Toronto - Scotiabank Nuit Blanche will return Saturday, September 29. From sunset at 7:03 p.m. to sunrise on Sunday, September 30, everyone is invited to rediscover Toronto through contemporary art. The city will be divided into three geographical zones to accommodate more than 195 destinations. Each zone will feature one curated exhibition and a series of Independent Projects.

For 2007, 125 Toronto museums, galleries, cultural and educational institutions and neighbourhoods will participate with more than 150 individual projects. This represents a 55 per cent increase in the number of Independent Projects from the inaugural event. These additions will expand the reach of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche into new areas across the city including the Distillery District, Bloor/Landsdowne, Parkdale, Church/Wellesley and Downtown Yonge. Each project is produced and financed by the individual partners.

The University of Toronto and the Ontario College of Art and Design played major roles in the inaugural Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. Both will return for 2007, joined this year by Ryerson University and George Brown College, all of which will contribute multiple projects to the event. The scale of the involvement by these educational institutions demonstrates the important role Toronto’s emerging artists play in this event.

Each Independent Project partner will open their doors all night long with free admission. From interactive video art, a balloon maze, an all-night Salsa dance party and steamy saunas to floating clouds, Parisian vampires, a pom-pom exchange and electroacoustic music.

“An event of this magnitude requires participation of the entire community,” said Mayor David Miller. “Hundreds of artists, institutions, galleries and neighbourhoods have invested their talents, time and precious funding to be part of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche and make it an international success. This collaborative effort on such a grand scale is something we should be very proud of.”

“We are very pleased to see the growth of Independent Projects at this year’s Scotiabank Nuit Blanche,” said John Doig, Scotiabank Senior Vice-President, Marketing. “Art and artists enrich our communities and enable all of us to experience richer lives. The tremendous number of Independent Projects this year means people in new areas of the city will have access to this exceptional event in their own neighbourhoods.”

For details on all Independent Projects, visit the Media Room at http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/.

Scotiabank returns as the title sponsor of Nuit Blanche in 2007. Scotiabank is committed to supporting communities both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2006 the Bank provided more than $42 million in sponsorships and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture.

For more information about Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, visit http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/ or call Access Toronto at 416-338-0338.