Canada’s tallest walk-through LED Christmas tree is now open for free near Toronto

Source: BlogTO

Nathan Phillips Square’s Cavalcade of Lights and the temporarily-treeless Eaton Centre are typically the top destinations for enormous Christmas trees, but the Toronto area’s biggest tree might be one that was newly unveiled just north of the city in the burgeoning Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC).

And you can even walk through the base of this colossal conical display, in what is being hailed as the country’s tallest walk-through LED tree experience.

The new tree was unveiled in a Nov. 30 ceremony at 100 New Park Place, kicking off the City Lights at SmartVMC festival.

Standing an impressive 34 metres, or 114 feet, above the SmartCentre Bus Terminal at VMC subway station, the tree gives the GTA’s more established trees a run for their money.

That’s eight freakin’ storeys tall.

That is indeed a shade taller than the (not present in 2022) Eaton Centre’s 32-metre tree and almost double the height of Nathan Phillips Square’s 16.75-metre tree installed this year for Cavalcade.

Created by responsive lighting and digital media company urbanvisuals, the tree features over 70,000 LED lights, forming something of a tree-shaped screen that can be programmed with animated displays.

And, of course, you can take all the selfies you want while walking through the tree’s glowing tunnel base.

The completely free attraction will remain on public display until January, and is sure to make a fun addition to your holiday camera roll.

Though it’s technically in the 905, urban dwellers can easily check this fun attraction out, with the tree and festival set up just steps from the TTC’s VMC Station.

Thousands More People To Call Vaughan’s Emerging Downtown Home In Future

Source: The Star

A total of 2,628 units are under construction, which could accommodate approximately 5,203 more residents

During peak hours, school buses and cars at the intersection of Apple Mill Road and Millway Avenue — the heart of Vaughan’s emerging downtown core — patiently wait their turns. Pedestrians, too, walk in and out of the subway station nearby, creating some buzz.

“From 4 to 6 p.m., this is like the most heavy traffic,” said Anupam Dwijendra, a father of one child, who moved in with his family to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre nine months ago after bidding his previous home, at a more populous and busier Toronto area, goodbye.

Dwijendra is one of the relatively new occupants of the completed eight condos, which currently total 3,900 units and house about 7,722 residents.

“But usually when you come here (during non-peak hours), it’s mostly deserted,” Dwijendra added. “I think that’s because it’s still developing, and people are still coming in.”

The completed condos — all occupied — are Transit City’s three towers, Expo City’s two towers, North Condos’ two towers, and a condo called The Met.

However, more units are still under construction.

The developer Menkes & QuadReal is building Block 2 — also called Mobilio, which has 751 apartment units and 397 townhouses — and Block 3 — called Festival that comes with 2,470 apartment units.

SmartCentres is developing Transit City — towers 4 and 5 — and a purpose-built rental building, bringing its total to 1,480 units. And, Cortel is developing CG Tower, which has 551 units.

“Realization of developments that are occupied, under construction and approved currently represent more than 29,100 residents in more than 14,700 units moving into the VMC,” the City of Vaughan said.

“This represents 123 per cent of the residential units and 116 per cent of the population target established for the 2031 planning horizon,” it added.

The city also gave these figures:

• 3,900 units or approximately 7,722 residents in developments that are completed and occupied

• 2,628 units or approximately 5,203 future residents in developments that are under construction

• 8,176 units or approximately 16,188 potential future residents in developments that are approved by council

The city added there are 13,662 units or about 27,051 in potential future residents in formally-submitted development applications are in progress. Also, pre-application development proposals show 6,218 units or approximately 12,312 potential future residents.

As the new downtown inches closer to completion, it’s also adding the first Buca-branded restaurant and bar outside Toronto — at the Transit condo tower.

The addition is another higher-end brand, joining Balzac’s coffee shop, already serving people there.

Dwijendra, who described Balzac’s as special, said he would like to see more common brands like Tim Hortons.

