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The OCAD U Gala returns on May 27!

Each year, our supporters and partners unite with Canada’s leading voices in art, design and philanthropy for an unforgettable evening celebrating excellence, innovation and impact.

This evening reflects a shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of creative leaders, highlighting alums whose ideas, ambition and talent are shaping Toronto, across Canada and beyond.

Through the gala, supporters help fund student bursaries, helping to reduce financial barriers and expand opportunities for emerging artists and designers.

Tables are now being reserved. Visit www.ocadu.ca/gala to learn more.

#OCADUgala

The OCAD U Gala returns on May 27!

Each year, our supporters and partners unite with Canada’s leading voices in art, design and philanthropy for an unforgettable evening celebrating excellence, innovation and impact.

This evening reflects a shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of creative leaders, highlighting alums whose ideas, ambition and talent are shaping Toronto, across Canada and beyond.

Through the gala, supporters help fund student bursaries, helping to reduce financial barriers and expand opportunities for emerging artists and designers.

Tables are now being reserved. Visit www.ocadu.ca/gala to learn more.

#OCADUgala

The OCAD U Gala returns on May 27!

Each year, our supporters and partners unite with Canada’s leading voices in art, design and philanthropy for an unforgettable evening celebrating excellence, innovation and impact.

This evening reflects a shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of creative leaders, highlighting alums whose ideas, ambition and talent are shaping Toronto, across Canada and beyond.

Through the gala, supporters help fund student bursaries, helping to reduce financial barriers and expand opportunities for emerging artists and designers.

Tables are now being reserved. Visit www.ocadu.ca/gala to learn more.

#OCADUgala

What can doctors learn from artists? Dr. Nandini Gupta, advanced heart failure cardiologist, and OCAD University Professor and alum, Francis LeBouthillier, would argue a lot! This past spring OCAD U Advancement hosted an evening of life sculpting on campus for members of Art in Medicine (AiM), a non-profit organization that celebrates the relationship between art and medicine. The goal, to explore the intrinsic connection between the arts and medicine and consider holistic approaches to care and healing.

Founded by Dr. Gupta in 2023, AiM was inspired by her lifelong love of the arts. As a champion for the integration of the arts into medical education and practice, she believes arts education can be a foundational tool for cultivating empathy, bridging gaps in relationships between physicians and patients.

OCAD University’s dedication to studio-based learning and wealth of interdisciplinary faculty members made it the perfect venue to host a hands-on event. With over 20 years’ experience developing high-fidelity surgical simulators and medical models, LeBoutillier has worked with research teams at Women’s College Hospital, Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto’s Surgical Skills Lab. The goal is to train doctors so they can perform high risk in utero surgeries and treat life threatening conditions such as Spina Bifida.

Together with Dr. Gupta, LeBoutillier hosted and facilitated the evening workshop. Medical professionals from a wide range of specializations worked directly with clay, sculpting from observation as the group discussed the shared vulnerability of creating something new with the experience of a patient seeking care. LeBoutillier guided participants through how to model different parts of the body through clay, capturing gesture and anatomy.

Participants explored how artistic exploration can strengthen clinical observation, deepen empathy and support more compassionate approaches to care. The event’s success highlighted poignant mirroring of touch in artistic and medical practices, and underscores how approaching a problem with an open mind can lead to unexpected solutions, benefiting us all.

What can doctors learn from artists? Dr. Nandini Gupta, advanced heart failure cardiologist, and OCAD University Professor and alum, Francis LeBouthillier, would argue a lot! This past spring OCAD U Advancement hosted an evening of life sculpting on campus for members of Art in Medicine (AiM), a non-profit organization that celebrates the relationship between art and medicine. The goal, to explore the intrinsic connection between the arts and medicine and consider holistic approaches to care and healing.

Founded by Dr. Gupta in 2023, AiM was inspired by her lifelong love of the arts. As a champion for the integration of the arts into medical education and practice, she believes arts education can be a foundational tool for cultivating empathy, bridging gaps in relationships between physicians and patients.

OCAD University’s dedication to studio-based learning and wealth of interdisciplinary faculty members made it the perfect venue to host a hands-on event. With over 20 years’ experience developing high-fidelity surgical simulators and medical models, LeBoutillier has worked with research teams at Women’s College Hospital, Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto’s Surgical Skills Lab. The goal is to train doctors so they can perform high risk in utero surgeries and treat life threatening conditions such as Spina Bifida.

Together with Dr. Gupta, LeBoutillier hosted and facilitated the evening workshop. Medical professionals from a wide range of specializations worked directly with clay, sculpting from observation as the group discussed the shared vulnerability of creating something new with the experience of a patient seeking care. LeBoutillier guided participants through how to model different parts of the body through clay, capturing gesture and anatomy.

