Featured Events in Toronto in April, 2025 (May Updated)

For more than 60 years, Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama (born 1929) has invited people to participate in her groundbreaking visions of infinity. Over the past three decades, this prolific experimental artist has become an internationally acclaimed art-world icon, with work presented across the globe. INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM - LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER features mirrored spheres suspended from the ceiling and arranged on the floor. A mirrored column inside the room invites visitors to peer into a seemingly infinite field of silver orbs. Thanks to the generosity of over 4,700 #InfinityAGO donors who participated in the AGO's ambitious crowdfunding campaign and the David Yuile & Mary Elizabeth Hodgson Fund, Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM - LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER is now a part of the AGO Collection.

MARVEL AT THE POWER OF COLOUR IN THE NATURAL WORLD. Anywhere you look in nature, colour holds meaning. From the fiery reds of warning to the soothing blues of calm waters, Nature in Brilliant Colour will take you on a kaleidoscopic journey through the vibrant hues of our planet. Awaken your senses, and have your perception forever altered, as you make your way through a series of spaces, each dedicated to a colour of the rainbow. Through over 200 specimens, photo-worthy projections, and shifting soundscapes, this exhibition promises to be a transformative experience that will deepen appreciation for the complex artistry of our world and celebrate its vivid and untamed beauty. This exhibition was created by the Field Museum.

Inspired by traditional Chinese artwork, Cloudscape is a mesmerizing installation that blends traditional artistry with contemporary themes. Artist Xiaojing Yan masterfully crafts intricate cloud forms using paper and natural reed, evoking the essence of traditional Chinese landscape painting. This awe-inspiring work presents a complex interplay of water and cloud motifs that challenge our perception of the natural world.Immerse yourself in Yan's floating masterpiece, where each sculpted cloud tells a story of cultural heritage and environmental consciousness, and invites us to reflect on our relationship with nature.

What makes for a delightful picnic? Food and drink? Poetry? Music? A new installation offers a window into the pleasures, pastimes, and artistic heritage of Iran during the Safavid dynasty (1501-1736). A royal picnic, depicted on a large, treasured tile arch from the collections, is complemented by exceptional objects from the period. Gracing the Osler Gate on Level 1, a colourful tiled archway made over 350 years ago in Isfahan, Iran takes centre stage, showing picnic-goers out for an afternoon of leisure and luxury. Individual tiles reveal immaculately dressed figures relaxing, enjoying delicious food and drink, and being entertained with music, poetry, and feats of archery. Lively and cheerful, the scenes on the arch offer a wonderful glimpse into the cultural vibrancy of Iran when it was ruled by the Safavids, a Shi'a Muslim dynasty, who were great patrons of the arts and architecture, and who fostered international trade and diplomacy from Isfahan, their newly built capital city. The tile arch provides a magnificent focal point for the installation, which also showcases several stunning objects from the same period. A gorgeous lute with exquisite inlays and detail, an ornately decorated bow and arrow, a delicate swan-neck bottle, and beautifully crafted dishes - one of which carries words by medieval scholar Omar Khayyam (1048-1131) beginning with the lines: "This dish, which the intellect applauds, and on whose forehead it places a hundred kisses!" - bring the action on the tile arch to life. This beautiful collection of objects not only complements the arch scenes, but showcases the stunning artistry and intricacies of artisanal work iconic to the Safavid dynastic period. One has only to take in the physical objects to be transported to the scenes in the arch, enjoying music, poetry, food, and entertainment.

Moments in Modernismhighlights the diversity and high quality of the AGO’s modern art collection, which has been built over time by generations of museum curators and patrons. This installation will show collection strengths from artistic movements such as Pop Art, Abstraction, Realism, and Minimalism. An international approach in artistic styles will be presented, including a body of work from the AGO holdings by Brazilian artists, recognizing the global nature of modernism. A selection of contemporary works that respond to modernist movements will also be shown. Many of the artists, including Andy Warhol, Helen Frankenthaler, Jules Olitski, Gerhard Richter, and Mark Rothko are well known while others are still yet to be broadly recognized such as Tomie Ohtake, Rubem Valentim, Gene Davis and Kazuo Nakamura.A particular focus will be Canadian artists including Alex Colville, Rita Letendre, Jack Bush, Agnes Martin, Guido Molinari and Norval Morrisseau. Moments in Modernismfeatures artworks that will form the cornerstone for the expansion of the new Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery, starting construction in 2024. The new building is being designed by architects Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects and Two Row Architect to showcase the AGO's growing collection of modern and contemporary art.

