Avenue, between Donlands TTC Station to East Lynn Park!

This year’s Nuit Blanche East Danforth Hub theme is “The Future of the Danforth”, asking artists and community members to imagine the Danforth of the future, 200 years out. Will it feature flying electric self-driving cars, and technological advancements too complex to comprehend? Will the streetscape be a barren post-apocalyptic landscape? What will our relationship with the environment look like?

On September 23, 2023, we invite you and your families to join us for Nuit Blanche East Danforth 2023 (#NBED23), which will feature an impressive storefront gallery series from the future, a textile waste laundromat experience, video projections honouring past and future, reclaimed public art installations, and so much more! Scroll down to learn more about everything this year’s hub has to offer.

QUICK CLICK MENU:

MAJOR ART INSTALLATIONS:

  1. Major Installation: East Danforth Wildlife
    Location: Rooftop at 975 Danforth Ave.
    Artists: Secret Art Collective featuring Blondy & Peanut
    Instagram
    Artist Statement: In a quest to reuse, recycle and make a more sustainable Nuit Blanche festival experience, audiences will see the return of the hot pink, dynamically lit, life-size plastic coyotes of 2022 return to a new location in 2023!
    The year is now 2223, and the abandoned 7/11 storefront at 975 Danforth Avenue continues to sit empty. Businesses up and down the strip have closed and been long forgotten about. The streetscape is a post-apocalyptic spectacle, and the surrounding wildlife has made a full comeback. Foxes, raccoons, opossums and of course, the coyotes, call this their turf now. This returned East Danforth Wildlife installation will remind audiences that all of this was wilderness once, and the wilderness comes back home any chance it gets, while responding with whimsy to fears of humankind’s precarious place within the natural world.
  2. Major Installation: Cult(ure) of Consumerism
    Location: Danforth Laundromat, 1076 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Norwin Anne
    Instagram | Website
    Artist Statement:Throughout the last few years, I became more focused on “textile waste” and the secondhand clothing supply chain. Then when I learned about the extreme amount of discarded clothes that end up overseas, I was motivated to help divert unwanted clothes in my community from the waste stream. It started as a volunteer effort to redistribute clothing that turned into a learning practice and research study about our waste culture with textiles, which developed into a clothing swap / repair program — From Here to Wear, an initiative that encourages reuse, skill sharing and knowledge building. Buying clothing has become a compulsive habit and an addiction where we’re worshiping at this altar of stuff, almost like a ritual that overpowers what’s more meaningful in our lives – we (sub)consciously serve capitalism as consumers. The better alternative is to shift towards a “slow fashion” mindset and reduce our consumption by being more intentional with our wardrobe. This educational and interactive art installation will feature new textile works, along with other sculptural pieces that are all deliberately designed using discarded materials (from found objects to repurposing the remaining clothing and textiles not suited for charitable donations collected at From Here to Wear in the past year). It will “air out” the fashion industry’s “dirty laundry” and prompt us to consider our role within consumer culture — positing the need for a society where everything and everyone is valued, while also urging us to change our relationship with our clothing and how we can reimagine the future of “textile waste”. 
  3. Major Installation: Winter turned Fall Stations
    Location: Coxwell and Danforth Parkette, 1545 Danforth Ave.
    Artists: Novak Djogo & Daniel Joshua Vanderhorst
    Artist Statement:As an arts organization, we are concerned about the time, resources, and materials that go into temporary public art installations only to have them wind up in the landfill because there is no plan for them after, or no space to affordably store them between touring engagements. The upcycling movement has witnessed a resurgence as people work to combat climate change, which has included artists creating more installations that are made from items that would otherwise end up in the garbage.This Nuit Blanche we are excited to present the Winter Stations as Fall Stations, giving our favourite installation titled “CONRAD” a unique new life and experience. Public art is meant to help promote thinking and debate, and it is hoped that viewers of these installations will be inspired to find ways to upcycle and reuse items in all aspects of their own lives, while exploring ways for households, workplaces, and businesses to consume less, reuse, and repurpose for sustainable change!
    CONRAD Installation:
    Conrad was the name of a raccoon that died on the corner of Yonge and Church in the summer of 2015. And though Conrad was just a raccoon, he was human enough to inspire compassion and warmth in the hearts of Torontonians. This is a monument in his honour.
  4. Major Installation: A Funeral for a Funeral Home: An Incorruptible Relic, and an Architectural Death-Mask
    Location: 1111 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Dave Kemp
    Artist Statement: Dating back to 1930, the Trull Funeral Home and Cremation Centre operated here at 1111 Danforth Avenue until very recently. It was one of the oldest businesses in the Danforth area, serving residents of all denominations and helping them through some of their most difficult times, until its doors closed in 2021.The empty, lifeless building remains on the site, but it will soon be demolished to make way for a new condominium development. Even though a portion of the funeral home’s facade will be incorporated into the new condominium’s architecture, the Trull Funeral Home has essentially moved-on from this place. With the passing of The Trull Funeral Home, we should take the time to remember this place, and pay our respects to its legacy and significance to the community. With that in mind, it seems only fitting to have a proper funeral for this funeral home — to celebrate its life and provide closure, as it has done for so many others.
  5. Major Installation: Geometric City: Islamic Geometric Shapes
    Website
    Location: Caithness Ave. & Danforth Ave.
    Artists: Mehedi Khan, Linda Salem, and Igor Samardzic from Muslims in Public Space—MiPs
    Artist Statement: This artwork pays tribute to the elegance and cultural significance of Islamic Geometric shapes. Our chalk work uses four fundamental shapes to create multiple patterns; circles with their intricate interconnections, star patterns derived from squares, and triangles encased in circles — captivating a beautiful tessellation effect. These shapes enhance visual aesthetics and serve as a meaningful cultural bridge for Muslims.These patterns hold deep symbolism for Muslims in their daily lives. They can be spotted adorning the columns, doors, and walls of mosques, madrasas, and other Islamic-built forms. They can be spotted in Toronto, even at Madina Masjid on Danforth. For Muslims, these shapes evoke memories of intricate architectural marvels, urban gardens, and artistic calligraphy. These patterns reflect the intricate design of creation, symbolizing the interconnectedness of everything in the universe.Furthermore, these shapes represent a reclaiming of public spaces. In a city where urban design has often overlooked the perspectives of other communities, the incorporation of Islamic geometric shapes stands as a powerful declaration, symbolizing the right to create space.
  6. Major Installation: Wampum Pride
    Location: Blossoming Minds Daycare, 1530 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Jay Havens
    Instagram | Website
    Artist Statement: For Wampum Pride Havens evokes the image of a wampum belt featuring figures holding hands in unity, peace, and love. Wampum is a millennia old way for making agreements and conveying significant understandings and concepts between host nations in Tkaronto (Anishinaabe, Wendat and Haudenosaunee) as well as other indigenous nations in the Great Lakes and eastern regions of Turtle Island. Wampum agreements have also been extended and continue to exist between settler colonial governments in the form of treaties such as the Treaty of Niagara Belt of 1764, Two Row Wampum of 1613 or the Dish with One Spoon Wampum of 1701. For this installation the figures are set against the colours of the progress flag calling for inclusivity and visibility of all gender and relationship orientations.