Participants explored how artistic exploration can strengthen clinical observation, deepen empathy and support more compassionate approaches to care. The event’s success highlighted poignant mirroring of touch in artistic and medical practices, and underscores how approaching a problem with an open mind can lead to unexpected solutions, benefiting us all.

What can doctors learn from artists? Dr. Nandini Gupta, advanced heart failure cardiologist, and OCAD University Professor and alum, Francis LeBouthillier, would argue a lot! This past spring OCAD U Advancement hosted an evening of life sculpting on campus for members of Art in Medicine (AiM), a non-profit organization that celebrates the relationship between art and medicine. The goal, to explore the intrinsic connection between the arts and medicine and consider holistic approaches to care and healing.

Founded by Dr. Gupta in 2023, AiM was inspired by her lifelong love of the arts. As a champion for the integration of the arts into medical education and practice, she believes arts education can be a foundational tool for cultivating empathy, bridging gaps in relationships between physicians and patients.

OCAD University’s dedication to studio-based learning and wealth of interdisciplinary faculty members made it the perfect venue to host a hands-on event. With over 20 years’ experience developing high-fidelity surgical simulators and medical models, LeBoutillier has worked with research teams at Women’s College Hospital, Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto’s Surgical Skills Lab. The goal is to train doctors so they can perform high risk in utero surgeries and treat life threatening conditions such as Spina Bifida.

Together with Dr. Gupta, LeBoutillier hosted and facilitated the evening workshop. Medical professionals from a wide range of specializations worked directly with clay, sculpting from observation as the group discussed the shared vulnerability of creating something new with the experience of a patient seeking care. LeBoutillier guided participants through how to model different parts of the body through clay, capturing gesture and anatomy.

Participants explored how artistic exploration can strengthen clinical observation, deepen empathy and support more compassionate approaches to care. The event’s success highlighted poignant mirroring of touch in artistic and medical practices, and underscores how approaching a problem with an open mind can lead to unexpected solutions, benefiting us all.

What can doctors learn from artists? Dr. Nandini Gupta, advanced heart failure cardiologist, and OCAD University Professor and alum, Francis LeBouthillier, would argue a lot! This past spring OCAD U Advancement hosted an evening of life sculpting on campus for members of Art in Medicine (AiM), a non-profit organization that celebrates the relationship between art and medicine. The goal, to explore the intrinsic connection between the arts and medicine and consider holistic approaches to care and healing.

Founded by Dr. Gupta in 2023, AiM was inspired by her lifelong love of the arts. As a champion for the integration of the arts into medical education and practice, she believes arts education can be a foundational tool for cultivating empathy, bridging gaps in relationships between physicians and patients.

OCAD University’s dedication to studio-based learning and wealth of interdisciplinary faculty members made it the perfect venue to host a hands-on event. With over 20 years’ experience developing high-fidelity surgical simulators and medical models, LeBoutillier has worked with research teams at Women’s College Hospital, Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto’s Surgical Skills Lab. The goal is to train doctors so they can perform high risk in utero surgeries and treat life threatening conditions such as Spina Bifida.

Together with Dr. Gupta, LeBoutillier hosted and facilitated the evening workshop. Medical professionals from a wide range of specializations worked directly with clay, sculpting from observation as the group discussed the shared vulnerability of creating something new with the experience of a patient seeking care. LeBoutillier guided participants through how to model different parts of the body through clay, capturing gesture and anatomy.

Participants explored how artistic exploration can strengthen clinical observation, deepen empathy and support more compassionate approaches to care. The event’s success highlighted poignant mirroring of touch in artistic and medical practices, and underscores how approaching a problem with an open mind can lead to unexpected solutions, benefiting us all.

What can doctors learn from artists? Dr. Nandini Gupta, advanced heart failure cardiologist, and OCAD University Professor and alum, Francis LeBouthillier, would argue a lot! This past spring OCAD U Advancement hosted an evening of life sculpting on campus for members of Art in Medicine (AiM), a non-profit organization that celebrates the relationship between art and medicine. The goal, to explore the intrinsic connection between the arts and medicine and consider holistic approaches to care and healing.

Founded by Dr. Gupta in 2023, AiM was inspired by her lifelong love of the arts. As a champion for the integration of the arts into medical education and practice, she believes arts education can be a foundational tool for cultivating empathy, bridging gaps in relationships between physicians and patients.

OCAD University’s dedication to studio-based learning and wealth of interdisciplinary faculty members made it the perfect venue to host a hands-on event. With over 20 years’ experience developing high-fidelity surgical simulators and medical models, LeBoutillier has worked with research teams at Women’s College Hospital, Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto’s Surgical Skills Lab. The goal is to train doctors so they can perform high risk in utero surgeries and treat life threatening conditions such as Spina Bifida.

