York University Celebrates Its “Year of the Arts”
Jul 12, 2023
From September 2022 to May 2023, the York University School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) hosted a Year of the Arts to celebrate the power of imagination in creating positive local and global change.
More than 60 scholars, artists, and designers ran more than 20 events, including curated installations, exhibits, performances, and presentations, engaging in meaningful dialogue with diverse communities on York University Campuses, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), across Canada, and around the world.
For example, as part of Nuit Blanche 2022 (the City of Toronto’s annual overnight celebration of contemporary art), the Art Gallery of York University (AGYU) and York University presented Streams~, an evening of campus-wide exhibitions, art installations, and events featuring 34 artists and showcasing 19 projects located around the central core of York University’s Keele Campus. You can see highlights from the event in the video below:
Over 15 community partners helped produce the Year of the Arts alongside AMPD, including the Sensorium: Centre for Digital Arts and Technology led by its Director and Computational Arts Assistant Professor, Joel Ong. The partnerships ranged from municipal partners like the City of Toronto and the City of Markham to international institutions like the LAZNIA Centre for Contemporary Arts in Poland.
“Arts-based research is foundational in developing industries, advancing innovation, and creating and sustaining equity across all sectors – not just the entertainment arts & culture industry,” says Ong “With the Year of the Arts, we are bridging the gap between the university and wider society by demonstrating that art, activism, and knowledge are central to creating positive change in communities and society at-large.”
Sarah Bay-Cheng, Dean of AMPD, added: “AMPD [was] uniquely positioned to lead this exciting endeavor as one of the most comprehensive schools of arts, design and culture in Canada. AMPD is home to leading faculty members, researchers, and creatives; state-of-the-art facilities; and a thriving landscape for experimentation, exploration, and learning.”
To learn more about the Year of the Arts and its events, please visit the Year of the Arts website.
Image: York Dance Ensemble in Cardinal Points.