A prodigious collector of contemporary art, the late Phil Lind (1943-2023) was drawn to artworks that illuminated social and political histories. An enthusiastic supporter of what has since come to be known as the Vancouver school of conceptual photography, this exhibition features works by noted Vancouver-born artists Stan Douglas, Rodney Graham, Ron Terada and Jeff Wall. Complementing these lens-based works – some intimate, some large-scale light boxes, some multimedia - are paintings, photographs and sculptures by Thomas Demand, William Eggleston, Antony Gormley, Philip Guston, William Kentridge, Thomas Ruff, Laurie Simmons, Wolfgang Tillmans and Ai Weiwei. This exhibition is curated by AGO's Curator of Modern Art Adam Welch.

At the dawn of the 20th century, on both sides of the Atlantic, the human mind was of great interest to scientists, scholars, and artists alike. What does it look like, they wondered, to learn and to dream? What is the shape of imagination? This installation of 13 beloved paintings from the AGO collections of European and Canadian Art brings together dream-like landscapes, portraits of children reading, and adults lost in thought, to consider the many ways artists gave form to that intangible thing – one’s interior thoughts. Featuring examples of Realist, Impressionist, Expressionist and Symbolist art, the installation demonstrates how this pursuit helped push the bounds of traditional representation.

Exploring the many ways that the French artist James Tissot represented modern women and envisioned their relationship to time during the last decades of the nineteenth century, this exhibition presents two of the AGO’s most beloved Tissot paintings alongside a selection of more than 30 works on paper donated by Allan and Sondra Gotlieb. The contradictions of the period come alive in these works, as the quickness of modernity, exemplified by the newfound speed of travel, fashion and commodity culture, is juxtaposed against the constrained pace of women’s everyday lives, characterized by the wait to find a husband, caregiving, tending to customers or recovering from illness. Curated by Mary Hunter, Associate Professor, McGill University and by Alexa Greist, AGO Curator and R. Fraser Elliott Chair, Prints & Drawings, and Caroline Shields, AGO Curator of European Art, this exhibition illustrates the many ways that time, and a gendered understanding of it, shaped women’s identities.

From the Bader Collection at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, the AGO welcomes a remarkable selection of seventeenth century Dutch paintings. Shown in dialogue with paintings from the AGO’s European Collection of Art, at the centre of this focused installation are seven artworks attributed to Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), shown together for the first time. Featuring intensely observed still life paintings, detailed interiors and mesmerizing portraits, these striking artworks offer a rare glimpse of Dutch artistry at work. This exhibition is co-curated by Adam Harris Levine, AGO Associate Curator European Art and Suzanne van de Meerendonk, Bader Curator of European Art, Agnes Etherington Art Centre. This exhibition is co-organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen's University.

As part of our annual zodiac installation, January 29, 2025 ushers in the Year of the Snake (蛇), the sixth animal in the Chinese zodiac. Those born under this sign are believed to be wise and charismatic. The snake rarely appears as a decorative motif in Chinese art and design, however, when depicted with a tortoise, the pair have come to symbolize the mythical creature Xuanwu (玄武, the Dark Warrior), later evolving into the god Zhenwu (真武, the Perfected Warrior). The snake and tortoise symbolize the interplay of power, wisdom, and harmony of nature. Experience an exquisite array of snake and tortoise-themed objects and cultural belongings in this specially curated zodiac case. Marvel at impressive ceramics, including a mythical double-headed serpent from the early 500s. This and much more are now on view in this unique display celebrating the powerful snake.

Listen to nature’s symphony for it WILL shape our future. Step inside this cinematic odyssey, inspired by the vast natural history collections at ROM, and experience our planet through the eyes of a unique protagonist – a chimpanzee. Encounter breathtaking landscapes and diverse species that remind us that humanity is only a small chapter in Earth's expansive story spanning 4.5 billion years. A love letter to the natural world – this is a clarion call to protect and look after our Earth and everything in it. Scored by Donizetti's dramatic opera, L’elisir d’amore, the film transcends human perspective, revealing how every species, from the smallest insect to the most majestic mammal, plays a vital role in the ecosystem and nature's enduring narrative.