Together with Dr. Gupta, LeBoutillier hosted and facilitated the evening workshop. Medical professionals from a wide range of specializations worked directly with clay, sculpting from observation as the group discussed the shared vulnerability of creating something new with the experience of a patient seeking care. LeBoutillier guided participants through how to model different parts of the body through clay, capturing gesture and anatomy.

Participants explored how artistic exploration can strengthen clinical observation, deepen empathy and support more compassionate approaches to care. The event’s success highlighted poignant mirroring of touch in artistic and medical practices, and underscores how approaching a problem with an open mind can lead to unexpected solutions, benefiting us all.

This past Saturday, President Ana Serrano and Executive Director of Advancement, Mary Koutsoubos, hosted an intimate gathering for NYC based alumni! Special shout out to faculty member Veronika Szkudlarek who was able to join as well. We loved getting the chance to catch up and reconnect with such a wonderful group of designers, artists and academics. Thank you to Indira Cesarine and the Untitled Space team for facilitating an exclusive viewing of their spring exhibition, IN FULL BLOOM.

Never miss an opportunity to connect! Update your contact information and subscribe to our digital newsletter by emailing us at alumni@ocadu.ca.

@ocaduniversity @untitledspaceny @veronika.szkudlarek
#ocadualumni #ocaalumni #artnyc #alumnievent #ocaduniversity

This past Saturday, President Ana Serrano and Executive Director of Advancement, Mary Koutsoubos, hosted an intimate gathering for NYC based alumni! Special shout out to faculty member Veronika Szkudlarek who was able to join as well. We loved getting the chance to catch up and reconnect with such a wonderful group of designers, artists and academics. Thank you to Indira Cesarine and the Untitled Space team for facilitating an exclusive viewing of their spring exhibition, IN FULL BLOOM.

Never miss an opportunity to connect! Update your contact information and subscribe to our digital newsletter by emailing us at alumni@ocadu.ca.

@ocaduniversity @untitledspaceny @veronika.szkudlarek
#ocadualumni #ocaalumni #artnyc #alumnievent #ocaduniversity

This past Saturday, President Ana Serrano and Executive Director of Advancement, Mary Koutsoubos, hosted an intimate gathering for NYC based alumni! Special shout out to faculty member Veronika Szkudlarek who was able to join as well. We loved getting the chance to catch up and reconnect with such a wonderful group of designers, artists and academics. Thank you to Indira Cesarine and the Untitled Space team for facilitating an exclusive viewing of their spring exhibition, IN FULL BLOOM.

Never miss an opportunity to connect! Update your contact information and subscribe to our digital newsletter by emailing us at alumni@ocadu.ca.

@ocaduniversity @untitledspaceny @veronika.szkudlarek
#ocadualumni #ocaalumni #artnyc #alumnievent #ocaduniversity

This past Saturday, President Ana Serrano and Executive Director of Advancement, Mary Koutsoubos, hosted an intimate gathering for NYC based alumni! Special shout out to faculty member Veronika Szkudlarek who was able to join as well. We loved getting the chance to catch up and reconnect with such a wonderful group of designers, artists and academics. Thank you to Indira Cesarine and the Untitled Space team for facilitating an exclusive viewing of their spring exhibition, IN FULL BLOOM.

Never miss an opportunity to connect! Update your contact information and subscribe to our digital newsletter by emailing us at alumni@ocadu.ca.

@ocaduniversity @untitledspaceny @veronika.szkudlarek
#ocadualumni #ocaalumni #artnyc #alumnievent #ocaduniversity

This past Saturday, President Ana Serrano and Executive Director of Advancement, Mary Koutsoubos, hosted an intimate gathering for NYC based alumni! Special shout out to faculty member Veronika Szkudlarek who was able to join as well. We loved getting the chance to catch up and reconnect with such a wonderful group of designers, artists and academics. Thank you to Indira Cesarine and the Untitled Space team for facilitating an exclusive viewing of their spring exhibition, IN FULL BLOOM.

Never miss an opportunity to connect! Update your contact information and subscribe to our digital newsletter by emailing us at alumni@ocadu.ca.

@ocaduniversity @untitledspaceny @veronika.szkudlarek
#ocadualumni #ocaalumni #artnyc #alumnievent #ocaduniversity

The Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design was electric last night! ✨🖼️

The return of the OCAD U Gala and After Party brought together artists, designers, collectors, and industry leaders in a full building celebration of creativity. Bold alumni works animated the lobby, bids flew in a fierce live art auction, and the energy carried straight onto the dance floor.

Whether you raised a paddle or closed out the After Party, thank you. Proceeds from the event will support student bursaries—opening up opportunities for the next generation of creative leaders.

