Immerse yourself in a world of visual wonders at our partner galleries, sway to the rhythm of diverse concerts, and discover hidden gems along the corridor. Mark your calendar for must-see events, and let January be a month of creativity, connection, and cultural exploration.

Toronto Reference Library

Celebrate 75 years of the Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books and explore a new exhibit in the TD Gallery at Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street). Treasured objects from the collection are on display, including rare versions of Alice in Wonderland, Peter Rabbit, Anne of Green Gables, Franklin, The Hobbit and more. Get hands-on with interactive vintage storybook pages, and drop in for free guided gallery tours on Tuesday afternoons at 3pm. Experience this charming new children’s literature exhibit until February 11. Free admission.

Alliance Française de Toronto

Alliance Française de Toronto wishes you a happy new year and is delighted to usher in 2024 with a vibrant array of activities that promise cultural enrichment and joy. On January 11 and 25, join them for movie nights featuring the compelling films "Dheepan" and "The Quest of Alain Ducasse." Lose yourself in the world of cinematic excellence. Immerse yourself in the harmonious notes of the Alliance String Quartet at a classical music concert on January 19, a treat for music enthusiasts. Mark January 6 for an enlightening art online conference in collaboration with the Toronto Public Library. Finally, discover their latest exhibition, "Intervals of Thread and the Optics of Space" by Sofia Escobar, January 13-February 10. This visual journey offers a captivating exploration of art and perspective. Here's to a year filled with shared moments and cultural discoveries!

Bata Shoe Museum

Kick off the New Year with Toronto’s favourite shoebox! On January 13, channel your inner Jane Fonda and wear your best 80s bodysuits for an 80s inspired aerobics dance class in the museum. Discover and learn the art of natural perfumery as maker Tricia Gnadt guides you to create a 1oz container of your very own rose scented solid perfume on January 27 - inspired by their exhibition “In Bloom: Flowers & Footwear”. Explore a remarkable collection of footwear from around the globe with over 4,500 years of history. They offer FREE admission every Sunday. Can’t make it to the Museum? Their online exhibitions will take you to all four corners of the world - learn about the story of Canadian figure skating, wedding shoes from around the world, 1930s footwear and more.

Women's Art Association of Canada

The Dignam Gallery presents SMALL GEMS, the Annual Members Art Show & Sale, on now until January 13, 2024. SMALL GEMS, their most anticipated annual show, celebrates the talent of more than 40 WAAC Artist Members. The WAAC Education Committee announces the ARTIST'S VOICE speakers lineup for January through March - Sarindar Dhaliwal on January 18; Lorraine Roy on February 15; and Gaye Jackson on March 21. The Education Committee also presents Spinoffs – ART ZOOM with Margaret Rodgers on Wednesdays, February 7 - 28. 

VEMU Estonian Museum Canada

The Estonian Ministry of Culture has named 2024 as the year of Cultural Diversity in Estonia. To celebrate this, VEMU is holding a collection campaign, "My Many Lives. Being Estonian in Multicultural Canada" where they invite you to share your (multi-)identity through photos, videos, drawings or written musings! VEMU will be continuing their "keelekohvik"/Estonian Language Cafés on January 10 and 24, which provide beginner speakers of Estonian a casual and focused place to practice their language skills. On January 27, as part of a series of events commemorating 80 years since the great escape from Estonia, there will be screenings of two local films that highlight the achievements of Estonian refugees, "Anna Kaljas: The Untold Story " and "Maestro Roman Toi: Beautiful Songs I Dedicate to You" at Alliance Française de Toronto. Their popular exhibition, ‘Why Estonia? 30 Years from the USSR to e-Estonia’ is also on display until February 29. 

Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre

Learn and Grow at the Miles Nadal JCC this January. Try your hand at pottery in their studio! Ceramics classes start January 8 and beginners are welcome! Join popular film critic Adam Nayman for a five-part lecture series: Bringing Five Jewish Directors into Focus, starting January 15. Their winter Community Choir session directed by Harriet Wichin and Melissa Lauren starts January 15. Meet Author and Professor Jeffrey Veidlinger for a discussion on his 2022 Canadian Jewish Literary award-winning book, In the Midst of Civilized Europe: The Pogroms of 1918-1921 and the Onset of the Holocaust on January 18. Instrumentalists - get your Klezmer on with their Klezmer Ensemble starting on January 23. Don’t miss multimedia artist Kalliopi Monoyios’ upcoming exhibit in their gallery, The Plasticene, January 3–31. Be sure to check their website for Wellness, ECE, Accessible programs and Inclusive Jewish Community programming.

ROM

Enter your best nature photos now! ROM invites all Ontario residents to join their Wildlife Photo Contest for its ninth year! Whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer, share your captivating images of the natural world for a chance to win a Canon Camera Kit and have your photograph on display at the Museum. DON’T MISS the final weeks of the thought-provoking art installation, Noelle Hamlyn: Lifers, exploring the impact of textiles and fashion on the planet’s water quality. REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE. FASHION STYLE. 

