End of Year Round Up & Happy New Year!

There are only a few hours left ‘til 2020 and we can’t wait to ring in the new year! This past decade, Akin’s first, has brought endless joy and creative challenges and our community has embraced them all with ease. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the next decade and see what opportunities it brings.

2019 has been an exciting year for Akin, with many changes, new initiatives and partnerships. Over the course of the last 12 months we have welcomed many changes with open arms…

We expanded Akin Ossington twice with huge thanks to our friends at TAS Design Build, making it our largest location as of June 2019 and home to over 40 artists, from ceramicists and prop makers to painters and photographers.

We said goodbye to our King Street location at 511 King Street West and expanded one of our east end locations, Akin River, with thanks again to our friends at TAS Design Build, now home to over 25 artists, from sculptors and textile artists to designers and print makers.

We opened a new studio location just around the corner from our old King Street location, Akin Richmond, with thanks to our friends at the Toronto Arts Council now home to a small community of mixed media artists and digital creators.

We also celebrated the opening of Akin’s first event rental space, REMOTE Gallery (located next door to Akin’s Richmond studios at 568 Richmond Street West) dedicated primarily to local programming initiatives and creative exhibitions, among other projects. Our inaugural group show at REMOTE, ‘Movement’ opened in March 2019 and featured new works from 7 Akin artists. You can expect a full calendar of events at REMOTE Gallery in 2020 including exhibitions, pop-up shops, workshops and more!

Akin staff and studio members presenting at Art Chats, 2019

We were over the moon to participate in the 2019 edition of the Artist Project as the non profit partner for this year. This unique opportunity provided 10 selected Akin artists with the opportunity to present new works to the public, 3 of which also joined us in a thought provoking discussion on the role of studio spaces in the artistic community. You can catch us again in the new year at the Artist Project 2020.

We began raising money for Akin’s Rent Relief Fund in collaboration with our friend Rania El Mugammar and a number of generous individuals. This unique fund has been launched as part of our ongoing Equity and Inclusion work at Akin, including our recent demographics survey report - which highlighted the needs and experiences of our community. We intend for the Akin Studio Rent Relief Fund to reduce barriers for Akin studio members and create opportunities for marginalized communities. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing, as needed, basis when funds are available. The fund will officially launch once we have raised $3,000.

Guests busy crafting at the Akin Turns 10 Party & Fundraiser, 2019

We had a wonderful time providing our community and members with free and low-cost programming throughout the year including but not limited to: our Winter Art Crawl at 401 Richmond, Life Drawing at Allen Gardens and Earth Hour Show & Tell at Akin St. Clair.

The Akin team expanded in May of 2019 to help serve our community better. We welcomed new staff, Ozge Aytekin, Laura Kay Keeling, Soroush Dabiri, and Hana Elmasry as other roles changed and developed within the organization.

We celebrated the opening of our first Etobicoke location, Akin Lakeshore, in August 2019, now home to a number of artists and designers from the community. There are still a few studios available at this location - get in touch with us if you are interested in a tour!

We continued working with our community partners and also welcomed new partnerships with collaborators including our friends at the Gardiner Museum and MOCA Toronto to the Ontario Arts Council, OCAD and Art Books and more!

Akin celebrated our 11th birthday in November 2019, jump starting our second decade ahead of the new year.

We watched and cheered as artists from our community championed their practices, creating programming and exhibiting works for local, national and international institutions from public libraries and schools to art galleries and museums, including but not limited to: the Toronto Public Library, MOCA Toronto, the MacLaren Art Centre, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Ontario Science Centre, Dutch Design Week, SCI-Arc and more! Many members of our community also created works and programming for local events like the Gladstone Hotel’s annual event Grow Op, CONTACT, and the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. Click here to see what the Akin members have been up to lately.

We welcomed the 2nd cohort of our Studio Program at MOCA Toronto. The studios at MOCA are now home to over 25 practicing artists working in a multitude of medias. We also celebrated the end of the 1st cohort’s residency during their group show ‘An Index’ on MOCA Toronto’s 4th floor.

Akin is thrilled to welcome Wyandot multimedia artist and Tradition Keeper Catherine Tammaro (Taǫmęˀšreˀ) to our organization as our inaugural Indigenous Elder Artist in Residence, 2019

We sought out new training opportunities for our staff, working with local experts and organizations like the Dandelion Initiative, Rania El Mugammar, Tanya Neumeyer, Catherine Tammaro and more! This cumulative training has provided Akin and it’s staff with the opportunity to develop new protocols and processes for embracing our community and it’s ever changing needs.

