Join us for the Akin Niagara Pop-Up Exhibition, a one-night-only event! This casual drop-in gathering will showcase the creative work of the Akin Niagara artists.

Featuring artwork by Chris Gardiner, Chloe Griffin, Bianca Guimarães de Manuel, Janelle Joy Hince, Gabriela Laconsay, Tim Mikula and Amita Sen Gupta.

Saturday April 5th, 6-8pm
Akin Niagara, 289 Niagara St
(entrance near the Queen St W and Niagara intersection)
Free! No RSVP required. Everyone is welcome.

We’re excited to open our doors and invite our neighbors, friends, and Akin members to see the space, and enjoy a night of creativity, conversation, and connection. Come meet some of the talented artists working out of Akin Niagara, connect with the local community, and get a look inside the Akin Niagara studio. Light refreshments provided.

Some artwork will be for sale with 100% of the proceeds going towards the artist. Please contact the artist directly to purchase artwork. Learn more about the participating artists below.

Participating Artists:

Chris Gardiner
Chris Gardiner’s two-dimensional work blends Geometric Abstraction, Neo-Dada, and Art Informel. His art ranges from spontaneous, gestural drawing and ironic, disruptive collage to meticulously structured painting. Gardiner's pieces challenge assumptions about art and engage viewers in unexpected ways, akin to a fusion of Free Jazz and Professional Wrestling. Gardiner has exhibited his work in The Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art/Auto Building Toronto, MassArt Art Museum (MAAM) Boston, Anna Leonowens Gallery in Halifax Nova Scotia, Art Gallery of Brant, Art Gallery of Peel, and The Art Gallery of Guelph. His work has been collected by patrons in Boston Massachusetts, Rome Italy, Turin Italy, Los Angeles California, Toronto Canada, and Guelph Canada.
www.chrisgardinerart.net | @gardinerartdotnet

Chloé Griffin
Chloé has lived in Berlin, Cairo, Beirut, French Polynesia and has recently arrived in Toronto after nearly a decade living on a sailboat. Her practise of art making - from painting, printmaking to film work and photography - uses experimental and documentary formats. She is a mother and also the author of the book EDGEWISE: A Picture of Cookie Mueller.

Bianca Guimarães
Bianca Guimarães is a Brazilian interdisciplinary artist that is balancing flow and structure (or chaos/order). Her works often centers collaboration, expanded scenography, politics, and materiality.
www.biancaguimaraes.ca | @bibicaguimaraes

Janelle Joy Hince
Originally from Winnipeg, I’ve spent most of her adult life in Montreal and Toronto, building a career in costume for stage and screen. She studied historical costume making in York, UK, and have since worked on productions such as Twisted Metal Season 2 and the Deathstalker remake. Inspired by the bold, whimsical visions of Jeremy Scott and John Galliano, as well as the surrealist world of Magritte, Janelle thrives on colour, thrifting, and the challenge of transforming found materials into something new. Outside of costume, her work explores personal projects in card-making, embroidery and painting, driven by curiosity and a love for experimentation. Resourceful and hands-on, she can make anything out of nothing, always seeking to explore her creativity through texture, history, and unexpected materials.
www.janellehince.com | @madewithjjoy

Gabriela Laconsay
Artist, composer, writer, musician, performer, bass player, Gabriela Laconsay is all that and more. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Gabriela grew up studying classical double bass, playing in the local youth orchestra and receiving honours in her grade 10 Royal Conservatory of Music practical exam. Gabriela also played in big bands and jazz combos, developing her jazz language and improvisational skills. With her Bachelor of Music degree from Humber College, Gabriela has grown her arsenal of skills to reach a wide array of genres such as, indie rock, punk rock, funk, fusion, country, pop and more. Prolific performer, Gabriela has extensive experience as a bass player for hire; recording for a diverse list of artists and touring all over Canada and the UK. Known for her engaging performance style, Gabriela Laconsay is one to remember!
kantogirl.com | @kantogirly

Tim Mikula
Tim Mikula is an artist from Edmonton, Alberta now living in Toronto. Previous works include an ongoing attempt to paint 100 000 portraits by the year 2050 and a menagerie of incredibly juvenile nude portraits of then-Premier of Alberta Jason Kenney, which he sold on Kijji. His work has been featured on CBC, Global, Vice, and BlogTO. He hopes to be covered by a reputable art publication one day. Disreputable will do too.
Contact Tim: timothymikula@gmail.com

Amita Sen Gupta
Amita Sen Gupta is a painter working and living in Toronto. Her series of dream sky scapes create a play of light to bring the viewer into an introspective journey. The work allows for perception to play with perspective, and awareness to move from pictorial to interpretive. ‘I translate a felt inner energy into rhythmic brush strokes through layers of thinned paint, which contour movement and expose space through their transparency'. Her paintings has been exhibited throughout Ontario, including The Art Gallery of Hamilton, Remote Gallery, and Art Rental + Sales Gallery at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Amita was a founding member of the artist-run gallery, Propeller. She served as and art consultant at the Art Rental and Sales Gallery at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Amita was chosen to be a contestant in “Landscape Artist Of The Year Canada” which aired on Makeful TV in 2020. Her work is currently in the inaugural threefold collective exhibition, titled ‘Lightscapes Talking’ at Youngplace.
www.amitasengupta.com | @amita_sen_gupta

Accessibility information:

Akin Niagara is on the lower level of the building, its entrance is down a flight of twelve steps from the sidewalk. There is no elevator. The studio has three bathrooms, all of which are single stall and gender neutral, some of which have grab bars. More accessibility information can be found here.