IN VIEW ART INSTALLATIONS:

IN VIEW: East Danforth Storefront Installations pair local business owners with artists from across the city to transform their storefront windows into exciting gallery displays. For the night of September 23rd, 2023, twenty independent artists will bring storefront windows and outdoor spaces to life along Danforth Avenue! Join us to enjoy the following IN VIEW Installations:

  1. IN VIEW Installation: What eye see
    Location: Bare Market, 1480 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Emotionart Collective
    Instagram | Website
    Artist Statement: I, Ana Gabriela, am the director of UNFOLDING, an art and design program for youth ages 11-14. This installation is a group collaboration made by the instructors, a life coach, young participants, and parents who live and/or work near the Danforth. We asked participants to look into the future of the Danforth 200 years out. What they came up with were very diverse scenarios. Most of them were fatalistic, but all portrayed much human adaptation, resilience, and a deep determination to survive no matter what.
    In this installation the eyes are made of paper mache in different sizes, colours and shapes. In the iris, each artist portrays their vision of the future. The purpose is to make them as beautiful as possible so they look appealing to the eye from afar. Once the audience gets closer, they will see each artist’s vision of the future of the Danforth.Through the eyes of UNFOLDING’s young artists, the audience can see what young people are feeling about the future of the Danforth. They have observed Toronto’s social-cultural, political, economic, and environmental situations and how they generally shape Danforth and East End life.
  2. IN VIEW Installation: Reflective Foresight for a Dystopian Utopia
    Location: Ethel, 1781 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Andria Keen
    Instagram | Website
    Artist Statement: In Reflective Foresight for a Dystopian Utopia, possibilities of what life might be like in 200 years become illuminated through speculative headlines from East York, September 23rd, 2223. To assess the state of the Danforth in 2223, it is first necessary to consider where we will be as a species and as a planet. With lifespans expanding, ballooning populations likely make building upwards rather than outward essential. Climate needs will demand rewilding the Earth, and sustainable infrastructure seamlessly integrated with AI could become the norm. Reflective Foresight for a Dystopian Utopia is an installation that invites viewers to engage with their place and reflection in this speculative time tapestry that attempts to avoid the pitfalls of duality, viewing the future not as good or bad, a dystopia or utopia because, in this artist’s view, as long as we can keep our species from mass extinction, it will always and forever be a bit of both.
    *Special thanks to Angela Pacienza, The Globe and Mail.
  3. IN VIEW Installation: Light Catcher
    Location: 1028 Danforth Ave., Outside of Burger Bros
    Artist: Asli Alin
    Instagram | Website
    Artist Statement: Light Catcher is an installation which draws inspiration from the architectural systems found in nature. By imitating nature’s ability to create intricate structures from basic elements, the piece invites viewers to explore it from multiple perspectives, evoking their curiosity and active engagement.
  4. IN VIEW Installation: Look Up for the Answer
    Location: The Danny BIA Office, 1432 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Chelsea Virginia
    Instagram
    Artist Statement: In times of joy or sorrow, confusion or solitude, we often find ourselves looking up at the clouds. What is it about cloud formations that can feel so otherworldly, heavenly, and magical? Different cultures and religions have their own beliefs on the symbolism of clouds, like many have historically viewed them as the middle space between earth and heaven where “gods and other immortals would exist”.When I look up at the clouds, I feel connected to the universe. I feel mighty and important, but dwarfed and insignificant all at the same time. Clouds remind me of my place in the world, and yet, they also have an ability to symbolize our inner feelings, emotions, and thoughts. Like how fluffy cotton-candy-like clouds can feel hopeful and optimistic, while dark and foggy clouds might represent doom, depression, and despair.Day after day, clouds roll by in the sky and remind us of the passing and fleeting nature of time; they remind us that our time on this planet is short, and that we all exist under the same celestial canvas. When I imagine the world 200 years from now, I still see people staring up at the clouds in an attempt to gather meaning and clarity about life, just as we do now. What will the clouds be telling those future citizens of planet earth?
  5. IN VIEW Installation: Nurture in Death
    Location: Broad Lingerie, 2097 Danforth Ave.
    Artists: Deepikah R B and Raquel Mendes
    Deepikah: Instagram | Website
    Raquel: Instagram
    Artist Statement: This installation speaks to the materiality of a future in which humanity could come to terms with the presence and reality of death. It is an assemblage of objects that invoke the mysterious and regenerative power of death, not as an entity which opposes life, but as a life-supporting and transmutative process ever-present whether we pay attention to it or not.Our collective lived experience stems from beyond eurocentric understanding of the concepts of death. Unconsciouly or not, we are participants in death, through our food, clothing, shelter, decoration, and other aspects of daily life. As inhabitants of an urban environment, we are usually far removed from death as a natural process, even though we are constantly in contact with the life it produces. Commercial settings often seek to conceal processes of age and decay in favor of excessive consumerism, which undermines sustainability. By bringing this imagery to a place of commerce, we hope to spark a debate around how our relationship with operations relating to death might be improved and provide healthier and more sustainable collective practices.
  6. IN VIEW Installation: A Space for Longing
    Location: Ampersand Bakehouse, 1808 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Janet Hinkle
    Artist Statement: Idealizing the Danforth as a space for natural regeneration and coexistence between man, flora and fauna, A Space for Longing provides viewers with an abstracted glimpse into a future version of the Danforth that embraces our natural environments and collaborates with pre-existing structures to create a future for all to thrive within a contemporary urban environment.Using form, texture, colour and light, this window installation responds to this year’s IN VIEW theme through an optimistic lens. Illustrating how nature can be incorporated and nurtured across the Danforth’s human-influenced spaces, this installation blends the contrasting elements of East Danforth to create a conceptual representation and hope for the future of the area.
