RBC is pleased to return as Art Toronto’s principal sponsor for the 17th year and support their mission to showcase Canada’s great emerging and established talents.

RBC recognizes the important role that visual arts play in fostering vibrant and innovative communities. We have a longstanding tradition of supporting the work of Canada’s greatest visual talents through the RBC Art Collection, and championing emerging talent through RBC Emerging Artists. Since 2007, RBC Emerging Artists has been supporting organizations that provide the best opportunity to advance an artist’s career trajectory in genres such as visual arts, music, theatre, dance, literature and film.

RBC will present a Main Stage talk this year, titled Generations in Dialogue: The impact of new voices in institutional spaces. It will be an in-depth conversation with RBC Sr. Curator Corrie Jackson and McMichael Chief Curator, Sarah Milroy. This discussion will look to take a deep reflection on the importance of spaces for cross-generational narratives, and the role of institutions in supporting the evolving practices of emerging artists.

This year, we are pleased to unveil the new RBC Community Gallery located at RBC Plaza at 200 Bay St. in downtown Toronto. The gallery is free to access during regular business hours and exhibitions will be rotated bi-annually. In the inaugural exhibition, Ecologies and Communities, artists consider the connections that illustrate and inform the communities where we live and work. The selected artworks explore networks between the natural world and scientific data, documentation and memory, personal histories and social justice movements; they are a reminder of the relationships that connect us.

The artworks presented in the RBC Community Gallery are part of the RBC Art Collection, which was established in 1929 and is actively growing. The collection consists of historic and contemporary Canadian, Indigenous and Inuit art, with a focus on acquiring work by emerging artists.

As we find moments for shared connection with art, both in person and online, the importance of the diverse and innovative perspectives art brings forward feels all the more essential.  We hope your experience at Art Toronto offers opportunities to discover new ideas, connect with broad and inclusive conversations, and celebrate our art community.

Jen Aitken – Aqlerioc, 2019-2020, From the series: Tattic, Image courtesy of the artist. On display during Art Toronto and then at the RBC Community Gallery.