A surprisingly-overlooked gallery in the heart of the city…read more Beaux Arts was a place I'd walked by frequently over the last, but (as with most things in my life) it was only when I was tasked with covering an event there that I finally had a chance to appreciate the beauty of the space. Often featuring the work of Brampton artists, this visit was motivated by a then-upcoming festival that was being advertised at the space and being held elsewhere. I was both impressed by the quality of the art and the demeanor of the curators, who took time out of their preparations for said event to show me around the space and point some of the pieces, which ranged from pop art to beautiful surrealistic and abstract paintings. There's a real sense of inclusion and promotion for local artists, and I was glad to see the support of the community in that respect. Far too often, the biggest art gallery in Mississauga (the self-titled AGM) has trouble bringing in the crowds for some of their marquee exhibits, but I saw no signs of weak attendance at Beaux Arts, as the crowd assembled for the event (the launch of the South Asian Arts Festival) were having a great time and enjoying the free refreshments and literature on offer. As another review on the business page mentioned, there is a definite need for these types of smaller art galleries, as they provide a lot of character to a village and can provide massive boosts for event space and local initiatives. I'm aware that funding is a challenge for Beaux Arts, but it's a great space and deserves a lot more exposure. This gallery is well worth a look, and a fantastic spot to hang out at in the middle of the city! Recommended.

This place is a comfortable, intimate gallery with great work spaces, too. This community…read moreinstitution needs lots of love, and I hope people will make themselves familiar with Beaux-Arts's events and shows, because they have music events as well as visual arts. This spot is also home to the Brampton Comic Jam, where every month (typically the last Thursday of the month) a number of writers and artists come together to work on creating instant comics together. This itself is sponsored by Arrow & Vine, a Brampton graphic arts company whose studio is within Beaux-Arts. The Comic Jam (affectionately called BramJam) takes place in the back work area, which has bright lighting, lots of table space, and feels like a perfect place to create art. The studio spaces are also nice. They're small but well-lighted and functional. I don't think they have a vacancy right now, but an artist would do well to keep an eye out for when they do. Again, I encourage Brampton citizens to get involved with Beaux-Arts and keep it going strong. It gets less funding than most other artist-run centres!

We had such a lovely experience at Canvas. We are new to the world of art and canvas has a really…read morewelcoming, friendly and open environment. You are free to peruse the art although staff is extremely helpful. There is a wonderful selection of Canadian artists here. You are able to provide a picture of your space and see what the art would look like as well as take a piece home to see how it will fit in person. Celeste was so helpful and friendly and made our experience great! I would definitely return.

One of the best galleries in the city to purchase original, Canadian art. It's simple and…read moreunpretentious. You walk in and there's beautiful paintings hanging everywhere or leaning in a pile against the wall. You're free to sort through them yourself. It's inside the G.H. Johnson's, all the way in the south-east corner. I found myself browsing art instead of furniture on my first visit. Even though I stepped into the building with the intention to buy furniture, it was Canvas that won me as a customer, not .G.H. This is where I fell in love with Steven Nederveen's works. At the time I was a poor student but they let me take the painting I loved home to try it out. It worked beautifully with my decor and style but in the end practicality prevailed and I returned the painting without purchasing it. Almost two years passed and I stopped in again to look at furniture but found myself back looking at the Steven Nederveen's. Low and behold, they still have the painting I loved and it was meant to be. I bought it as Christmas present to myself and an investment in art. The staff were great, marvelling at how this piece from his first set of works was passed over for so long and that it finally found it's home with me. I can't give a better recommendation to any gallery in the city.

This is my favourite gallery in Toronto. I live outside the city, but when in town, try and stop…read morein.I love the selections, the space and the welcoming atmosphere. Jay Belmore, the owner, who is also a fine artist, is knowledgable and friendly. His up-to-date website reflects his honesty by listing prices ( take note other galleries!) I visit gallery websites all the time: find a piece that i love and can afford, and then go into the gallery. It saves time . This gallery is in a great location,close to the subway,and always worth visiting. There is never any pressure to buy. Loving art is all that is required.

Always fantastic art. Two floors of fantastic…read more One of the longstanding leading art spaces of Toronto.

This Red Head Gallery is a wonderful artist-run gallery located in one of the most beautiful…read morehistoric buildings in Toronto (in my opinion). They've been around for over 30 years and continuously growing. The 401 Richmond building itself is filled to the brim with art and other curiosities. My artist friend, David, currently has a solo show on and I stopped in to support him and his art. It's such a welcoming escape from the hectic and busy street outside. Definitely take your time to look at the art in this gallery. There's so much to see and take in. They have rotating shows from their featured artists, as well as exciting group shows. We need more collectives like this!

This was an interesting experience. It was free, so it's not really something that you can complain…read moreabout. And, if you're in the area it is definitely worth checking out just to say that you did. But, it is a small location, which had a rope that had to be opened to let me get in. And, then, you had to wait for the rope to be opened a few minutes later to get out. I think there are things that can be done in this space, and a way to make it really exciting, but I just don't think it's there yet. Still, worth checking out if you're in the area, because - why not?

Small but neat. There's some interesting pieces here and plenty of explanation to help you…read moreunderstand what you're looking at. Best of all it's free so it's worth a visit if you're nearby.

I visited the Angell Gallery recently for the launch of Canadian Art's fall issue. Apparently this…read moreis a new location for it - it used to be on Queen? Anyway, now it's on Ossington just north of Queen. The gallery space is quite nice - one large room and three smaller ones (including a perfect little film-screening space) on two levels. The layout is kind of interesting without being anything exactly special - it's a nice place to wander, and there's lots of wall space - there were probably three or four exhibits going on at the same time without anything feeling crowded. It was completely packed for the opening, and there were definitely bottlenecking problems with that many people trying to circulate (and get at the open bar), but I imagine that under most circumstances that wouldn't be a problem.

This gallery is located a hop, skip, and jump from Queen St. W. on Ossington. If you haven't…read morestopped by, you should check it out. Not that I'm a little biased or anything, but seriously, Jamie Angell always has interesting art on display. And the gallery itself is very spacious, so the work has adequate breathing room around it. If you can, come on an opening night and enjoy the mix of artists, art lovers, and random socialites.

This is an incredible space just north of the ROM. Canadian…read moreWomen's Art Association was founded in the 1800s and runs workshops, events, artist-in-residence.... has an extensive art book library. A house that hosts women's art.