The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF) returns to Nathan Phillips Square from July 10 to 12, featuring more than 400 artists, including OCAD University students, faculty members, staff and alums.
The TOAF is one of Canada’s largest and longest-running annual contemporary art fairs. Since 1961, the fair has helped launch the careers of thousands of artists and designers, introducing the public to the creative talents of Canadians.
The 65th edition of the TOAF promises the deepest connection to Canada yet, featuring the largest-ever national representation that includes 76 artists from coast to coast. More than 60 artists are included in this year’s fair as online-exclusive participants.
TOAF Career Launcher awards
This year, 10 emerging artists and designers from four OCAD U programs are participating in the fair as part of the RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD)’s Career Launchers program. The TOAF Career Launchers awards are available to students in the Drawing & Painting, Illustration, Photography and Material Art & Design programs. These awards allow students to participate in the fair both in person and online.
This year’s recipients include Nadine Alexeev, who explores sites of warped reality in a post-internet era through portraiture and distorted representation; Derek Berry, whose current work is the tangible construction of his intrusive thoughts after developing obsessive-compulsive disorder; Rina Chen, a multidisciplinary designer and researcher working across code, print and weaving; Mackenzie Iuliano, whose practice explores the relationship between beauty and discomfort through distorted figures, close-up compositions and a bold use of colour; Meelana Kravchenko, whose practice focuses on themes of familiarity and domestic life; Xijia (Romee) Lai, whose work explores the intersection of faith and creativity; Zahra Mansuri, an emerging goldsmith who draws inspiration for her work from patterns, forms and lines found in nature; Bree Rosberg, who focuses on childhood memories and self-reflection through performative self-portraiture in photography and video; Archana Sundararajan, who draws on her culture, rural life and spirituality to explore ritual as a transformative experience; and Freda Tan, a painter who bridges science and visual art in her work through research and the recurring motif of the five elements.
OCAD U alums serve on the TOAF 2026 jury
Two OCAD U alums are part of the TOAF 2026 jury.
Jesse King and Maria Kanellopoulos are among the four jurors who reviewed 973 applications to participate in this year’s fair. Of more than 400 selected artists, 122 artists are participating in the TOAF for the first time. The jury also identified nine standout artists whose work exemplifies artistic excellence, originality and the breadth of contemporary Canadian art.
Alum recognized with Jurors’ Pick
An artwork by an OCAD U alum is among the standouts selected as Jurors’ Picks by the TOAF 2026 jury. The artist, Jenelle Smith, is an emerging artist delving into the intricate concepts of the mind through her dreamlike work. Smith, part of the Class of 2025, is recognized for visually compelling works exploring identity, portraiture and contemporary storytelling through photography.
GradEx 111 at the TOAF
OCAD U’s annual graduate exhibition, GradEx, is one of Toronto’s most anticipated events of the year. GradEx 111 attracted nearly 50,000 visitors, the largest crowd in the event’s history. Those who missed it have the opportunity to sample the creative energy of the exhibition at the TOAF.
Layers of Essence is a multidisciplinary exhibition presenting a curated selection of work by four emerging artists whose artworks were featured at GradEx 111. It invites viewers to question perspectives on lived experiences and engage in deeper reflection.
The four participating artists are Lindsay Frankel, Alex Landa, Cindy Soler and Gabi Strauss.
Layers of Essence is supported by the RBC CEAD and a curatorial collective that includes Fatma Juma, Natalie Peddie and Jingwei Wang.
Visit Zone A, Booths 14 to 16, to explore the exhibition.
Additional participating artists
Visitors will find many more OCAD U students, faculty members, staff and alums presenting their artwork at the TOAF as part of their independent projects and practices.
The following are a few of the OCAD U-affiliated artists who are exhibiting at the fair:
Tim Clark is a contemporary figurative artist who works primarily in oil on wood panel and canvas. His focus is portraiture with an unusual colour palette and enigmatic expressions to add a narrative to each piece. His subjects often engage the viewer with a direct gaze, inviting a deeper emotional connection.
Margaret Gdyczynski is a photographer who explore how memories and nostalgia are deeply intertwined. Her method borrows from a camera’s process of double exposure. It begins with photographing various angles of an interior space, then digitally layering multiple exposures to create a single impression.
Alex Hall is a lens-based Chinese Canadian artist who specializes in analog photography and alternative processes. Her Suburbia in the Air series is a nostalgic depiction of her childhood growing up in the suburbs.
Mikael Sandblom sees his body of work as a series of experiments, exploring the expressive potential of various materials and techniques. Clouds, waves, and cityscapes are often the subject matter of his work.
Sandra Tarantino is an artist/educator whose practice includes works in ceramic sculpture, shaped canvas paintings and mixed media.
Brad Turner is an artist and educator who creates sculptural and functional glass objects with a focus on diversity, superb craftsmanship and conceptual originality. Turner is an instructor in OCAD U’s Faculty of Design.
Congratulations to all members of the OCAD U community who are participating and contributing to the TOAF.