For more than five decades, distinguished Toronto artist Louise Noguchi has been working in sculpture, installation, photography, and video. Unifying her work is a conviction that identity is not given—but constructed—shaped by events, beliefs, and circumstance. Spotlighting Noguchi’s work in video and sculpture, the AGO’s Associate Curator of Canadian Art Renée van der Avoird brings together three works from the AGO collection. Reverberating with sound, Noguchi’s looping video workCrack(2000) sees the artist performing as an assistant in a wild-west act, holding out flowers only to have them suddenly cut down mid-air by the lash of whip. Noguchi’s large sculptural installationFruits of Belief: The Grand Landscape(1986) brings together a head, a cornucopia, and a photographic reproduction of Thomas Gainsborough’s 1770s painting,A Grand Landscape, to examine our shared relationship to nature—as something real, constructed, and imaginary. By contrast, the third work in this exhibition, Noguchi’s 1990–91 mirror sculptureEden,addresses themes of surveillance and freedom, asking: are we approaching paradise, or withdrawing from it?

An unprecedented exhibition that examines the history and legacy of Auschwitz. Created by Nazi Germany, the most significant site of the Holocaust, Auschwitz, was not a single entity. It gradually became a system of camps that combined two functions: a concentration camp and a killing centre in which some 1 million Jews— and tens of thousands of others, including Poles, Romani people, and Soviet POWs — were detained and murdered in a systematic and industrialized fashion. This powerful exhibition, which arrives in Toronto just ahead of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27, 2025, explores the dual identity of the Auschwitz camp as a physical setting — the largest documented mass murder site in human history— and as a symbol of the borderless manifestation of hatred and human atrocity.

Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi is one of the most famous sculptors of the 20th century and one of the first to try to combine sculpture and landscape design. He studied under Constantin Brancusi and Qi Baishi, and his works not only transcend national boundaries, but also transcend the dimension of time. Renée van der Avoird, associate curator of Canadian art at the Art Gallery of Ontario, focuses the exhibition on the artist's video and sculpture works, and combines three works from the Art Gallery's collection: Fruit of Faith: Large Landscape (1986), Eden (1990-91) and Cracks (2000).

Experience Free Public Art at Union Station celebrating Black Artists & Cultural Legacy “A Transit Through Time” features a six-artist group exhibition co-curated by Union and MakeRoom Inc. as well as a special featured project by renowned artist Jordan Sook, “Nothing More Nothing Less”. The entire exhibition reminds viewers that everyone is part of the past, and we are responsible for shaping the future. Championing Black Artists with “A Transit Through Time” The featured works of artists Destinie Adélakun, Pixel Heller, Segun Caezar, Heritier Bilaka, Rico Poku and Camille Kiffin encourage exploration of the connections between the past and present, and the traditions that have shaped culture through time. They offer a glimpse into the enduring legacy and boundless creativity of Black communities. Transformative Beauty with “Nothing More Nothing Less” In addition to the group exhibition, Union has selected special guest artist Jordan Sook to present the solo exhibition, Nothing More Nothing Less, a collection of images of butterflies showcased in various mediums throughout Union for people to discover. The butterflies, containing the artist’s signature hand painted spots, represent self-expression and the joyfulness of the human spirit. Each piece merges entomology with curiosity, exploring themes of metamorphosis, transformation and evolution

Tracing Blackness through its many migrations and manifestations, the interdisciplinary artist Oluseye blends the ancestral with the contemporary and the physical with the spiritual. Inspired by merindinlogun, a Yoruba divination ritual, Oluseye presents a new installation that illustrates the spiritual, mythological, and biographical elements that have shaped his worldview and art practice. In Yoruba culture, cowrie shells symbolize wealth and prosperity and are used by diviners to communicate with ancestors and receive guidance. Paying homage to that cultural practice and his own narratives, Oluseye presents 16 large-scale bronze cowrie shells, resting atop a hand-carved divination tray.