  7. IN VIEW Installation: Ancestral Dancers
    Location: The Pink Studio, 2053 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Jasmine Wemigwans
    Instagram
    Artist Statement: The Seven Grandfather Teachings are reflected through animal symbolism with their respective meanings. Such as Respect (Buffalo), Humility (Wolf), Honesty (Raven or Sabe), Bravery (Bear), Love (Eagle), Truth (Turtle) and Wisdom (Beaver). The Indigenous dancers reflected showcase traditional dress styles called regalia seen at culturally significant events like Pow Wows. Pow Wows are places where the gathering of First Nations and Native American community members arrive, to allow for socializing, dancing, singing and to honour traditions. Sometimes the dancing events can be competitive with monetary prizes. Pow Wows are a way to reconnect with your kin and with  Mother Earth. Some of the dance styles showcased are Traditional Jingle Dress, Fancy Dance, Grass Dance, Hoop Dance, Prairie Chicken and  Ribbon Dress. There is also a drummer showcased.Pow Wows deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. They were once outlawed by the Canadian Government to supress Indigenous peoples’ expression of culture and heritage. The Seven Grandfather teachings give us guidelines to live by that help us understand our connectivity with other living beings and to have self awareness.
  8. IN VIEW Installation: Children are our Future
    Location: Areej Artists Centre, 1896 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Katia Ferderber
    Instagram
    Artist Statement: Surrounding myself around Mother Earth feeds my Soul, Spirit, Mind and Body. The beauty of nature is what drives me to create. I feel connected to the land and therefore I express my gratitude for it through my paintings and collages. My goal is to bring that beauty to others through my work, with the help of rich colour schemes and mixed media. Using acrylics gives me that freedom to play with colours for my Anishnaabe florals and gives it a captivating beauty.
  9. IN VIEW Installation: Somatic Resonance: Taylor Creek Maple
    Location: Crying Out Loud, 2005 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Kimberley Dewing
    Instagram
    Artist Statement: Can non-human beings be collaborators in our art practices? How are they already? Can a tree be a dance partner? How can we create while respecting the autonomy of a nonverbal being? How can we use our voices to speak for the trees, the rocks, the water?In Somatic Resonance: Taylor Creek Maple, the artist forms a connection with a local Norway Maple through embodied movement and dance, dreaming of a future where we deeply value the lives, experiences and stories of non-human beings. An animistic future, where these beings are vital and inextricable.Somatic Resonance is a bridge to that future and an attempt to inspire connection and empathy, and encourage governments to uphold the incredible importance of established communities (of trees, rocks, waterways, animals, and humans) in face of new infrastructure, construction projects and climate crisis.In “The Future of the Danforth” trees are dance partners, rocks are dear confidantes, forested parks hold our stories, and rivers are sacred.
  10. IN VIEW Installation: Everything Mural
    Location: Good Intentions, 1434 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Kyla Yager
    Instagram | Website
    Artist Statement: Imagine the Danforth in 50 years through the eyes of an artist. What if in the future, everything was muraled and colorfully painted from head to toe. Every building, sign, garbage bin, car, house, storefront, street, etc. Ultimately, the future of the Danforth will include ongoing opportunities for artists to thrive, making way for an immersive, colorful, and vibrant future. This idea will be portrayed as a painted window mural at Good Intentions with an interactive chalk component, making this “everything mural” a reality. To collaborate with surrounding businesses, I have hand painted and upscaled various second-hand items from shops on the Danny, as well as found/gifted items from the surrounding streets in the area. As a local neighborhood artist, I love to showcase how we can creatively support each other’s businesses and uplift our trade and gift economy. The window mural will have small openings to look through the glass and discover those hand-painted objects through that artistic, futuristic lens.
  11. IN VIEW Installation: Shine Your Light
    Location: The SPACE Studio, 932 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Linette Doherty
    Artist Statement: The Future Of The Danforth is here! “Shine Your Light” is an interactive glow stick dance party on the Danforth featuring live performances celebrating the many diverse cultures in Toronto – and along the Danforth. The SPACE will showcase a variety of different dance styles in our window for passersby, while inside we invite everyone to participate with workshops and an open dance floor throughout the night. Early in the evening, we will feature music and performances for younger children and families enjoying Nuit Blanche together. As the night progresses, we will move through various ages and stages of dance – the younger children grow into teens and adults and our music and performances will reflect this change as we step into the future of the children we first saw. And as night fades into day and we step out into the light of a new day, our fading glowsticks remind us how we too need to recharge and replenish in order to shine our light in the darkness. Our bodies are the medium we use to dance, and we are the ones who will nurture the next generation and sustain the vibrant community that is the heart of the east end and the Danforth.
  12. IN VIEW Installation: Life with Plastic
    Location: Hair Love Studio, 1000 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Melanie Billark
    Instagram | Website
    Artist Statement: Life with Plastic is an ephemeral and whimsical installation incorporating mini ecosystems using found mosses from forgotten spaces such as laneways and alleyways throughout the city. These mini ecosystems will be housed in collected and upcycled plastic bags/ bottles, and containers collected from the community. This site specific installation will be a depiction of what our future will look like after the plastic ban when nature takes over- as plastics take 20-500 years to properly decompose, becoming a long-time problem that artists,creatives, designers,and innovators will have to start to critically think about in terms of materiality and creating a circular economy mindset around the material. 

