Akin 2022 Year at a Glance

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As the year comes to a close, we’re looking back to what turned out to be an exciting year for Akin. We opened three studio locations, expanded our Team with the addition of 7 new staff members and 4 new studio assistants, hosted dozens of events and exhibitions at Remote Gallery, supported artists in need with over $5000 from the Akin Studio Rent Relief Fund, and were thrilled to offer a variety of programming including more in-person events (while still maintaining lots of virtual programming options as well). We’ve got lots in store for 2023, but first, we thought we’d take a moment to recap all that’s happened in 2022.

Three New Studios Opened in 2022!

Images above: Five photographs of various artist studios at Akin Stockyards, Akin Bloor-Yonge, and Akin Waterfront. The photographs show artist workspaces and works in progress.

Akin Stockyards

Akin Stockyards is currently our largest studio space, host to over sixty artists. Since its opening, Akin Stockyards has shaped into such a wonderful and vibrant community. Highlights include the huge opening party with live music, games and food. Looking for a studio in the new year? Akin Stockyards still has some Dedicated and Shared Memberships available space left, email info@akincollective.com for more details.

Akin Bloor Yonge

Right in the heart of downtown Toronto, Akin Bloor Yonge opened to much excitement, and filled up quickly! (email us to be added to the waiting list). With Akin Bloor Younge we were happy to be able to start offering private studios again, which we have not been able to do since we closed our Akin King location.

Akin Waterfront

Nestled in Waterfront Toronto right near the lake, Akin Waterfront has become an exciting new studio location for us and our members! Akin Waterfront boasts many interesting features, like the Spray Booth, ventilated to accommodate indoor spray painting, and the large flex room for our members to book when they need some extra space to meet a client or photograph their work. We are looking forward to adding more amenities at Akin in the coming years!

Interested in an Akin studio in 2023? Click here to see what is currently available!

Art programming for everyone! Open Studios, Exhibitions, Workshops and more!

Financial Literacy Workshops for Artists

We kicked off the year with a jam packed, sold out webinar explaining how to do taxes as an artist. The talk, given by accountant Kelly Ross, gave attendees helpful tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your returns, keep records, and write off expenses for your business. We followed that with a series of workshops with WealthSimple on subjects such as Financial Planning, and Budgeting Tips & Tricks If you missed these, don’t fear! Stay tuned in 2023 for more financial literacy workshops from Akin!

Public Open Studio Events

After two challenging yeards during the pandemic where we had to keep our spaces close to the public, we were so thrilled to be able to host visitors at our studios again in 2022! We had multiple Open Studio Events throughout the year where our artists had an opportunity to show their works, and visitors got a chance to check out the studios.

Image description: A group of people are exploring the Akin Studio Program at Auto BLDG. The image centres on the aisle of the studio where many people are wandering around and looking at the studios.

Artist Wellness Workshops and Talks

In March 2022, artist Yasmeen Nematt Alla hosted ‘A Love Letter to your Practice’ a virtual writing workshop and meditation to celebrate the love we have for our own art practices. Together, we took a moment to slow down and reflect on how important practice is, how it is a home for our passions, our livelihood, and our mental health. We followed that with a series of online conversations on Mental Health for Artists with artist and psychologist (and Akin member) Kim Foster Yardley. We hope to bring you more wellness workshops in the new year!

Akin Art Crawl, Toronto Biennial Edition

Akin has been hosting Gallery Crawls since the very beginning, almost fifteen years ago. In the spring of 2022 Akin went back to its roots! Friends and studio members met at the Akin Studio Program at Auto BLDG and headed out to view all the work on display for the Toronto Biennial. Did you miss this one? There will be more art crawls in the future!

Scarborough Winter Arts Market and Exhibition

We finished off the year with a bang, hosting a (nearly) month-long Winter Arts Market and Exhibition at the brand new Clark Centre, Scarborough. With over 60 artists participating, there was art on the walls, tables filled with handmade art, and music in the air! A huge thank you to everyone who made that event such a success.

