Toronto architectural studio Raw Design hosted its eighth annual "Raw" party on June 25. With the theme "Raw Canvas," the event took over a 3,000-square-foot industrial space. "This year, given that Raw as an architectural studio has been impressively stepping into the arts world, we wanted to illustrate the connection between art and architecture with the city as its canvas," said producer Kim Graham of Kim Graham & Associates.
The venue guests arrived at was a blank slate, but during the event, hands-on activities ensured that "no floor, wall, or surface [went] untouched," Graham said. "One of the central elements that makes these events so successful is the opportunity for guests not only to attend the event, but to participate in the making of the event. We give adults the chance to play."
The 3,000 guests became an "army of artists," Graham said, and were invited to help create a giant paint-by-numbers picture, spray paint onto other guests, write on the wall, and paint on bottles at the bar. "When you see over 4,000 Instagram posts from one event in one night, you know the guests were having fun," Graham said. "Success for us is when the crowd comes out and stays and plays."