Events

The VRTO Spatial Media World Conference - presented in partnership with OCAD University - returns June 24 to 26, 2026.

FIVARS returns to Toronto from June 15 to 19, 2026, for its 12th edition, with OCAD U as presenting sponsor.

Following a standout debut last spring, the OCAD U Gala returns on May 27, 2026, as a rising highlight in Toronto’s cultural calendar.

Wander slowly, breathe deeply, and gather in ritual. This small-group meditative nature walk and tea ceremony invites participants into a quiet, sensory experience rooted in mindfulness, presence, and environmental connection—an intimate offering for up to 10 guests.

Join us for an evening to celebrate this year’s OCAD U Creative Writing graduating cohort at Onsite Gallery

Moderated by Onsite Gallery's Senior Curator, Lisa Deanne Smith, join our panelists for a timely and thought-provoking conversation on the growing entanglement of AI systems within our cultural, economic, and ecological worlds.

OCAD University’s 111th Annual Graduate Exhibition, Toronto’s largest free art and design exhibition, takes place May 6 to 10, 2026, featuring the work of more than 800 emerging artists and designers.

Co-presented with UKAI Projects, this immersive day-long workshop invites you into collaborative experiments between humans and machines.

OCAD University Senate Meeting

Coffee Chats is a series of casual gatherings with industry guests. Hosted at the CEAD in small intimate groups, these gatherings will provide a space for group conversations with practitioners who are interested in supporting OCAD U students and grads to offer mentorship, and share their professional insights and journey, while collectively creating a community.

Learn how to stand out without selling out. This workshop covers branding, storytelling, and content strategies to help creative entrepreneurs attract the right audience and communicate their value clearly. Leave with practical ideas for promoting your work in a way that feels aligned with your creative vision.

How to acquire plinths for GradEx.

OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) invites you to an interactive workshop with Shilbee Kim designed to help creatives evaluate both the passion and the practical viability behind their entrepreneurial ideas.

Metabolic Loop Artists Alyssa Alikpala and Maria Simmons will be in conversation with guest curators, Gizem Candan and Steffi Ng Sin Tung (GAS Collective).

Friday Nights on the Mic!

Metabolic Loop Curatorial Tour with Gizem Candan and Steffi Ng Sin Tung (GAS Collective)

Join us for Global Perspectives on Creative Entrepreneurship, a dynamic 45–60 minute online session led by Gabriela Román González, Founder & Director of Mentoras Creativas.  

This session offers emerging artists, designers, and creative entrepreneurs practical tools for building sustainable, future‑ready practices. Drawing from international case studies and real‑world experience, Gabriela breaks down what it takes to expand your work regionally and globally while staying true to your vision.

Artist impression of the proposed Art Trail on Ookwemin Minising courtesy Norm Li AG+I.  

The Level Up Showcase, a cornerstone of Ontario’s gaming community, returns to Toronto on April 7 from 4 to 10 p.m.

Join Alumni Relations for a morning of life drawing on campus. 

Join Alumni Relations for an evening of life drawing on campus. 

The Global Centre for Climate Action welcomes Peter Jones, Head of Sustainability, IKEA Canada, one of the world’s leading retailers, with OCAD U professor Ranee Lee, an academic innovator and OCAD U student Rebecca Wakefield, an early career researcher, as they grapple with the very real challenges and opportunities that define a truly circular economy.

Join us for the April edition of Research Talks, featuring Dr. Nithikul Nimkulrat. In this talk - From Making to Knowing: Prototyping and the Production of Experiential Knowledge - Dr Nimkulrat examines how making becomes knowing through the practice of prototyping.

OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) invites you to join Kelcy Timmons Chan for Building Your Creative Business, a workshop designed to help artists and designers take their creative practice to the next level.

One person. No glue. No waste.

OCAD University Senate Meeting

Join Alumni Relations for a morning of life drawing on campus. 

The Global Centre for Climate Action welcomes NSCAD professor Jennifer Green and OCAD U professor Shannon Gerard as they discuss their current research and creative practices.

Come celebrate with the Digital Futures graduate students! 

Get set for GRADEX 111!

Panelists discuss how their creative work re-constructs histories, rebuilds legacies, and re-imagines Afro/Black/Indigenous futures.