Queen West Art Crawl

The Queen West Art Crawl(QWAC) as a registered charity that has been arranging the Queen West Art Crawl Festival in the GTA for 20 years. This festival adds vitality and a chance for community to gather outdoors, in a public park, where artists sell their work and free entertainment is provided. It centres around an Outdoor Art Exhibition, Kid’s Zone and Main Stage music and performance. Kid’s Zone activities are 2SLGBT+ inclusive and Main Stage musical acts reflect the diversity of downtown Toronto (in 2020-2021, 75% of acts were BIPOC).2020-2021’s festivals were held virtually and won a Now Magazine Reader’s Choice award. In 2022 we plan on returning to an online/virtual and in the park safely, and in a way that helps revitalize the West Queen West and surrounding communities we serve. Through our yearly festival, Queen West Art Crawl creates a unique space for artists in Trinity Bellwoods Park with the capacity for over 200 artists and artisans to be exhibited, alongside music performances and a 2SLGBT+ friendly Kid's Zone. The festival fosters the ability for these artists to interact with the public and helps artists with basic marketing skills for the digital age. Music performances represent the diversity of the Toronto region, including BIPOC and 2SLGBT+ performers, and are intended to draw people to our festival and extend the time that they will attend. Annually we have up to 85k visitors, including community members and tourists, significantly increasing foot traffic for all local BIAs. Occasional special events (eg live painting) occur at venues along West Queen West in order to further encourage foot traffic and visiting businesses in our neighbourhood. This will help reinvigorate the neighborhoods while artists are socially distanced for their safety. Artists and guests at the festival may require additional supports, such as PPE, and volunteers will need special training for safety concerns. All of this is part of our 2022 revitalization and return