Open Studio

CONTEMPORARY PRINTMAKING STUDIO

Open Studio was founded in 1970 as an “open” space governed and supported by artists who wanted to continue their printmaking practice in an inclusive, communal setting. Printmaking requires specialized equipment, space, and expertise to manage complex chemical processes that demand specific health and safety measures. Open Studio was established as an Artist-Run Centre (ARC) to meet these needs, providing a studio space where artists can work using various print media techniques, including intaglio, lithography, relief, screenprinting, and more, with expert assistance as required.

Founded by Richard Sewell and Barbara Hall at 310 Queen Street West, Open Studio quickly became a vital centre for contemporary printmaking. In 1971, Chicago artist Don Holman joined to develop the lithography facilities. That same year, an honorary Board of Directors incorporated Open Studio as a non-profit charity, achieving official status in 1972.

Open Studio operated at 520 King Street West from 1971 to 1996, before moving to a larger space at 468 King Street West, expanding its production, gallery, and administrative capacity. Since 2004, it has been located at 401 Richmond Street West, a vibrant creative hub where it continues to teach, produce, and promote printmaking.

Today, Open Studio is Toronto’s only artist-run printmaking centre offering affordable, comprehensive access to printmaking facilities and programs for local, national, and international artists. In addition to supporting full-time post-secondary art programs, Open Studio provides facility rentals, residencies, printing services, and art sales. The public can also engage with printmaking through exhibitions, educational programs, and events.

A significant part of its legacy is the Open Studio print archive, which holds one edition of every print produced here from 1970 to 2018. Read more about our archive here.

Governed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of artists and community professionals, members serve two-year terms and are elected annually. Interested in joining or learning more? Please email us.

Alix (Barbara) Hall in front of Open Studio on Queen Street. Photo: Vincent Sharp.

Alix Hall working on the archive collection.

Examining etchings in the intaglio area.

Vision & Mandate

Vision: Who We Are
Printmaking opens the door to accessible, innovative, and inspiring art.

Mandate: What We Do
Open Studio is a creative space that inspires, supports and celebrates printmaking. We are an open access printmaking studio, an art gallery, and an inclusive place to engage with new ideas.

Studio members examining a photo-lithograph.

Our Goals & Objectives

Contribute to innovation in printmaking and excellence in contemporary visual arts.
Provide a safe, shared space accessible to people from all communities.
Support artists in printmaking through access to comprehensive facilities and technical support.
Promote artists through exhibitions, public installations, and print sales.
Offer professional development opportunities including residencies, scholarships, exhibitions, and education.
Provide educational opportunities through hands-on courses, workshops, and collaborative projects.
Advocate for artists by ensuring payment of artist fees and defending artists’ rights.
Facilitate partnerships and alliances among artists, arts organizations, and educational institutions.
For more information, you can review the Open Studio 2025-28 Strategic Plan.

EDI Framework

Statement of Solidarity & Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Open Studio is committed to a viable, sustainable, action-based framework prioritizing anti-racism, equity, accessibility, diversity, and socially conscious practices for access to our organization and its resources and programming initiatives. After undergoing a thorough examination of our institutional structure at Membership, Staff and Board levels, Open Studio shifts and changes thanks to the artists who came forward to critique and advise. Open Studio is grateful to our External Advisory Panel, EDI Committee and our Artist Membership for their guidance. Inclusive outreach and programming support the work of our community partners.

Open Studio continues to build meaningful relationships with organizations serving equity-deserving communities. Connect with us at office@openstudio.ca.

Artistic Programming

Open Studio’s equity, diversity, and inclusion framework guides our programming objectives. Residencies, visiting artist programs, and exhibitions maintain a curatorial vision with an EDI mandate as follows:

July 2023 – June 2025: The Advisory Panel guided Open Studio to fulfill 100% representation by artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) and equity-deserving communities. The Members Gallery (Project Space) offered an open call for all members with priority for artists from equity-deserving/seeking communities.
July 2025 – June 2026: Minimum 2/3 majority representation by artists from equity-deserving communities.
July 2026 – June 2027 and beyond: Minimum 50% representation by artists from equity-deserving communities.

Updates

Updates

July 2024 – June 2025

Programming was delayed by the temporary closure (June 2024 – January 2025). Open Studio proceeded with our objective of 100% representation by artists from equity-deserving communities in the Main Gallery and Project Space. Rochelle Rubinstein and Leila Fatemi were the first artists to exhibit when Open Studio reopened and programming resumed. Diversity and inclusion are values permeating the development of Open Studio’s new strategic plan.

July 2023 – June 2024

Open Studio successfully completed the objective of 100% BIPOC representation in exhibitions for the fiscal year. Featuring an exhibition program of BIPOC artists working with print media in expansive ways, twelve exhibitions took place before our temporary pause for programming in June. The work of fifteen artists who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour was exhibited including work by artists based across Canada, and two artists from the US. In addition to the third iteration of our BIPOC Artist Residency, Open Studio’s Emerging Artist Residency, Mid-Career Artist Residency, and Visiting Artist Residency recipients were selected from a call directed to BIPOC artists.

July 2021 – June 2022

Open Studio offered BIPOC residency applicants one full year of free membership. Open Studio actively followed through with initiatives for increasing diversity, equity and inclusion of artists using the studio space, and Open Studio’s programming. New Directors joined the Board reflecting the EDI framework.

July 2020 – June 2021

Open Studio paused outreach and communication to give space to conversations surrounding injustices toward Canada’s Black and Indigenous communities. Open Studio spent time reflecting and discussing systemic barriers preventing Black artists, Indigenous artists and artists of colour from accessing the studio and exhibition spaces. Open Studio inaugurated an Equity & Inclusion Committee with an Advisory Panel of external arts practitioners from priority groups. Open Studio gained insights to enact positive change, actively seeking sustainable solutions for increasing diversity, equity and inclusion of artists using the studio space, Open Studio’s programming initiatives, the Staff and Board of Directors.

Open Studio is at a critical point in its history. We are working to become a more equitable, diverse and inclusive organization, which is accountable for the racist structures and practices that have shaped us. This change has not happened quickly enough. Open Studio cannot build a positive future without facing the barriers that restrict access to our space, historically and now.

Open Studio was founded on ideals of community and openness, but often our policies have created obstacles to participation. Our membership requirements, exhibition choices, outreach efforts, and approach to education have had the effect of excluding artists from marginalized groups. Meanwhile, members of our community have experienced discrimination and racism. We celebrated our 50-year history without acknowledging or addressing these failures. We apologize that our actions and inactions have reinforced systemic inequities within the arts.

We know an apology alone is insufficient. We will listen, continuously reflect, and act on structural changes to become a more equitable space. We will prioritize anti-racism, equity, accessibility, and diversity moving forward.

Open Studio is implementing new programming initiatives and increasing access to our organization and its resources. We are working to re-orient our programming towards diverse voices and socially conscious practices through residencies, subsidized education opportunities, and more. We are undergoing a thorough examination of our institutional structure at Membership, Staff and Board levels, including mandates for diversity in hiring and Board recruitment. Open Studio is undertaking these shifts thanks to the artists who have come forward to critique and advise us. We are grateful to our External Advisory Panel and to our artist members for their guidance.

Diversity is crucial for our organization to thrive. We have begun the necessary work of creating and implementing a viable, action-based framework as outlined below, but we have only started. These goals will require sustained work and resources over time. Open Studio is committed to this work. We will continue to update the framework on this page as we move forward.

Examining etchings in the intaglio area.

Main Gallery: Jill Ho-You, 'Obstruction', 2024.