“Tim Hortons feels more like home, so they can have more of these familiar kind of stores,” he said.

Others also have pitched in with their input.

“It just needs to get more stores to add life here,” said Adam Williams, an Egyptian student, who is visiting his sister at the VMC.

Anastasia Gale, who lives in an area near the new downtown, suggested the square in vicinity of the VMC subway station could showcase artwork of various artists.

“The square over there would be perfect for public art,” Gale said, adding it would be “lovely” to showcase the work of multicultural artists given that the area is diverse.

Last September, food trucks, an art exhibition and drive-in movie theatres gave people a taste of culture.

“It definitely left an impression on me. I took a video I shared with my friends and everything,” said Dwijendra. “If more of that could happen, that would be amazing.”

So far, the Vaughan International Music Festival is planned to take place from June 10 to 12 after its soft launch last year.

ArtWalk’s Three Towers Will Overlook a Nine-acre Central Park and Aim to Give Toronto’s Core a Run for its Money

Source: National Post

It wouldn’t be surprising to find the artist birdO’s massive outdoor mural of a kingfisher, with its technicolor plumage and bright red beak, in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District, where big, trippy murals trail more than 50 blocks. Or even in downtown Toronto.

But this is Vaughan.

“We wanted to bring people together in a COVID-free way,” says Mandy Mail, vice-president of marketing for SmartCentres, who explains the art initiative – along with food trucks and free drive-in movies – was to set the stage for a new mixed-use development called ArtWalk.

The project is part of the 100-acre master-planned community within the 400-acre Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, or SmartVMC, a development that comes with a subway on its doorstep, at Jane and Highway 7.

Developed by SmartLiving, the residential branch of SmartCentres — the retail giant responsible for Walmart-anchored plazas in Canada — the ArtWalk district shares its name with the condominium planned for its core.

In addition to murals, street food and movies, extensive public art is planned for the new community. The PXL Gallery, for instance, launched this past summer. “It’s like a giant Lite-Brite,” says Mail of the 10,000-square-foot outdoor installation. “Because it’s low-resolution, it has beautiful movement. It feels fuzzy, like a memory.”

She adds, “Out of all 100 acres, for me [ArtWalk] is the prime real estate within SmartVMC. It is kitty corner to a nine-acre central park and steps from a new library and a YMCA.”

A mix of materials and palettes are being used to impart variation among the buildings.A mix of materials and palettes are being used to impart variation among the buildings. PHOTO BY PHOTO COURTESY SMARTCENTRES

Bordered by Portage Parkway to the north and Apple Mill Road to the south, ArtWalk is unrolling in four phases. Phase 1 is three mixed-use towers: thirty-eight storeys and 18 storeys that are linked by a podium, alongside a separate six-storey “jewel-box residence” with retail at grade. Suites in the tallest tower range from 500 to 900 square feet. Pricing is not available yet; occupancy is set for January 2026.

Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, the buildings will offer a range of floorplates and suite sizes. A European-inspired shared central courtyard will have retail at grade and an urban vibe. A range of natural materials and colour palettes are meant to create variation among the buildings.

Multiple outdoor terraces with gardens, an outdoor movie area, lounge seating with firepits, as well as an outdoor dining space with barbecues are in the plans.

There will also be an indoor/outdoor children’s play area and a 2,500-square-foot co-working space with a sculptural spiral staircase that faces the central courtyard.

Wi-Fi will be available in all common areas and amenities can be booked via mobile app. Suites will include smart thermostats and keyless entry.

SmartVMC has 20 million square feet of planned development; 3.5 million of that is built or under construction,” says Mail.

The monumental venture started with the launch in 2017 of Transit City, the five towers to the east of ArtWalk. “The demand was unprecedented,” says Mail. “There were 2,500 real estate agents lined up around the corner.”

Originally, it was only going to be one 36-storey tower, says Mail. But interest was strong and the design was adjusted to make it 55 storeys. Pretty soon, a second tower was added, followed by a third, fourth and fifth.

