The Mayor’s Evening For The Arts returned November 14th to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre as the annual fundraising gala in support of the Toronto Arts Foundation. The event was hosted by actor Jake Epstein and of course offered plenty of live entertainment from jazz performances to ballet and theatrical performances throughout the evening. Mayor John Tory remarked that since Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world, our arts culture is exemplary. Not only do the arts provide plentiful job opportunities, they have helped with our recovery as a society coming out of the pandemic, a lonely time for many. Highlights included the success of initiatives like Arts in the Parks, bringing high-quality free arts events to parks, the artist Resiliency funds, and finally the news that theatres and performance spaces are selling tickets and filling seats once again. A bitter-sweet moment occurred when Claire Hopkinson, Director & CEO, Toronto Arts Council & Toronto Arts Foundation announced that after 30 years, she was stepping down. Her good news was again that we seem to be entering a time of resurgence when we are finally able to welcome back audiences and patrons to enjoy talented musicians and artists once more. Our thanks to Haroon Khalid for the invitation to attend and cover this event.
