A year after Humber College hosted the popular contemporary art event Nuit Blanche for the first time, Lakeshore Campus will once again welcome the wider community as part of this year’s event.

Nuit Blanche, which is free, starts at 7 p.m. on September 23 and continues to 7 a.m. the next morning at locations across Toronto. Lakeshore Campus is hosting the Etobicoke neighbourhood hub, one of three at the event which also includes hubs downtown and in Scarborough.

In total there are 19 projects as part of the Etobicoke hub, stretching from Assembly Hall down to Lake Ontario. Eleven of them are located on Humber’s Lakeshore Campus.

The theme for this year’s event is “Breaking Ground” and it invites artists to explore ideas centred around the natural world, change and innovation. There will be a variety of media on display and many of the projects are interactive.

“We’re excited to be able to bring this back to Lakeshore Campus,” said Casey Norris, project lead with Humber Galleries and the Centre for Creative Business Innovation. “A common sentiment from last year was that people loved that it was happening in their neighbourhood.”

Humber student’s work showcased

Humber offers several fellowships that have students work with industry partners on projects. Two of these – the Nuit Blanche Fellowship and the Intercultural & Creative Music Fellowship – had Humber students create projects that were part of this year’s event.

Something is Awake was part of the Intercultural & Creative Music Fellowship, which is a partnership between Humber and the Aga Khan Museum. It involved nine Humber students working together for 14 weeks to compose and record five songs, two films and a zine as part of the album Something is Awake. Inspired by the Aga Khan Museum’s Rumi exhibition, the project explores themes such as love, life and death while delving into Sufism, devotion and the transformative power of our collective consciousness.

UNIPLEX: Multimedia Explorations in Geometry, Symmetry, and Transformation came from the Nuit Blanche Fellowship in which students and alumni are invited to work together on the ideation and production of an artistic project inspired by Nuit Blanche’s curatorial theme. They created an immersive, interdisciplinary installation that explores personal growth and unity through geometric shapes. If you happen to miss it, it will be on display in the L Space Gallery from October 16 to December 1.

Another project of interest is the multimedia installation Caementarium. Inspired by the physical location of Colonel Samuel Smith Park and Lakeshore Campus, which was once the site of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, the installation is described as conversing with the walls, grounds, apertures, and enclosures that shape the former site of the hospital.

There’s also the Golden Snail Opera: The More-Than-Human Performance of Friendly Farming on Taiwan’s Lanyang Plain. It’s a film presentation with live performances that include three Humber alumni.

“It’s very empowering for students to know they can be part of an event such as Nuit Blanche and have their project alongside renowned national and international artists,” said Melissa Poliah, program lead with Humber Galleries. “You normally have to be a professional artist to apply so being able to take part through the Humber fellowship as a student is unique.”

Tips to enjoy your experience

If you’re considering driving, be aware some road closures will be in effect and there will be limited parking. Consider public transit as an option.

Dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable shoes as it can take upwards of two hours to see all the Etobicoke hub installations.

Food trucks will be within walking distance for those looking for a bite to eat.

For a list of the installation and projects at Lakeshore Campus, visit the Nuit Blanche website.