Art Cafe

Holiday Art Cafe – Hangar Skate at YZD

We’re thrilled to announce the return of the Holiday Art Cafe as part of Hangar Skate at YZD!

This all-ages, artist led space is the perfect opportunity to expand your creativity during the holiday season, with talented artists to help guide you towards your next masterpiece.Glide into winter at YZD with free outdoor ice skating and warm up in the YZD Community Hall at the Holiday Art Cafe loaded with art supplies and crafts to try, and maybe even master – at no extra cost!

Led by Farida Zaman (Dec. 19th – 23rd) and Declan David (Dec. 24th – Jan. 4th), participants will explore a range of festive and creative activities.

Dates & Times:

December 19th to January 4th, with special times of operations on December 19th.

Led by Farida Zaman – Dec 19th to Dec 23rd

Create handmade Christmas tree decorations, abstract mindful collage, and holiday wreath-making!

Dec 19th: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Dec 20th – 23rd: 12:00 – 5:00 PM

Led by Declan David – Dec 24th to Jan 4th

Create wood crafting projects (magnets, coasters, and ornaments), the Comic Creation Station, and the Postcard Art Station!

Dec 24th – Jan 4th: 12:00 – 5:00 PM (Closed on December 25)

Join us at 34 Hanover Road, this holiday season for FREE crafting!

Meet the Artists

Declan David

Visual Artist and Animator

Meet Declan

Declan David is a visual artist and animator based in Toronto, who has a focus of vibrant colours in all of his works. Influenced by Trinidadian and American roots and the neo-expressionist movement of the 80’sand the graffiti culture of the 90’s .Works consist of experiential paintings on glass and fabric canvases,illustrations as well as animations. The contents of the works reflect upon hisroots while not forgetting the conscious plights of the contemporary humanexperience and seeks to reflect them upon the viewer through leaving longlasting impressions on them.

Farida Zaman

Art, Design, Illustration

Meet Farida

Farida is an author, illustrator, designer, and painter, and the have worked with a wide range of clients across the globe. They have collaborated with agencies, newspapers, magazines, greeting card companies, surface designers, publishing houses, cookbook teams, and corporate clients.

Back to Programs

About Us

North York Arts (NYA) collaborates with artists, arts organizations, and partners to develop, strengthen, and promote cultural programming and initiatives for North York communities

Contact us

North York Arts
5040 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON, M2N 6R8

info@northyorkarts.org

647-477-6059

Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm

Join Our Network

Art Connects Community Mural

Art Connect Mural Unveiling Gibson House 12pm to 3pm

Art Connects 2025

Art Connects: Call for Indigenous Artists

Art Connects is an ongoing initiative that started in 2019 to address North York Arts’ (NYA) role in Truth and Reconciliation. As North York Arts builds programs, partnerships, and relationships, we continue to ask ourselves “As a non-Indigenous organization, what can we do to support the process of decolonization and build right relations with Indigenous communities?”

In 2023, North York Arts and Gibson House Museum commissioned artist Mo Thunder to create a mural for and with participation of the local community launched at Gibson House and unveiled during Earth Day 2024.

This year, in lead up to a Earth Day 2026 launch, we are commissioning new artwork to be created in consultation with local community members. The content of the artwork, the method of community engagement / consultation (workshops, gatherings, lectures, participatory art creation) will be determined and led by the artist and facilitated by NYA.

The artwork will be unveiled on/around Earth Day 2026 (Spring 2026) and will remain onsite for 2 years.

Project Objectives:

To provide and amplify voices of Indigenous artists and communities, as well as compensation by featuring an Indigenous artist mural at Gibson House Museum
To have (2) community consultants incorporating community feedback into the design
To facilitate educational workshops to share Indigenous knowledge

Project Timelines:

Summer 2025 – Call out for artists
Fall 2025 – Community consultations (2)
Spring 2026 – Launch

Compensation: $7,000 CAD

Learn more about Art Connects here: https://www.northyorkarts.org/project/art-connects-mural/

Eligibility: First Nations, Inuit and Métis residing in Treaty 13.

