Woven Series Basket, Nadira Narine, 2023, Blown Glass, sandblasted.
Celebrating 65 years
With $65,000 in Awards
Dear Friend of TOAF,
In 1961, Ken Danby received the very first Best of Exhibition Award of $1,000 (over $10,000 today). It was a bold, generous prize that helped propel the career of an artist who would go on to become a household name in Canadian art.
This July, TOAF turns 65, and we’re celebrating with $65,000 in cash and in-kind awards. And two of the Fair’s most prestigious awards—the Best of Art Fair Award supported by IG Wealth Management, and Murray and Marvelle Koffler Founder’s Award, supported by the Koffler Family Foundation, are each rising to $10,000.
We are honestly over the moon. What a way for our community to rally together to celebrate Canadian artists and amplify TOAF’s legacy.
Our Awards Program is the largest of its kind in the country, creating opportunities for artists at every stage of their careers to gain recognition, visibility, and meaningful financial support.
And we’ve seen its impact up close. Artists who first showed with us are now exhibiting at major institutions like the Gardiner Museum, the ROM, and beyond. Stories like these continue to unfold, and TOAF keeps appearing in the first chapter.
Right now, exceptional TOAF artists are featured in Sky & Bone: Realities Unbound, an exhibition bringing together the City of Toronto’s iconic art collection and contemporary Canadian artists, curated by Jesse King, the newly appointed Curator at Market Gallery.
Over the past two years, Jesse curated two evocative and thoughtful exhibitions at TOAF—Ethereal Forms and Blushing Bodies—through the Emerging Artists by Emerging Curator Award, generously supported by Flavio Belli. These exhibitions highlighted outstanding TOAF artists in a fresh context, inviting audiences to see their work through Jesse’s Indigenous lens. Many of the selected artists went on to receive additional awards or opportunities sparked by this visibility.
These journeys are a powerful reminder of why these awards matter: they open doors, uplift, and create new stories.
Join the story🪁
We are thrilled, and we hope you are too.
anahita and the TOAF team.
Sky & Bone
Curated by Jesse King
Sky & Bone: Realities Unbound, an exhibition featuring more than 30 fine art pieces from the City of Toronto collection alongside works from contemporary Canadian artists.
401 Richmond St. W, Unit 128, From November 21, 2025, to January 24, 2026.
Hear from Zahra Saleki, 2024 Best of Art Fair Recipient, and Julia Asimakopulos, 2025 Best of Online Art Fair Recipient, as they reflect on working with curator Jesse King on Sky & Bone alongside established voices — plus Jesse’s own insights on their work with TOAF and its artists
TOAF65 Call for Artists