Huge thanks to Gala Co-Chairs @amyburstynfritz and @jeff_hull, our all-star committee, our corporate partners, and the phenomenal alumni artists and designers who donated their work to make this happen.

Swipe ➡️ for a first look inside the event (📸: @georgepimentel1). Full recap and photo gallery drop next week!

#OCADUGala #OCADUAfterParty #Art #Design #TorontoArts #Philanthropy @ocaduniversity

The Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design was electric last night! ✨🖼️

The return of the OCAD U Gala and After Party brought together artists, designers, collectors, and industry leaders in a full building celebration of creativity. Bold alumni works animated the lobby, bids flew in a fierce live art auction, and the energy carried straight onto the dance floor.

Whether you raised a paddle or closed out the After Party, thank you. Proceeds from the event will support student bursaries—opening up opportunities for the next generation of creative leaders.

Huge thanks to Gala Co-Chairs @amyburstynfritz and @jeff_hull, our all-star committee, our corporate partners, and the phenomenal alumni artists and designers who donated their work to make this happen.

Swipe ➡️ for a first look inside the event (📸: @georgepimentel1). Full recap and photo gallery drop next week!

#OCADUGala #OCADUAfterParty #Art #Design #TorontoArts #Philanthropy @ocaduniversity

The Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design was electric last night! ✨🖼️

The return of the OCAD U Gala and After Party brought together artists, designers, collectors, and industry leaders in a full building celebration of creativity. Bold alumni works animated the lobby, bids flew in a fierce live art auction, and the energy carried straight onto the dance floor.

Whether you raised a paddle or closed out the After Party, thank you. Proceeds from the event will support student bursaries—opening up opportunities for the next generation of creative leaders.

Huge thanks to Gala Co-Chairs @amyburstynfritz and @jeff_hull, our all-star committee, our corporate partners, and the phenomenal alumni artists and designers who donated their work to make this happen.

Swipe ➡️ for a first look inside the event (📸: @georgepimentel1). Full recap and photo gallery drop next week!

#OCADUGala #OCADUAfterParty #Art #Design #TorontoArts #Philanthropy @ocaduniversity

The Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design was electric last night! ✨🖼️

The return of the OCAD U Gala and After Party brought together artists, designers, collectors, and industry leaders in a full building celebration of creativity. Bold alumni works animated the lobby, bids flew in a fierce live art auction, and the energy carried straight onto the dance floor.

Whether you raised a paddle or closed out the After Party, thank you. Proceeds from the event will support student bursaries—opening up opportunities for the next generation of creative leaders.

Huge thanks to Gala Co-Chairs @amyburstynfritz and @jeff_hull, our all-star committee, our corporate partners, and the phenomenal alumni artists and designers who donated their work to make this happen.

Swipe ➡️ for a first look inside the event (📸: @georgepimentel1). Full recap and photo gallery drop next week!

#OCADUGala #OCADUAfterParty #Art #Design #TorontoArts #Philanthropy @ocaduniversity

The Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design was electric last night! ✨🖼️

The return of the OCAD U Gala and After Party brought together artists, designers, collectors, and industry leaders in a full building celebration of creativity. Bold alumni works animated the lobby, bids flew in a fierce live art auction, and the energy carried straight onto the dance floor.

Whether you raised a paddle or closed out the After Party, thank you. Proceeds from the event will support student bursaries—opening up opportunities for the next generation of creative leaders.

Huge thanks to Gala Co-Chairs @amyburstynfritz and @jeff_hull, our all-star committee, our corporate partners, and the phenomenal alumni artists and designers who donated their work to make this happen.

Swipe ➡️ for a first look inside the event (📸: @georgepimentel1). Full recap and photo gallery drop next week!

#OCADUGala #OCADUAfterParty #Art #Design #TorontoArts #Philanthropy @ocaduniversity

The Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design was electric last night! ✨🖼️

The return of the OCAD U Gala and After Party brought together artists, designers, collectors, and industry leaders in a full building celebration of creativity. Bold alumni works animated the lobby, bids flew in a fierce live art auction, and the energy carried straight onto the dance floor.

Whether you raised a paddle or closed out the After Party, thank you. Proceeds from the event will support student bursaries—opening up opportunities for the next generation of creative leaders.

Huge thanks to Gala Co-Chairs @amyburstynfritz and @jeff_hull, our all-star committee, our corporate partners, and the phenomenal alumni artists and designers who donated their work to make this happen.

Swipe ➡️ for a first look inside the event (📸: @georgepimentel1). Full recap and photo gallery drop next week!

#OCADUGala #OCADUAfterParty #Art #Design #TorontoArts #Philanthropy @ocaduniversity

🗣️ OCAD U ALUMS! We want to hear from you! 📣

Help us take a walk down memory lane.
We turn 150 this year! 🎉 and we’re looking back at the moments that made the experience what it was. That unforgettable class. A professor who changed your perspective. Your first exhibition. The friendships made, and everything else in between.

