Collecting art is an addictive, rewarding exercise in personal taste and also an opportunity to support local galleries and artists. Beginners who take the plunge with a small, affordable work from one of these shows are sure to be hooked. And an artwork makes a unique present that can show your insight into your giftee’s personality and preferences.
PHOTOGRAPHY BONANZA
Original photographs appeal to just about everyone. Annual sale Photorama at Gallery TPW (170 St. Helens, gallerytpw.ca) runs to Saturday (December 5), raising funds for programming with a mix of lens-based work by young photographers, most priced below $600, and big names like Ed Burtynsky, Robert Burley and Carole Condé and Karl Beveridge.
Ryerson’s photography program is one the world’s best, and students and faculty present their annual Full Frame event at Ryerson Artspace at the Gladstone (1214 Queen West, ryersonartspace.com), to December 13. This year, instead of an auction, it’s a sale of photographic prints, many part of editions, with student work going for $150 or less.
Festive 401
Arts building 401 Richmond‘s (401 Richmond West, 401richmond.net) Frolic & Artisans Marketplace – Thursday to Sunday (December 3 to 6) – features installations, a curated craft fair, shop sales, studio visits and gallery shows at Abbozzo, Trinity Square Video, Urbanspace, Yumart, YYZ and others. Plus on Thursday night, Open Studio (openstudio.on.ca) premieres its yearly Artist Proof Sale of intaglio, relief and lithographic prints for under $400 (running to December 19), with printmaking demos by Sara Angelucci and Alex Bierk, whose work can be bought hot off the presses.
West end
On December 18, Propeller (30 Abell, propellerctr.com) holds Off The Wall, its annual fundraising gala. A lottery system allows all attendees to select a work of art to take home as part of the $125 admission. Preview the art at the gallery from December 16. The 19th Christmas Spice at Paul Petro (980 Queen West, paulpetro.com) features a tree decorated by Jacqueline Treloar, plus work by 30-plus gallery artists, including Keith Cole, Sadko Hadzihansanovic and Carol Wainio. It opens with an evening reception Friday (December 4) and runs to December 19.
Gallery 1313 (1313 Queen West, g1313.org) has Small Work under $300 from Wednesday (December 9) to December 19, plus crafts December 12 and 13. At #Hashtag Gallery (830 Dundas West, hashtaggallery.com), 100-plus artists contribute 4-inch-square works for $25 and 6-inchers for $50 to 4X4 & A Little More, with a reception Thursday (December 3), on until December 20.
Find Markoosie Papigatok’s sculpture at Feheley Fine Arts.
East end and beyond
At Yellow House Gallery (921 Kingston Road, yellowhousegallery.ca), a show called We Are All Precious Snowflakes runs to January 9, while down the street, Cobalt Gallery‘s (870A Kingston Road, cobaltgallery.ca) Holiday Festival includes art, ceramics, jewellery and more until December 23.
NOW Readers’ Poll best gallery winner Project Gallery (1109 Queen East, projectgallerytoronto.com) presents Salon III, its cover-the-walls show of artists’ submission, until January 10. Small pieces by members of Gerrard Art Space (1475 Gerrard East, gerrardartspace.com) are available at a holiday show closing on December 20.
Arta Gallery (14 Distillery Lane, artagallery.ca) offers work by gallery artists from Thursday (December 3) to December 20, running in conjunction with the Distillery’s Christmas Market. A holiday tradition for more than 20 years, Small Sculptures By Great Artists at Feheley Fine Arts (65 George, feheleyfinearts.com) showcases Inuit carvings until the new year.
North of Bloor
Navillus Gallery‘s (110 Davenport, navillusgallery.com) Small Works II offers affordable art by 13 artists, to December 19. Art Interiors‘ (446 Spadina Road #203, artinteriors.ca) Festival Of Smalls, to December 24, has work under $250 by 70 artists. Purchase at the gallery or through the website.