The Japan Foundation, Toronto

The Japan Foundation, Toronto will welcome the new year with the return of FukuBookLoan Lucky Bags event at the library from January 5. Enjoy borrowing Japan-related books and/or AV materials through serendipitous discovery, available until bags run out. Starting January 5, visit the gallery for a special presentation of collections from the ROM, From Edo to Meiji: Transformation of Japanese Ceramics. After a 4-year hiatus, Book Tree is back at JFT! From January 20 to March 30, help the Book Tree bloom by commenting on 5 or more borrowed items and enter a ballot to win an exciting prize! Finally, mark your calendars for KOTATSU: Japanese Cinema at Innis Town Hall on Saturday, January 27 and Sunday, January 28. Stay cozy with a series of curated Japanese films. 

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir

Bring the music home with Tafelmusik's 2023/24 Digital Series Pass, featuring Bach's Library (guest-directed by Francesco Corti), Grand Voyage: The French Baroque (guest directed by Leila Schayegh), and Passions Revealed (guest directed by Aisslinn Nosky). This January, explore the elaborate orchestral textures of the French baroque, with the premiere of Grand Voyage and revel in the music that earned the orchestra a JUNO award and Grammy nomination. Watch, re-watch, and watch again for just $120. Because the beauty of baroque knows no bounds. 

The Royal Conservatory

The 21C Music Festival returns to The Royal Conservatory in January for its 11th iteration. This year's festival starts with Turkish pianist Fazıl Say performing his own works with mezzo-soprano Beste Kalender, Lara and Scott St. John (violins), Barry Shiffman (viola), and Winona Zelenka (cello) on January 19. Canadian-born violinist Lara St. John performs solo violin pieces composed by 12 leading composers, including Laurie Anderson, Valerie Coleman, and more on January 20. Superstar harpist Bridget Kibbey and the Calidore String Quartet conjure a chilling musical rendition of Edgar Allen Poe’s macabre tale The Masque of the Red Death, narrated by Mervon Mehta on January 21. Additional concerts this month include sold-out performances by pianists Angela Hewitt and Brad Mehldau, The Glenn Gould New Music Ensemble led by conductor Brian Current performing Tania León's Indígena and other works, violinist Mayumi Seiler with pianist Jeanie Chung, and more. 

Native Canadian Centre of Toronto

The 2024 Aboriginal Business and Entrepreneurship Skills Training Program by NCCT will soon accept applications. The program offers training and mentorship to Indigenous individuals who plan to start a new business. The BEST program significantly increases small businesses' survival rates. The program covers various topics, including building a business plan, market strategy, financial literacy, and social media for business. Participants who complete the program will receive a certification from the Canadian Centre of Aboriginal Entrepreneurship and gain a deeper understanding of various business concepts. Interested individuals can apply now, as only 80 spots are available. 

Gardiner Museum

This winter at the Gardiner Museum, see the landmark exhibition Magdalene Odundo: A Dialogue with Objects, featuring the exquisite sculptural vessels of the world’s most celebrated ceramic artist. On until April 21, the exhibition marks the Canadian debut and largest ever presentation in North America for the famed Kenyan British artist. Odundo’s work is displayed alongside art and artifacts from across time periods and cultures, including objects on loan from the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), and Textile Museum of Canada (TMC). Opening on January 19 in the Gardiner’s lobby gallery, Genealogies of Sustenance explores experimental and traditional craft forms and techniques that meditate on themes of sustenance, and ancestral and embodied memory, as well as plant life stories across Africa and the Black diaspora. Curated by Sarah Edo, the exhibition features the work of Chiedza Pasipanodya, Mallory Lowe Mpoka, and Zainab Aliyu. 

Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema

Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema kicks off 2024 with an invigorating selection of new docs from around the globe. Premiere titles include Exhibition on Screen: Klimt and the Kiss, a powerful, gripping and passionate new film about one of the most recognized and reproduced paintings in the world; Common Ground, the uplifting story of the pioneers of the “Regenerative Movement” who are challenging Big Agriculture to produce tremendous quantities of nutritionally dense food while bringing our entire ecosystem back to life; Holy Frit, in which a talented yet unknown Los Angeles artist bluffs his way into a commission for the largest stained glass window of its kind; Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer, a comprehensive portrait of an enigmatic and iconic artist; and others. Curious Minds Author Talks welcomes literary titan, novelist and screenwriter Michael Cunningham (The Hours) to discuss his first novel in a decade—Day—with Canadian audiences for the first time.

The Bloor St. Culture Corridor, Toronto's most diverse arts and culture district, is a true creative cluster, an arts and culture destination, and a collaboration between some of Toronto's most dynamic arts and culture organizations.

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