How do our experiences shape our perceptions? ROM Connection Stations invite you to reflect on Museum objects to build a deeper understanding of the world and how others may experience it. How does your personal background shape your perceptions? How can current interpretations differ from when an object was produced? How could other people view the same object? These interactive stations can be enjoyed alone or with other guests and invite visitors to share in a collective conversation to recognize biases, consider the impact of perceptions, and foster greater understanding.

Recipient of the 2022 Gershon Iskowitz Prize at the AGO, American-born, Toronto based artist Tim Whiten, has, for almost five decades, fashioned a powerful visual language all his own. Drawing upon various spiritual traditions, mythologies, and rituals, Whiten’s work evades easy categorization, manifesting itself in ways that are spellbinding and technically profound. The more than 30 works on display range from works on paper and cotton, to sculpture, other three-dimensional objects, and mixed media installations. The exhibition features many of the artist’s most essential works, made with organic matter such as leather, bone, and stone, and precarious materials such as glass and crystal. This exhibition is organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario in partnership with the Gershon Iskowitz Foundation.

Emmanuel Osahor’s practice focuses on beauty as a necessity for survival, respite, and sanctuary. Known primarily for his paintings of lush, verdant gardenscapes—inspired by real and imagined locations—these works meditate upon the complicated histories of these sites that entail the domestication of lands, plants, and individuals alike. To dream of other places is the artist’s first major solo presentation in his home city of Toronto and includes paintings, drawings, prints, ceramic sculptures, and a site-specific photographic wallpaper commissioned for the Fleck Clerestory gallery at The Power Plant.

Please READ Pay $25 cash at the door OR e-transfer $25 to peterarcari@gmail.com PLEASE ARRIVE AT 7:30pm Frame drums only. Drums supplied or bring your own. IMPORTANT NOTE the Eventbrite tickets are $0 and just for reserving your spot . This circle is $25 per person. The Smoking Frog studio is beside A&W at the corner of Christie and Dupont, in the basement of Elgin Picture Frame. The studio is NOT directly on a transit line . Take transit to Christie Station on Bloor and walk up to Dupont or take the Christie bus from Bloor to Dupont. EXPERIENCE TRADITIONAL SHAMANIC TRANCE STATES Use traditional shamanic drumming rhythms to enter a trance-like state . In this state we can manifest, heal, create our world. Through the neuroscience of brainwave entrainment , the rhythms bring us into a dreamlike theta brainwave, which allows us to connect to our subconscious mind, similar to lucid dreaming . In this state, we can discover old thought programs and rewire limiting beliefs . After entering the meditative state, we can intuitively use our voices and movement to express somatically stored emotional energy . This allows us to release negative emotions, feel heard and expressed, and gain the confidence to choose empowering beliefs which we use to create our best lives. WHAT TO EXPECT sitting in circle with handheld frame drums (similar to local native drums) everyone takes a turn with sharing a request from the circle. Use a word to describe what you would like to receive from the group. Everyone will keep that in mind while they are drumming for you as an act of service. It's a balance of drumming for yourself and others, just like all of life. starting with a single candle and then turning all lights off to be in TOTAL BLACKOUT DARK 30 minutes of pure 4 beats per second shamanic drumming to entrain to theta brainwave and to synchronize the drummers to mind/heart and group coherence after 30 minutes , for the rest of the circle, we intuitively use vocal sounds and singing to express and release emotions and ideas . We creatively flow through rounds of different rhythms and improvisational singing and movement. closing sharing circle to help integrate the lessons and experience. We share from our own experience and avoid giving guidance or judgments to others. Everyone is in personal development and positive encouragement is welcome, but no corrections. IMPORTANT NOTE EVERY NIGHT IS DIFFERENT . It's NEVER the same thing twice! Some nights are more masculine and some nights are more feminine. Some have more singing, some have more drumming or movement. Some nights can be tense for some people, but freeing for others. It's important to note that we are a community that openly supports each other and shares our process. We openly discuss ways to learn and improve from the experience. WHAT TO BRING a cushion for sitting on the floor (chairs are supplied) bring your own frame drum or borrow one from me at the circle water bottle (no water supplied on site) Information Source: Peter Arcari | eventbrite