Image: Artwork hanging in a brightly lit gallery space.

Thank you!

We are incredibly grateful to our community; our studio members, friends, neighbors, programming and studio partners, staff, advisors, supporters and board of directors. Thank you for making this year such a fantastic one. We loved every minute of it, and can’t wait to spend 2023 with you.

Stay tuned for what we have in store in 2023. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter, follow @akinprojects on instagram, Akin Projects on Facebook, or visit our website for up-to-date information on events, updates, and studio news as it rolls out in the new year!

Akin's 2018 Summary Report

Looking back, 2018 marked another exciting year for Akin (our 10th birthday!) and, as we have done previously,  we wanted to be open and share a bit of an update including the yearly financial results of our non-profit Akin Projects. As a very small artist staff and a volunteer board, we’re glad to share this information with you even though it’s later than we had hoped. We wanted to be sure that we put this all together as thoroughly and thoughtfully as possible.

Reviewing the charts below, you will see that the most significant cost incurred is the rent paid to Akin’s landlords. Other substantial costs include staffing to run both the studios and programming, utilities, insurance, studio supplies, repairs and maintenance. All of this amounts to 75% of the rent artists pay for their space going right back into facility costs. Our organization remains entirely artist run, with our seven staff (in 2018) and now eleven staff balancing their artistic practices with their work for Akin and for the artists we serve.

 In 2018 Akin Projects was fortunate to receive one time support from the Metcalf Foundation’s Inclusive Local Economies Program- aimed at improving the economic livelihoods of Toronto’s working poor. These grant funds were used to work with NetGain Partners to assess and restructure Akin Projects with the aim of increasing our overall sustainability and ability to support the artists we work with, especially by building our partnership with MOCA Toronto (more below). With 40% of members at Akin identifying as working at or below the poverty line in our Demographics Report we strive not only to continue to provide low-cost studio space, but also professional opportunities for our member artists with $12,282 being paid out in 2018 as CARFAC and other artist fees.

Other major work that began in 2018 and remains ongoing has involved learning about and identifying the ways in which Akin Collective and Akin Projects work together. As of 2020 the collaborative relationship between the sister organizations will be detailed in a service agreement that will see Akin Collective principally facilitating space on behalf of Akin Projects which will allow both organizations to better support one another and the arts community on the whole.

Major 2018 milestones include renting half of the fourth floor of MOCA Toronto (our first space in a museum!) to launch the Akin Studio Program at MOCA- providing 32 artists around-the-clock access to studio space in the museum at the same rates as all of Akin’s other locations. The first year of this exciting program culminated in an exhibition showcasing many of the artists’ work in, ‘An Index’ that we hope you had a chance to see this past summer! Last year also saw Akin relocate over 100 artists facing the loss of their studio to a new space- Akin King- located in the center of the city near King & Spadina thanks to a unique partnership with Allied Properties REIT. Akin’s Co-Directors Oliver Pauk and Michael Vickers also headed to Ottawa to make an address to The House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on the need for creating and preserving artistic space across our country.

In total, Akin Projects featured 133 artists in exhibitions, presentations, and artist markets in 2018, while offering over 70 events and programs to roughly 3,000 attendees including various creative and professional development workshops and lectures, museum collaborations, public mural projects, earth day community clean ups, a winter clothing drive and a series of free programs at multiple CAMH locations.  We are also thrilled to have had Rania El Mugammar join our team last year as a consultant focused on our ongoing equity and inclusion work, the development of the inaugural Indigenous Elder Artist in Residence program with artist Catherine Tammaro (Taǫmęˀšreˀ) and the creation of a safe space policy, the results of which can be found here,

If you have any questions about our the information shared here or ideas for Akin as we move forward, please get in touch with us. 

We’re so grateful to all of our studio members, attendees of our programmed events, partner organizations and supporters of Akin. The support of individuals like yourselves is incredibly important for Akin as we continue to grow and evolve in 2019 and 2020, now over 300 artists strong. With your help, we can continue to serve the artistic community and to impact artists directly in ways that increase the creative vitality of Toronto. Please click here to learn about ways in which you can contribute.