Memories big or small, we want to hear them all! Share your OCAD U story and help us celebrate the people, experiences and moments that have shaped our community over the last 150 years.

Head to our link in bio to submit your story. Selected stories may be featured as part of our 150th anniversary celebrations.

🗣️ OCAD U ALUMS! We want to hear from you! 📣

Help us take a walk down memory lane.
We turn 150 this year! 🎉 and we’re looking back at the moments that made the experience what it was. That unforgettable class. A professor who changed your perspective. Your first exhibition. The friendships made, and everything else in between.

Memories big or small, we want to hear them all! Share your OCAD U story and help us celebrate the people, experiences and moments that have shaped our community over the last 150 years.

Head to our link in bio to submit your story. Selected stories may be featured as part of our 150th anniversary celebrations.

🗣️ OCAD U ALUMS! We want to hear from you! 📣

Help us take a walk down memory lane.
We turn 150 this year! 🎉 and we’re looking back at the moments that made the experience what it was. That unforgettable class. A professor who changed your perspective. Your first exhibition. The friendships made, and everything else in between.

Memories big or small, we want to hear them all! Share your OCAD U story and help us celebrate the people, experiences and moments that have shaped our community over the last 150 years.

Head to our link in bio to submit your story. Selected stories may be featured as part of our 150th anniversary celebrations.

🗣️ OCAD U ALUMS! We want to hear from you! 📣

Help us take a walk down memory lane.
We turn 150 this year! 🎉 and we’re looking back at the moments that made the experience what it was. That unforgettable class. A professor who changed your perspective. Your first exhibition. The friendships made, and everything else in between.

Memories big or small, we want to hear them all! Share your OCAD U story and help us celebrate the people, experiences and moments that have shaped our community over the last 150 years.

Head to our link in bio to submit your story. Selected stories may be featured as part of our 150th anniversary celebrations.

🐇🌟🌷🪭 Opening May 30! 💐💫🧶🪡

Join us for a vivid showcase of boundary-pushing craft practices that reclaim and revel in what has been minimized as the frivolously feminine, the scandalously queer, and the exotically ornamental!

𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚
Curated by Madeline Collins

Free artist-led embroidery workshop: Friday, May 29, 4-7pm, @roozamooncafersvp link in bio
Free panel discussion: Saturday, May 30, 1-3pm, @harbourfrontcentreStudio Theatre rsvp link in bio
Exhibition Opening reception: Saturday, May 30, 6-10pm

Rhinestones, beads, crystals, embroidery, textiles, and ceramics have all been variously perceived as symbols of “excessive” cultures or lifestyles, an association that has served to reinforce creative hierarchies and trivialize marginalized identities. By centering these materials in their work, Théo Bignon (@theo_bignon), Molly JF Caldwell (@mollyjfcaldwell ), Lux Gow-Habrich (@lux.sparkledust ) and Hea R. Kim (@hea_creative ) entwine visual and haptic pleasures with critical analyses of labour, gender, queerness, and colonialism.

The Lost & Found Project Space
420 Queen St E, Toronto
May 30 - June 20, 2026

This exhibition and programming is a part of Openwork, an artist-led initiative by TLAF Collective to encourage new voices and critical engagement in the field of experimental craft and material-based practice. 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 is generously funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council. The panel discussion is hosted by the Harbourfront Centre, and we would like to acknowledge the incredible support of artverb* @artverbing .

#materialdisobedience #contemporarycraft #canadiancraft

🐇🌟🌷🪭 Opening May 30! 💐💫🧶🪡

Join us for a vivid showcase of boundary-pushing craft practices that reclaim and revel in what has been minimized as the frivolously feminine, the scandalously queer, and the exotically ornamental!

𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚
Curated by Madeline Collins

Free artist-led embroidery workshop: Friday, May 29, 4-7pm, @roozamooncafersvp link in bio
Free panel discussion: Saturday, May 30, 1-3pm, @harbourfrontcentreStudio Theatre rsvp link in bio
Exhibition Opening reception: Saturday, May 30, 6-10pm

Rhinestones, beads, crystals, embroidery, textiles, and ceramics have all been variously perceived as symbols of “excessive” cultures or lifestyles, an association that has served to reinforce creative hierarchies and trivialize marginalized identities. By centering these materials in their work, Théo Bignon (@theo_bignon), Molly JF Caldwell (@mollyjfcaldwell ), Lux Gow-Habrich (@lux.sparkledust ) and Hea R. Kim (@hea_creative ) entwine visual and haptic pleasures with critical analyses of labour, gender, queerness, and colonialism.

