By ION on May 27, 2009 in CULTURE
Show & Tell [Gallery]
Show & Tell Gallery has had a huge impact on Toronto’s contemporary art scene in the short time since it opened its doors. What began as an online venture quickly grew in supply and demand after its November 2008 involvement in the City Renewal Project, an installation work by street artists fauxreel and Specter. One in a handful of galleries in Toronto focusing on edgy contemporary art, Show & Tell is “striving to do something different.” With an exhibition space, project area and in-house framing and retail services, they are well equipped to promote often disregarded Canadian and international artists, while encouraging a whole new generation of art collectors and appreciators—those coming of age with the rise of the lowbrow pop-surrealism and street artwork.
Twenty-six year old owner Simon Cole grew up surrounded by the graffiti scene – a writer turned art collector who has along the way developed a very talented network of artists to draw from. His friend Vladimir Kato’s solo show Don’t Fight the Feeling just opened on April 17 to a huge response, landing the artist and his work on the pages of Juxtapoz—a magazine that reads like a who’s who in the young contemporary art scene. With an array of affordable original paintings as well as a screen print edition (each signed, numbered, and hand-touched by Vlad himself and priced at just $50), Show & Tell Gallery is constantly working to make contemporary art available, affordable and appealing to a crowd of younger and older art buyers alike.
The concept isn’t necessarily new, but in this case it’s proving very effective—Show & Tell is booked solid for the next two years of exhibits, has been written up in every national newspaper in Canada and is drawing attention from emerging and established artists around the globe. Summer standouts include a group show with Steve Powers aka ESPO, Greg Lamarche and Greg Gossel. Then in November the gallery welcomes international stencil legends C215 and Logan Hicks, both of whom will be in attendance on opening night. Adding to the excitement for collectors and street artists around the globe, it will mark the artists’ first show together and will feature their collaborative works. 2010 is also shaping up to be a big year, as Simon has scheduled a solo show by Australia’s Anthony Lister, whose work has been featured in numerous print and online publications and is generating a buzz worldwide.
When asked which artists he’s got on his radar, Simon lists a variety of names that are already well known along with a good mix of artists who aren’t household names yet, but have the talent and drive to get there fast. From established artists like Powers and Lister to emerging artists such as Ryan Dineen and Brian Donnelly, audiences in Toronto and those watching from around the world have a lot to look forward to from Show & Tell. This gallery promises, like the emerging artists it supports, to be going big places—sooner rather than later.
Words: Shallom Johnson
Photography: Tim McCready