    Life with Plastic is a look into the future and will be a space where re-wilding is prioritized, where nature is learning how to live with plastics- and the Danforth in Toronto has prioritized green spaces where nature can thrive, finding unconventional ways to up-cycle these materials, appearing symbiotic. A poetic homage to the power of nature, celebrating its resilience and innovation.
  13. IN VIEW Installation: Look Forward, Look Back
    Location: Fabric Spark, 1992 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Merryn Connelly-Miller & Eva Connelly-Miller
    Artist Statement: Look Forward, Look Back is a multimedia installation using a combination of found objects, video projections, and painted elements. As sisters who grew up in the East End, we share memories of the area that we hope to draw on to imagine what the future could look like. By using old home video footage to explore personal memory, and contrasting that with imagery of shared public space, we hope to invite viewers to reflect on their own experience of change over the years and imagine what kind of future we want to build together. By looking back, we can see how much change has occurred in our area in a short space of time – some good, some damaging, some difficult to grasp. Change is constant and the future is not one monolithic thing, but rather something that we are building every day. The installation will show different imaginary futures to spark a conversation about what we want to see happen along the Danforth in future years. By inviting viewers into the scene through the use of mirrors, we hope that they will be moved to consider themselves as part of our imagined “futures,” and builders of our real shared future.
  14. IN VIEW Installation: All In The Same Canoe: We Need To Paddle Together
    Location: Danforth Coxwell Library, 1675 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Mike Ormsby
    Website
    Artist Statement: We need to refloat or right the canoe that is Canada, especially as we work towards reconciliation. This is both hope and challenge for us; what we strive towards as real possibility for a shared future; to remind Canadians that we’re all in the same canoe and that to make this country work we should all be paddling together. BUT this cannot be just Indigenous people paddling alone….the rest of Canada has to join in. Non-Indigenous people cannot sit on the bottom of the canoe like George Simpson sipping tea with his Scottish bagpiper announcing his arrival….while the others did all the paddling. AND this also means that it cannot be just Indigenous people portaging the canoe that is Canada on their own….everyone has to pick up the load….everyone has to carry that canoe on their back.
  15. IN VIEW Installation: The Second Stop is Jupiter
    Location: Danforth Coxwell Library, 1675 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Moe Pramanick
    Website | Instagram
    Artist Statement: In the year 2223, planet Earth has become nearly uninhabitable due to climate change. Governments across the world are in a global race for successful resettlement. In Canada, youth from 18-34 are enlisted into three units of Canada’s space exploration program: (1) IEU – Seeking a new planet or star with Earth-like conditions, (2) SSCU – The development of free-floating, self-contained space stations, and (3) GEU – Genetic modification of the human body for survival under non-Earth-like conditions.The Second Stop is Jupiter visualizes three recruits who represent the beginnings of a rebellion against the space colonization movement –  opposing the inhumane nature of the draft and the neglect of social, political and environmental accountability from those in power.Using the aesthetic sensibilities of speculative fiction, sci-fi, cyberpunk and the writings of Octavia Butler, Samuel Delaney and others, the work offers an imagining of life for the future generations of youth in Toronto and beyond. Its aim is to encourage viewers to reflect on the consequences of North American capitalism and corporate greed, and especially asserts the belief that resistance is always within our capability.
  16. IN VIEW Installation: Crafting the Future
    Location: Create Art Studio, 1803 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Roxanne Ignatius
    Artist Statement: Mushrooms play a vital role in breaking down organic matter and facilitating the cycle of life. Quilters, too, are agents of transformation. The act of quilting bridges the gap between the past and the present, breathing new life into worn fabrics and granting them renewed purpose. Inspired by the creativity and resourcefulness of both human and mycelial traditions, “Crafting the Future” depicts a world created by fungal quilters. Have the mushrooms absorbed human detritus and transformed it in their image? Or rather are they human quilters who have been absorbed into their work? Upcycled electrical cables weave between the figures, referencing the complex underground mycelium networks that mushrooms use for communication and symbiotic collaboration with plants and trees.Fungi have thrived on Earth for hundreds of millions of years. To meet the challenges of the next 200, humans should take inspiration from our inner mushroom.
  17. IN VIEW Installation: A Home Built Out Of The Rubble You Made Of Me
    Location: Chartered Professional Accountant, 1765 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Sara Ghaben
    Website | Instagram
    Artist Statement: A Home Built Out Of The Rubble You Made Of Me explores the concept of home in relation to my Palestinian Heritage and how, since the exile of the Palestinian people in 1948 from their homeland, Palestinians in the diaspora will continue to hold a connection to their identity close to them, no matter where they end up in the world. This installation aims to showcase fragments of our commitment and struggles to hold on to our Palestinian identity amongst adversities. Still, it can apply to different cultures and the vast refugee experience. This installation reflects the theme of the “Future of Danforth” as it showcases BIPOC resilience, resistance and reclamations of our identities.