The Lost & Found Project Space
420 Queen St E, Toronto
May 30 - June 20, 2026

This exhibition and programming is a part of Openwork, an artist-led initiative by TLAF Collective to encourage new voices and critical engagement in the field of experimental craft and material-based practice. 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 is generously funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council. The panel discussion is hosted by the Harbourfront Centre, and we would like to acknowledge the incredible support of artverb* @artverbing .

#materialdisobedience #contemporarycraft #canadiancraft

OPENING RECEPTION ✨ What Holds Us Together

Join us at @varleyartgalleryfor the opening reception of an exhibition exploring memory, identity, resilience, and transformation through painting and interdisciplinary practices.
Featuring works by:
@parnairr — OCADU IAMD MFA alum + current faculty
@vickyspaintings — OCADU BFA + IAMD MFA alum
@scott.sawtell — OCADU alumn + former faculty
Curated by @anikglaude
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📍 Saturday, May 23, 2026
🕑 2 PM – 4 PM
🎟 Free Admission
No registration required
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The artists in this exhibition work within states of in-betweenness, using painting to assemble the memories, relationships, and events that shape their identities. Through layered processes and intuitive construction, they build worlds that hold them together—worlds offering coherence amid shifting selves and unstable histories.

Presented by @varleyartgallery
🔗 Link in their bio

#ocadualumi #ocaduevents #alumniexhibition #varleyartgallery

OPENING RECEPTION ✨ What Holds Us Together

Join us at @varleyartgalleryfor the opening reception of an exhibition exploring memory, identity, resilience, and transformation through painting and interdisciplinary practices.
Featuring works by:
@parnairr — OCADU IAMD MFA alum + current faculty
@vickyspaintings — OCADU BFA + IAMD MFA alum
@scott.sawtell — OCADU alumn + former faculty
Curated by @anikglaude
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📍 Saturday, May 23, 2026
🕑 2 PM – 4 PM
🎟 Free Admission
No registration required
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The artists in this exhibition work within states of in-betweenness, using painting to assemble the memories, relationships, and events that shape their identities. Through layered processes and intuitive construction, they build worlds that hold them together—worlds offering coherence amid shifting selves and unstable histories.

Presented by @varleyartgallery
🔗 Link in their bio

#ocadualumi #ocaduevents #alumniexhibition #varleyartgallery

Alum (Photography, Class of 2015) Rachel Meyer’s creative journey is marked by grief, resilience and the transformative power of collaboration. Her strength and unwavering love for her family has led to a renewed artistic spirit and the creation of an emerging homeware brand, Tallow Studio, that’s committed to creating beautiful, functional objects from stone.

After graduating from OCAD University, Rachel first began her career as a food photographer, channeling her artistic skills into visual storytelling, all while traveling the world and strengthening her creative voice. Her career would take an unexpected pause when her husband was diagnosed with a rare and terminal cancer. As her role as a caregiver came to the forefront, she describes taking a step back from her creative self to navigate the tragic loss of her husband with their two young daughters. She would struggle to access her creativity during this period, unsure what role it could play amidst the unthinkable for her family.

Today, Rachel’s new collaborative design venture, Tallow Studio, has been the spark to reacquaint her with her artistic self. A shared project between herself and her partner Daniel - and Daniel’s sister Elyssa and her husband Mitchell - they have created a family owned and operated home goods company focusing on the timeless beauty and calming presence of stone.

After being inspired by Elyssa and Mitchell’s experience custom designing and furnishing their forever home, the four of them combined their shared expertise across interior decorating, product development, social media marketing and photography to create Tallow Studio. Their goal is beautiful objects, made to be used, loved and seamlessly incorporated into day-to-day life. From where you rest your spoon while cooking, to the candle holders on your table, to the cups you drink from at dinner, each piece is crafted in natural stone sourced from across the globe and intended to become a contemporary heirloom (story continues in comments).

Alum (Photography, Class of 2015) Rachel Meyer’s creative journey is marked by grief, resilience and the transformative power of collaboration. Her strength and unwavering love for her family has led to a renewed artistic spirit and the creation of an emerging homeware brand, Tallow Studio, that’s committed to creating beautiful, functional objects from stone.

After graduating from OCAD University, Rachel first began her career as a food photographer, channeling her artistic skills into visual storytelling, all while traveling the world and strengthening her creative voice. Her career would take an unexpected pause when her husband was diagnosed with a rare and terminal cancer. As her role as a caregiver came to the forefront, she describes taking a step back from her creative self to navigate the tragic loss of her husband with their two young daughters. She would struggle to access her creativity during this period, unsure what role it could play amidst the unthinkable for her family.

