Program Schedule
65 years of art, 170,000 visitors, three days! A great weekend of art collecting and artist discovery — installations, guided tours, family programs, and site-specific dance at Nathan Phillips Square.
Friday, July 10th
Flânerie with Dyana Ouvrard
10:00 AM | Stage
In a world that moves too fast, slowing down and rediscovering a natural space and time with artists is the most natural of movements: putting one foot in front of the other. Visitors joined Dyana for a slow, light and deep walk for all those with an itch for exploration and discussion.
The Soft Power of Art with Kristofer Sakamoto-Marshall
2:00 PM | Stage
Founder of The New Other, Kristofer Sakamoto-Marshall spotlights artists whose work tells personal, powerful stories that shift something in you.
The First Piece: How to Begin Collecting Art with Myta Sayo
4:00 PM | Stage
Curator and art dealer Myta Sayo makes collecting feel personal. She spotlights emerging and established artists whose work makes you want more art in your life.
Art Talk: The Making of Art Nest with Rui Pimenta
6:00 PM | Plaza at Zone A
Join Rui for an Art Talk through this year’s public art installations, as he shares his vision and insights into each work and the artists behind them.
Saturday, July 11th
Artists to Watch with Ignazio Nicastro
10:00 AM | Stage
Director of Development and Programming at the Textile Museum of Canada and Founder of IC Contemporary, Ignazio Nicastro spotlights breakout artists whose work invites you to look closer.
Music
10:30 AM | Stage
Moskitto Bar is a world music band based in Toronto, Canada, celebrated for their vibrant fusion of global sounds and infectious rhythms. With their eclectic mix of instruments and styles, Moskitto Bar creates a dynamic and immersive musical experience that resonates with diverse audiences.
Awards Ceremony
11:00 AM | Stage
Join us in celebrating the most outstanding artists of this year’s Fair. To celebrate TOAF’s 65th Birthday, we will give $65,000+ cash and in-kind awards supported by a wonderful circle of donors and businesses.
Storyline (with laughter, tears and beauty)
3:00 PM | Stage
Choreography by Peggy Baker, 2026 Art Nest Participating Artist
As part of Art Nest 2026, Storyline (with laughter, tears and beauty) is a solo created for the extraordinary veteran dancer Julia Sasso. Julia activates soft sculptures by Janine Miedzik, alongside LED screen projections by Jeremy Mimnagh and sound by John Gzowski. Together, the artists explore what a dancer carries in their body after half a century of creation and performance.
CCSD x Tangled: A Deaf & Disability-Led Art Tour
3:30 PM | Booth E550
Join artists and cultural organizers from Tangled Art + Disability and the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf for a guided tour celebrating Deaf and disabled artists at TOAF65. Explore works at the Tangled and CCSD booths and discover exhibiting artists whose practices are shaped by Deaf and disability culture and who are reshaping the arts ecology through access, community, and cultural innovation.
Tour offered in Spoken English and ASL. Visual description available upon request.
Les Montagnes
4:00 PM | Ramp at Zone B
Les Montagnes is a choreographic and visual work that transforms the body into a shifting landscape, solid yet unstable, and in constant flux. Drawing on sculptural forms and layered fabrics, the performers evoke geological processes of accumulation, erosion, and transformation.
Storyline (with laughter, tears and beauty)
5:00 PM | Stage
Choreography by Peggy Baker, 2026 Art Nest Participating Artist
As part of Art Nest 2026, Storyline (with laughter, tears and beauty) is a solo created for the extraordinary veteran dancer Julia Sasso. Julia activates soft sculptures by Janine Miedzik, alongside LED screen projections by Jeremy Mimnagh and sound by John Gzowski. Together, the artists explore what a dancer carries in their body after half a century of creation and performance.
Les Montagnes
6:00 PM | Ramp at Zone B
Les Montagnes is a choreographic and visual work that transforms the body into a shifting landscape, solid yet unstable, and in constant flux. Drawing on sculptural forms and layered fabrics, the performers evoke geological processes of accumulation, erosion, and transformation.
TOAF65 Birthday Party
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM | Stage
On the evening of July 11, Nathan Phillips Square will host the biggest birthday party in the city — artists, visitors, team and friends coming together to celebrate 65 years of TOAF.
DJ Weird Dad will get the party going with psych, mod, glam, and rock ‘n’ roll tunes.
Whether you’ve been part of TOAF for years or are joining us for the first time, we’d love to celebrate with you. Join the party!
