Toronto Arts Foundation – In Bloom Gala The Mayor’s Evening for the Arts

By Sally Warburton

Wednesday, November 20th was a wonderful evening at the Carlu at 444 Yonge Street, Toronto. It was The Mayor’s Evening for the Arts – In Bloom Gala supporting Toronto Arts Foundation. The evening promised Immersive Art installations, live performances, silent auction, open bar with specialty cocktails and delicious food – snacks and sweets. For those who had tickets for the after party starting at 8pm. For VIP who attended the Gala Dinner, this started earlier.

For more than a decade Toronto Arts Foundation has hosted the Mayor’s Evening for the Arts. It’s their annual fundraiser to foster strong, creative communities, including Arts in the Parks, Neighbourhood Arts Network, our Newcomer Spotlight Program and the Black Arts Initiative.

This year 2024 was the first time ever that the memorable evening was opened to the public with the IN BLOOM GALA. Guests were dressed up artistically and were there to have a good time – they were friendly and very supportive of the arts. The Carlu is a perfect venue for this event with its spacious foyer area for mingling and getting a drink at one of the bars. Separate adjoining rooms are where the VIP Gala dinner took place in addition to an exclusive VIP lounge. Another room had a big stage for the entertainment, a big bar and lots of 3D art displays to enjoy. InterAccess visual artists included Tara Rose Morris, Pegah Peivandi and Dan Tapper. This was curated by Evangeline Y Brooks with live visuals alongside DJ Berma.

This year’s entertainment was fantastic. Big Smoke Brass opened up with a high energy set. Then Kibra before and after Kardinal Offishal. The flamboyant Kardinal Offishal wowed the crowd and got everyone dancing and enjoying every beat of the music. He looked great in his brightly coloured outfit. To end the evening were DJ Berma & InterAccess. The entertainment was the perfect mix for the event.