  18. IN VIEW Installation: The Forefront: Assimilation to Migration in The Danforth
    Location: Bomb Fitness, 1502 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Sarah Alinia Ziazi
    Website | Instagram
    Artist Statement: “The Forefront: Assimilation to Migration in The Danforth” is a response to sustainability as a potential within an interplay between human activity, local fauna, and migration in the Danforth neighbourhood spanning future generations. This large-scale textile mural installation explores the interdependent relationship between human progress and the natural world. It depicts the changing landscapes, disrupted habitats, and the resulting migratory patterns of birds because of the consequences of human influences.
    Crafted using four hand-sewn recyclable canvas and suspended from the ceiling, each strand has spray-painted human figures with local East End birds on their person to emphasize the migratory patterns of the human imprint. The installation is an abstract representation of a unified front visualizing humanity’s resilience in moving forward in one singular direction. “The Forefront: Assimilation to Migration in The Danforth” creates a harmonious balance between natural and human-made elements, emphasizing the need for coexistence and sustainability. By harnessing the power of art and technology, this project is a vibrant and temporary testament to the intersection of conservation, creativity, and community..
  19. IN VIEW Installation: In Store
    Location: Beside Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Stephanie Avery
    Instagram | Website
    Artist Statement: Stephanie’s ‘New Condo City’ project, which began in 2021, is an ever growing, ever evolving interactive sculptural installation of a dystopian condo cityscape. Made out of salvaged condo sandwich board advertisements, ‘New Condo City’ is a scathing yet humorous commentary on Toronto’s housing and cultural crises.‘In Store’ takes components of ‘New Condo City’ and mimics the familiar format of storefront window displays to create a tongue-in-cheek statement about the future of city life. The layout and lighting imitates that of a generic luxury furniture store: simple, streamlined and lacking in personality. A curated selection of accessories have been added, paradoxically giving the display even less charisma. Viewers are invited to enter the realm of the product display, merging with the installation and experiencing what we have In Store.  ‘In Store’ works perfectly with the Nuit Blanche theme of “breaking ground”, since that’s the first action that’s taken when constructing a new condo. No part of Toronto is unaffected by the imposing presence of condo developments. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing. This could be an opportunity to build something extraordinary. But in our rush toward development we’ve excluded city planning and community integration. Despite the tens of thousands of new residential units that have been built over the past decade alone, we are in the midst of a crisis of housing and culture. How many community and cultural spaces have disappeared due to construction or gentrification? How is it that our housing crisis has worsened while over 65,000 condos sit empty? What happens to our city as we out-price our vulnerable and essential populations? What happens when the arts and culture that make Toronto so vibrant and desirable ceases to exist?
  20. IN VIEW Installation: climate chronicles
    Location: Danforth Barber and Salon, 1319 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Valentina Lozano Leon (la pupila)
    Instagram | Website
    Artist Statement: I invite you to embark on a journey into a future shaped by the profound challenges of climate change. This installation serves as both a reflection on the potential consequences of our actions, and a testament to human resilience in the face of adversity.
    The piece is a visual narrative that envisions Toronto’s evolution in a world forever altered by climate change.  Each element of the installation is crafted  from recycled materials, symbolizing the transformative power of repurposing and renewal.
  21. IN VIEW Installation: Dot Dot Dot
    Location: Secret Planet Print Shop, 918 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Wandy Cheng
    Instagram | Website
    Artist Statement: In response to “The Future of the Danforth”, Dot Dot Dot is a window installation with illustrative cardboard sculptures that resemble artifacts one may seek when traveling to a new dimension, echoing the business’ name. Dot dot dot references an ellipsis, signaling an unfinished thought with a sense of melancholic longing. How can we better envision our collective space during this pivotal period? Oftentimes, the unpredictability of the future can feel overwhelmingly bleak and worrisome. I hope the installation encourages outside the box imagination and prompt impactful discussions for Nuit Blanche visitors.
  22. IN VIEW Installation: Under the Moonlight
    Location: Fresh Paint Studio, 1849 Danforth Ave.
    Artist: Zhan Zhang (zhanswork)
    Instagram | Website
    Artist Statement: This year’s Nuit Blanche themes, “Breaking Ground” and “Future Danforth” invite artists to explore themes of impact of urban development and climate change. In response to these themes and referencing landscapes within the east end of Toronto, “Under the Moonlight” portrays an owl’s eye seeing imaginary changes in reality surrounding us during night time: a time when animals living within the neighborhood appear quiet and live their lives freely without caring of the human world.
    The use of paper as a medium of art creation is environmentally friendly and sustainable. This piece is entirely handcut using recyclable paper, each component can be rearranged thus become reusable as a separate art or decoration piece.

