294 College Street
2nd Floor
416.832.3933

In the 90s there was an illegal after hours above the paint store on the corner of College and Spadina. I only mention it because every time I go to Studio Gallery (also on the second floor on College, but a few door down) I think of that space.

It’s an alternative gallery that caters to the hipster Cive-Guide-to-cool set. The layout is basic: up a flight of stairs and down a long hallways there are two square 500 sq. ft or so rooms that are used as gallery spaces. On occasion they use the back fire escape as the entrance for smaller, one-room shows and the front one for bigger, two-room ones.

As a gallery, I’m not sure if it works well; as in there isn’t much foot traffic and I’m not even sure they generate that art buzz, but the opening parties are always good. In the past, they’ve done shows with: SoMe (Ed Banger), Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Michel Gondry among many more. I’ve been to most of them and I can’t really complain about any. Most people come for the free beer and the cool factor which sorta blows, cause a lot of the time the art is really good and it gets almost overlooked. At least more than usual galleries.

Service wise, what can I say Avery and Vanessa who run it are mad cool. Cool to the death in fact. Hospitable and innovative and in with all the in crowd.