Sunday, July 12th
The Best of the Best with Joshua Heuman
10:00 AM | Stage
Join Josh Heuman, Head of Artistic Engagement at Koffler Arts, for an insider’s look at this year’s award recipients. Meet the artists, hear about their practices, and discover what set their work apart in the eyes of the judges.
Les Montagnes
1:00 AM | Ramp at Zone B
Les Montagnes is a choreographic and visual work that transforms the body into a shifting landscape, solid yet unstable, and in constant flux. Drawing on sculptural forms and layered fabrics, the performers evoke geological processes of accumulation, erosion, and transformation.
Storyline (with laughter, tears and beauty)
12:00 PM | Stage
Choreography by Peggy Baker, 2026 Art Nest Participating Artist
As part of Art Nest 2026, Storyline (with laughter, tears and beauty) is a solo created for the extraordinary veteran dancer Julia Sasso. Julia activates soft sculptures by Janine Miedzik, alongside LED screen projections by Jeremy Mimnagh and sound by John Gzowski. Together, the artists explore what a dancer carries in their body after half a century of creation and performance.
Les Montagnes
1:00 PM | Ramp at Zone B
Les Montagnes is a choreographic and visual work that transforms the body into a shifting landscape, solid yet unstable, and in constant flux. Drawing on sculptural forms and layered fabrics, the performers evoke geological processes of accumulation, erosion, and transformation.
Storyline (with laughter, tears and beauty)
2:00 PM | Stage
Choreography by Peggy Baker, 2026 Art Nest Participating Artist
As part of Art Nest 2026, Storyline (with laughter, tears and beauty) is a solo created for the extraordinary veteran dancer Julia Sasso. Julia activates soft sculptures by Janine Miedzik, alongside LED screen projections by Jeremy Mimnagh and sound by John Gzowski. Together, the artists explore what a dancer carries in their body after half a century of creation and performance.
Featured Exhibitions
A home for public art explorations
TOAF’s 65th Birthday signature project
A Forwards Retreat
To mark TOAF’s 65th birthday, Art Nest curator Rui Pimenta has brought together celebrated Canadian artists — Peggy Baker, Max Dean, Naomi Dodds, Micah Lexier, and Ed Pien — to reflect on what it means to retire as an artist.
Not retirement. A retreat forward. An exhibition about the longevity of art, of practice, and of the artists who keep the calling alive.
Don’t Look Back
Curated by David Liss
TOAF’s signature 65th Birthday off-site group exhibition at Koffler Arts
June 25 – July 19, 2026
Don’t Look Back is a special group exhibition celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, the long-running open-access hub for art, culture, commerce and social interaction held in the city’s most prominent public square.
The Land and the Sea Bind Us
Zone C, Booths 308 – 315
The Land and the Sea Bind Us, curated by Bushra Junaid, brings together eight artists from across Atlantic Canada whose diverse cultural backgrounds—including Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland), Labrador (Nunatsiavut, NunatuKavut, and Nitassinan), Wolastoqey territory (New Brunswick), and Mi’kma’ki — inform their creative practices.
Spotlight on Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Zone C, Booths 301 – 305
In an exciting new partnership with Emily Carr University of Art + Design, we’re welcoming a selection of student artists from British Columbia to TOAF65.
Layers of Essence
Zone A, Booth 3 – 5
The graduating students brought their unique visions and creativity from OCAD U’s GradEx to TOAF! Prepare to be captivated by the remarkable work of these emerging artists.
My First Artwork
Centre of Zone A
Curated by gallerists and dealers from Art Dealers Association of Canada, this exhibition brings together original works under $500 by TOAF artists. It’s the perfect place to start collecting, making that first purchase feel as exciting and approachable as it should be.
Ongoing Programming
Threading Together
Presented by Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto
July 11-12, 2026, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Family Zone in Zone A
https://toaf.ca/familyprograms-toaf65/Inspired by current exhibitions at Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto, these hands-on fibre art activities invite families to explore creativity and connection, through friendship bracelet making and collaborative pompom sculptures.
Budding Art Buyers
In partnership with the Art Dealers Association of Canada
Location: Zone A, Booth 17-18
The Budding Art Buyers program returns for its third year with the Art Dealers Association of Canada. ADAC brought their expertise with invoices, consignments, and provenance to Budding Art Buyers and provided educational and fun programming for children under 14 to get them started on their art collecting journey.
