Nuit Blanche
The sun’s glow is long gone, yet I’ve never seen Toronto so busy. As I round the corner at the intersection of McCaul and Dundas Street, anticipation and the early October breeze send chills through my body. It’s my first time at Nuit Blanche, and I’m already overwhelmed by the crowds of people and large installations that fill the street. I notice a plastic bag tangled in the branches of a Linden tree and wonder if it’s one of the installations.
Up ahead, the red lights of Chinatown draw me in like a moth. I follow them to a large electronic board towering over the street. It shines red, blue, and yellow indiscernible text, and I spend several minutes wondering what it means. Nearby, a giant inflatable screen plays a film on loop, and a long line forms behind it at an interactive walk-through exhibit. I scan the street for what’s next, but I quickly realize that aside from the glow of neon lights and the six poutine trucks that line the street, there’s nothing else to see in this area.
I unfold the map, the front bearing a glowing orb with the text simply stating “Nuit Blanche 2025. Oct 4, 7pm-7am”. Where to next? I wonder. The Annex? Trinity Bellwoods? Harbourfront? I scan the map in search of my next spot, and there is a lot to choose from; large installations and smaller works span all corners of the map, but I decide to stick to the downtown core and follow the crowd wherever it takes me.
By the end of the night, I’ve splashed paint on a canvas feet away from a wrestling match, drawn pictures of dogs in the basement of an art gallery, and filled up my camera roll with photos of all the absurdity. I go home feeling satisfied and exhausted, still wishing I could stay up till dawn to see every piece Nuit Blanche has to offer. I wonder if I’ll wake up tomorrow and see a post on social media about something super cool I completely missed. I’m certain I will.
*
That was October 2025. Now, I sit in a studio, my group member Andrea to my left and Caitlin to my right. The light on the video camera blinks red, signaling that recording is in progress. After weeks of uncertainty, bouncing between topics, and fearing we may never settle on something meaningful, we finally sigh with relief as we turn off the camera, concluding our interviews for the documentary.
Morgan-Paige Melbourne and Madhu Kumar are part of the group of artists behind A Place We Call Home, an installation held at our very own Daniels Spectrum last October. The other artists, Benny Bing, Melissa Falconer, and Komi Olaf, we weren’t able to interview due to timing. A few weeks ago, when I found out about this installation, I was surprised to learn that Regent Park had been included in Nuit Blanche, as I didn’t remember seeing it on the map months earlier, but of course, when I went back and looked, there it was, number 120. Learning about this project made me realize that, even months later, I was still discovering the amazing exhibits I had completely missed.
What’s Next for “Stories Told”
Prior to the interview, we planned to center the discussion around the revitalization of Regent Park. We thought perhaps the artists might feel that the sense of culture lost through the revitalization could be saved through art, or that maybe Nuit Blanche only approved a Regent Park installation because of the revitalization. However, we quickly found out that both of our interviewees had moved to Regent Park recently and didn’t know much about Regent Park pre-revitalization. At the same time, we were pleasantly surprised at how much they said they felt welcomed in the community, that the culture is still alive and well, at least in the artistic spaces they’re surrounded by.
While they expressed a need for more artistic exposure, they said Nuit Blanche was a great step in the right direction. They both expressed admiration and thanks towards Daniels, saying they were grateful for what Daniels Corporation has done for the community and the opportunities Daniels Spectrum has presented to artists and community members alike.
Morgan’s work for A Place We Call Home created an immersive experience through sound art. Madhu, an oil painter, documented immigrant women’s experiences through her paintings, accompanying them with text and audio of the women sharing their stories. Although both artists are based in Regent Park, they emphasized that their work is not limited to the neighbourhood. They both aim to reach the broader Toronto and global community and want to share stories from all over the world.
Hearing the artists talk about their art and experience with Nuit Blanche really moved me. As an artist myself, just starting to branch out into the world of public exhibitions, I was inspired by their stories of creative processes and how they emphasized the role of community in creating their work.
So, what’s next for our documentary team? Well, things are finally moving along, and we’re excited again. Inspiration has struck, and we are delighted to have had the chance to interview Morgan and Madhu. We’re now working towards editing a first draft for our next class and conceptualizing a physical media piece that can connect to our topic and pay homage to the neighbourhood of Regent Park and the role of art in the community.
The team members of Store-ies are Eryn McDevitt, Andrea Jakaitis and Caitlin Devion.