The Artist Project, which took place in Toronto from March 3 through 6, is one of the city's largest annual art events. However, it's unique from other art fairs in that it features 200 independent artists, so instead of galleries on hand representing individual artists, they each represent themselves and sell their own work, interacting with curators, critics, collectors, and others.
At Thursday evening's opening night party, 2,000 guests got a first chance to view all of the art, which ranged from photography to oil paintings to statues, and to meet the artists. Throughout the night, guests could wander among the booths set up at Exhibition Place's Queen Elizabeth Building, and also view special setups that included a video art section and an area for emerging artists who were provided with free space.
Building off of the yellow color designated for this year's show, organizers went with a "lemon" theme for the party. Absolut Citron sponsored the party and provided lemon cocktails, while women in vintage yellow dresses and pillbox hats passed out lemon cupcakes served on old-fashioned cigar cases. Yellow flowers and bowls of fresh lemons throughout the space added to the theme.
Sony sponsored the Sony Lounge, where guests could use special glasses to view 3-D photos taken by five different artists. Throughout the evening, a live jazz band provided mellow music.
"We had to choose entertainment carefully since with an art fair, people are talking and trying to sell the whole time," said show manager Claire Taylor of MMPI Canada. "You need to make it fun and uplifting, but not so loud and intense that it distracts."
Overall, the show saw a 20 percent increase in attendance, bringing in about 12,000 guests throughout the weekend. Perhaps most impressively, Merchandise Mart Properties Canada Inc. reports that 75 percent of participating artists signed up to sell again at next year's fair.
