Affordable art from local Toronto artists is the best gift around — here’s your guide on where to find it – Toronto Star

Art can be a thoughtful gift, but often intimidating to buy. And sometimes the journey to find the perfect artwork can be just as pleasurable as seeing the expression on someone’s face as they unwrap your unique present — as fun as a treasure hunt around the Toronto Islands, say.

Back in May as COVID-19 restrictions were starting to ease slightly, painter Mitch Fenton was talking to his neighbour Janet Heisey about the idea of showing artwork in the windows of their Toronto island homes.

Fenton had always wanted to turn his front bay window into a display but realized it would entail a lot of work. Instead, inspired by the Little Free Libraries that have been popping up in yards around the world, he decided to create a free-standing gallery made out of materials he had lying around his workshop.

“Instead of being free to take a book, you’re at this little gallery and you’re free to have a look,” Fenton says.

Fenton was soon approached by other creative islanders, including mixed-media landscape artist Laura Shepherd, who hired installation artist Chris Foster to construct her gallery. Foster took about a dozen more orders for his standard box, designed so that each owner can customize its look through paint and signage. “But of course the artwork inside is totally unique to everybody,” says Fenton.

Today, there are more than 40 tiny galleries scattered across the Toronto Islands, including work by illustrator Maurice Vellekoop, whose box features a stage-design drawing for an imaginary production of a Handel opera. Barbara Klunder’s gallery features one of her intricate paper-cut creatures. Fenton changes his art daily, switching up older paintings from his archive with new works created specifically for the box. He also sells posters and prints on his website (mitchellfenton.com) of paintings inspired by the golden age of travel advertising that celebrate, in a cheeky way, familiar island landmarks.

For those interested in buying an original piece of art from one of the artists or who just want to make a day of browsing (Fenton says it’s also a great time of year for island birdwatching), a map of all the galleries is available at torontoisland.org. Ferry service is running at half capacity to Ward’s Island on a winter schedule.

“It’s going to catch on and be a real destination. It was designed as a COVID response, but it’s just really getting going now,” says Fenton. “This is going to last longer than COVID.”

Other places to find art treasures this season:

One of a Kind Show

Although the annual tradition of battling the crowds to seek out artisanal gifts will have to wait until next year, the popular One of a Kind Show is featuring thousands of handcrafted works for purchase at oneofakindshow.com. A search in the Art category pulls up many gems, such as illustrator Charisma Pancha’s black-and-white art prints of Toronto landmarks ($20 and up) or Judith Pudden’s gorgeous corsets, which are hand cut from patterned Japanese paper and embroidered directly onto watercolour paper ($25).

Mark Gleberzon’s charming bird paintings ($65) are a perfect gift for budding ornithophiles. For those who have a little more money to spend on the divas in their lives, his Barbie and Ken photographic portraits are divine. And, just like the real treat, Hamilton-raised artist Catherine McMillan’s realistic ceramic doughnuts didn’t last very long (starting at $100 U.S., about $130 Canadian), but there are a few left to order for the sugar fiend in your life.

Textile Museum of Canada

Although the Textile Museum is currently closed to the public, its charming shop is still open online at textilemuseum.ca. In addition to hand-felted ornaments and masks created by volunteers, the shop carries textiles inspired by its exhibitions, including Juliana Scherzer’s gorgeous brooches and hoops, embroidered and quilted with leaves and other natural elements ($45-$155).

Secret Planet Print Shop

Illustrator Jackie Lee is ground control behind Secret Planet Print Shop (secretplanet.ca) on Coxwell Ave., which sells not just fun art prints ($35 and up) but also apparel, ornaments, housewares and other unique products. Lee’s vividly coloured astro screen prints will delight any space fan, as will her retro interplanetary travel prints.

Before opening her own shop, Lee worked as a screen printer at Kid Icarus (kidicarus.ca) in Kensington Market, which also has works for sale by artists Paul Dotey, Gary Taxali and more. There are great gifts here for indie music and beer lovers: fans of Bellwoods Brewery on Ossington Avenue can display appreciation for their favourite brews with screen prints of their unique labels.

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