We launched the call for our new Studio Residency at Collision Gallery - Commerce Court. The call for applications is open until January 10th 2020, with the studio space planned to launch in March 2020.

And finally, we rang in the holidays with our annual holiday market + party, this year at MOCA Toronto with over 20 current Akin artists and our friends at Art Metropole and Forno Cultura.

10 of the 11 Akin staff, members, 2019

From our family to yours, happy new year! May the next decade bring you many exciting opportunities and inspiration for new projects.

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To inquire about studio space at any of our 10 locations please visit us here or email us at info@akincollective.com.

To inquire about REMOTE Gallery rentals please visit us here for more information or email us at gallery@akincollective.com.

Interested in supporting Akin’s Rent Relief Fund? Click here to donate.

Put that 2020 agenda to good use and don’t forget to apply to Akin’s Studio Residency at Collision Gallery (Commerce Court). Learn more about this opportunity here.

Ongoing Equity and Inclusion Work at Akin

Akin is pleased to announce that in collaboration with our anti-oppressive practice and meaningful inclusion consultant, Rania El Mugammar, and with generous input from our members through many conversations and through Akin's demographics and equity survey, Akin has revisited our Code of Conduct in order to create a robust, actionable and clear policy that centres the most marginalized members of our community. 

Click here to read the Code of Conduct. 

As a part of the new Code of Conduct we are also introducing new protocol for conflict resolution as well as a method for reporting conflicts and concerns. 

We have also created a list of resources for Akin members and members of the public. This list was developed with Rania's help as well as with suggestions from the Akin community and other consultants. We hope to keep expanding this list, so please send us a message if you have a suggestion for a resource we can include. 

All of these changes are a part of our ongoing effort to work towards building safer, more inclusive spaces for all of our community members. We conducted a demographics and equity survey, using Ontario Human Rights Code consistent grounds, to better understand the makeup up of our spaces, as well as the needs and experiences of our diverse community. Through this survey, and our ongoing work, we were able to identify gaps in our services and learnings, and to reaffirm our commitment to continuing the work of equity through an anti-oppressive lens. 

Akin staff continue to cultivate new skills in order to support our efforts towards building better communities. To date we have received training on the following topics: Anti-Oppression for Artists and Cultural Producers, Queer and Trans Inclusion, Mental Health First Aid, Emergency First Aid and CPR, Conflict Resolution and Empathetic Communication. We will continue this training and skill development so that we may critically reflect on our work interpersonally and institutionally.

We understand that this work is very important, and that we will inevitably make mistakes, as a result, we are committed to a process of accountability and transparency. We welcome your feedback and reflections, please visit www.akincollective.com/contact to leave comments, questions, suggestions or feedback.

All of the information included in this email can be accessed on our website under the heading ‘Equity and Inclusion’.

This is the beginning of an ongoing process and these documents and resources, like all policies governing Akin’s spaces and events, are open to revisions and updates to adapt to the needs of our community and organization. The code of conduct as well as all of the policies governing Akin spaces will continue to evolve and change to adapt to the needs of our community and organization over time. We look forward to continuing this work to make Akin a safer and more inclusive space!  

Many thanks to our members, consultants and everyone involved in this process so far, 
Akin. Akin also appreciates the support of the Ontario Arts Council's Compass Grant Program in the development of these policies.

Akin King: Akin relocates group of 100 artists to new downtown studios at King and Spadina.

Facing evictions from four studios across two locations, Akin relocates group of 100 artists to new downtown studios at King and Spadina.

After nine years at 444 Dufferin Street and six years on the first floor of 87 Wade Avenue, Akin artists will relocate their studios to our new location at 511, 525 and 527 King Street West, thanks to a unique collaboration with Allied Properties REIT who are leasing us space as the site awaits development. Thanks to our friends at Small who have facilitated this arrangement, we are able to keep our artistic community intact, and simply shift it into a new space. For more information on Allied’s site development plans, please see here.

How can Akin move to King & Spadina?
By working together. As Toronto rents become impossibly high and artists look to Hamilton and beyond, Akin continues to find new space and maintain studio affordability by negotiating short to medium-term rentals in properties that are actively in transition, as is the case with the new Akin King location.