MINI ART ACTIVATIONS TO CHECK OUT:

  1. Predict the Future Together
    Outside at 1 Linnsmore Cr.
    Add your words to our collaborative chalkboard to say what you want to see in 200 years in the future.
  2. Flash Forward
    Outside the Allenby Building at 1213 Danforth Ave.
    Snap a photo in front of our branded Future Danforth selfie station so that everyone will believe that you travelled into the future, 200 years from now.
  3. Sit Down with a Psychic
    East Lynn Park
    During your Nuit Blanche East Danforth visit, you will have the opportunity to sit down with a Psychic to really tap into The Future of the Danforth. Pay for a short psychic reading, palm reading, crystal ball reading. Bring cash with you!
  4. All Ages Disco Party
    Inside Pink Studio at 2053 Danforth Ave.
    Stop by the Pink Studio for an all ages disco in the studio! Happening from 7pm-10pm, come by for a dance while you explore the Danforth after dark.
  5. The Danny Love
    Outside on the lawn of Greenwood Towers, 1120 Danforth Ave.
    The Danny letters are used each summer in our youth mural camp for them to learn about spray paint techniques and get the feel for painting outside. Thanks to the Danny for being such a supportive partner of the arts in the east end of Toronto!
  6. Bomb Dance Party!
    Bomb Fitness will be hosting a dance party in their old Clubhouse (1478 Danforth Ave) from 7pm until midnight! Featuring 4 local bands: 7pm with The Community, 8pm with War Pigs, 9:30pm with Good Group Thanks For Coming, and 10:30pm with Trainwreck!
  7. Collaborative Painting Fun
    Inside Create Art Studio, 1801 Danforth Ave.
    ​​Join Create Art Studio from 7pm – 11pm to participate in a collaborative painting event and make your mark on their large canvas celebrating the theme of Future Danforth!
  8. Daydream Adventures – Theatre Performance
    Stop by Daydream Adventures at 1803 Danforth Ave (lower) to enjoy a preview of an interactive theatre performance that they are working on for later this year. It will be running from 7pm – 12am every 10-15 minutes!
  9. Karaoke at the Groove
    The Groove Bar & Grill, 1952 Danforth Ave.
    Come end your Nuit Blanche East Danforth evening by singing your heart out a the Groove Bar. Karaoke happening from 9pm to 2am!
  10. DJ Barber Hour
    Outside the Danforth Barber and Salon, 1319 Danforth Ave.
    Pop by the Danforth Barber and Salon to enjoy music from a live DJ who will be out front on the sidewalk.
  11. Sauce on Danforth
    1376 Danforth Ave.
    In addition to live music on their CafeTO patio, there will be a mural installation/unveiling on the front patio of Sauce by artist Grace Irving-Hughes.

CAFETO MUSIC ON PATIOS:

  1. Rails & Ales, 1106 Danforth Ave. – Musical Performance by Bob and Hailey Strome
  2. Trecce, 1792 Danforth Ave. – Musical Performances ft. Live Singing and Guitars
  3. The Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave. – Musical Performance at 9:30pm
  4. Pomarosa Coffee Shop & Kitchen, 1504 Danforth Ave. – Late night Patio Performance and DJ
  5. C.C.’S Bar & Grill, 1564 Danforth Ave. – Broke Fuse performing from 7 to 10pm
  6. Sauce on Danforth, 1376 Danforth Ave. – Live Music Performance 9-11pm

RESTAURANTS OPEN LATE:

Nuit Blanche East Danforth audience members are encouraged to visit the following list of businesses for a bite to eat or drink during your visit! Make note of the special deals these businesses are providing for the night of Nuit Blanche:

