Musical Themed Costumed Life Drawing at Akin Lakeshore - TONIGHT!

Tonight (February 29) at Akin Lakeshore, 2970 Lakeshore Blvd West / 6:00pm - 8:30pm / $15 per person / some materials provided

Join artist Erin Panjer tonight for an evening of music and drawing. The theme is “Leap Year: Leap into action, take the initiative”. This session is meant to create the environment to capture meaningful human expression, and inspire the models and the artists in turn, creating a positive feedback loop of active emotional attention and effort - While coming off as fun and laid back! 

Getting there by TTC:
Akin Lakeshore is a 3 minute walk from the Lakeshore Blvd West at Fifth St TTC stop which services the 145 Bus and 301 / 501 Streetcars. It is a 2 minute walk from the Islington Ave at Lakeshore Blvd West stop which services the 110 Bus and 337 Bus. Plan your trip: http://www.ttc.ca/Trip_planner/index.jsp

Parking:
There is paid parking located at 2903 Lakeshore Blvd West which is approximately a 2 minute walk from the studio. There is also a Green P Parking Lot located at 120 Sixth St, south of Lakeshore Blvd West which is approximately a 3 minute walk from the studio.

Accessibility:Akin Lakeshore is located on the third floor of the building and there is no elevator. Akin regrets this barrier to access. There is a ramp entrance to the building and then 38 steps to access the studios on the third floor. There are 3 gender neutral washrooms in the studio space. One of the bathrooms has grab bars, the other two do not, and the toilets are not raised. The doorway to the kitchen is narrow, measuring approximately 24 inches across.

One Tender Night by Akin Lakeshore's Jessica Hiemstra!

One Tender Night

Thursday December 5th at Super Wonder Gallery

Poetry and visual art by Jessica Hiemstra with an electrifying performance by SPECIAL GUEST singer/songwriter, Nicky Lawrence.

FREE ADMISSION. CASH BAR.
Original art, books and music for sale.

All are welcome.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

JESSICA HIEMSTRA of Akin Lakeshore is an award winning multi-disciplinary artist whose work has appeared in galleries all over the world, among them Australia, Sierra Leone, Edmonton and Vancouver. She is also an accomplished showroom artist and set designer with experience creating everything from tidal waves using shims to giant iridescent octopuses. She likes using reclaimed house paint, discarded objects and single-use plastic. Since 1998 Jessica has published three full-length collections of poetry and edited numerous anthologies of poetry and creative non-fiction. Jessica likes what Paul Klee once said about art – that one eye sees, the other feels. Jessica works in a variety of mediums on many kinds of surfaces - from watercolour and thread on paper to acrylic on acetate to plastic bags sewn into canvas. One of the things people often ask Jessica is “what’s the difference between all the things you do?” Jessica doesn’t distinguish much between her mediums. She chooses the best medium for exploring whichever question, concern or exaltation is most pressing to her in the moment - from delight in the body to sorrow and anger at how poorly we care for our world and each other. Sometimes she uses words, sometimes pencils, sometimes paint. In 2019 she started tearing her paintings and stitching them back together. She is delighted to be presenting her most recent work for ONE TENDER NIGHT at the Super Wonder Gallery. To visit Jessica online: www.jessicahiemstra.ca

NICKY LAWRENCE is a moody, tender, tour de force of a performer and vocal artist. Moved to sing by the black women who sang before her and who continue to sing within her, Lawrence’s voice will grab you by the throat with the force of its pain, beauty, rage and ultimately—love. Brimming with the longing, courage and despair of her jazz and blues heroes—Nina, Etta, Ella—Lawrence’s original songs are devastatingly elegant and sensual, lit by the fires of the past alongside the aching light and hope of the future. Lawrence’s vocals are redemptive; with the release of her single, The Ugly Black Woman, Toronto audiences are invited to witness an excavation of truth and history that will cut the heart open and begin to heal us all. Follow Nicky online here: thenickylawrence

Akin Lakeshore Studios Featured in Etobicoke Guardian!

