By Emily Milic, Seneca College.
Seneca College students and faculty transformed five Bloor Street retailers into elegant dining spaces for Bloor Street Entertains; the annual event which takes over boutiques and galleries in the Bloor-Yorkville corridor to raise between $500,000 and $1 million annually for CANFAR. “We are thrilled to be celebrating our tenth year working with CANFAR on this important event,” says John MacBride, Professor and Program Coordinator of Seneca’s Event Management – Event and Exhibit Design program (EVT). “We are incredibly grateful to CANFAR for providing our students with a unique hands-on learning opportunity and look forward to growing our relationship for years to come.”
“We are thrilled to be celebrating our tenth year working with CANFAR on this important event,” says John MacBride, Professor and Program Coordinator of Seneca’s Event Management – Event and Exhibit Design program (EVT). “We are incredibly grateful to CANFAR for providing our students with a unique hands-on learning opportunity and look forward to growing our relationship for years to come.”
Seneca has worked on this event since 2005. In 2006, it formally became part of the curriculum as a capstone project in the EVT program. For the past 10 years, EVT students have designed the décor for the ROM and several of the dining experiences in the retail venues. This year, the faculty and students designed M0851, Strellson, Rimowa, Harry Rosen, and Liss Gallery.
Liss Gallery
For this international art dealer, Professor Brian Wickens and his team created a playful but elegant artist theme. Festive arrangements of bright florals in yellow, red and orange repeated the colours of the Dr. Suess exhibition on display. Paintbrushes were incorporated into the florals and menus were custom printed as miniature sketchpads for each of the guests to take home. Giant bows on the back of each chair echoed the playfulness of the exhibition.
Photography by Henry Lin, floral design by Brian Wickens of Seneca College, rentals by Higgins Event Rentals, with assistance by Yellow House Events.
Harry Rosen
To stay true to the brand of this fashion retailer, Professor Marta Urbanowicz and her students borrowed props from their in-house display team. Mechanical hands and candle gift boxes were combined with hydrangea and vases full of magnolia leaves to create a lush tablescape, punctuated with rectangular candle holders.
Photography by Henry Lin, floral design by Marta Urbanowicz of Artam Designs Inc., rentals by Event Rental Group with assistance by Yellow House Events.
BSE
Professor Marta Urbanowicz and her students borrowed a page from this luxury leather goods retailer’s Lookbook to create an atmosphere consistent with the store’s unique interior. Giant eucalyptus chandeliers were suspended on custom-built industrial stands to float over the heads of the guests. The table was strewn with seeded eucalyptus punctuated by candlesticks in-and-out of glass rectangular vases. Menus printed on chalkboards completed the relaxed yet luxurious look.
Photography by Henry Lin, floral design by Marta Urbanowicz of Artam Designs Inc., rentals by Chairman-Mills, assistance by Yellow House Events.
We’re so grateful for the energy and enthusiasm the Seneca team brings to Bloor Street Entertains every year,” shared Kevin Hollett, Senior Manager of Public Relations at CANFAR. “After more than a decade, the faculty know the event and our partners incredibly well, and their knowledge and expertise shows in the professionalism and creativity among Seneca staff and students.”
Seneca student Jenny Huynh was happy to have had the opportunity to create a gorgeous space for the fine dining event. “Bloor Street Entertains 2016 turned out to be an amazing experience,” said Huynh. “My group, which included three students plus myself, was in charge of Harry Rosen for Bloor Street. We were lucky to have our professors in guide us through the entire experience, teaching and providing tips.”
Find out more about Seneca’s Event Management program at www.senecacollege.ca/fulltime/EVT.html and learn more about Bloor Street Entertains at bloorstreetentertains.ca.