When Jose Gabriel decided to open Funktion art gallery near the intersection of Bloor Street and Lansdowne Avenue, his friends advised him to get a better security system.
After all, the working class district in Toronto’s Bloordale area is known more as a haven for drug dealers than art dealers. The most easily recognizable landmark is the gentlemen’s club House of Lancaster.
The intersection has served as an object of scorn for local aesthetes who, until recently, avoided the area at all costs. Toronto Star columnist Christopher Hume once referred to Bloordale as a “distinctly unpleasant district that has nothing to recommend it.”
Yet, amidst the thrift stores and ethnic eateries that dot Bloor West like discoloured gumballs, art galleries like Funktion are starting to find room in the gaps.
In the last few years, a community of artists, activists and new business owners has emerged making the Bloor Lansdowne strip an increasingly popular destination for art lovers in search of an authentic urban cultural experience.
Former Queen Street mainstays like Mercer Union and the Toronto Free Gallery now make their homes in Bloordale.
“(Having art galleries) makes the scumminess of the area seem chic,” a local store manager admitted.
While the gritty diversity of the area serves as source of creative inspiration, there is a simpler reason why artists are migrating there in increasing numbers.
Affordable rent.
“The only reason we came here was because it’s cheap to live here,” Gabriel said. “We had no idea there were other artists in the area.”
Funktion gallery
A graffiti artist, Gabriel and his partners fully intended to set up shop in the Junction neighbourhood along Dundas St. West. He even planned to name his new gallery in honor of the area.
“We wanted to be known as the Junction Funktion,” he said.
But, when he realized he couldn’t afford the rent Gabriel, 23, looked north and found Bloordale. Funktion had its first event last December and hasn’t looked back since.
Since it’s opened, the gallery has hosted art shows, concerts, graffiti expos, photography exhibits and a wild party during the all night Nuit Blanche art festival. Gabriel and his partners even sell spray paint to pay Funktion’s bills.
“At our prices, it’s a lot better than buying from Canadian Tire,” he said gesturing to a few year’s worth of spray paint stacked on shelves behind him.
A couple of blocks east, the Mercer Union Centre for Contemporary Art is enjoying a rebirth, according to its director of public programs and development.
“This is the best physical site we’ve ever had,” Elaine Gaito said. “We like to say that we are in a golden age.”
Established in 1979, Mercer Union has become one of the most respected art galleries in the city, showcasing modern art from around the world. The gallery gained a measure of notoriety after Canadian artist Eli Langer’s paintings were showcased in 1993. Police had deemed Langer’s work child pornography. The gallery contested the charge and won a precedent-setting court victory.
But, that challenge paled in comparison to 2008 when the gallery faced a forced relocation from their Queen Street W neighbourhood. The gallery’s monthly rent had risen beyond what it could afford.
Faced with imminent relocation, the gallery desperately searched for a new, affordable space. They found a cavernous dollar store on 1286 Bloor St. West that had once been a neighbourhood movie theatre. Mercer Union had found its new home.
“We would have never been able to occupy such a large space on Queen,” Gaito said.
After an extensive renovation costing $250,000 paid through public grants and private donations, Mercer re-opened in 2008 with larger, more modern facility adorned with elegant high tin ceilings and enough room for multiple exhibitions.
Gaito blames a changing community for pushing Mercer Union out of Queen Street.
“For better or for worse, (Mercer Union) kick started the gentrification trend in Queen West,” she said. “But in the end, that same economic forces pushed us out.”
Gaito says she hopes that the presence of more cultural organizations in the area leads to a newfound prosperity for all. Bloor and Lansdowne’s most influential business owner also shares this sentiment.
“My goal is to make all the homes in the neighbourhood worth $100,000 more than they are now,” Spiros Koumoudourous said.
In addition to being president of the Bloordale Business Improvement Association, Koumoudourous owns the area’s biggest employer, the House of Lancaster.
While residents blame the adult establishment for contributing to the large amounts of drugs and prostitution in the neighbourhood, Koumoudourous vigourously denies the allegations.
“We’re in the entertainment business, not the sexy business,” he said during a telephone interview. “We work with the police and the community to make the streets safer.”
In partnership with artists, Koumoudourous has secured funding and support for local artist events. He’s even provided the House of Lancaster’s security staff free of charge during high profile events in the community such as the annual Big on Bloor street festival and Nuit Blanche.
Despite, the community building efforts, Gabriel thinks it’s hard to convince some people that things can change for the better when there’s a strip club in the area.
“That strip club is the neighbourhood,” he said. “You have to learn to accept that.”
Koumoudourous envisions a time when Bloordale makes its residents proud to live there.
“There are plenty of immigrants living here who deserve to be comfortable,” he said. “This (neighbourhood) can become a great area for nice businesses.”
Gabriel and Gaito refuse to speculate on their future of Bloor West. They’re happy for now to live in an emerging community that’s still affordable to live in.
“Maybe we can encourage people to invest in this neighbourhood because they see the investment we’ve made,” Gaito said.
Laura Godfrey
Rahul Gupta
Ciaran Thompson
