June 24-July 5: 4 Hot Design Events on our Social Calendar

RAW Canvas
June 25, 6pm, 143-177 Lakeshore Blvd E
This year’s edition of local architecture firm RAW Design‘s annual industry event takes place inside of a former night club/warehouse space south of Lakeshore Boulevard East. In the years ahead, the site will be transformed into City of Arts, a RAW-designed commercial development aimed at companies in the arts industry. In the meantime, RAW inaugurates the upcoming development with a party that celebrates the intersection of art and architecture. The former is supplied by local street artists, who were invited to paint the party venue’s walls, floors and even windows. (For a preview of what’s in store, refer to recent Instagrams published by participants Pascal Paquette and Robert Bentley.) Their works join a 232-square-foot canvas hung from a construction rig. By invitation only

Dean Baldwin: Queen West Yacht Club
June 25, 7:30 pm, MOCCA, 952 Queen St W
Check out MoCCA‘s final exhibition on Queen West and bid adieu to the longtime neighbourhood staple. (Last week, the museum announced it will be reopening next winter in the first two floors of the Tower Automotive Building at 158 Sterling Road.) Developed by artist Dean Baldwin, this farewell show transforms the gallery’s soon-to-be-razed space into a seafarer’s paradise. Ahoy, art lovers!

Can Design Save Canada Post?
June 25, 7:30 pm, 401 Richmond St W, Ste #140
Yes, the discontinuation of door-to-door mail delivery is upon us. But Jason Logan, Toronto’s voluntary Creative Director, sees the end of this service as an opportunity. He questions how shared “super-mailboxes” – soon to be installed on each city block – can be used to foster a stronger sense of community among their distinct groups of users. For example, what if they weren’t just dull grey-and-red boxes, but rather exciting destinations that facilitated seed exchanges, brewed espresso, or even glowed in the dark? To explore these and other ideas, he’s hosting a panel that includes StopGap accessibility advocate Luke Anderson, Streetcar developer Lilie Zende and Sustainable.TO architect Paul Dowsett. Suggestions from the discussion will be summarized in a design proposal to be delivered to Canada Post. RSVP to YYZ Artists’ Outlet to attend.

Taste of Toronto
July 2-5, Fort York National Historic Site, 250 Fort York Blvd
This outdoor festival transplants all of the city’s buzz-iest restaurants to this historic military site for one weekend. With celeb Toronto chefs Cory Vitiello (of The Harbord Room fame) and Carl Heinrich (Richmond Station) serving up dishes, the menu is sure to be mouth-watering. Also onsite: a vendor marketplace lets foodies stock up on ingredients for their own delicious meals, while hands-on cooking classes teach expert techniques. Tickets start at $19