Selection Process: Artists will be selected by a panel made up of North York Arts staff.

DEADLINE: Friday, July 25th at 5pm

Please contact Elizabeth Mudenyo, Elizabeth@northyorkarts.org if you have any questions.

Apply Today!

Indigenous Community Mural Space

Visit The Gibson House at 5172 Yonge Street to see rotating community artworks on display in this space, designed and led by Indigenous Artists.

2023/24 Art Connects Community Mural

skyworld and beyond
Designed by Mo Thunder

Join us for the unveiling of skyworld and beyond! This is a collaborative mural piece created by Indigenous Artist Mo Thunder. During two interactive art-journalling workshops led by Mo, North York community members had the opportunity to contribute to the creative brainstorming process that inspired the artwork.

Art Connects is an ongoing initiative to address North York Arts’ role in Truth and Reconciliation. As North York Arts builds programs, partnerships, and relationships, we continue to ask ourselves “As a non-Indigenous organization, what can we do to support the process of decolonization and build the right relations with Indigenous communities?”

Mo Thunder

Artist

Learn more about Mo Thunder

Mo is a nonbinary/fluid, neurodivergent multidisciplinary artist and facilitator who grew up in a small town along the St. Clair River, they currently live in T’karonto, which has been home for over a decade. They are Haudenosaunee (Oneida Nation of the Thames), French-Canadian and Anishinaabe (Aamjiwnaang First Nation). Mo holds a BFA in studio art with a focus on drawing, silkscreen printing, photography and video from Fanshawe and Lethbridge University, however, they are also self and community-taught. In June 2022, Mo graduated from the Toronto Art Therapy Institute. Through their multidisciplinary art practice (painting, murals, mixed media, beading, journaling, poetry and textiles), they create visual stories about their lived experiences in connection to their personal healing. Mo is also inspired by intergenerational connections and healing, family and memories, personal and collective empowerment, and all of creation, especially skyworld.

2022/23 Art Connects Community Mural

Two-Row Wampum Belt

Designed by Lindsey Lickers

In 2022, North York Arts hosted seven Indigenous talks about Treaty, the geography of North York, our responsibilities to Water and Land, and Indigenous Stewardship, Symbolism, and Art. This series was curated by Lindsey Lickers, and featured Jason Mercredi, Chyler Sewell & Daniel Rotsztain,Carolyn King, James Carpenter, & Raiden Levesque.

Inspired by these talks and teachings, community members and program participants were invited to come together to create a collaborative mural led and designed by lead artist Lindsey Lickers.

This piece depicts the Two Row Wampum, being restored in collaboration with the broader community, supported by the inclusion of participants’ visual responses to the truths shared within the Art Connects, I-Talks series. The wampum beads, stories, and commitments are framed by Lindsey’s stylized interpretation of spirit world above, with land and water below. Watch the mini-documentary below for a closer look into the creation of this project and mural.

Lindsey Lickers

Multi-media Artist, Arts Facilitator and Program Developer

Learn more about Lindsey

Lindsey Lickers is a Haudenosaunee/ Anishinaabe multi-media artist, arts facilitator, and program developer originally from Six Nations of the Grand River with ancestral roots to the Mississaugas of the Credit. Her traditional name is ‘Mushkiiki Nibi Kwe’, which translates to ‘Medicine Water Woman’ and she is of the turtle clan. Recently, she was awarded a commission to create a permanent public installation for the Region of Waterloo’s light rail transit system that will speak to the historical stewardship of the land base of Waterloo and the importance of agriculture from a First Nations perspective.

Watch the Mini-Documentary

North York Arts is committed to continue working along Indigenous peoples to deepen our understanding and to bring truth to our programs.

In Partnership with The Gibson House Museum