GRAB A LATE DINNER (sit down):

  • Cumin Kitchen (Indian restaurant), 1820 Danforth Ave. – open until 9:30pm
  • El Sol Mexican Restaurant, 1448 Danforth Ave. – open late until 10pm *extended hours!
  • RUDY (Burger Restaurant), 1330 Danforth Ave. – open late until 12:30am *extended hours!
  • Kababia (Middle Eastern restaurant), 1202 Danforth Ave. – open until 10pm
  • Morgans on the Danforth (Gastropub), 1282 Danforth Ave. – open until 11pm
  • Not Just Butter Chicken, 1307 Danforth Ave. – open until 10:30pm
  • Thai Room (Thai restaurant), 2063 Danforth Ave. – open until 10pm
  • Hirut Cafe And Restaurant (Ethiopian restaurant), 2050 Danforth Ave. – open until 11pm
  • Lalibela Cuisine (Ethiopian restaurant), 1214 Danforth Ave. – open until 12am
  • La Vegan Ethiopian & Eritrean Vegan Cuisine (Ethiopian restaurant), 1450 Danforth Ave. – open until 12am
  • Local 1794 (Pub restaurant), 1794 Danforth Ave. – open until 12am
  • The Wood Owl (Eclectic restaurant), 1380 Danforth Ave. – open until 12am
  • Sora Restaurant (Ethiopian restaurant), 1383 Danforth Ave. – open until 11pm
  • Square Boy (Old School Burger Joint), 875 Danforth Ave. – open until 12:30am
  • Trecce (Italian restaurant), 1792 Danforth Ave. – open LATE until 2am *extended hours!
  • BanCan Kitchen (Indian restaurant), 1328 Danforth Ave. – open until 2am

GRAB A LATE NIGHT SNACK (quick, to-go):

  • Borrel (Dutch comfort food), 1333 Danforth Ave. – open until 11pm *extended hours!
    SPECIAL NIGHT-OF DEALS: cones of fries for $6, and fresh stroopwafels for $7.50
  • Ampersand Bakehouse (Cupcake shop), 1808 Danforth Ave. – open until 10pm *extended hours!
  • Aviator Danforth (French Snacks), 1458 Danforth Ave. – open until 10pm or later
  • Pomarosa Coffee Shop & Kitchen (Latin American restaurant), 1504 Danforth Ave. – open until 1am *extended hours!
  • Red Rocket Coffee (Coffee Shop), 1364 Danforth Ave. – Open until 12am *extended hours!
  • Burger Bros (Classic Burger Joint), 1028 Danforth Ave. – open until midnight or later
  • Wing Machine (Wing Specialists), 1160 A Danforth Ave. – open until 12 midnight
  • Pizza Nova on Danforth (Pizza Chain), 1954 Danforth Ave. – open until 12 midnight
  • Pizzaiolo (Pizza Chain), 1528 Danforth Ave. – open until 12 midnight
  • Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant, 1690 Danforth Ave. – open until 12 midnight
  • Madina Halal Pizza & Chicken Wings, 1078 Danforth Ave. – open until 12 midnight
  • City Fried Chicken (Burger + Chicken Joint), 990 Danforth Ave. – open until 12 midnight

LATE NIGHT HANG OUT (open past midnight):

RETAIL BUSINESSES OPEN LATE & OFFERING DEALS:

  1. ​​Secret Planet Print Shop, 918 Danforth Ave.
    Specialty Gift & Print Shop
    Open until midnight
    Secret Planet will be open late, playing disco tunes, and will have a super secret special sale running from 7pm-midnight!
  2. Good Intentions, 1434 Danforth Ave.
    Boutique Store
    Open until midnight
    Open late night shopping with complimentary refreshments (hot apple cider!), and hosting their friends @ndoughs who’ll be popping up from 5PM-12AM selling bagels, bars, bakes & cakes pop-up style outside the shop. ADDITIONALLY, they’ve collaborated with their shop neighbours @afterhourscreative_ + @outlierleatherco (located at 698 coxwell ave) to giveaway a $50 gift card + curated gift set to ONE v lucky East End art supporter. ⁠ Visit both shops on the night of Nuit Blanche (Saturday September 23rd) between 5PM-11PM to submit a ballot in-store to be entered to win!
  3. After Hours Creative/Outlier Leather Co., 698 Coxwell Ave.
    Designer + Candlemaker + Hand-Crafted Leather Goods
    Open until 12 midnight
    Stop by this unique shop shared by two creatives, who will be hosting two additional vendors outside their shop for a sidewalk sale!
  4. The Handwork Department, 1884 Danforth Ave.
    Handmade & Vintage Goods
    Open from 12 – 10pm
    Spin our antique Model T Ford prize-wheel to win up to 20% off your purchase all day/night.
  5. bare market, 1480 Danforth Ave.
    Plastic-free Grocery & Goods Shop
    Open until 12am
    Stop by the east end’s favourite package-free goods + grocery store that will be open until midnight for the night of Nuit!
  6. Mashi Moosh, 1840 Danforth Ave.
    Moroccan Decor- Accessories & Gift Shop
    Stop by Mashi Moosh until 10pm on the night of Nuit, as they will be offering 15% off all items!
  7. Little Robot Friends, 1832 Danforth Ave.
    Little Robot Friends aims to empower kids ages 6-12 to think creatively about technology through STEAM-focused camps, classes, and take-home kits. Nuit Blanche attendees are welcome to stop by and get a tour of their space, as well as checking out the student work on display from this year’s Gadget Makers and Virtual Realms summer camps. While you’re here, post a picture of our space or storefront on Facebook or Instagram, and tag them for your chance to win a Paperbot Kit! In terms of discounts, they’re offering 2 free classes for first-time Coding Club members (our 12-week after school program). To learn more, visit www.littlerobotfriends.com!
  8. Moncada Windows Doors & Siding, 1800 Danforth Ave.
    Night of Nuit deal: Free exterior colour on doors purchased that are valued at $350 or more.