Mail believes COVID concerns have spurred the trend of Canadians relocating from downtown.

SmartVMC gives them the benefit of life north of the city, but they don’t lose the energy and vibrancy of being in the city centre,” says Mail, who notes a Buca restaurant will be opening in the base of Transit City’s Tower 1, with a goal to bring in additional culinary offerings in the future.

Amenities include a 2,500-square-foot co-working space with a sculptural spiral staircase that faces the central courtyard.Amenities include a 2,500-square-foot co-working space with a sculptural spiral staircase that faces the central courtyard. PHOTO BY PHOTO COURTESY SMARTCENTRES

But one of the community’s biggest draws, Mail adds, is transit connectivity.

“As I’m looking out my window, I’m two steps away from the subway station. You have the TTC on site, you have the regional bus terminal. You’re five minutes to York University, and 40 minutes to downtown Toronto.”

The construction of the subway was a game-changer in VMC’s story. In the 1990s, SmartCentres focused on finding key locations to introduce Walmart to Canadians.

“We would typically buy 25 to 30 acres of land,” says Mail. “But the seller of [the VMC parcel] at the time refused to split it.” Serendipitously, they ended up with 100 acres.

Then SmartCentres’ founder Mitchell Goldhar got “the call every developer dreams of,” says Mail. The TTC asked if they could extend the subway line so that it terminated at the property.

“Nobody is going to say no to that,” says Mail. “A subway is typically built in a densely populated area to relieve traffic,” but the City recognized that the vacant land had potential.

Cities like London or Paris revolve around open space, Mail notes. “You think of the square: the piazzas in Italy, the big parks in London. Instead of maximizing density and financial gain, the first thing we planned is a nine-acre park.”

The green space runs one block across the property. “It’s the true heart of the community,” says Mail. “We think of open space as the music and the architecture as the lyrics. The building is built around the open space to complement it versus building being the prime focus.”

Suites in ArtWalk’s 38-storey tower range in size from 500 to 900 square feet. Pricing is not available yet. For more information, visit artwalkcondos.com.

SmartCentres unveils a permanent 10,000 square foot art installation

Source: Building.ca

SmartCentres unveiled the PXL Gallery, a 10,000 square foot low resolution LED permanent art installation that features rotating exhibits of curated moving artwork by acclaimed digital artists.

Photo Credit: SmartCentres

Located in SmartVMC, SmartCentres’ flagship 100-acre master-planned city centre in Vaughan, the gallery adorns the façade of one of the residential towers. The PXL Gallery is only one of many high-impact art installations that have debuted in Vaughan’s new city centre this summer.

“The PXL Gallery at SmartVMC introduces digital art, a progressive contemporary art form that is on the rise,” says Mitchell Goldhar, Executive Chairman, SmartCentres. “The PXL Gallery is a 10,000 square foot LED canvas, integrated into the building’s design, at the nexus of three 55-storey residential towers, the TTC subway station and the new regional bus terminal. The PXL Gallery brings new meaning to hanging art on the wall.”

The PXL Gallery’s inaugural artwork was curated in collaboration with the City of Vaughan’s Senior Art Curator, Sharon Gaum-Kuchar. An open call for submissions invited artists to submit proposals of their vision. Acclaimed artists Jim Campbell, Rafaël Rozendaal and Rob King were awarded commissions, and their artwork will be the PXL Gallery’s first three rotational features.

Photo Credit: SmartCentres

“Public art is an urban design mechanism that brings vibrancy to the forefront, and gives a personality to the city,” says Ms. Gaum-Kuchar. “The PXL Gallery is theatrical and dynamic. It is not a static entity. The artist’s work is constantly morphing and evolving, and the resulting effect is a sense of transformation that really aligns with the vision for SmartVMC.”