Today, Rachel’s new collaborative design venture, Tallow Studio, has been the spark to reacquaint her with her artistic self. A shared project between herself and her partner Daniel - and Daniel’s sister Elyssa and her husband Mitchell - they have created a family owned and operated home goods company focusing on the timeless beauty and calming presence of stone.

After being inspired by Elyssa and Mitchell’s experience custom designing and furnishing their forever home, the four of them combined their shared expertise across interior decorating, product development, social media marketing and photography to create Tallow Studio. Their goal is beautiful objects, made to be used, loved and seamlessly incorporated into day-to-day life. From where you rest your spoon while cooking, to the candle holders on your table, to the cups you drink from at dinner, each piece is crafted in natural stone sourced from across the globe and intended to become a contemporary heirloom (story continues in comments).

Alum (Photography, Class of 2015) Rachel Meyer’s creative journey is marked by grief, resilience and the transformative power of collaboration. Her strength and unwavering love for her family has led to a renewed artistic spirit and the creation of an emerging homeware brand, Tallow Studio, that’s committed to creating beautiful, functional objects from stone.

After graduating from OCAD University, Rachel first began her career as a food photographer, channeling her artistic skills into visual storytelling, all while traveling the world and strengthening her creative voice. Her career would take an unexpected pause when her husband was diagnosed with a rare and terminal cancer. As her role as a caregiver came to the forefront, she describes taking a step back from her creative self to navigate the tragic loss of her husband with their two young daughters. She would struggle to access her creativity during this period, unsure what role it could play amidst the unthinkable for her family.

Today, Rachel’s new collaborative design venture, Tallow Studio, has been the spark to reacquaint her with her artistic self. A shared project between herself and her partner Daniel - and Daniel’s sister Elyssa and her husband Mitchell - they have created a family owned and operated home goods company focusing on the timeless beauty and calming presence of stone.

After being inspired by Elyssa and Mitchell’s experience custom designing and furnishing their forever home, the four of them combined their shared expertise across interior decorating, product development, social media marketing and photography to create Tallow Studio. Their goal is beautiful objects, made to be used, loved and seamlessly incorporated into day-to-day life. From where you rest your spoon while cooking, to the candle holders on your table, to the cups you drink from at dinner, each piece is crafted in natural stone sourced from across the globe and intended to become a contemporary heirloom (story continues in comments).

Alum (Photography, Class of 2015) Rachel Meyer’s creative journey is marked by grief, resilience and the transformative power of collaboration. Her strength and unwavering love for her family has led to a renewed artistic spirit and the creation of an emerging homeware brand, Tallow Studio, that’s committed to creating beautiful, functional objects from stone.

After graduating from OCAD University, Rachel first began her career as a food photographer, channeling her artistic skills into visual storytelling, all while traveling the world and strengthening her creative voice. Her career would take an unexpected pause when her husband was diagnosed with a rare and terminal cancer. As her role as a caregiver came to the forefront, she describes taking a step back from her creative self to navigate the tragic loss of her husband with their two young daughters. She would struggle to access her creativity during this period, unsure what role it could play amidst the unthinkable for her family.

Today, Rachel’s new collaborative design venture, Tallow Studio, has been the spark to reacquaint her with her artistic self. A shared project between herself and her partner Daniel - and Daniel’s sister Elyssa and her husband Mitchell - they have created a family owned and operated home goods company focusing on the timeless beauty and calming presence of stone.

After being inspired by Elyssa and Mitchell’s experience custom designing and furnishing their forever home, the four of them combined their shared expertise across interior decorating, product development, social media marketing and photography to create Tallow Studio. Their goal is beautiful objects, made to be used, loved and seamlessly incorporated into day-to-day life. From where you rest your spoon while cooking, to the candle holders on your table, to the cups you drink from at dinner, each piece is crafted in natural stone sourced from across the globe and intended to become a contemporary heirloom (story continues in comments).

Alum (Photography, Class of 2015) Rachel Meyer’s creative journey is marked by grief, resilience and the transformative power of collaboration. Her strength and unwavering love for her family has led to a renewed artistic spirit and the creation of an emerging homeware brand, Tallow Studio, that’s committed to creating beautiful, functional objects from stone.

After graduating from OCAD University, Rachel first began her career as a food photographer, channeling her artistic skills into visual storytelling, all while traveling the world and strengthening her creative voice. Her career would take an unexpected pause when her husband was diagnosed with a rare and terminal cancer. As her role as a caregiver came to the forefront, she describes taking a step back from her creative self to navigate the tragic loss of her husband with their two young daughters. She would struggle to access her creativity during this period, unsure what role it could play amidst the unthinkable for her family.

Today, Rachel’s new collaborative design venture, Tallow Studio, has been the spark to reacquaint her with her artistic self. A shared project between herself and her partner Daniel - and Daniel’s sister Elyssa and her husband Mitchell - they have created a family owned and operated home goods company focusing on the timeless beauty and calming presence of stone.