INFO HUB:

During the night of Nuit Blanche East Danforth come and stop by our Info Hub located at the Danny BIA Office, located at 1432 Danforth Ave. Here you’ll find:

  • Paper copies of our Nuit Blanche East Danforth hub map;
  • Paper copies of the Nuit Blanche Toronto map (city-wide installations);
  • The 2022 GEMC Mural for viewing;
  • EEA Staff and Volunteers to ask questions!

WASHROOMS:

There will be porta potties available in two locations along our Nuit hub on Danforth:

  • Two at East Lynn Park
  • Two at the Parkette at the corner of Coxwell and Danforth Ave.

*Note that both locations will have fully accessible washroom options.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST:

Our dedicated hashtag for the evening of Nuit Blanche East Danforth is #nbED2023. We encourage you to take photos and videos, share them on Instagram or Facebook, and tag us at @eastendartsTO! You’ll be entered into a random draw to win one of three cool pieces of printed art from Secret Planet Print Shop! (All images below from Secret Planet Print Shop website).

HUB MAP!!!:

Check out our 2023 Hub Map to help you locate all of our art installations, businesses for food and drink, and more! You can save the image below to your phone, or pick up a physical map at our Information Hub (while copies last).

DIRECTIONS TO THE HUB:

We encourage local community members and visitors to the east Danforth Nuit Blanche hub to visit us on the night of September 23rd by taking the TTC, biking or walking. Please note that the TTC will be operating all night on the evening of Nuit Blanche. Day Pass/Group Day Passes purchased for use on September 23rd will be valid until 7 a.m. on September 24th.

Directions:
  • The subway stations that are along our Nuit hub are Donlands Station, Woodbine Station, Coxwell Station, and Greenwood Station;
  • There are bike rings along Danforth Avenue to accommodate your bike if you choose to cycle;
  • If you choose to drive, there are many on-street parking options on residential streets surrounding the Danforth.

FUNDERS AND PRESENTERS:

ABOUT NUIT BLANCHE TORONTO

Nuit Blanche was originally conceived in Paris, France in 2002, with a mandate to bring contemporary art to large and diverse audiences in public spaces. In 2006, the producers of the founding Nuit Blanche from the City of Paris invited the City of Toronto to join an assembly of more than six founding European cities producing similar art and cultural events. Toronto was the first North American city to model itself based on the City of Paris Nuit Blanche, and has since inspired similar celebrations. The Toronto event is produced by the City of Toronto.

Nuit Blanche Toronto is a free, 12-hour contemporary art event that has a mandate to connect contemporary art to the broadest possible publics and to create opportunities for audiences to explore and engage with contemporary art in public space.

The 17th annual Nuit Blanche Toronto will transform the city’s neighbourhoods and streets on the first day of fall with dazzling art installations, from 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 23 to 7 a.m. on Sunday, September 24. The all-night celebration of contemporary art will feature exhibitions in Etobicoke, downtown Toronto and Scarborough, with more than 80 art projects from close to 250 artists from a variety of disciplines across various Nuit Neighbourhoods including Don Mills, East Danforth, Bloor-Yorkville, Sterling Road, Fort York Weston, West Queen West, the Waterfront. Entry will be free for the public to engage with the art projects.

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. Since 2006, this award-winning event has featured more than 1600 art installations by approximately 5,800 artists and has generated over $489 million in economic impact for Toronto. Information and updates are available on the Nuit Blanche website, on Facebook , on Twitter  and on Instagram . This year’s event hashtag is #NBTO23.

ABOUT EAST END ARTS

East End Arts is a non-profit community arts organization that serves the east end of Toronto. We provide inclusive arts programming, events and services to our local communities, and we provide professional development opportunities to both emerging and established artists and arts organizations. Our vision is to unite, inspire and enhance the communities of east Toronto with the transformative power of the arts.


ABOUT THE DANFORTH MOSAIC BIA

The Danforth Mosaic Business Improvement Area (BIA) was formed in 2008 with membership comprised of commercial property owners and business owners on Danforth Ave. between Jones and Westlake. The BIA works in partnership with the City to create thriving, competitive, and safe business areas that attract shoppers, diners, tourists, and new businesses. Their vision is to create a vibrant and well-maintained business area with diverse shopping and dining opportunities and services to attract the local community as well as visitors.

ABOUT NATIVE WOMEN IN THE ARTS

NWIA (Native Women in the Arts) is a not-for-profit organisation for First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and other Indigenous gender marginalised folks who share the common interest of art, culture, community and the advancement of Indigenous peoples.

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