WayHome isn’t just about the music. Visual art plays a huge role in creating the festival’s aesthetic and atmosphere, and last year’s debut featured a ton of memorable art installations by talented artists. In addition to the visuals planned for 2016’s festival, there’s an awesome ArtWalk happening on the Thursday night (July 21). You’ll have the opportunity to explore the grounds, meet the artists, catch a special performance by The Darcys, AND enjoy a feast in the enchanted artists-only forest.

Take a look at the visual artists bringing WayHome to life this year:





Anyone who attended WayHome last year can recall the super cool flags that outlined the festival’s landscape. Well, those flags happen to be the work of Angus Watt, a visual artist and flag manufacturer that has decorated festivals and events around the world, including the Eden Project, Glastonbury, and WOMAD. Angus’ eye catching flags work to create “images of power, beauty and grace,” and are used to completely alter a space or landscape.





Aaron Li-Hill is a Canadian artist currently based out of Brooklyn. Li-Hill combines his background in graffiti and mural painting with stenciling, painting, illustration and sculptural elements to create multi-layered, thematic pieces that are both beautiful to look at and hard not to analyze. His works have been featured in Australia, USA, Germany, Iceland and China, as well as institutions such as the National Gallery of Victoria, The Art Gallery of Ontario, the Portsmouth Museum of Art in New Hampshire and the Honolulu Museum of Art.





A Toronto-based painter, Charles Bierk will be returning to WayHome this year after being acclaimed for curating the installations at WayHome’s debut. Bierk has also produced a large installation for Nuit Blanche and was a finalist in the Kingston Prize. Given how awesome last year’s installations, this year’s WayHome goers are definitely in for a treat.





Trevor Wheatley and Cosmo Dean create sculpture installations that re-contextualize urban slang, such as transforming words like “dime,” “ditch,” “nah,” and “bless” into large 3D block lettering. The pair have managed to combine Dean’s background in design and contracting with Wheatley’s background in set design and studio art to create experiential pieces that reflect the language of advertising and consumerism.









Nathan Whitford is the one responsible for The Understory, which were the really pretty lights that illuminated WayHome’s trees. He is currently a Toronto-based artist (originally from Vancouver) that works with large-scale interactive art installations. Whitford’s works such as The Understory juxtapose nature with technology to create beautiful, animated landscapes and effects. His work has been featured across Canada, and will be colouring in Burl’s Creek once more this summer.





Ever wonder who was behind WayHome’s super trippy 360 degree videos? WayHome actively collaborates with Puncture’s Spencer Cathcart and Rashad Maharaj to create the festival’s retro, neon graphics and lineup announcement videos. Puncture is an independent design studio operating in Toronto, and Cathcart and Maharaj are set to be programming this year’s video screens at the festival. Expect to be wowed!





Hailing from Los Angeles, The Do LaB specializes in interactive environments, event production, and creative lighting. Their goal is to create experience as an art form, and their team goes above and beyond to bring together natural materials, objects, and sustainable resources to make their vision come to life.



(Photo: Facebook)

The Cloud is an art installation created by OCAD’s Alexander Young, Christopher Snell, Jurgis Mikens, and Sislet Hu. It is a structure that will be featured this year at WayHome, and features a glowing shape that is both solid and transparent. The Cloud will be great for a place to hide from the shade during the day, as well as something beautiful to take photos with at night as it glows with LED lighting.





Made up of a line of balloons that change shape to match the wind, the Balloon Chain has kind of become a festival must-have. At night, this beautiful installation lights up like a chain of stars.







THE DRAKE

The following artists are critically acclaimed and will be putting up installations at WayHome on behalf of The Drake.





Lady Aiko is a New York City-based artist that will be creating banners to hang on the Burl’s Creek barn that’s located in WayHome’s VIP area.



(Photo: Instagram)

BirdO will be adding street art to WayHome’s VIP dance floor. He will be using his signature contrasting colours, dense patterning, and the image of an ouroboros.



(Photo: Instagram)

From Paris, Jimmy Chiale’s visual project will involve painting directly on VIP guests, making his display the festival’s most interactive piece yet!





Diana Lynn VanderMeulen will be using her art to place emphasis on the interior space of the VIP barn.





The Videomancy is a Toronto-based collective of artists that will be implementing video-based installations inside the VIP area. The installations will be visible to the rest of the grounds at night.





If you’re all about the Instagram-able moments, be sure to look for Peter Rahul’s sculpture of analog televisions that will be airing live footage from the festival’s main stage.

