This holiday season, Queen Street East has come alive with festive window art by local artists on 45+ storefront businesses in Riverside and Leslieville.
Read on to know the inspiration behind the window designs of this year’s Queen East Winter Windows Showcase. The Queen East Winter Windows Showcase is a joint program of the Riverside BIA and Leslieville BIA, thanks to funding support from the City’s Transit Construction Mitigation Grant Program.
“Gingerbread Cheers”
Artist: Ella Mazur (IG @ecmazurart) | Location: Eastbound Brewing Company (700 Queen St E)
This art captures the spirit of the holidays with two gingerbread men clinking their glasses together. Eastbound Brewing provides a place for people to come and enjoy spending time with the people they love — something we want for the holidays and for always.
“Sparkling Moments”
Artist: Wandy Cheng (IG @wandy_cheng) | Location: Duke’s Refresher + Bar (709 Queen St E)
A lively environment with regular event nights that friends can gather over comfort food and a wide selection of beer to create new memories during the holidays.
“No Place Like Home”
Artist: Fernanda Bocanegra Cantuarias (IG @lynenickart) | Location: Korman & Company (721 Queen St E)
“No Place Like Home” captures the harmony of nature and city life in Toronto, with a beaver character symbolizing trust and reliability; qualities that nod at Korman & Company’s dedication to supporting the local community navigate through real estate and legal transactions with safety and ease.
“Four Calling Birds”
Artist: Erin McCluskey (IG @mcclusk) | Location: ēst Restaurant (729 Queen St E)
From the old carol The Twelve Days of Christmas, four songbirds sing amongst a background of festive branches covered in fruit and pinecones.
“FlaKey”
Artist: Victoria Day (IG @artistvictoriaday) | Location: Real Greek Gyros (731 Queen St E)
Victoria embraced the theme of winter by tapping into her love of symmetry and pattern through the snowflake. This design combines the snowflake motif with the classic Greek Key pattern, also known as the Meander pattern.
“The Rabbit’s Dance”
Artist: Square (IG @squarepopsicle) | Location: Dresden Vision (733 Queen St E)
Inspired by the Toy’s Dance from “The Nutcracker” and the charming designs at Dresden Vision, “The Rabbit’s Dance” captures the movement and wonder of winter and the holidays through a simple solo dance by a well-spectacled rabbit.
“First Impressions Matter”
Artist: Fernanda Bocanegra Cantuarias (IG @lynenickart) | Location: Maral Salon (936 Queen St E)
“First Impressions Matter” captures the magic of a small boutique experience where a friendly team transforms an everyday visit into something exceptional. This cozy display, inspired by Canadian nature, embodies the salon’s commitment to quality and connection, bringing out the best of each client’s hair.
“Canadian Winter Animals”
Artist: Christine “Chris” Kilfoil (IG @c.tinfoil)| Location: Culture Athletics (972 Queen St E)
Each of these Canadian winter animals reflects a core value of Culture Athletics. The wolf embodies the communal nature of running and yoga; the moose represents strength; the hares, speed; and the lynxes, determination to thrive under harsh conditions. Don’t let the cold hold you back from your fitness goals!
“The Gift of Nature”
Artist: Asli Alin (IG @aslialin) | Location: Garden’s Path Floral Design (983 Queen St E)
This art symbolizes the warmth, love and renewal of the holiday season. It reflects the beauty of giving, celebrating the joy and connection that nature brings during the winter months.
“Joy in Movement”
Artist: Daria Domnikova (IG @domnikova.design) | Location: Leslieville Chiropractic and Wellness (989 Queen St E)
This festive window mural reflects on the services provided at Leslieville Chiropractic and Wellness. The design has nutcrackers as its main characters. Having received treatments at Leslieville Chiropractic and Wellness, the nutcrackers are enjoying moving freely and without pain. This mural reminds neighbours to come in for their end-of-year gift of health and self-care.
“White Winter: A Fractal Symphony”
Artist: César Alonso Rodriguez (IG @cesar_neuromantix) | Location: The Flamingo (991 Queen St E)
The art is an exploration of how snow, as it falls gently to the ground, mirrors the fractal patterns that appear both in the natural world and in abstract mathematics. The white canvas of winter represents purity and silence, a quiet space where these fractal patterns unfold — each snowflake, unique and yet bound by the same set of universal rules. I aim to evoke the paradox of the endless repetition and the fleeting nature of each individual snowflake, creating an experience that invites both awe and contemplation. Through the fractal lens, winter is not just a season — it becomes a symphony of form, pattern and infinite possibility, woven into the fabric of a white, snow-covered world.
“Nutcracker Dreams”
Artist: Ella Mazur (IG @ecmazurart) | Location: Black Rooster Decor (1075 Queen St E #1)
The art features two larger-than-life nutcrackers, standing at the ready to greet you as you enter Black Rooster Design. A classic symbol of the season, the Nutcrackers are a perfect complement to the elegant and classy collection of home decor thoughtfully curated by the Black Rooster team.
The Queen East Winter Windows Showcase will run until Dec. 31, 2024, with our friendly contest to vote for your fave designs and enter our local raffle on until Dec 13th (click below!). You can scan the QR code on any of the participating locations. View all the locations on our online map or by grabbing a physical copy at participating businesses.
Follow @riverside_bia and @leslievillebia on Instagram for updates on our holiday programming!
The Queen East Winter Windows Showcase is a joint program of the Riverside BIA and Leslieville BIA, thanks to funding support from the City’s Transit Construction Mitigation Grant Program.