Along with creating artwork for an upcoming PXL Gallery exhibit, San Francisco-based artist and digital pioneer, Jim Campbell, was instrumental in the design and development of the PXL Gallery. Known for his contemporary, low-resolution LED lightworks, Campbell worked alongside SmartCentres, Diamond Schmitt Architects, Studio F Minus and Mulvey & Banani Lighting to investigate LED technology, glass, frit patterns and input standards while conducting substantial testing on the infrastructure supporting the gallery.

Photo Credit: SmartCentres

On display now is Silence, by Rafaël Rozendaal. Based in New York, Rafaël Rozendaal is a Dutch-Brazilian artist who uses the internet as his canvas. Silence is a digital artwork consisting of three ambient moving images. The works are almost abstract, but a suggestion of space and movement hint at experiences of landscape and travel. With restrained, minimal elements of color and rhythm, a maximal experience is created of immersion and contemplation.

Jim Campbell’s work will debut this fall, followed by digital art by Rob King. Best viewed after sundown, the PXL Gallery’s summer hours are daily between 9:00pm and 12:00am. It is located on the west side of Millway Avenue between Portage Parkway and Apple Mill Road in SmartVMC.

SmartCentres unveils largest digital art gallery of its kind in Canada

Source: REMI Network

SmartCentres unveiled Canada’s largest low-res LED art installation, with permanent status, in SmartVMC, its flagship 100-acre master-planned city centre in Vaughan.

At 10,000 square feet, PXL Gallery adorns the façade of one of SmartVMC’s condominium towers and features rotating exhibits of curated moving artwork created by acclaimed digital artists. The LED canvas is integrated into the building’s design and overlooks the on-site SmartVMC regional bus terminal and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre TTC subway station.

Digital art has been getting trendier over the past decade as technology evolves. As a medium, it offers much versatility. As the City of Vaughan’s Senior Art Curator, Sharon Gaum-Kuchar, explains, “public art is an urban design mechanism that brings vibrancy to the forefront, and gives a personality to the city.”

“The PXL Gallery is theatrical and dynamic,” she adds. “It is not a static entity. The artist’s work is constantly morphing and evolving, and the resulting effect is a sense of transformation that really aligns with the vision for SmartVMC.”

An open call for submissions invited artists to submit proposals of their vision. Artists Jim Campbell, Rafaël Rozendaal and Rob King were awarded commissions, and their artwork will be the PXL Gallery’s first three rotational features.

San Francisco-based artist and digital pioneer, Campbell, was instrumental in the design and development of the PXL Gallery. Known for his contemporary, low-resolution LED lightworks, Campbell worked alongside SmartCentres, Diamond Schmitt Architects, Studio F Minus and Mulvey & Banani Lighting to investigate LED technology, glass, frit patterns and input standards while conducting substantial testing on the infrastructure supporting the gallery.

Photo courtesy of SmartCentres.

Best viewed after sundown, the PXL Gallery’s summer hours are daily between 9:00pm and 12:00am. It is located on the west side of Millway Avenue between Portage Parkway and Apple Mill Road in SmartVMC.

Feature photo courtesy of SmartCentres

A look at four zany and psychedelic new murals in Vaughan

Source: Toronto Life

ArtWalk is a new culture venue in the developing Vaughan Metropolitan Centre area. It’s part of a 100-acre master-planned hub, SmartVMC, and launched this summer by transforming a vacant warehouse with 30,000 square feet of art. The space is an attractive backdrop to ArtWalk’s daily food truck market and drive-in movie screenings, running every weekend through September. And the murals, by local and international artists, were painted over a three-week period in June using 1,000 cans of paint. Here’s a closer look at the art.

Here Comes the Sun

Ricardo Cavolo is a Madrid-based artist known for eccentric and comic-inspired creations. His mural takes over the southern façade of the warehouse, and he directed the painting from Spain. “The worst part of this process was not being there, but the best part has been realizing this kind of magic is possible even when I’m in a different country,” says Cavolo. The bold colours and sunny, vibrant illustrations are meant to symbolize the power of sharing your inner light with the world to get through turbulent times.

