Today The Bentway announces a new public art initiative inviting Torontonians to explore and capture their complex reactions to the COVID-19 crisis. It’s All Right Now will run beginning May 25 and into the summer.
Local artists are each asked to respond to the question: “What words are you living by, right now?” From this question artists create powerful textual responses in their own visual styles that collectively speak to the diversity of the pandemic experiences and sentiments felt throughout the city.
It’s All Right Now public art project reclaims the city itself as a canvas and reaffirms the importance of the public realm. Ultimately, the project invites Torontonians into a larger dialogue. It’s All Right Now engages the arts community, but also aims to co-produce a time capsule of the current moment with residents, no matter whether they’re feeling “all right” or just feeling it “all, right now”. The Bentway is encouraging Torontonians to participate in the project by creating their own response that can be shared in a few ways: via social media using the hashtag #ItsAllRightNow, by emailing digital works to ItsAllRightNow@thebentway.com, or by mailing hand-drawn responses to The Bentway’s head office (The Bentway – It’s All Right Now, 370 Queens Quay West, Suite 113, Toronto, ON M5V 3J3).
It’s All Right Now is co-presented by The Bentway and creative agency Cossette; with Presenting Partner, the Waterfront Business Improvement Association (BIA); and a network of supporters including Cossette Media for media placement, Astral Media, PATTISON Outdoor, OUTFRONT Media, Branded Cities, Grassroots Advertising, Hivestack, Barbara and Dougal Macdonald, Whitman Emorson, and Craft PR.
● Starting today, artwork will be displayed across the city on digital billboards (including along the Gardiner Expressway and at Yonge-Dundas Square) – May 25 – June 20, 2020
● A video truck featuring the artworks will circle Toronto’s Waterfront and neighbouring communities on select weekends (routes will be posted on ItsAllRightNow.ca) – May 30, and 31; June 6 and 7, 2020
● Starting June 1, more artist work will unfold around the city, including wild postings at 50 locations and additional pop-up spots along the Waterfront – June 1-21, 2020
● The project will culminate with an installation at The Bentway (running along Fort York Blvd. west of Bathurst St.) and at other pedestrian Waterfront-adjacent crossings under the Gardiner, later this summer when public health guidelines permit onsite work – (for updates please visit ItsAllRightNow.ca)
● Beginning May 25, the public can submit their works of art to The Bentway – May 25 – June 30, 2020
Participating Artists
• Hiba Abdallah
• Dan Bergeron
• Bekah Brown
• Christine Brubaker and Cathleen Sbrizzi
• Ani Castillo (as nominated by Workman Arts)
• Max Dean and Andrew Savery-Whiteway
• Anahita Dehbonehie (as nominated by Outside the March)
• Bruce Horak (as nominated by Tangled Art + Disability)
• Will Kwan
• La-Vane Kelly (as nominated by SKETCH Working Arts)
• Ness Lee
• Tessar Lo
• Sean Martindale
• Hazel Meyer
• Shawn Micallef
• Anne Michaels
• Peter Morin
• Poet Laureate Albert Moritz with son Blaise Moritz
• Daniel Rotsztain
• Quentin VerCetty
• Younger Than Beyoncé
• Others TBC
ItsAllRightNow.ca
#ItsAllRightNow
itsallrightnow@thebentway.ca
