Lets face it: going to the laundromat can be an extremely depressing experience. Now imagine if, instead of just being a laundromat, the place that you washed your dirty clothes was also an art gallery, event space, and pop-up shop?
Musician, blogger, music-label owner and — now — laundromat manager Paul Quzz has decided to turn the Bathurst Laundromat (1050 Bathurst St., at Dupont) into just such an aggressively multi-use space.
The Lost Sock, as it will be called as of Monday (June 1), will feature the work of local artists on sale on their freshly painted walls. A large open space at the front of the laundromat will serve as a space for future pop-up shops.
“You go to wash your clothes, but maybe you might want to do a little shopping while you’re there,” says Quzz, who became the manager of the laundromat after his family took over the business. A local underground house DJ and the owner of All Blak Records, Quzz also runs the blog PressPlayPro.ca, which features articles about the music and entertainment industry.
Knowing all this helps to explain why, as the laundromat launch winds down this coming Monday evening, the one-year anniversary for All Blak Records will be winding up — also in the laundromat. Quzz is happy to report that the laundromat will have a liquor licence for special events, and that if they’re held during their regular laundry hours of 6 am to 10 pm, customers will be given plenty of notice (no need to fret about glow-sticks in the spin cycle).
The Lost Sock launches Monday, from 6 pm – 9 pm.
website@nowtoronto.com | @liagrainger
