WHIPPERSNAPPER GALLERY
Whippersnapper Gallery is an artist-run centre committed to the cultivation of inclusive spaces for emerging visual and media arts, community arts, and experimental forms of exhibition making. We provide artists and cultural producers with a flexible platform and exhibition space to expand the parameters of their professional practice. Whippersnapper is structured to encourage peer-to-peer mentorship and promote success by the artists’ own standards. Through critical and diverse programming, Whippersnapper initiates new relationships and unexpected conversations. We facilitate exchange between artists and local communities, and between a spectrum of emerging and established art communities throughout Toronto and Canada.
Visit their website at whippersnapper.ca. For a list of their recent exhibitions, visit whippersnapper.ca/exhibitions.
WHIPPERSNAPPER GALLERY
MANDATE
Whippersnapper Gallery is an artist-run centre committed to the cultivation of inclusive spaces for emerging visual and media arts, community arts, and experimental forms of exhibition making. We provide artists and cultural producers with a flexible platform and exhibition space to expand the parameters of their professional practice. Whippersnapper is structured to encourage peer-to-peer mentorship and promote success by the artists’ own standards. Through critical and diverse programming, Whippersnapper initiates new relationships and unexpected conversations. We facilitate exchange between artists and local communities, and between a spectrum of emerging and established art communities throughout Toronto and Canada.
TIMELINE
2004 – In December, Whippersnapper Gallery was founded by Luke Correia-Damude, Ryan Enn Hughes and Patrick Struys, young artists frustrated by the lack of opportunities for people their age. The initial space for the gallery was a 7000 sq foot former print shop located at 184 Front St. It stayed at this location for nine months, showing a total of 75 young artists and reaching an audience of over 2500 people.
2006 – In July, Whippersnapper Gallery re-opened at its new location just west of Bathurst Street on College St in Toronto’s downtown core. As the gallery became more comfortable in its new surroundings and location, it began to bring in emerging artists of all kinds, including performance artists, musicians, theatrical groups, dance companies, as well as becoming a common space for talks, conferences and presentations.
2009 – Whippersnapper received it’s first art council funding and was able to organize a large scale project, Emergence 1 & 2. For the first time, we were able to pay CARFAC specified artist fees to the seven artists involved in this series.
2010 – Whippersnapper received operating funding by the OAC and moved location to the current location at 594B Dundas St. W, beginning its transition into an Artist Run Centre, with its first show opening in September 2010. Joshua Barndt and Adrian DiLena become Co-Directors. Whippersnapper receives OAC operating funding. Relocates to 594b Dundas West.
2011 – First major community art project established in Alexandra Park, in partnership with TCH and Arts Starts.
2012 – Maggie Flynn takes over Directorship, new members join the Board of Directors and the Working Collective is established including Mohammad Rezaei and Laurie MacInroy.
2013 – Alvis Choi began to establish a stronger relationship with the surrounding Chinese community. Monica Gutierrez, Anneka Lynch and Danilo McCallum oversaw community partnerships with Concrete Roses and Alexandra Park Community Centre.
2014 – Maggie Flynn and Mohammad Rezaei become co-directors, implementing programs such as Sidewalk Screening (a national survey of emerging video art) and PEERS (a peer mentorship program for emerging arts workers).
2016 – The gallery was restructured from co-directors and Joshua Vettivelu was brought on as Director of Programming and Maggie Flynn as Executive Director. In September, Anique Jordan was brought on as the new ED. The PEERS program takes the forefront of programming, as the gallery focuses on pedagogical engagements with the sector alongside maintaining their commitment to emerging artists.
2018 – The Black Artist Union (BAU) take over space with the support from OTF’s Youth Opportunities Fund with Alicia Hall managing the project as Program Manager, piloting an incubator model.
2020 – Wrapping up an extended BAU incubator, raven Lam is currently working as a sponge collecting ideas from different collectives and research supported by the HORIZON Project, to figure out which model can utilize Whippersnapper’s extensive history, incredible partnerships, invaluable space but tiny capacity.
2021 – Marina Fathalla is hired as the Director of Programming to work alongside Lam in the journey to continue to support emerging artists, and highlight the strengths of working in a small collaborative capacity.