After being inspired by Elyssa and Mitchell’s experience custom designing and furnishing their forever home, the four of them combined their shared expertise across interior decorating, product development, social media marketing and photography to create Tallow Studio. Their goal is beautiful objects, made to be used, loved and seamlessly incorporated into day-to-day life. From where you rest your spoon while cooking, to the candle holders on your table, to the cups you drink from at dinner, each piece is crafted in natural stone sourced from across the globe and intended to become a contemporary heirloom (story continues in comments).

They whispered sacred words into the wind
Raquel Mendes @raquelmendes.art
Curated by Daniel Mira

Opening: May 13th, at 6pm
Visitation: May 14th to 20th, 11am to 6pm
Location: Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

What winds hear us when we whisper? How do our bodies move the earth? What affects reflect the spirits circulating around us? They Whispered Sacred Words into the Wind is an exploration in photography and spirit by Raquel Mendes in collaboration with her daughters. Yearning for stronger ties with ancestral knowledge, the artist sought to enlist the wisdom of her progeny in a deeply invested venture into embodied relational experience through play and art. The artist positions herself as witness, guest, and participant in her children's spontaneous acts of connection with the urban more-than-human worlds they inhabit. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Artist Bio: Raquel Mendes is an interdisciplinary artist and researcher from Brazil based in Toronto. Her work has been shown in exhibitions in Brazil, Canada, United States and Argentina, exploring themes around relationality, feminist subjectivity, and the interconnectedness of existence. She performs research that explores practical engagements of reciprocal multispecies exchange in urban environments through auto-ethnographic and research-creation methodologies. She has a BFA from Universidade de Brasília in Brazil, an MFA from OCAD University, and is currently a PhD student in the Environmental Studies program at York University.

#ocadualumni #alumniexhibition #torontoart #torontoexhibition #remotegallery

✨ Less than TWO WEEKS until the OCAD U Gala After Party! Get your tickets now!

Enjoy a live DJ set by @flyladydi , explore immersive art installations, and enjoy late-night cocktails and gourmet desserts alongside Toronto’s most creative and influential minds.

Every dollar raised will support student bursaries at OCAD U.

Tickets are on sale now — get yours before they’re gone! 👉 Link in bio or visit www.ocadu.ca/afterparty

#OCADUGala #OCADUAfterParty #TorontoArts

✨ Less than TWO WEEKS until the OCAD U Gala After Party! Get your tickets now!

Enjoy a live DJ set by @flyladydi , explore immersive art installations, and enjoy late-night cocktails and gourmet desserts alongside Toronto’s most creative and influential minds.

Every dollar raised will support student bursaries at OCAD U.

Tickets are on sale now — get yours before they’re gone! 👉 Link in bio or visit www.ocadu.ca/afterparty

#OCADUGala #OCADUAfterParty #TorontoArts

✨ Less than TWO WEEKS until the OCAD U Gala After Party! Get your tickets now!

Enjoy a live DJ set by @flyladydi , explore immersive art installations, and enjoy late-night cocktails and gourmet desserts alongside Toronto’s most creative and influential minds.

Every dollar raised will support student bursaries at OCAD U.

Tickets are on sale now — get yours before they’re gone! 👉 Link in bio or visit www.ocadu.ca/afterparty

#OCADUGala #OCADUAfterParty #TorontoArts

Upcoming embroidery workshop with alum Vishwa Patel @vishwafineart !
May 19 6-8 PM, at Gladstone House! Learn basic embroidery techniques and take home a beautiful, nature-inspired work. Adult (18+). No experience required, all levels welcome

Connect with the green spaces of Toronto through the art of embroidery. In this workshop, you'll learn a selection of embroidery stitches and use them to bring a cattail motif to life - a plant found growing along the nearby Humber River ravine. Guided through each step, you'll have time to work at your own pace and leave with a completed 4" hoop tapestry to take home.

All materials provided. Participants take home their finished embroidered hoop and a printed handout of embroidery techniques.

Link to register in Vishwa's bio!

#ocadualumni #alumniworkshop #torontoevent #torontocraft

Join OCAD U's Faculty of Art on Saturday, May 30th for a film screening of "Crossings" and discussion on peace and unification in Korea.

Thirty women activists including Nobel Peace Laureates and renowned feminist, Gloria Steinem, set out on a risky journey across the DMZ between North and South Korea, calling for an end to a 70-year war that has divided the Korean people.

Saturday, May 30, 3 pm
OCAD U, Room 230
100 McCaul St., 2nd floor
Director Deann Borshay Liem and members of Women Cross DMZ will join for a post screening conversation.

@ocadu_art