Better Together

Toronto artist Ben Johnston—who has painted murals in Serbia, India, Colombia and across North America—stamped his characteristic typography onto the northern façade of the building, using bold pinks and reds. “The colours are associated with joy, warmth, sunshine, enthusiasm and optimism,” says Johnston. “Now more than ever, we need to work together to create a better future.”

Birds of a Feather

Multidisciplinary artist Jerry Rugg, known in street-art circles as BirdO, added his signature blend of animals and geometric shapes to the western façade of the warehouse. For this project, Rugg wanted to include a long-beaked kingfisher, which would fit his horizontal canvas perfectly. “My style is a merging of my interests: graffiti that pops up in unexpected places, surrealism that’s conceptually strange and graphic design that assembles the parts in a harmonious way,” says Rugg.

An Exploration of Our Timespace

The central figure in Montreal-based Jeremy Shantz’s abstract piece on the eastern façade is a disembodied character floating in a liminal space. Shantz created the drawing and worked with local artists to complete the project, in order to illustrate the different elements it takes to build a community. “Mural art is a fantastic platform for collaboration,” he says. “The talented artists interpreted the drawing through their hands, creating the most beautiful work of art.”

Have an artistic flair? Then you should check out the Toronto events on this week

Source: The Hamilton Spectator

Ready to get out and be creative? If so, you’re in the right place as Toronto is the only city in the country designated a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts. With the arts on our minds, here’s a roundup of the happenings around town

Immersive Van Gogh exhibition

It starts right on our home turf, with the ImmIt starts right on our home turf, with the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibition inside the Toronto Star building at 1 Yonge St. Continuing the trend of immersive digital art experiences, the exhibit delivers one of the greatest artists of all time through art, light, sound, movement and imagination. Opens July 29. To buy tickets, visit vangoghexhibit.ca.

imagineNATIVE at the DriveInTO

Enjoy a free outdoor film at Ontario Place on July 27 at 9:30 p.m. As part of DriveInTO, imagineNATIVE will screen Falls Around Her, a dramatic feature that follows a world-famous Anishinaabe musician Tantoo Cardinal returning home. The film was the opening gala film at the 2018 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival where it won the Air Canada Audience Choice Award.

ROM reopens

The ROM is now welcoming back visitors, with safety measures like timed-ticketing and wider spacing for physical distancing in place. Current featured exhibitions include The Cloth that Changed the World: India’s Painted and Printed Cottons, and Great Whales: Up Close and Personal. To get tickets, visit rom.on.ca.

ArtWalk at SmartVMC

It’s a summer-long art celebration in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. ArtWalk features massive art murals, free drive-in movies and a food truck market. For more information, visit smartvmc.com.

Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.

Your mission awaits at the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. Running from July 29 until September inside Yorkdale Mall, the experience boasts 25,000 sq. ft. of fun for all ages. ​​Interact with sets, props and costumes, uncover Avenger backstories and test your worthiness lifting Thor’s Hammer. Visit avengersstationcanada.com for ticket information.

Walking tours at Toronto History Museums

Select City of Toronto Museums are now offering exterior walking tours through HistoricTO. Join Alan Colley from Toronto Aboriginal Eco Tours every Sunday from now until the end of August at Todmorden Mills, where you can learn, in a meaningful way, Indigenous cultural teachings. Visit Toronto History Museums to plan your visit.

From food trucks to drive-in movies, ArtWalk district opens in Vaughan’s emerging downtown core

Source: Yorkregion.com

ArtWalk features 30,000 square feet of vibrant “Instagrammable” artwork

What’s the value of a downtown area if there is no art, street food or entertainment?

This is exactly why Vaughan’s emerging downtown core saw its first-ever art district, also known as ArtWalk, recently open up with a “collection of experiential activations,” according to a press release by SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust.

SmartCentres is behind the 100-acre master-planned city centre in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.

The ArtWalk has 30,000 square feet of vibrant “Instagramable” artwork, painted by four acclaimed international and local artists.

