"Toronto, A Love/Hate Letter", Maurice Vellekoop in conversation with Anita Kunz

Looking to kick off summer with a dose of art, storytelling, and something deeply personal?

We’ve got you covered.

RAID Gallery is proud to present Toronto, A Love-Hate Letter, a summer exhibition of original illustrations from I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together (Penguin Random House), the acclaimed graphic memoir by celebrated artist Maurice Vellekoop, winner of the Toronto Book Award and shortlisted for the Trillium Book Award.

This is Vellekoop’s most intimate work to date—an exploration of identity, memory, and place through the lens of growing up queer in 1970s Toronto. With intricate line-work and layered storytelling, he captures the beauty, contradictions, and evolving relationship between self and city.
Toronto isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a mirror. Reflecting insecurity, joy, awakening, and transformation, the city becomes both canvas and character. This exhibit pays tribute to the people and places that shape us, and how our connection to a city can shift, rupture, and deepen over time.

🎙 Special Event: Artist Talk with Anita Kunz
Join us for an unforgettable conversation between Maurice Vellekoop and legendary illustrator Anita Kunz, whose iconic work has graced the pages of The New Yorker, TIME, Rolling Stone, and more. Known for her sharp wit and visual insight, Kunz brings a unique lens to this dialogue on art, identity, and the creative process.

🕕 6:30pm Doors Open / Take in the show, mix & mingle
🕖 7:00pm Artist Talk Begins / Sit back and enjoy the discussion
🙋 7:45pm Q&A / Have a query, now's the time
🕗 8:00pm Artist Talk wraps, and the socializing begins...

Each participant will receive a signed print by the author and a complimentary drink.

Presented with support from: BareBones Bartending and EVERYSIDE