“It’s about cross pollination”

— founder Oliver Pauk

Akin Lakeshore makes art studio space affordable in Etobicoke!

Last week Akin’s newest location in Etobicoke was featured in the Etobicoke Guardian and we couldn’t be more appreciative for this and the wonderfully positive response and warm welcome we have received in this new neighborhood. Continue reading below for an excerpt from the article by Tamara Shephard.

“Photographers. Painters. Sculptors. Writers. Video creators. Fashion designers. Jewelry makers.

Toronto is home to artists of acclaim in every medium, yet there’s an ever-increasing shortage of affordable workspace.

Akin Collective’s model responds to the challenge with monthly, affordable rentals of art studios and workspaces of varying sizes across Toronto, everywhere from inside the Museum of Contemporary Art to a converted former butcher shop at St. Clair Avenue West and Keele Street.

Next month, Akin Lakeshore opens to Etobicoke-based artists as 6,000 square feet of converted vacant commercial space on the third floor of 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W. at Eighth Street.

Daylight floods through four foot tall windows and bounces off the bright white walls in a labyrinth of rooms, soon to become more than 30 dedicated art studios and shared workspaces, square footages taped out on grey carpet.”

INTERESTED IN AKIN LAKESHORE?

We are currently scheduling one-on-one tours. Please get in touch with Laura Keeling at laura@akincollective.com for more information, pricing inquiries, to book a tour or to share ideas. We look forward to hearing from you!

Akin Lakeshore: Akin Transforms Unused Etobicoke Office Space into Artist Studios

July 22, 2019.

Akin is excited to announce its expansion into Etobicoke with the addition of its newest location, Akin Lakeshore. Converting 6,000sqft of an unused and vacant commercial building located at 2970 Lakeshore Blvd West into usable space for local artists, Akin Lakeshore will provide more than 30 dedicated art studios and workspaces available to rent for creative endeavours of all kinds. 

Studios at Akin Lakeshore will range in price and size, starting at 25sqft or $165/month to 140sqft for $551/month, as well as large, open communal areas to accommodate Shared Memberships for $70/month. All rentals include 24/7 access to the studio building, taxes, insurance, wifi, and access to the communal working areas, storage, kitchen, and bathroom facilities.

In addition to studio space, Akin plans to expand its programming initiatives at this new location and introduce a series of free and low-cost public events launching in the Fall of 2019. 

This exciting expansion will increase Akin’s size to approximately 45,000 sqft of studio space serving nearly 400 artists, enabling Akin to continue addressing the ever-increasing scarcity of affordable workspace across our city.

Special thank you to local arts organizations Arts Etobicoke, Lakeshore Arts and the Humber Arts Commons for welcoming us into the neighbourhood!

If you are interested in renting a studio at Akin Lakeshore, please join us for one of our Open Studio days in August where you can have a look around the new space, and find out more about Akin! Our staff will be available to answer your questions and show you around. Everyone is welcome! Please note that the studios are located on the third floor of the building and there is no elevator. Akin regrets this barrier to access. 

Open Studio Days:
August 16 from 6-9pm
August 20 from 4-7pm 

We will be scheduling one-on-one tours in September for anyone who cannot make it to the Open House days. Please get in touch for more information, pricing inquiries, to book a tour or to share ideas. We look forward to hearing from you!

CONTACT:
Jen Pilles, Studio Operations Manager
info@akincollective.com

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Getting there by TTC:
Akin Lakeshore is a 3 minute walk from the Lakeshore Blvd West at Fifth St TTC stop which services the 145 Bus and 301 / 501 Streetcars. It is a 2 minute walk from the Islington Ave at Lakeshore Blvd West stop which services the 110 Bus and 337 Bus. Plan your trip: http://www.ttc.ca/Trip_planner/index.jsp

Parking:
There is paid parking located at 2903 Lakeshore Blvd West which is approximately a 2 minute walk from the studio. There is also a Green P Parking Lot located at 120 Sixth St, south of Lakeshore Blvd West which is approximately a 3 minute walk from the studio.