Artscape Distillery Studios, Toronto

The Artscape Distillery Studios are a multi-purpose property which accommodates an eclectic mix of 60+ artists, non-profit arts and cultural organizations. Nowhere else will you find sculptors, woodworkers, metalsmiths, opera and theatre companies, dancers, cultural presenters, painters, fashion designers and multi-disciplinary artists all working under the same roof. The facility opened in May 2003 on the premises of two prominent industrial heritage structures, namely the Case Goods Warehouse (built 1928) and the Cannery Building, and was one of the first to populate the Historic Distillery District.

The former of the two buildings is a four-storey structure that is easy to spot from the outside for its distinguished dark-colored bricks. Originally a warehouse, this was the second to last building constructed in the area and, just as its name suggests, was purpose-built to stock cases of whiskey destined for export, predominantly to the gangster clientele in New York and around the Great Lakes during the prohibition era in the United States and Ontario. The other one, Cannery Building, is a much older structure; its first two floors were built in 1877 and the third floor was added in 1884. A variety of goods canned here included consumption alcohol and antifreeze.

The presence of an artistic community helped to spur the broader effort to regenerate this former industrial zone. Many of the two buildings’ original features are intact–come take a look. Visitors to the Artscape Distillery Studios are welcome to shop at the first floor where they can find incredible art and artisan goods created right here, and then check out the upstairs galleries, open artist studios, performances and unique architectural features steeped in history. Quite entertaining!