designto festival 2027

The Yonge + St. Clair BIA is seeking proposals for art installations as part of the 2027 DesignTO Festival – Canada’s largest annual celebration of art and design with over 100 exhibitions and events forming Toronto’s design week. The Yonge + St. Clair BIA welcomes artists, architects, designers, fabricators and multidisciplinary creatives to submit ambitious, site-specific installations that activate space, encourage exploration, and create memorable experiences. The Yonge + St. Clair BIA is seeking medium to large-scale installations to be displayed throughout Yonge + St. Clair, reaching thousands of residents, office workers, and visitors. In addition, each installation will receive exposure through DesignTO Festival’s marketing channels, guided walking tours, artist talks, and neighbourhood programming. The theme for the Yonge + St Clair neighbourhood this year is: Intersections.

Yonge + St. Clair has long been a place where people, ideas and city life intersect. Situated between downtown and uptown Toronto, the neighbourhood brings together residents, businesses, office workers and visitors while continuing to evolve through significant growth and investment. These intersections between communities, disciplines, history, and progress shape the identity of the neighbourhood and the experiences of those who move through it each day.

Artists are invited to interpret Intersections through their own creative and critical lens. Proposals may explore themes of convergence, transformation, movement, identity, exchange, and/or the evolving relationship between people and place. The theme is intentionally broad, encouraging innovative responses that activate the selected site.

Duration

10 days • January 22 – January 31, 2027

Timeline                                  

September 13, 2026, Submission deadline
Late September 2026, Artists selected
October 2026, Final project information submitted to DesignTO
November 2026, DesignTO Festival announcement
January 14-21, 2027, Installation period
January 22–31, 2027, Exhibition
February 1–2, 2027, De-installation (unless exhibit extended)