As artists we recognize that we may only have the same space for years (or even months) rather than decades, but, by relocating in this way, Akin can keep entire artist communities intact along with the friendships and collaborations that make them so important. Instead of facing eviction alone, artists can shift with us as a unit- maintaining a practice in an affordable space as part of an active, vibrant and supportive artistic community in downtown Toronto. Property owners and developers, in this case Allied Properties REIT, are able to lease properties that would otherwise sit empty and unused during the period before demolition and development begin, enabling Akin to create social and economic value from buildings that would otherwise remain vacant. In other cities, notably in London and across the UK, ‘meanwhile’ leasing of dormant space like this has effectively supported artists for years. Similarly to this new location, at our other recently opened studios, Akin St Clair (a local meat shop that sat empty pending development) and Akin River(underused storage and office space that will become a 38 storey tower) we provide studio space for nearly 50 artists in the interim. 

As the Toronto Star ’s Murray Whyte puts it, “in a place that has embraced the popular notion of “creative city” economics espoused by Richard Florida...skyrocketing commercial rents have had an unintended irony, having all but purged such workers from the core.” Akin is offering a solution to this challenge by rethinking how unused and underused properties can become usable studio space for artists- finding useful life for buildings that have been abandoned by commerce during years of development planning, construction design and securing of permits.

Akin strives to ensure that there is always studio space for artists and creatives of all kinds and at all levels across our city while engaging, connecting and educating communities through art. As with all of our  locations, Akin’s month-to month rentals include 24/7 access to the studios, taxes, insurance, utilities, wifi, access to communal working areas as well as storage, kitchen, and bathroom. 'Akin King' is  easily accessible by subway, streetcar, bus, bike, or car.

Akin artists Rebekah Andrade and Verity Griscti help load their studio supplies into Akin's moving trucks!

The first of multiple trips, moving artists from Akin Dufferin to the new Akin King location.

The first of multiple trips, moving artists from Akin Dufferin to the new Akin King location.

Artists packing up Akin Dufferin to move to their new studio spaces.

For more information about any of our locations, book a tour or to share ideas, please get in touch:

CONTACT:
jen@akincollective.com

Please share widely!

Akin International: COOL – THE ARCTIC OUTSIDERS

Marius

COOL - THE ARTIC OUTSIDERS June 29th to September 1st 2017 Norway’s Museum for Outsider Art

Akin member Jordan MacLachlan's upcoming show COOL – THE ARCTIC OUTSIDERS will open June 29th Norway’s Museum. The exhibit will take place in a new gallery in the center of Harstad during The Northern Norway Festival. MacLachlan, was invited to exhibit her clay vignettes at the festival along with works from other participating Arctic countries: Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Marius (above) depicts the dispassionate response of visitors watching the matter-of-fact killing of the giraffe at the Copenhagen Zoo in 2014. Eighteen-month old Marius was a healthy, but genetically unsuitable, giraffe who was fed his favourite breakfast before he was shot, chopped up, and fed to the lions. MacLachlan’s work bears witness to humanities complex relationship with animals.

Art & Event Consulting - a new service from Akin!

 

If you are looking to connect with artists for your project or event, or are in search of artwork for your space, we can help.

Through our extensive networks of artists, designers, musicians and creators we can work with you to find the right answer to fit your needs.

Previous clients and collaborators have included The AGO, Drake Hotel Properties, TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), Grolsch, Bombay Sapphire, Collective Arts Brewing, Sunday Drive Art Projects and more.

Our relationships with prominent creators, cultural institutions, organizations and innovative thinkers allows us to make connections between artists and opportunities that are beneficial for everyone. 

No question or idea is too big, small or strange.  Let's start the conversation. Email us info@akincollective.com

Akin Artists at The Artist Project - Feb 23-26

This year The Artist Project contemporary art fair is celebrating it's 10th year! The show runs Feb 23-26 at the Better Living Centre and will feature work by over 250 incredible artists from Canada and abroad including some Akin Collective studio members!

Laura Keeling of Akin Dupont was one of 20 artists selected from hundreds of applications to be featured as one of the UNTAPPED Emerging Artists. Find her in Booth U-9. Laura's work pulls inspiration from beautiful everyday moments shared through her photography and collage work. She is currently working on a 'HOT ROCKS' series of collages which are composed of gemstone cut outs from old field guides.

