From the Queen West Art Crawl to Harbourfront installations and the Toronto Biennial, Toronto’s September art calendar rewards curious visitors who are willing to explore beyond one gallery district.
Toronto’s September art calendar is made for moving around. The city’s strongest options stretch from Trinity Bellwoods and 401 Richmond to Scarborough, the waterfront and the University of Toronto campus.
That range creates an easy way to plan an art-focused day: start with murals or public installations, add a short-run exhibition and leave room for an event that will not be there next month.
Use the city’s public-art maps as your starting point
The City of Toronto’s Public Art Map catalogues more than 450 works in parks, civic spaces and other public places. For murals and projects created through StreetARToronto, the City’s StART directory offers a more focused route into Toronto’s street-art scene.
Yorkdale’s YZD also has a self-guided Art Walk covering murals and other art pieces. QR codes link visitors to audio and video commentary, making it a straightforward option for a casual weekend outing.
Queen West brings art outdoors on September 19 and 20
The Queen West Art Crawl returns to Trinity Bellwoods Park on September 19 and 20. The juried outdoor exhibition brings artists and artisans together with a Kids Zone, Performance Zone and food vendors.
It is a browse-and-stroll event, with the park providing a wider outdoor setting for Queen West’s creative community. Visitors can take in the artwork without committing to a formal gallery visit.
Two short-run exhibitions worth planning around
At 401 Richmond Street West, BAND Gallery’s Print & Design Pop-up runs through September 30. Open Wednesday to Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., the exhibition brings together clothing, furniture, homeware, prints and paintings by emerging and established designers and artists.
The lineup includes Toronto-based designer Daej Hamilton and visual artist Jenelle Smith, alongside House of Adédayo, Conducere Art Haus and Ghana-based creative collective Camouflart. The presentation sits between gallery show, design shop and contemporary craft showcase.
In Scarborough, Cedar Ridge Creative Centre reopens its gallery on September 8. Its first fall exhibition, Beyond Being, runs from September 9 to 23 and features Summer Artist-in-Residence Emmette Lewis.
Lewis’s work brings together textiles and traditional painting while considering community, ecology and culture. The exhibition reception and artist talk take place on September 13, with the talk scheduled for 2 p.m. Admission to the centre is free.
Harbourfront adds temporary work throughout the month
Harbourfront Centre’s September program builds gradually, beginning with Colourful Parachutes on September 7. Selections from The 52: Stories of Women Who Transformed Toronto and Olmec Cup: The First Ball Game begin September 13.
Interactive work arrives later in the month, including Dance Stoops, which runs from September 18 to November 15. Harbourfront also hosts exhibitions connected to the Toronto Biennial of Art from September 26. The exhibition program is free, although hours vary by venue and installation.
The Toronto Biennial turns the city into an art route
The fourth Toronto Biennial of Art opens with launch events on September 25, followed by public programming from September 26 through December 20. Titled Things Fall Apart, the biennial unfolds at partner sites across Toronto.
Opening weekend includes Rebecca Belmore’s Gichigami, a performance moving from Queen’s Park to the Art Museum at the University of Toronto. Raphaël Barontini’s carnival-style street parade, Konvwa libèté, adds another public-facing event to the opening program.
Because the biennial is spread across the city, a neighbourhood or venue cluster is a better first-day plan than trying to cover everything. The right route depends on which installations and events you want to see.
For a simple September itinerary, pair the Queen West Art Crawl with a walk through Trinity Bellwoods, visit BAND Gallery on another afternoon and reserve the final weekend for the Biennial’s opening events. Together, they show Toronto’s art scene in its most accessible forms: public, temporary and spread across the city.
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