I recently took a day trip to Toronto to see The Art of Banksy Exhibit.
Jen had never been to Canada before and seeing as how Banksy is her favorite artist, it was a no-brainer.
She bought tickets almost immediately after moving to Buffalo.
We packed up the car with snacks and drove over the Peace Bridge for our first girls trip to Toronto.
Notice how I said first? …yea, we’ve already booked our second trip.
Day tripping to Toronto:
One of the best things about living in Buffalo is the proximity to Canada. Especially given our current political climate, I literally daydream about relocating to Canada once a day.
Toronto, the world’s most international city, is only a 2-hour drive from Buffalo.
Our goal for the day trip was to give Jen a feel for the city and explore the exhibit together.
Our first stop on the trip was Dundas Street West.
We stopped for a bite to eat at Freshii, which completely blew us away. The menu was amazing. It was super vegan and gluten-free friendly and the staff was phenomenal.
After getting fueled by great food, we took a stroll down the street.
There are a ton of parks, shops, and restaurants on Dundas Street West; it’s a must-see street if you’re visiting Toronto.
After a stroll and stop at Bunner’s gluten-free bakery, we headed to Queen Street West.
We explored the street art and walked into some shops before heading to the gallery.
The Art of Banksy Exhibit:
The highlight of the trip was the entire reason why we went to Toronto in the first place: see the Art of Banksy exhibit.
Jen has been a huge Banksy fan for years, so she was looking forward to this for a while.
For me, I was most excited to see Jen see the exhibit; I knew that it was going to be inspiring and emotional for her.
The gallery completely blew us away. Everything about it was thoughtful – from the placement of the pieces to the quotes on the wall to the lighting throughout the gallery.
It was the most gorgeous art gallery I have ever visited.
Every piece of art was displayed with gorgeous lighting surrounding it. As a result, the messaging and imagery were even more powerful than they already are.
I learned so much about Banksy and the progression of his career as an artist just by walking through the gallery.
I have to give kudos to Steve Lazarides for putting together the experience and allowing me to see my best friend in her element.
While every adventure with Jen is special for me given that we’ve known each other for 20+ years, this one definitely tops the charts. (As evidenced by the 2.5 minutes of laugh-out-loud bloopers included at the end of the vlog we made from the trip.)
Seeing the awe on her face as she looked at the pieces was an experience that I’ll never forget.
What’s the best art gallery or exhibit that you’ve ever seen?
Share it in the comments below!