Adria Mirabelli of Akin Dupont will be in the Installation Zone, Booth I-09.  Adria's practice is driven by an experimental approach to mark-making whereby she integrates textile manipulation processes with drawing to create large-scale, site-specific works on silk, felt, vinyl and paper. Her process focuses on a cycle of collection, preservation, and distortion.

Mila Vukosavljevic of Akin Dufferin will be in Booth 509 . Mila's oil and acrylic work questions the ties between seemingly random human interactions. A flirtation between abstraction and figuration, these works portray the inherent connectivity of mankind.

Michael Vickers of Akin Lansdowne will be speaking in the Art Chats Seminar Series on a panel entitled 'The Art of The Fluid' alongside Salimah Ebrahim, and Reagan Zuzarte. The panel discussion will examine how the confluence of technology, physical space and commerce are blurring traditional divisions today. Check it out Saturday, Feb 25th, 11:30am-12:30pm at The Artist Project. Art Chats are complimentary with admission. Space is subject to availability.

Want a discount on tickets for The Artist Project?
Use this Discount Code: TAP10YRS or Click Here.

'Akin Collective buys artists space and time' - Akin Collective in The Toronto Star

We are very excited to be featured in the Visual Arts section of The Toronto Star! Thank you to Murray Whyte for a great article!

“Akin, with its 19,000 square feet across four buildings, most in the city’s traditional west-end hot zone of artistic production (a new property added just this week, at Victoria Park and Eglinton Ave. in the east, bucks the trend) counts 160 members and a longlist of pent-up demand. Small-scale artists at all stages of their careers patiently wait for their own corner to come up, which given the expanding Akin empire seems likely to be sooner than later. ”

— By Murray Whyte, Visual arts, The Star

Call for Submissions - Social Impact Artists for TV Series - Deadline Tomorrow!

Online submissions now open to be featured in a new digital TV series created by Toronto-based art collective, Madeleine Co. An artist fee will be provided.

Deadline for Submissions is this TUESDAY, JANUARY 31st

SUBMISSION DETAILS
Deadline January 31, 2017

We are interested in showcasing a diverse range of emerging Canadian artists working today to raise awareness around issues including but not limited to: Indigenous histories and identities, LGBTQ, feminism, sustainability/climate change, diversity, labour rights, politics, and more. While we are primarily focused on visual artists, we are also interested in showcasing other art forms including performance, dance, music, design etc.

Information and Requirements (PDF): http://bit.ly/artworkscallpdf

Applications are due January 31 at 11:59 PM as a packaged .pdf through email at info@madeleineco.com with the subject line: “ART WORKS Application | FirstName LastName”.

For questions, please email Alexandra Hong: alex@madeleineco.com.
 

Akin and Connected

“Just about every artist I met with was under serious pressure to find new lodging. But I kept hearing about a notable exception.

A whispered name. An organization that was creating long-term and insanely affordable studio spaces for artists – the Akin Collective. I just had to know more....What started as a side burner project in 2008 suddenly became a needed and sustainable venture over the past few years.”

— Sean Howard, Intercity Toronto at Medium.com

Akin Collective Interviewed on CBC - Video

After the tragic events of the Oakland warehouse fire, CBC News interviewed Akin's founder Oliver Pauk about art collectives, studio safety, and Akin Collective.

Beautiful paintings by former Akin Collective member Laura Krick

It is always sad to see someone leave the Akin Collective studios, but we are always thrilled to see their new work even after they have left. Here we have beautiful images from Laura Krick who left Akin to study at Emily Carr University in Vancouver. We can't wait to see more!

ARTIFACTS: Akin X Project Group Show

Opening Reception: Sat Sept 10, 6-9pm
Exhibition Dates: Sept 10 - Oct 2, 2016

Group show featuring work of Akin members:

Ghazaleh Avarzamani
Atanas Bozdarov
Jen Collins
Chris Harms
Rebecca Houston
Laura Kay Keeling
Nicole Krstin
Adria Mirabelli

Curated and presented by Project Gallery, at Project Gallery Studios (184 Munro st - back entrance)

Why Artists Make Better Landlords / artFcity Interview

Click here to read Why Artists Make Better Landlords: An Interview with Akin Collective’s Oliver Pauk and Michael Vickers on the artFcity blog.

Akin Projects - Skill Share for Creative Professionals

Tuesday March 8 / 7pm - 9pm / 87 Wade Ave - Studio 203 / 

FREE / Please RSVP Here- https://www.universe.com/akinskillshare

Akin Projects is excited to host our first Skill Share for Creative Professionals at our Lansdowne studios. Connect with your peers through practical experience at this collaborative event. This will be a casual moderated discussion where you can share your skills, resources, and ideas, and have your questions answered about running a creative business in Toronto.