Immersing viewers in the world of hip-hop through contemporary art and fashion, The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century brings together contemporary artists, musicians, designers and stylists to tell the story of the art form and its global impact on visual culture. Organized on the occasion of Hip Hop’s fiftieth anniversary and featuring contemporary art by some of today’s most important and celebrated artists, including Derrick Adams, John Edmonds, Deana Lawson and Hank Willis Thomas, this dynamic and wide-ranging exhibition highlights the art form’s ongoing conceptual and material innovation. Placing fashion, consumer marketing, music, videos and objects in dialogue with paintings, sculpture, poetry, photography and multi-media installations, the exhibition considers activism and racial identity, notions of bling and swagger, as well as gender, sexuality and feminism. The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century is co-curated by Asma Naeem, the BMA’s Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director; Gamynne Guillotte, the BMA’s Chief Education Officer; Hannah Klemm, SLAM’s Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art; and Andréa Purnell, SLAM’s Audience Development Manager. The AGO presentation will be organized by Julie Crooks, Curator, Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora, AGO.

Experience Lumière: Art of Light, a free outdoor light exhibition. Featuring 14 bold and imaginative installations by talented Ontario artists, spanning multiple disciplines, Lumière brings the theme of “Neon Dreams: Light and Color” to life. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, curiosity, or simply to admire the wonder, Lumière invites you to explore the magic of light and art. Every Friday and Saturday and during March Break, there will be a warm bonfire from 18:00 to 22:00 (weather permitting).

The Canada International Trade Fair 2025, set to take place from April 1 to April 5 at The Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, promises to be a pivotal event for global trade enthusiasts. This prestigious fair will gather industry leaders, innovators, and professionals from various sectors, offering an unparalleled platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and business growth. Attendees can expect a comprehensive showcase of cutting-edge products, services, and technologies that are shaping the future of international trade. With a series of insightful seminars, workshops, and keynote speeches, the Canada International Trade Fair 2025 will provide invaluable opportunities for learning and collaboration. This event is poised to foster significant business connections and drive forward the global trade landscape, making it an unmissable occasion for those looking to stay ahead in the industry.

The Toronto Raptors, established in 1995 and based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, play their home games at Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors won the NBA Championship in 2019. Current key players include RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes. The Portland Trail Blazers, established in 1970 and based in Portland, Oregon, USA, play their home games at Moda Center. The Trail Blazers have won the NBA Championship once, in 1977. Current key players include Anfernee Simons.

The Toronto Raptors, established in 1995 and based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, play their home games at Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors won the NBA Championship in 2019. Current key players include RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes. The Detroit Pistons, established in 1941 and based in Detroit, Michigan, USA, play their home games at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons have won the NBA Championship three times, in 1989, 1990, and 2004. Current key players include Cade Cunningham.

Toronto’s 191st anniversary celebration will be held at Nathan Phillips Square from 3pm to 10pm on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Admission is free for all to celebrate Toronto’s diverse and vibrant culture and enjoy an unforgettable festival. People can explore the "Made in Toronto" market, where more than 150 local merchants offer unique handicrafts, artworks, and more. Satisfy your taste buds and taste a variety of delicious dishes from local food stalls; for friends over 19 years old, you can enjoy a refreshing drink in our licensed bar area proudly sponsored by Lost Craft Brewery. Experience the fun of skating at the iconic Nathan Phillips Square skating rink and watch Toronto City Hall burst into color in the gorgeous fireworks display!

The RC Show 2025, set to take place from April 7 to April 9 at the renowned Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, promises to be a pivotal event for the hospitality and foodservice industry. This premier trade show will gather industry leaders, innovative exhibitors, and culinary professionals from across the globe, offering an unparalleled platform for networking, learning, and business growth. Attendees can expect a comprehensive showcase of the latest products, cutting-edge technologies, and emerging trends that are shaping the future of the industry. With a robust schedule of educational seminars, live culinary competitions, and interactive workshops, RC Show 2025 is designed to inspire and equip professionals with the tools and insights needed to thrive in a competitive market. The event's strategic location in Toronto, a vibrant city known for its diverse culinary scene and dynamic business environment, further enhances its appeal, making RC Show 2025 an unmissable opportunity for anyone looking to stay ahead in the hospitality sector.