1. The Armory Show
New York
In September, New York’s premier art fair kicked off the fall arts season with a four-day show at its new permanent venue, Javits Center. Featuring a hybrid model, this year’s in-person event was accompanied by Armory Online, a bespoke digital platform that allowed at-home attendees to engage with the gallery presentations. This year, 157 exhibitors, including 44 international galleries, participated in the hybrid experience, with an additional 55 galleries participating exclusively online. For 2021, organizers also launched Armory Off-Site, a new public art program that brought large-scale and interactive artworks to public spaces and parks across New York City, including Astor Place Plaza, Flatiron Plaza and Pier 64 at Hudson River Park. Next: Sept. 8-11, 2022
In September, New York’s premier art fair kicked off the fall arts season with a four-day show at its new permanent venue, Javits Center. Featuring a hybrid model, this year’s in-person event was accompanied by Armory Online, a bespoke digital platform that allowed at-home attendees to engage with the gallery presentations. This year, 157 exhibitors, including 44 international galleries, participated in the hybrid experience, with an additional 55 galleries participating exclusively online. For 2021, organizers also launched Armory Off-Site, a new public art program that brought large-scale and interactive artworks to public spaces and parks across New York City, including Astor Place Plaza, Flatiron Plaza and Pier 64 at Hudson River Park. Next: Sept. 8-11, 2022
Photo: Casey Kelbaugh
2. DesignTO Festival
Toronto
This 10-day event is Canada’s largest cultural celebration of design. After hosting an in-person event at the beginning of 2020, which marked its 10th anniversary, the festival was forced to adapt due to the pandemic. Instead, in 2021, the event featured a variety of window installations at venues across the city that were viewable from the outdoors, virtual exhibitions and online talks. Next: Jan. 21-30, 2022
This 10-day event is Canada’s largest cultural celebration of design. After hosting an in-person event at the beginning of 2020, which marked its 10th anniversary, the festival was forced to adapt due to the pandemic. Instead, in 2021, the event featured a variety of window installations at venues across the city that were viewable from the outdoors, virtual exhibitions and online talks. Next: Jan. 21-30, 2022
Photo: designtofestival/Instagram
3. Art Basel Miami Beach
Miami
More than 250 leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa participate in Art Basel Miami Beach, the American offshoot of the prolific art show that began in Switzerland in 1970. After hosting a virtual-only version of the event in 2020, artists, art appreciators, critics and curators will once again gather in person at the Miami Beach Convention Center for this year’s event, with Art Basel Live, the fair’s multichannel digital initiative, returning to help amplify the on-site presentations to broader global audiences. Next: Dec. 2-4, 2021
See more: Can Art Basel Survive Without the Parties?
More than 250 leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa participate in Art Basel Miami Beach, the American offshoot of the prolific art show that began in Switzerland in 1970. After hosting a virtual-only version of the event in 2020, artists, art appreciators, critics and curators will once again gather in person at the Miami Beach Convention Center for this year’s event, with Art Basel Live, the fair’s multichannel digital initiative, returning to help amplify the on-site presentations to broader global audiences. Next: Dec. 2-4, 2021
See more: Can Art Basel Survive Without the Parties?