This event is free and open to the public. It is ideal for anyone running their own creative business, but anyone is welcome to attend no matter what stage you are at in your creative career.

Topics may include, but are not limited to: 

- Brand development
- Building a web presence
- Social media marketing
- Direct mail, email promotions, cold calling
- Conducting market research
- Handling your finances
- Funding your business
- Pricing
- Licensing and wholesale
- Copyright and royalties
- Contracts, quotes and invoices
- Networking
- Professionalism
- Time management
- Professional development
- Online & local resources for your business

Please bring any questions you have, and come prepared to talk about your business and your experiences. If there is anything you would like feedback on, such as packaging for your product, or your business cards, bring those along as well! 

We also request that attendees bring a written list of your favourite resources to share with the group. This could include your favourite books, websites, city resources, print companies, service providers, or anything that you find useful to operate your business. These lists will be compiled into a pdf document that will be shared with everyone after the event. 

Please RSVP - space is limited. 

Feel free to bring snacks to share
BYOB
Coffee and Tea will be provided, BYO Mug

StreetARToronto 2016 Program Information Session

The City of Toronto's StreetARToronto (StART) program is embarking on its 5th year! StART is a proactive program that aims to support, and increase awareness of street art throughout the city. StART's mission is to see Toronto as a 'living work of art' by creating partnerships (between the City, residents, businesses, and the creative community), reducing graffiti vandalism, encouraging civic discussion about public art, using art to foster place making, and providing grants, materials, and mentorship opportunities.

StART will be holding the following 4 information sessions highlighting what to expect for this year's programs (updated guidelines, deadlines, etc.):

Downtown Toronto
Monday, January 18, 2016 from 3:30-6 pm
Location: The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St West, Toronto, ON M6J 1J3)

Scarborough
Monday, January 25, 2016 from 4-6 pm
Location: Y+ contemporary (1345 Morningside Ave, Unit 15, Toronto ON M1B 5K3)

Etobicoke
Tuesday, January 26, 2016 from 3-5 pm
Location: Arts Etobicoke (4893A Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M9A 1B5)

North York
Wednesday, January 27, 2016 from 3-5 pm
Location: Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M2N 6R8)

If you are an artist or non-profit arts/community organization interested in creating street art projects in the city, this is the time to learn more! Help spread the word and get involved in StART's exciting 2016 opportunities!

Please RSVP to an information session (specifying the session you will be attending) by email to streetart@toronto.ca

More information about StART is available at:
www.toronto.ca/streetart

AKIN COLLECTIVE- DUPONT STUDIO LAUNCH PARTY

AKIN Collective is thrilled to announce its expansion into the Lower Junction neighbourhood with the opening of three new artist studios as an anchor tenant of the new mixed-use building at 1485 Dupont Street.

Member Exhibition Opening + Booze + DJ + Partying in industrial building.

Saturday, November 28: 6:00pm- Late.
1485 Dupont Street, Studios 204, 205 & 206

Come celebrate with us and check out the three new studios!

ps. Looking for studio space? info@akincollective.com

CAMILLE HENROT

We're still a bit obsessed with Camille Henrot's Gross Fatigue- she opens a new exhibition this evening at Metro Pictures.

Recent work from Camille below:

Akin Collective photographed by Lennart Maschmeyer

As part of an ongoing project photographer Lenart Maschmeyer has been (and will continue to) photograph some of the amazing members of Akin Collective and the spaces they work in.

See more of the series HERE and a few of the amazing shots so far below:

Stay tuned for more updates!

FORGE: Artist's Health: Stress, Self Care and Studio Safety

A huge thank you to everyone that attended our FORGE workshop on Artist's Health: Stress, Self Care and Studio Safety at the Al and Malka Green Artists’ Health Centre (AHC) at Toronto Western Hospital.

Akin Collective gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council.

Follow Akin Collective on Facebook to stay up to date on future workshops!

AKIN FALL GALLERY CRAWL- THANK YOU!

A huge thank you to everyone that attended the gallery crawl on Saturday and to COOPER COLE, Angell Gallery and ESP for showing us their new gallery spaces and current exhibitions.

Please see photos below and follow AKIN Collective for upcoming programming news!