Our Faves

The best sort-of-secret gallery in town

Rated this place:

Housed in an old nurses’ uniform factory, this sort-of-secret art gallery is one of the most amazing places in the entire city. I still remember the first exhibit I saw there, nearly 15 years ago. They had an exhibit of very early motion photographs as well as a fascinating video projection piece that I can still picture even though I've long since forgotten other details of that visit (like who the artist was, unfortunately). It’s the most consistently fascinating, thought-provoking and well curated galleries I’ve ever been to. It’s only open Saturdays noon to 5pm, but planning your whole weekend around a visit is well worth the always-minimal price of admission. Plus, it's a great way to impress a date or an out of town visitor who's into art.

A Must-Experience Artspace

Rated this place:

Housed in an old factory, this little-known artspace showcases contemporary installations, sculpture, photography, new media and other forms. It's truly a unique Toronto experience - perfect for impressing out-of-towners or spending long contemplative afternoons by yourself. It's only open Saturdays, noon to 5pm, or by appointment, but it's cheap to get in (by donation, I think) and is usually very quiet and not busy.

Art gallery

Rated this place:

Don't be fooled. Uniforms Registered is not a manufacturer or distributor of uniforms. It is actually a mysterious art museum. I love Ydessa Hendeles' Art Foundation at King & Bathurst because it's not ashamed to be weird. It keeps weird hours and it houses weird pieces and it's unabashedly contemporary and feminist in the majority of its content. I first saw Shirin Neshat's video art there, and Jenny Holzer's benches. It's only open about 5 hours a week, but is well worth the wait.