“The murals are the backdrop for ArtWalk’s daily Street Eats food truck market, and a free series of drive-in movies, running every Thursday and Saturday through September,” the release added.

FREE DRIVE-IN MOVIES

Starting July 10, SmartCentres launched a bi-weekly series of free drive-in movies to compliment the ArtWalk murals. The outdoor theatre runs every Thursday and Saturday evening through September, screening a variety of cult classic and family-favourite movies in a safe and fun environment.

FOOD TRUCK MARKET

Rounding out ArtWalk’s summer activations, SmartCentres has engaged Street Eats to set up a food truck market on site. From authentic Latin tacos to BeaverTails to Toronto’s “OG” mac ’n’ cheese truck, the market has something for every palate, with more vendors that have yet to be announced.

ArtWalk Street Eats is open daily at 101 Edgeley Blvd. in SmartVMC, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. The hours extend to 10 p.m. on drive-in movie nights.

For more information on the ArtWalk activations, including movie listings, showtimes and registration, please visit smartvmc.com/events.

A massive mural, drive-in movie and food truck festival just landed in the GTA

Source: Curiocity

artwalk vaughnPhoto via LNDMRK - It’s going to one heck of a time!

Hey Toronto! Feeling excited about all the amazing new things you have to check out now that things are reopening? Well, get this, a new summer-long event with massive art murals, free drive-in movies, and a food truck market is happening right now in Vaughan. Sounds cool right? Let’s check it out.

This event is part of ArtWalk, SmartCentres’ new art district within SmartVMC. One of the first things you’ll notice about the event is the massive murals. There are 4, each by a different artist, on the outside of an abandoned warehouse. The murals were painted over just 3 weeks in June and you’ll see Instagrammable works by both emerging and acclaimed artists.

When it comes to movies, you’ll be able to check them out Thursday to Saturday evening now through September. You can watch a variety of films including cult classics and family-favourite movies. While you’re at it, you definitely have to check out all of the tasty food trucks. You can find items ranging from tacos to BeaverTails, to mac n’ cheese. And the market hours are extended on movie nights to ensure you have the tastiest movie-watching experience.

This is yet another fun thing and COVID-19 safe thing to check out as we all get back into the swing of things. Go solo, with a friend or two, or turn it into date night. If you’d like to learn more you can click below. Have fun out there folks!

ArtWalk

When: Until September 30th
Where: 101 Edgeley Blvd
Cost: Free/Varies

Free drive-in movies, food trucks, huge murals now at former GTA Walmart

Source: Daily Hive

A former GTA Walmart that’s now covered in 30,000 sq ft of murals is serving up fun this summer.

Real estate investment company SmartCentres has taken over the space, located at 101 Edgeley Boulevard in Vaughan, and transformed it into their newest project called ArtWalk. The outside of the now out-of-use warehouse is coated in colourful murals from four artists who each designed and painted one side of the building.

gta walmart muralsLNDMRK

But art isn’t the only entertainment planned. On July 10, SmartCentres launched a bi-weekly series of free drive-in movies in the parking lot. They’ll take place every Thursday and Saturday throughout the summer, screening a variety of cult classics and family-favourite movies, including Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club, and Shrek.

Street Eats

And of course, what’s a movie without great snacks? As part of the experience, there will also be a food truck market happening onsite. The food trucks, which will have everything from tacos to Canadian classics like Beaver Tails, will be there every day from 12 to 8 pm, and until 10 pm on movie nights.

Street Eats

“Art and culture are synonymous with great communities. They contribute emotionally to an area’s identity, bonding people to spaces and to each other,” said Mitchell Goldhar, executive chairman of SmartCentres. “ArtWalk murals, free movies and food trucks are all accessible, immersive and engaging outdoor events.”

ArtWalk is part of SmartArtWalk is part of SmartCentres’ SmartVMC project, which is creating a new city centre at Highways 400 and 7 in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. Five sold-out condo buildings, two fully-occupied office towers, a nine-acre park, TTC subway station and bus terminal are all part of the new expansive development.