As Canada’s busiest airport, Toronto Pearson is a platform for showcasing Canadian culture to millions of visitors every year. Dozens of pieces of art are integrated throughout the airport, including much-loved works like Richard Serra’s dramatic Tilted Spheres in Terminal 1. Each year, we invite dozens of artists, musicians and performers into the airport to entertain passengers and create a memorable travel experience.
But Toronto Pearson’s commitment to supporting Canadian arts also extends into the communities beyond the airport. In September, the airport will once again be sponsoring Art in the Park, Visual Arts Mississauga’s annual celebration of emerging and established artists.
The festival, which is held in the heart of the Riverwood nature preserve, is Mississauga’s largest annual art market and has been a landmark in the city’s cultural calendar for more than four decades. This year’s event will feature more than 70 artists, one of whom will be airport worker Anna Bandyk.
Inspired by Ontario
By day, Anna works as an Environmental Technician focused on environmental management systems in the Airport Development and Technical Services team. In the evening, she breaks out her brushes and canvas to capture landscapes and scenes of daily life in Ontario.
“There is so much beauty in this province,” says Anna. “I like to showcase that, and a lot of artists feel the same.”
Anna has been painting since she was a child and calls her art “stylized realism,” with clean lines and shapes simplified to capture the essence of her subject. Her works include scenes of rural trails, Ontario’s many lakes and vistas of picturesque towns.
This will be the second year that Anna will exhibit at Art in the Park. The event was extended from one day to two in 2024 and features a diverse range of disciplines including painting, photography, jewelry, pottery, fabric art and candle making.
“Being surrounded by artists of multiple skills and talents is inspiring,” says Anna. “It’s also great to see crowds coming to these events. It proves that people still value handmade art in the AI era.”
Nasrin Gilbert, Executive Director of Visual Arts Mississauga, said Art in the Park was a “beloved event and makes the arts accessible to all.” She added: “This sponsorship affirms the value of the countless hours of work, planning, and collaboration that make this event possible each year.”
Art in the Park runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 19 and 20 at Riverwood Conservancy in Mississauga. You can discover more of Anna’s art on her website or on Instagram @bandyk.art