The Riverside BIA, this year’s Community-Engaged Award winner of the Main Street Art Challenge, is now using the prize money they received to ramp up for their Window Wonderland project! The selected artists, Ailsa Craigen, Asli Alin, Enna Kim, and Vivian Rosas, developed and installed artworks in twenty (20) storefront windows throughout the Riverside BIA as part of this festive project.
Window Wonderland in Riverside is an annual initiative led by the Riverside BIA. From November 28 to December 15, 2020, Window Wonderland invites people to support local artists and vote for their favourite window for a chance to win prizes from participating local businesses!
Video by Selina McCallum.
Ailsa Craigen
Ailsa Craigen is an interdisciplinary illustrator and designer residing and working in Toronto, Canada. Specializing in line drawings, Ailsa’s work has been featured in spaces across Toronto including Mallo, Goldstruck and Lovt Studio.
Asli Alin
Asli Alin is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist traversing disciplines of drawing, painting, installation and photography. She has been commissioned to create public art in Canada and Europe and her work has been featured in a number of galleries throughout Toronto and abroad.
Enna Kim
Enna Kim is an interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Canada. Enna explores the dimensions between her hyphenated Korean-Canadian identity through animation, projection mapping and large-scale murals.
Vivian Rosas
Vivian Rosas is a Toronto-based queer Mestizx/Latinx multidisciplinary artist who seeks to explore themes of feminism, empowerment, and diversity within her work. Her practices include editorial illustration, public murals, and dance.
The artworks creatively respond to holiday themes of joy, community, togetherness, and warmth, but most importantly, the businesses in which the artwork will be installed. Using simple painting materials along with decorative holiday lights, Ailsa, Asli, Enna, and Vivian each created five (5) unique designs to animate Riverside’s storefront windows.
Click here to view the participating storefront locations, or check out the finished window installations below!
“[The challenge provided] the opportunity to creatively respond during these challenging economic times while recognizing some of the amazing local artists and leaders we have in our community.”
Join the Riverside BIA in celebrating the creativity of Toronto-based artists, bringing more light throughout the dark winter months and encouraging people to engage with and support local businesses throughout the holiday season!
Vote for your favourite window display here! Voting ends on Monday, December 14th.