Photo: Courtesy of Art Basel Miami Beach
4. Nuit Blanche Toronto
Toronto
After gathering for an in-person event in 2019, the city’s all-night contemporary arts festival was reimagined into a virtual experience in 2020, complete with expanded digital content and special online events. Nuit in Your Neighbourhood brought public art to at-home audiences through 23 augmented and virtual reality experiences; Nuit Live, a 12-hour livestream of screen-based artworks and archival images, was accompanied with soundscapes provided by several DJs; and Nuit Talks examined the art and artists involved in Nuit Blanche, alongside broader conversations about public space and art. The city of Toronto decided to postpone the 2021 event. Next: TBD 2022
After gathering for an in-person event in 2019, the city’s all-night contemporary arts festival was reimagined into a virtual experience in 2020, complete with expanded digital content and special online events. Nuit in Your Neighbourhood brought public art to at-home audiences through 23 augmented and virtual reality experiences; Nuit Live, a 12-hour livestream of screen-based artworks and archival images, was accompanied with soundscapes provided by several DJs; and Nuit Talks examined the art and artists involved in Nuit Blanche, alongside broader conversations about public space and art. The city of Toronto decided to postpone the 2021 event. Next: TBD 2022
Photo: Courtesy of City of Toronto
5. Luminato
Toronto
In 2020, organizers of the city’s international festival of arts canceled the originally planned in-person festival and introduced a three-day virtual festival featuring work by more than 120 Canadian artists. Over the course of the event, 17,700 people tuned into the experience. This year, for the first time in its 15-year history, Luminato was postponed until October, instead of its usual summer dates. The five-day hybrid festival included programming such as film premieres, a music series and live performances. Next: June 9-26, 2022
In 2020, organizers of the city’s international festival of arts canceled the originally planned in-person festival and introduced a three-day virtual festival featuring work by more than 120 Canadian artists. Over the course of the event, 17,700 people tuned into the experience. This year, for the first time in its 15-year history, Luminato was postponed until October, instead of its usual summer dates. The five-day hybrid festival included programming such as film premieres, a music series and live performances. Next: June 9-26, 2022
Photo: Cassandra Popescu
6. Burning Man
Black Rock Desert, Nev.
For nine days each year, tens of thousands of people erect a temporary city in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert for this festival, which began in 1986 in San Francisco. But, because of the pandemic, “burners” (a term used to identify folks within the Burning Man community) were forced to gather virtually in 2020 and 2021. Via its platform called Kindling, at-home attendees were able to access a variety of online universes that were created by different communities, similar in spirit to the in-person event, which encourages individual groups to build their own experiences. Thousands of rogue burners still made their way to the desert, though, despite the official event’s two-year cancellation. Next: TBD 2022
For nine days each year, tens of thousands of people erect a temporary city in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert for this festival, which began in 1986 in San Francisco. But, because of the pandemic, “burners” (a term used to identify folks within the Burning Man community) were forced to gather virtually in 2020 and 2021. Via its platform called Kindling, at-home attendees were able to access a variety of online universes that were created by different communities, similar in spirit to the in-person event, which encourages individual groups to build their own experiences. Thousands of rogue burners still made their way to the desert, though, despite the official event’s two-year cancellation. Next: TBD 2022
Photo: Curtis Simmons/Creative Commons
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License
7. Art Toronto
Toronto
For 2021, Canada’s largest modern and contemporary art fair returned as a hybrid event. Over 60 galleries participated in this year’s fair, with 30% of the work by Indigenous artists and a third of the galleries presenting Indigenous work. The show, which once again took place at the Metro Convention Centre, included a new design with wider aisles and more open space, as well as a virtual component via the virtual reality platform Artland. A series of panel discussions was also hosted exclusively online this year. Next: TBD 2022
For 2021, Canada’s largest modern and contemporary art fair returned as a hybrid event. Over 60 galleries participated in this year’s fair, with 30% of the work by Indigenous artists and a third of the galleries presenting Indigenous work. The show, which once again took place at the Metro Convention Centre, included a new design with wider aisles and more open space, as well as a virtual component via the virtual reality platform Artland. A series of panel discussions was also hosted exclusively online this year. Next: TBD 2022
Photo: Courtesy of Art Toronto
8. Interior Design Show
Toronto
For the 2021 edition, which runs until Nov. 19, the show is combining both online and in-person events, talks and experiences. Virtual programming includes keynote presentations and seminars, presented by Miele, with in-person exhibitions and installations that adhere to physical distancing best practices. Off-site events are also taking place in Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary and Toronto. Next: Jan. 20-23, 2022
For the 2021 edition, which runs until Nov. 19, the show is combining both online and in-person events, talks and experiences. Virtual programming includes keynote presentations and seminars, presented by Miele, with in-person exhibitions and installations that adhere to physical distancing best practices. Off-site events are also taking place in Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary and Toronto. Next: Jan. 20-23, 2022
Photo: Courtesy of Interior Design Show
