What we’re about
An awesome place for fellow Arts and Culture lovers around our city to meet, attend and organize events, share ideas and interests!
Join us as we explore Toronto galleries, museums, fairs, and the best in international films, theatre, opera, food, dance, architecture/design, music and the avant-garde.
We will be active with many of the festivals and fairs that take place throughout the year.
Above all we want to create leading events where people can make new friends while enjoying common interests.
We ask that if you are joining us, you make Toronto Arts & Culture, one of your Top 3 Toronto Meetup groups. Some of our events are quite large, some are intimate. If we can't find you, pls try and find us as best you can. If we are not able to connect up, if you are new to our group..don't give up, try again, as we will do! After 3-5 times coming out, you will have made some new arts & culture friends.
If you need to change/update your RSVP, please do so in a timely and professional manner. When you join, try and get a picture posted and a bit of info about yourself...its helps in identification at events.
Some of our events are ticketed, some have service charges, but the majority are free.
We look forward to meeting you soon!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Koerner Hall: 2025 Griffin Poetry Prize Readings (and with Margaret Atwood)Koerner Hall, Toronto, ON
We attend the Griffin Poetry Prize every year! A superb literary night of prose!
https://griffinpoetryprize.com/
Tickets are $25 or $30, with the purchase link below. Tickets have just gone on sale.
Any seat is a great seat. I am sitting in Lower Balcony.
On Wednesday June 4th--
The evening will include a selection of readings by some of the world’s best poets, including the five poets shortlisted for the $130,000 Griffin Poetry Prize, this year’s Lifetime Recognition Award recipient, and the Canadian First Book Prize winner. It will be a celebration of poetry not to be missed!
ALSO--The Griffin Poetry Prize is pleased to announce Margaret Atwood as the 2025 Lifetime Recognition Award recipient. Instituted in 2006, the Griffin trustees bestow the Lifetime Recognition Award to international artists working in poetry.
Margaret Atwood will be in conversation with Carolyn Forché at the 2025 Griffin Poetry Prize Readings.
Ticket link--
https://www.rcmusic.com/events-and-performances/2025-griffin-poetry-prize-readings
In 2023 and 2024, 30 of us attended. Your ticket includes an anthology of poems by short-listed authors. (worth $20 at book shop)
NOTE: the 7:30pm start time
- OTTAWA: Culture in the Capital (7th annual visit)National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON
(ONE spot left...PLEASE read the entire posting over FIRST) as of May 1.
In the times we are now in--it seems perfect to get our annual Ottawa trip organized.
'Local' travel is in!! "Elbows up"
(Of note: As of March 15, 2025--this trip is mostly FULL. If you have serious interest in joining us--I could possibly add 1-2 more if I knew asap)
Can you join us in Ottawa?
For our annual culture weekend! Our 7th year.
As optimism builds for a better year (more comfortable) in 2025 then we had in previous years--we will continue to explore the culture scene in some of our favorite Cities. A deep dive/below the surface.
Each year we bounce back and forth between Montreal & Ottawa.
This will be our 7th 'long weekend' Ottawa trip since 2015. (--not the sleepy city you think it is--)
Very important, PLEASE read all the information over before you RSVP.
You must contact me first. There is a non-refundable fee to join us. Emailed/payable when you are confirmed.
Our 2025 Ottawa trip will be built around--ART Bank tour (Government of Canada art collection), our favorite contemporary galleries, architecture, The National Gallery, and its Doors Open Ottawa weekend +++ (We will enter British Embassy, French Embassy, Rideau Hall--more)
Plus our other usual favorite stops, and a Group dinner.
All in 2 1/2 days!!
We are on the go each day from 10:30am-9pm, and walk everywhere.
Ottawa is the least expensive of our trips--perhaps $1000 all in?
What else do we do? Some combo of:
-visit other private/public galleries
-architecture tour/talks/walks
-Indigenous exploration
-public outdoor art
-food/drink
-other things which we don't yet know aboutNote: there is so much going on in Ottawa with regards to ART and CULTURE--don't think otherwise!
This is a 3-night trip. The dates of this trip are AFTER the Ottawa Tulip Festival.
How these trips work:
YOU look after your travel and accommodations (everyone has own personal budgets), I look after everything else. I plan ALL our activities on the ground while we are together. From first night drink/gallery visit (Thursday), to last night's group dinner (Saturday). You leave as you like on Sunday.
- 3 nights (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) We meet as a group on Thursday at 5pm SHARP.
- VIA train is currently showing $150 round trip ticket. How will you get there, where will you stay? Drive, bus, train, fly? (Your Presto card works in Ottawa--on public transit!)
- Will you drive your car? Use 'points' for accommodations? Airbnb, B&B, Hotel, other? Do you need any insurance? You should aim to stay within a 15 mins walk of downtown/Byward Market. We walk everywhere!
- There is a NON-refundable fee sent to me when you signup/RSVP--due within 2 days. I organize everything on the ground, discounts, tours, reservations etc. TRIP FEE for 2025 is $125 per person.
- We will start with 10 people..until we know more about group sizing. But no more than 12 people.
- Build into your trip budget: $75 for tickets/tours/entry, and $125 for our famous last night group dinner--we always find someplace special/memorable. Excellent OTTAWA food scene.
- And of course, with all our trips there are always special/vip type surprises.
- Agenda/schedule/Details in due course. You want to be in Ottawa and able to MEET up by 5pm on Thursday June 5th.
Please read everything over before signing up. We have a large group confirmed so far! I keep you in the loop as per our planning, with a final schedule sent to you a few weeks before.
Thank you for your interest.
You can connect with me (Greg) at
torontoisculture@gmail.com