Thank you,
Your friends,
The Akin Projects’ Staff and Board

Notes:

Akin studio members pay an average rent of $26 per square foot per year, including the communal space within the studios.


Akin studio rental prices include:

  • 24hr access

  • Taxes

  • Insurance

  • Wifi

  • Utilities

  • Maintenance and management

  • Storage

  • Kitchen

  • Bathroom

  • Communal working area

Akin Projects 2018 Programming Highlights

Upcoming events from Akin!

We have many interesting events coming up in November, we hope you can attend some or all of them! You can always visit our online calendar to see what events are coming up or sign up for our newsletter, follow us on Instagram or Facebook to get updated programming announcements!

Akin Lakeshore Studio Launch and Potluck - TONIGHT!

October 24 (tonight!) / 5-7pm / Akin Lakeshore (2970 Lakeshore Blvd W, 3rd Floor) / FREE

Akin invites fellow artists, friends and family members to celebrate the opening of our newest location Akin Lakeshore in Etobicoke! Please join us on the 3rd floor on Thursday, October 24th for food and drinks and some spooky, pre-Halloween fun. Let's get to know each other and the space! Potluck: Eat Drink & Be Merry!! Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring some snacks or your favourite dish to the party for us to enjoy a meal together. Click here for more details.

Akin DIY Comics School November Meeting

November 4 / 7:30PM - 9:30PM / Akin St Clair, 1747 St Clair Ave West / FREE / No RSVP Necessary but you can join the Facebook Group or join the mailing list or find out more at www.akin.art/comics

The Akin Collective D.I.Y. Comics School is a group that meets the first Monday of every month with the goal of working together to provide our own continuing comics education. Everyone is welcome regardless of experience!

Taxes 101 Workshop for Artists and Creatives

November 6 / 6:00PM - 8:00PM / Toronto City Hall - Council Chambers / PWYC (suggested donation of $5 per person). Space is limited, you must register to attend: https://bit.ly/2kxmInC

This workshop will help you to be prepared for next year! Atbooks Senior Tax Preparer Tova Epp will touch on some of the most important tax topics for artists including: tax preparation, deductions, tax deadlines, HST, how to handle grants, T4s and more. The session is suitable for artists who are new to filing taxes or those who are looking for a refresher. More info here.

Xpace x Akin: Tenants' Rights Workshop

November 9 / 1:00 AM - 3:00 pm / Xpace Cultural Centre, 2-303 Lansdowne Ave, Unit 2 / FREE - you must RSVP here: https://bit.ly/2P8oOHo

Please join us for a workshop about the basics of tenant rights and affordable housing in Toronto, facilitated by lawyer Ryan Martin. Ryan will give a presentation about some general questions and inquiries regarding tenant rights, as well as advice about housing rights through his experiences as a lawyer. There will also be an opportunity for a Q&A.

Anti-Black Racism Workshop

November 20 / 6:00PM - 9:00PM / 918 Bathurst St / $45 or PWYC Option (Suggested Donation $15-$30) / Please RSVP at https://bit.ly/33RzdeF

*All proceeds from this event will be put towards the development of the Akin Studio Rent Relief Fund, providing artists short term financial aid towards their studio rent in unexpected situations or times of financial instability.

This session uses the anti-oppressive framework and an intersectional approach to explore anti-Black racism within a Canadian cultural context. Internalized, interpersonal and institutional manifestations of anti-Black racism are contextualized through the lens of intergenerational trauma, systemic barriers and monolithic narratives. The impact of anti-Black racism, as it interacts with other sites of oppression is explored through case studies, personal reflections, quantitative and qualitative data. Systemic power structures and their impact on the spiritual, emotional, physical, financial and mental well being of Black communities as well as profound institutional inequities will be introduced and contextualized. Participants will critique and problematize current models for allyship and community engagement as well as explore interpersonal interventions and systemic transformations that cultivate liberation.