Window Wonderland 2022

Award-Winning Urban Art Walk, Window Wonderland Returns to the Junction for the Third Consecutive Year

Toronto’s award-winning immersive urban art walk, Window Wonderland, returns to the Junction for its third consecutive year. From November 25 to January 1, 2023, Window Wonderland, presented by Isaan Der Authentic Thai Kitchen, will transform the Junction into a FREE, magical outdoor gallery featuring 20 unique augmented reality (AR) installations. Window Wonderland will also showcase four animated wall murals, two of which are new to the Junction and have been designed by local and international artists.

The first of its kind for the City of Toronto, Window Wonderland is presented in collaboration with Artivive, an internationally-renowned AR app that is changing how art is created and consumed. Providing access to over 200,000 international artists, Artivive allows artists to create new dimensions with a digital layer, opening a new world of possibilities. Visitors at Window Wonderland can simply point their smartphones at the artwork on the windows and wall murals, and voila –  watch the artist’s creation come to life!

Art installation by local artist Kseniya Tsoy at Padaria Brazilian Bakery in participation with The Junction’s 3rd Annual Window Wonderland FREE art walk. 

Photo Credit: Kseniya Tsoy

“We’re thrilled to be hosting Window Wonderland for the third consecutive year and to have received financial support from all three levels of government,” said Carol Jolly, Executive Director, The Junction BIA. “We have 40 talented artists who will transform our streets into a magical outdoor gallery and inspire creativity throughout our community. “To make this year’s event even more spectacular, we’ve partnered with the City of Toronto Outdoor Mural and Street Art Program to create two new murals that will also be animated during Window Wonderland and beyond,” added Jolly.

The Junction’s new permanent wall murals, titled Patterns of The Junction (Painted by Julia Prajza and animated by Jonathan Petrou) and Composition with Abstract Shapes and Lines (Painted by Erin McCluskey, animated by Shade Lourens and original music by Joel Schwartz), are located along Dundas Street West and continue to highlight the Junction as a hub for art and design while attracting tourism to the neighbourhood. 

“It’s such an honour to create a permanent mural in the Junction and design a piece of artwork that residents and visitors alike can interact and engage with,” said Erin McCluskey, a Toronto-based artist. “My mural’s overarching theme celebrates art in some of its most basic elements – line, shape and colours, and I can’t wait to see how visitors interpret it.”

Art installation by local artist Erin McCluskey at ARTiculations Art Supply in participation with The Junction’s 3rd Annual Window Wonderland FREE art walk. 

Photo Credit: Julian Warner

In addition to the 24 storefront window and wall murals, The Junction BIA has partnered with ARTiculations Art Supply to host an indoor exhibit showcasing pieces of artwork from the 2022 muralists. The exhibition will take place from November 25 to January 6, 2023, allowing the public to purchase the muralist’s artwork, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the artist.

To further celebrate this event, the BIA has engaged the award-winning dance company CORPUS to perform “The Alpine Merry Sheep Choir.” Every Saturday from December 3 to December 24, from 2-4 PM, visitors in the Junction can enjoy a free street performance that combines movement and theatrical imagery with surrealist humour. “The Alpine Merry Sheep Choir” is a family-friendly performance of funny, heart-warming sheep singing Christmas carols at multiple locations along Dundas Street West, bringing holiday cheer to our community.

Window Wonderland received the 2021 Ontario BIA Association’s Initiative Award and the 2022 International Downtown Association’s Award of Excellence.