Where Walls Meet Sky

An art exhibition in the ruins of St. Anne’s Anglican Church

Photo by Priam Thomas

Where Walls Meet Sky, a free, site-responsive art exhibition presented by St. Anne’s Anglican Church and curated by Rui Pimenta (Art Spin)

August 22 – September 13, 2026 | Thursday – Sunday, 12 – 8pm
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 22, 1 – 3pm | Opening remarks at 2pm
St. Anne’s Anglican Church, 270 Gladstone Avenue, Toronto

Running from August 22 till September 13, Where Walls Meet Sky will feature 12 Canadian artists working across sculpture, installation, photography, and multidisciplinary practices. The exhibition marks the first time the church will reopen to the public in its current state since the devastating 2024 fire.

The fire-scarred interior becomes a place of reflection, gathering, and artistic exploration with works by Sacha Bassil, Sandra Brewster, Julia Campisi, John Dickson, Sofia Escobar, David Jensenius, Gareth Lichty, Eunice Luk, Roda Medhat, Noel Middleton, Mary Catherine Newcomb, and Max Streicher.

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 continues that legacy by inviting its artists to engage directly with the site and its evolving history.

Rather than dwelling on loss, Where Walls Meet Sky explores what emerges after destruction. Through themes of resilience, memory, and rebirth, the exhibition reflects on how communities, ecosystems, and structures adapt and regenerate in the wake of upheaval. Fire and its capacity to both destroy and regenerate also serves as one of the exhibition’s central themes. 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.

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 meeting point between walls and sky a powerful metaphor for change, renewal and that which cannot be contained.

Photo by Priam Thomas

Special Programs:

Bricks to Bread
Saturdays & Sundays, August 22 – September 13, 12 – 4pm
A sculptural oven constructed from bricks recovered from the church grounds following the fire. On Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4pm, visitors will be invited to share freshly baked flatbread made by Sacha Bassil, owner of Flour Power Saj, transforming remnants of destruction into a gesture of hospitality, nourishment, and collective renewal.

Vita Contemplativa
Saturday, August 22, 8pm
Free Admission
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 Felicity Williams with Robin Dann, Dorothea Paas, Patrick O’Reilly

A Concert in the Ruins of St. Anne’s Anglican Church
Presented by Wavelength Music
Thursday, August 27, 8pm
Visit Wavelength Music for more info & tickets
Performances by: Völur, Charles Spearin & the Local Singers, and A Horse Named Friday

Where Walls Meet Sky is presented by St. Anne’s Anglican Church with co-presentation support provided by CAFKA (Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener + Area) and the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair.

Photo by Patrick Morrel, CBC News

About the Curator

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 sixteen 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.

To follow Where Walls Meet Sky:
Visit: artspin.ca/where-walls-meet-sky
Instagram: @wherewallsmeetsky
Facebook: Where Walls Meet Sky
TikTok: @wherewallsmeetsky

For further questions contact: wherewallsmeetsky@gmail.com