Blog TO recently listed Xpace as one of the best contemporary art galleries for emerging artists in Toronto! Obviously we are quite pleased to have made the list, but it also started us thinking about what makes a good gallery for emerging artists.
Of course someone who is looking for opportunities to commercially sell their work will require different things than someone more interested in non-profit exhibition opportunities. In a city with so many spaces, what do you look for when you want to show your work?
If you are looking for a rental gallery it is always a good idea to look at what you are going to get for the rental fee that you are paying. How much support does the gallery provide for installation, advertising and sitting the exhibition? Does the gallery have the equipment necessary for the display of your work? If you plan on selling work during the run of the installation, does the gallery expect a percentage of any sales on top of the rental fee? For most of us, paying out of pocket to exhibit work is not always possible. There are only so many times that it is feasible to pay to exhibit.
Here are some more of our favorite spaces in the city that offer great opportunities for emerging artists:
Videofag in Kensington Market is run by the dynamic duo of Jordan Tannahill and William Ellis and has a constant stream of amazing events and exhibitions all of the time. Their submission process is super easy, and they are incredibly supportive in offering space for projects.
VSVSVS’ artist run centre can be found in a warehouse in the portlands of Toronto. They’ve offered a residency program for the last four summers, and also have a gallery space with a steady stream of exhibitions. Plus you can guarantee that there will always be people around making work to bounce ideas off as the warehouse also houses the studios of all seven of the VSVSVS collective.
Double Double Land is another event space that hosts a variety of exhibitions and events. Their monthly Doored event is one of our personal faves with a steady stream of local comedy (plus if you can’t make an event, they’ve got an online archive you can check out here).
Interaccess hires an emerging curator to curate an annual exhibition for emerging artists, plus they have a ton of workshops all the time. Plus, Interaccess pays exhibiting artists!
Erin Stump Projects and Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects are two commercial spaces that have shown a lot of emerging artists.
Gallery1313 offers a variety of rental opportunities, plus their annual Emerging artist show is coming up soon (Sept 3-14).
Plus there are all kinds of window galleries all across the city that offer great street level exposure and walk by traffic, think Fine and Dandy, or QueenSpecific.
Did we miss any? What are your favorite spaces?