Fine art on a budget
From OCAD’s student gallery to summer outdoor exhibitions, it sure beats old movie posters
My girlfriend and I have just moved in together. We’re 22, with huge student loans and little spare cash, but want to upgrade our art from college movie posters. What local artists or photographers or shops can I check out?
Mazel tov, lovebirds! I’m imagining your love nest as a jumble of Ikea furniture and hand-me-downs, maybe a nice vase or fruit bowl from mom and dad, and a sea of blank walls on which posters for The Hangover Part III and Furious 7: Vengeance Hits Home once hung. So yes, it’s probably time for an upgrade.
No one understands being young and broke like art students, so who better to supply original art for your new pad? The OCAD U Student Gallery is open to the public every Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. and most of the art is for sale.
This is your opportunity to snap up pieces from Canada’s Next Big Things before they hit the big time and start charging exorbitant, Damien Hirst-like prices. Bonus: You might just be saving a starving artist from yet another night of Mr. Noodles.
You’ve probably tossed all your old dorm-room relics by now (and that’s a good thing), but don’t dismiss the concept of posters entirely.
Telegramme Prints carries a huge selec- tion of gorgeous screen-prints and lithographs. You can browse the collections online or spend an afternoon lingering over cool Art Deco designs, vintage travel posters and prints by contemporary artists and illustrators, including Alanna Cavanagh and Christian Jackson.
When the weather warms up, the city becomes an art lover’s paradise. In July, check out the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, a massive event showcasing the works of hundreds of artists at Nathan Phillips Square. Prices will vary from booth to booth, but you’re sure to find some budget-friendly options.
The Cabbagetown Art & Crafts festival is a much smaller art fair that takes place every September in Riverdale Park. Its size might make it easier for you to spot affordable gems.
And if you’ve still got wall space, visit the Queen West Art Crawl, another outdoor show happening this October in Trinity Bellwoods Park. You and your girlfriend should be art experts by then.
OCAD U Student Gallery, 52 McCaul St., 416-977-6000, ext. 263, ocadu.ca/gallery/student-gallery
Telegramme Prints & Custom Framing, 194 Ossington Ave., 647-351-8998, telegramme.ca
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, 416-408-2754, torontooutdoorart.org
Cabbagetown Art & Crafts, Riverdale Park, 416-926-0237, cabbagetownartandcrafts.org
Queen West Art Crawl, Trinity Bellwoods Park, 647-717-0747, queenwestartcrawl.com