The Toronto Design Offsite Festival (TO DO) is an annual city-wide platform for the exhibition and engagement of design in Toronto, showcasing unexpected prototypes, immersive installations, and unique programming, January 19-25, 2015.

With 78 events, exhibitions, and window installations happening across the city, TO DO celebrates the unique diversity of Canada’s energetic design scene, providing exposure for the country’s most promising designers and introducing the public to the practice of design with events featuring great thinkers, practitioners, and educators. From studios to shops to galleries and national institutions, you’ll find installations, open studios, film screenings, design talks, covetable objects and more.

Find the full Festival Schedule here

TO DO Highlights:

Outside the Box

Shipped in Bankers boxes across the country, 'Outside the Box' exhibits design from Canada and the U.S. through partnerships with design correspondents in selected cities. This year’s Canadian cities are Calgary, Montreal, and Vancouver. Partnering with New York’s WantedDesign—the U.S. coordinator for ‘Outside the Box’—this year’s American cities are Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle.

TO DO Talks

TO DO Talks aim to raise awareness about the work of designers exhibiting in Toronto, and creates a public opportunity to hear about their practice. This year, we have three designer talks by aftermodern.lab, Anderssen & Voll (interviewed by Elizabeth Pagliacolo), and Jamie Wolfond. TO DO Talks also realizes the Festival’s interest in raising awareness around the role of design by cultivating a lively dialogue about design practices with a panel discussion called 'Thinking Like a Designer'.

White Out presented by Keilhauer

As designers know well, there is no such thing as a singular white. In paper, plaster, and textiles, the diversity of white multiplies. The colour white also changes over time and under environmental conditions. ‘White Out’ is an exhibition that explores the many concepts and colours of white, featuring the work of Jenny Boucher, Victoria Chin, Steven Chodoriwsky, Bettie Cott, Khalil Jamal, Miles Keller, Simon Kitz & Peter Coolican, Erin McCutcheon, Scott Norsworthy, urbanproduct, and WE-3.

Exporting Toronto Design

Toronto has amazing design talent. But, for the most part, it isn’t well known beyond our borders. How do we increase awareness of Toronto designers in the international marketplace? Be a part of the dialogue as panelists discuss these issues in ‘Exporting Toronto Design’, then participate in a brainstorming session led by The Moment. Presented in association with Design Salon.

TO DO Opening Party

Festival week starts on Monday, but kick-it-off mid-week on January 21, 2015 at the TO DO Opening Party, held at SMASH. Come and find out what the Festival is about, meet local designers, experience featured installations, and dance with the amazing community that makes this Festival happen. Featured installation by LeuWebb Projects and live mural by Ben Johnston. Live music by Das Hussy. Sponsored by Douglas Design Studio.

TO DO 15 Closing Reception

TO DO will celebrate the end of the 2015 Festival week at the TAC Art/Work Gallery, immersed in the TO DO exhibition ‘White Out’, presented by Keilhauer. Join the amazing community that made TO DO 15 happen to reflect upon the week of design behind us and to discuss the year of inspiration ahead.

TO DO Awards presented by Herman Miller

A jury of five design professionals select ‘Best in Festival’ and ‘Juror Choice’ awards, while audience members vote for their favourites in four ‘People’s Choice’ categories. Winners are presented with iconic Herman Miller design objects,‘Best in Festival’ winner is presented with press kit services from v2com.
 

Festival Features

Don’t miss these 10 events, exhibitions, and window installations: In-Context Video Series Premiere, 1/16, A Dawn for Leonia, Anderssen Voll & Mjolk, Branch Lamp, Come Up To My Room 2015, Do Design, Macro Weave, Richard Johnson - Ice Villages, and Untraditional.

Find out more about the Festival:

Visit our website: todesignoffsite.com

Join us on Facebook: TorontoDesignOffsiteFestival

Follow us on Twitter: @todesignoffsite

Check us out on Instagram: @todesignoffsite

Sign up for our Newsletter: goo.gl/kHk5x

Download our iPhone app: goo.gl/EiEl0

Thank you:
The Festival recognizes and thanks its amazing sponsors Keilhauer, The Gladstone Hotel, aftermodern.lab, Herman Miller, The Moment, Douglas Design Studio, v2com, depositphotos, SMASH, Inscape, LightForm, Greenhouse Juice Co., The Sweet Potato.

The Festival also thanks its cultural partners WantedDesign, IIDEXCanada, Interior Design Show, Design Exchange, Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario, Hot Pop Factory, Winter Stations; media partners Baron, Archello, Designlines, Arts Thread, and print sponsor Colour Innovations.

Funding also provided by the Government of Ontario and artsVest.

Download our full press kit at: goo.gl/cS1yoz

For more information or media enquiries, please contact:

Michael Madjus, Communications Coordinator
Toronto Design Offsite Festival
mchael@todesignoffsite.com
(416) 819 6299