QSW BIA x Umbra: Looking Through the Kaleidoscope Photo Exhibition

The Queen Street West Business Improvement Area (BIA) and Umbra are proud to present a community based photo exhibition that celebrates the colour, texture, energy and creativity that make up the Queen West community.

This collaboration celebrates photography as a powerful medium for artistic and cultural expression while also serving as creative inspiration for Umbra’s future product collections.

Through the lens of local photographers, we aim to showcase Queen West’s visual vibrancy — capturing curves, textures, structures, colors, and stories that define this iconic Toronto neighborhood.

The theme invites participants to uncover inspiration in the everyday. Just like a kaleidoscope reveals endless combinations of light, form, and color, photographers are encouraged to reflect the vibrancy, texture, and personality of Queen West.

The exhibition takes place at Umbra's Flagship Store in Toronto and the evening includes:

• Photography showcase
• Light refreshements & snacks
• Live Music
• Networking
• Community building

RSVP to secure your ticket as space is limited.

If you have any further questions feel free to reach out to [email protected]

About Umbra

Umbra began in 1979 when Toronto-based friends Les Mandelbaum and Paul Rowan, recognized that there was a need to create modern designs that would be accessible in both price and attitude. They turned a decorating dilemma into an innovative product with the launch of a single window shade appropriately named Umbra (Latin for shade).

Since then Umbra has become a global leader in product design and currently distributes in over 120 countries across the world with additional offices in Europe, the United States, Brazil, and China. Born out of passion for original design and the desire to create products for every home. Umbra's team of international designers brings thought and creativity into everyday items. Driven by innovation, we pull inspiration from the global marketplace, to push boundaries in our approach to original design.

About Queen Street West BIA

Art meets commerce on vibrant Queen Street West, the historic area that spearheaded the growth in Toronto’s cultural life in the 1980s and ’90s. Known then for its mixture of fashion shops, galleries and indie music bars, the eastern part of Queen Street West has become a major shopping district while the western half retains its unconventional roots.

Located just south of the Ontario College of Art and Design and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Queen Street West between Simcoe and Bathurst is the neighbourhood that nurtured young artists for decades. While many of the galleries and artist-run centres are just slightly south of Queen Street West BIA’s official boundary line at 401 Richmond, this specific area is still home to bars that showcase independent music and comedy acts. Fashion is another traditional strength of the area and one can shop for designer clothes on Queen Street West – or buy fabrics and create your own.

A hub for nightlife fun, Queen Street West is a place where downtown sophisticates meet tourists and other Torontonians at an array of restaurants and bars. During the daytime, shopping rules, with hordes of youths – and the young at heart – buying new hip vinyl, t-shirts and shoes. Embracing the latest in fashion and technology, Queen Street West mixes culture and merchandising together in one dynamic environment.

Established in 2008, the Queen Street West BIA encompasses the area along Queen Street West from Simcoe Street to Bathurst Street.

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