By visiting this Website, you agree to the use of essential + preferences Cookies. If you want to opt in to statistics Cookies to have your Website visit analyzed, check the box below & click ‘Submit’. We do not track your visit if you leave the box unchecked. For more details, see our Cookie Policy.

Skip to content
Image featuring blue and white text superimposed over a photograph: where walls meet sky. Image looking skyward into a sunny blue sky, with the tops of twin church towers on either side of the frame.
Image featuring blue and white text superimposed over a photograph: where walls meet sky. Image looking skyward into a sunny blue sky, with the top of an old, windowless church facade covered in a protective white membrane, a tower on the left side.

An art exhibition An art exhibition

in the ruins of St. Anne’s Anglican Church in Toronto.

Home Events Art Where Walls Meet Sky

Where Walls Meet Sky

From Saturday, August 22 to Sunday, September 13, 2026 – St. Anne’s Anglican Church presents Where Walls Meet Sky, a site-specific contemporary art exhibition featuring 12 Canadian artists working across sculpture, installation, photography and multidisciplinary practices, with music performances as well.

Renewal, rebirth, memory & transformation

Beyond its role as a place of worship, St. Anne’s has long held an important place in Canadian cultural history. Renowned for its murals by J. E. H. MacDonald and fellow members of the Group of Seven, the church has been an important intersection of art, architecture and spiritual life. Where Walls Meet Sky, curated by Rui Pimenta (Art Spin), continues that legacy by inviting contemporary artists to engage directly with the site and its evolving history.

The first public exhibition inside the historic church since the devastating 2024 fire explores themes of renewal, rebirth, memory and transformation. The exhibition’s title reflects the building’s transformed condition – with its roof open to the sky, the boundary between inside and outside dissolves, making the visible sky a powerful metaphor for change, possibility and renewal.

An exploration of what emerges after destruction

Rather than dwelling on loss, Where Walls Meet Sky explores what emerges after destruction. The exhibition is a reflection on how communities, ecosystems and structures adapt and regenerate in the wake of upheaval. Though profoundly altered by fire, St. Anne’s remains a vital part of its neighbourhood, continuing to serve both its congregation and the wider community. Fire – and its capacity to both destroy and regenerate – also serves as one of the exhibition’s central themes. The fire-scarred interior becomes a place of reflection, gathering and artistic exploration through works by featured artists.

“This exhibition is not about memorializing what was lost. It is about recognizing what remains, what persists, and what new possibilities emerge when a community comes together after a profound event.”

– Rui Pimenta, exhibition curator

About Rui Pimenta

Rui Pimenta is a Toronto-based artist, curator and cultural producer whose work explores the relationship between contemporary art, public space and community. Over the past 16 years, he has served as Art Spin’s Co-Artistic Director and co-curator, presenting various bicycle art tours, exhibitions, public art projects and site-responsive cultural initiatives in a wide range of unconventional settings, from industrial sites and decommissioned buildings to parks, waterfronts and civic spaces. His projects are united by a commitment to creating meaningful encounters between art, place and diverse audiences.

Medium close-up of a worn, ornate wooden chair with tattered dusty rose back and seat cushioning, set on dry ground in front of an old church, the outer wall covered in a white protective membrane. On the wall, directly above the chair, is a mosaic of a cross in a golden circle, floating above a blue background.

(Photo credits: St. Anne’s Anglican Church | Art Spin. Photos by Priam Thomas.)

 

Event details

Hosted by: St. Anne’s Anglican Church 

Type of event: group art exhibition

Curated by: Rui Pimenta 

Featured artists: Sacha Bassil, Sandra Brewster, Julia Campisi, John Dickson, Sofia Escobar, David Jensenius, Gareth Lichty, Eunice Luk, Roda Medhat, Noel Middleton, Mary Catherine Newcomb & Max Streicher

Featured performances: Sufferin Mall, Colby Richardson, Völur, Charles Spearin & the Local Singers, A Horse Named Friday, St. Anne’s Choir & more

Dates & times: The exhibition is on from Saturday, August 22 – Sunday, September 13, 2026 and will be open Thursday – Sunday from 12:00 – 8:00 PM ET. Specific community & music programming dates & times are listed below.

  • Bricks to Bread: A sculptural oven was constructed from bricks recovered from the church grounds following the fire. Visitors will be invited to share freshly baked flatbread made by Sacha Bassil, owner of Flour Power Saj. Saturdays & Sundays from 12:00 – 4:00 PM ET
  • Vita Contemplativa: A program of experimental music curated by Fan Wu that explores contemplation as both patient receptivity and disciplined attention and considers the act of paying attention as an expression of the sacred. Performances by Sufferin Mall, Colby Richardson and more. Saturday, August 22 @ 8:00 PM ET
  • A Concert in the Ruins of St. Anne’s Anglican Church: Presented by Wavelength Music. Performances by Völur, Charles Spearin & the Local Singers and A Horse Named Friday. This will be a ticketed event, with details to be announced. Thursday, August 27 @ 8:00 PM
  • Choral Performances of Sacred Music: Presented by the St. Anne’s Choir. Times and dates TBA

Cost: Free. Donations are welcome and will help support the restoration and preservation of St. Anne’s. Visitors wishing to contribute can donate through CanadaHelps (please select “General Fund” from the designation options).

Location: St. Anne’s Anglican Church, 270 Gladstone Avenue, Toronto, ON, M6J 3L6

Contact details: St. Anne’s Anglican Church (Office), 276 Gladstone Avenue, Toronto, ON, M6J 3L6, Canada; (416) 536-3160, ext. 101, communications@saintanne.ca, saintanne.ca

 

Accessibility: Please contact St. Anne’s (see contact info above).