Akin Space Award
The Akin Space Award is designed, in collaboration with the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF), to support emerging artists in Toronto by providing access to creative workspace and/or exhibition space.
The award is open to artists working in all mediums.
Eligibility is limited to artists exhibiting in-person at TOAF and living in the Greater Toronto Area, as the awarded spaces are physically located in Toronto.
Preference will be given to:
First-time TOAF award recipients
Artists who are not currently Akin members
The award recipient will be selected by TOAF’s jury panel in collaboration with Akin’s Gallery Manager, Renato Baldin.
The Toronto Arts Council Equity Framework will be incorporated into the final selection process.
The recipient will receive a $1,000 credit applicable toward:
an Akin studio membership (shared or dedicated) at any Akin location
a Remote Gallery rental
or a combination of both
For more information about TOAF awards, visit the TOAF Awards Program.
Image credit: Marilyn Braun, @braun_marilyn
TOAF 2026 Akin Space Award Recipient Michael Donohue
Michael (Mike) Donohue is a fibre artist reinterpreting the traditional techniques of crochet that he first learned as a child through the use of self-taught, freeform crochet.
Michael’s work is a meditation on how we experience and interact with the environment around us, and our connection to and impacts on natural environments. His work invites the viewer to slow down, enjoy the subtle beauty, reflect. His work is both metaphor and a love letter to the world around us, expressing the joy to be found in nature.
His use of freeform crochet is a continually evolving and growing, organic process – each stitch is a breath of life into his creations. In addition, he works exclusively in natural fibres, in furtherance of his chosen subject matter. Michael’s love for crochet continues to be shared through the teaching of workshops and classes, community engagement, and exhibition.