Interview with Lukus Toane - Creative Projects Direction, Exhibition Development, Account Manager/Curator IDS Vancouver
Growing up in rural northern Alberta, I suppose I’ve always been creatively inclined; that paired with a farm-strong love of labour, I nurtured these qualities where I could. Upon moving to increasingly larger urban centres (first Calgary and then Sydney Australia and Wroclaw Poland, finally settling in Toronto) I was thrilled to have access to the wide range of cultural organizations, festivals, events and communities which reflected the incredible creative practitioners within and outside of the country.
Please share a little about the different areas of the industry you work in and what each involves in terms of your work. Of all you do, is one area your favourite?
In my career I have been fortunate to have been able to produce really interesting arts / design / cultural programming, often in unconventional exhibition spaces.
Notably, I had 5 years at the Historic Gladstone Boutique Art Hotel in Queen West Toronto, under the creative vision of Christina Zeidler. Being the oldest continuously running hotel in the city (equipped with manually operated elevator), this provided a really unique platform to stage the plethora of events within a multi-purpose historical building. As Director of Exhibitions, I oversaw over the 4 floors of gallery space where we curated annual group exhibitions under various themes in conjunction with city wide events like Contact Photography Festival in May, DesignTO during January Design Week and Pride Exhibitions during June.
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| Photo by Laura Harvey |
As a creative hub and social hotspot to many, I really look back at this time period (working with literal thousands of artist designers and performers on over 70+ annual events) as a catalyst that informed my career’s trajectory and the projects that followed.
Most recently I have been on the team at the Interior Design Show (IDS) Vancouver which takes place in September and IDS Toronto in January as Sections Curator / Account Manager which has been really rewarding. Within my purview, we have the annual featured sections within the greater design fair including Studio North, a section for independent design brands showcasing new product collections. The District Design Market; where guests can buy elevated products for the home; and Prototype, a juried group exhibition showcasing one-of-a-kind design objects. COLLECT fine Art Feature where guests can buy original artwork from contemporary artists. I am also responsible for programming IDS Opening Night Gala which is always an amazing night.
Where did you learn your skills - on the job, schooling, internship, mentorship?
Having attended Art School at Alberta University of the Arts as well as studying abroad in Australia and Poland, I was able to really broaden my horizons of how the art/design world can take form in different scales and capacities around the world.
I am grateful I had the opportunity to work within a grassroots capacity at the Gladstone in Toronto, starting in an internship (under the mentorship of Britt Welter-Nolan) to eventually become Director of Exhibitions. Here I learned to wear many hats and hone a more spherical understanding of the inner workings of cultural event production.
What do you love most about the work you do? What challenges arise?
It’s very rewarding to be able to steward emerging and independent companies as part of the broader design conversation that takes place at IDS. It’s a big undertaking to exhibit and educate prospective patrons on new collections and design ethos; my goal that exhibitors are supported and have access to all the resources they can to make their show experience a positive one.
IDS Vancouver 2025 (presented by JennAir) is truly a magical whirlwind of a 4 day design fair with a lot on offer. Starting on Thursday Sept 25 will be the Opening Night Party (7-10pm) which is always the design event of the year. Its great excuse to pull that fabulous outfit you’ve been wanting to wear and have first eyes on the 200+ exhibitors showcasing design products. There guests will be able to enjoy the IN/TENSIONS Central Bar created by AD Projects and dHKarchitects.
This year we have also several new features including ILLUMINATE; a lighting-focused section (curated by Sebastien Panouille of ThinkL Studio). The Central Feature called NIGHT & DAY is a look into the Future of Hospitality with immersive installations by Twobytwo Architecture Studio × Milltown as well as Capella Design + CHY Design.
(Mentioned above) there is the IDS’ annual must-see sections Studio North + Prototype, The District Design Market and COLLECT Fine Art Section.
Every day of IDS, there are many talks and lectures at the Vicostone Keynote Stage on AZURE Friday, Western Living Saturday and House & Home Sunday as well as the Friday Trade Day accredited seminars. Every part of the IDS program is thoughtfully considered and curating to be an enriching, cohesive and inspiring experience for attending design lovers.
In closing, can you share a quote a favorite quote?
A quote that has stuck with me over the years which I think speaks to creating and planning ahead while looking back and taking note (professional and personally) is from Painter Paul Klee in 1925:
"A line is a dot that went for a walk”
Links -
- Toane Linkedin -www.linkedin.com/in/lukus-toane-507b39108/
- Toane Instagram - @lukuscrazed
- IDS Vancouver Website - www.interiordesignshow.com/vancouver/
- IDS Vancouver Info & Tix purchase - www.interiordesignshow.com/vancouver/tickets-and-registration/
- IDS Vancouver Instagram - @idsvancouver
- IDS Vancouver Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/company/interior-design-show-ids
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