Student Zone
Location: Zone A, Nathan Phillips Square
Our buzz-worthy Student Zone is a cultural treasure in the city, with a loyal following. Since its inception in 1961, the Student Zone has sparked the discovery of fresh talents for thousands of art lovers. TOAF is known for hosting many nationally and internationally acclaimed Canadian artists under our iconic white tents in the early years of their careers. TOAF supports launching the careers of the next generation of artists through partnerships with leading art schools and programs in the city including the OCAD U Career Launchers Program.
OCAD U Career Launchers
OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers is excited to announce the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair Career Launchers award for students from the Drawing & Painting, Illustration, Photography and Material Art & Design programs. Ten OCAD University artists and designers from the four programs will be featured in-person and online at Toronto Outdoor Art Fair as part of the TOAF Career Launchers. We congratulate the participants and look forward to exploring their artwork at the Fair!
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Without excuse No.2
202560.96 × 60.96 cmPainting -
Three Wishes
202530.48 × 30.48 × 3.81 cmPainting -
The Tides of Her Being
202576.20 × 76.20 × 2.54 cmPainting -
The rerun 2
202591.44 × 60.96 × 2.54 cmPainting -
moiré no.1
202627.94 × 43.18 cm$702D Works -
Mitosis
202655.88 × 45.72 × 3.81 cmPainting -
Kalasam
202627.94 × 35.56 × 1.91 cmPainting -
Ensnared Bracelet
202617.14 × 5.08 cmCraft & Design -
April 1962: Curtain Call
202627.94 × 21.59 cm$55Photography & Digital Media -
'Subject 114.c’
202491.44 × 91.44 × 13.97 cm3D Works
OCAD U GradEx 111 Pop-Up Showcase
Explore a curated selection of four talented student artists selected through OCAD U’s GradEx 111 Showcase. This exhibition is supported by OCAD U’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers.
Crux, Cindy Soler, 2026, Acrylic, found image collage, pencil crayon, and alcohol marker on cradled wood panel.
hollow play, Lindsay Frankel, 2026, Oil paint on wood canvas.
Once Upon a Time in Toronto (from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Gabi Strauss, 2025, Acrylic on canvas.
dancing with just one finger, Alex Landa, 2026, Oil on wood panel.
Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Explore a dynamic selection of emerging artists from Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU). Representing both the Bachelor’s of Fine Arts and Master’s of Fine Arts programs across a range of mediums and approaches, these students reflect the breadth of emerging creative practice at the #1 university for art + design in Canada.
This initiative has been created during Emily Carr University of Art + Design’s centennial year to celebrate the impact of student work beyond campus, with support from ECU’s Faculty of Art, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Career + Work Integrated Learning, and the Shumka Centre for Creative Entrepreneurship.
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two girls grown up
202560.96 × 76.20 × 3.81 cmPainting -
Studio Window (Orange)
202538.10 × 45.72 cm$700Painting -
Side by Side
2023101.60 × 76.20 × 2.54 cmPainting -
Orientation of Flight II
202576.20 × 76.20 × 3.81 cm$1,950Painting -
Nap
2025152.40 × 121.92 cm$950Painting -
Garden Orb
202631.75 × 43.18 cm$160Craft & Design -
Ariadne
2025213.36 × 182.88 × 4.45 cm$18,000Painting -
A Thousand Turns 千迴百轉
2026$6802D Works
Student Art Innovation Lab (S.A.I.L.)
Student Art Innovation Lab (S.A.I.L.) is an award-winning community arts outreach program housed within the Fine Arts Department at the University of Waterloo. S.A.I.L. is both art lab/studio and mobile art gallery, facilitating events throughout the summer in the Waterloo Region. Our programs not only stimulate community engagement in the arts but also provide experientially-based learning opportunities for the students hired to run S.A.I.L.—a nod to the university’s standing as offering the world’s largest co-op program. Launched in 2017, SAIL now boasts 30 community partners and has completed close to 150 events serving 18,000 participants. As a non-profit organization, S.A.I.L. is supported through the Chalmers Foundations, an endowment held by the University of Waterloo.
