An Art Escapade – Nuit Blanche 2.0

Nu-weet Blansh? Nu-wit Blanc? Toma(e)to, tomato. I can still never say it right. If there was a U of T Bucket List somewhere, I'm sure that Nuit Blanche would be on it.

Last weekend was my second time at the art festival that summons the GTA out of their homes for a night of art. In first year, my friends on residence and I made last-minute plans at 10pm the night of, to attend Nuit Blanche. We wanted to know if it would live up to the hype. Although I did enjoy how my first Nuit Blanche unraveled, I wanted a different experience this year. So here are a few tips that you might want to try next year!

The Game Plan

While art is fun to spectate alone - I've wandered solo around the AGO after 6pm for free on Wednesdays after classes to unwind - it can also be fun with friends (and about a million other people). Previously, we went in a large group that inevitably broke up at some point in the night. This year before heading out, we split our group up into a 9:00 pm and a 3:00 am group (sleep is for the weak, jk we slept at 10:00 pm).

Blurry-eyed and bushy-tailed, my 3:00 am group woke up and headed out. The streets were way quieter at 3:00am (shocking, I know) than last year at 10:00 pm. There were close to zero queues for the exhibits and we could actually see and admire the art at our own pace. After our first stop at the AGO, we found a map of the exhibits on the street and worked our way down to Nathan Philips Square. The night had just begun. Visiting Our Neighbours

Although the art installation wasn't in the giant rectangle supported by giant pencils (bummer), it felt nice to see the art produced by our neighboring university. We sat there mesmerized by the art for a good 15 minutes since the crowds had died down. Sunrise

Before grabbing a bite at 6:30 am (late supper? breakfast?), we capped off the night with the Dunlap Institute of U of T's showcase by astrophysicist and musician Matt Russo.

Under that small man-made and dim dome, I realized that hundreds or even thousands of people had passed through this make-shift night sky that resembled the millions that live under the sky cast upon Toronto. This reminded me that before my four years are over at U of T, I want to leave this campus not only with a degree but with memories from events in the city such as this one. Til next year, bonne nuit! Any suggestions of how I should see Nuit Blanche 2019? Leave a comment below!