By Shari Kasman

As part of Toronto’s Live With Culture initiative, an all-night party to celebrate contemporary art is scheduled to start this year on September 30 at 7:00pm and end on October 1 at 7:00am. The event is called the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche and is modeled after an annual Parisian festival that began in October of 2002 and has already spread to other cities such as Brussels, Rome, and Madrid.
Private and public buildings will be open throughout the night for this special event. Bars, restaurants, shops, and cafes will be encouraged to stay open for business for the duration of the event as well. Toronto’s free art party will feature public art commissions, live performances, creative programs, and all-night exhibitions in three designated party zones:
*Queen Street West from Trinity Bellwoods Park to Dufferin Street, curated by Clara Hargittay (cultural consultant)
*the area by the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Ontario College of Art and Design (University Avenue to McCaul Street and Queen Street to College Street), curated by Kim Simon of Gallery TPW
*the Bloor-Yorkville area and the Royal Ontario Museum, curated by Fern Bayer, Peggy Gale, and Chrysanne Stathacos
It’s time to give birth to your project ideas. Thirty outdoor and indoor public art installations will be commissioned for the celebration. If you have questions, comments, requests, or suggestions or if you would like a submission form, email nuitblanche@toronto.ca. Nuit Blanche is interested in proposals from galleries, artist-run centres, artistic/cultural/unusual venues, cultural institutions, and independent artists.
The above photo is a portion of Vid Ingelevics’ work. His Platforms photo exhibit is currently on display at the Stephen Bulger Gallery (1026 Queen Street West), which is in one of the designated areas for the Nuit Blanche event