Frolic 2012 - Gallery 401 Annual Open House

This is an event I first discovered last year and liked it so much that I absolutely had to come back. They've moved the date of the Artist Open Studio to a weeknight this year, so there wasn't as much traffic as last year's Saturday scheduling produced, but it was still interesting and worthwhile. The Open House celebration had its launch night yesterday and included gallery events and artist proof sales, artist open studio night, an artisan marketplace, and various exhibits throughout the building. For those unfamiliar with Gallery 401, the building itself is an interesting piece of history (and art, these days). It is a restored, heritage-designated, industrial building in downtown Toronto that is home to over 140 artists, cultural producers, microenterprises, galleries, festivals, and shops. The building is a thriving arts hub that is open to the public and you can spend hours getting lost in its winding hallways. For more information and public events, visit their website.

WHAT: Frolic 2012 - Gallery 401 Open House Launch Night

WHERE: Gallery 401, 401 Richmond St. W

WHEN: Launch Night - December 6, 6:00-9:00 pm
              Artisans Marketplace will continue through to Dec. 9

DETAILS: Click here for details and hours of operation

COST: Free

This little guy was just visiting

INSIDER TIPS: Gallery 44 (one of the galleries inside the building) usually has a coat rack available. You can leave your coat there while you are wondering around the rest of the building and come back for it at the end of the night. Be sure to make your rounds of all the different floors - not all the artists are onsite and have their studios open to visitors during the open house, so the ones that are tend to be rather scattered throughout the building. Signs and arrows are posted throughout, so keep going even if it looks like the floor is deserted - you never know what you'll find around the corner! And all the studios are unique, so you really don't want to miss this rare glimpse into artists' lives!