#FIRSTLOOK: LEXIER’S DOG DAYS TOURS RUN SEPTEMBER 20-OCTOBER 4, 2026

Launched during National Dog Week, Lexier’s Dog Days of Ontario Culture Days turns the familiar rituals of dog ownership into a travelling, carnival-inspired art experience. The project treats dogs not merely as subjects but as a means to bring strangers together, to test how well owners know their pets, and to leave a collective record of the encounters.

In A Portrait of the Person Making a Portrait of Your Dog, visitors can have their dog sketched for free by a local artist, while a second artist draws the first artist at work. Dog owners take home their pet’s portrait, while Lexier keeps the second drawing for inclusion in a future publication, creating an expanding archive of artists, owners, and dogs encountered throughout the tour.

In Guess Your Dog’s Age or Weight, a carnival guesser tries to accurately guess a dog’s age or weight, transforming the classic midway game into an affectionate test of the bond between dogs and their humans. Dog owners who make a donation receive a custom-minted commemorative coin as a keepsake.

All donations collected throughout the carnival-themed communal art experience support the Farley Foundation, a charity that helps pets across Ontario receive essential veterinary care.

Dog Days tours Toronto, Oakville, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Temiskaming, and Windsor from Sept. 20 to Oct. 4, culminating on Oct. 5, 2026 with a special closing celebration at Toronto’s waterfront for World Pet Day.

More here.