Art Metropole, Artist-run center in Toronto, Canada
Art Metropole is an artist-run center in Toronto that focuses on distributing and exhibiting artistic publications, artist books, videos, and electronic media. The space functions as a platform where contemporary creators can showcase and share their experimental work.
The center was founded in 1974 by Canadian artists from the General Idea collective and first operated above a Greek restaurant in downtown Toronto. It began as a response to the need for distributing and preserving artistic work outside the walls of traditional galleries and museums.
The name reflects its role as a hub for experimental artistic practices and a gathering space for creators working across different media. Walking through, you sense how the space prioritizes forms of expression that exist outside mainstream art institutions.
The center is located on College Street in Toronto and opens Wednesday through Sunday from 11 AM to 6 PM with no admission charge. Visitors can freely explore the exhibitions and browse through various formats of artistic work on display.
In 1997, the center transferred a substantial collection of around 13,000 items to the National Gallery of Canada, which led to the creation of a dedicated collection bearing its name. This transfer made the artworks and documents gathered there available to a wider audience within a national institution.
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