{"id":602774,"date":"2026-04-14T05:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T05:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/602774\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T05:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T05:28:13","slug":"this-new-toronto-club-is-picking-up-steam-and-its-totally-free-to-join","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/602774\/","title":{"rendered":"This new Toronto club is picking up steam and it\u2019s totally free to join"},"content":{"rendered":"

A series of free events has been popping up across Toronto, drawing\u00a0crowds of people looking for a more casual way to relax and make art.<\/p>\n

What started as a simple idea has quickly grown into Art Club, a recurring free-flowing craft session hosted by 25-year-old Toronto artist Ranaa, now drawing up to hundreds of participants looking for something different.<\/p>\n

“It started from me wanting something like it to exist,”\u00a0Ranaa tells blogTO. “I thought it would be fun to gather people together to make art and see what comes from that.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the time, she was noticing a pattern in the city’s creative scene, adding that “A lot of structured workshops were happening, but I wanted something more free-flowing.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

That’s when she took matters into her own hands: “I bought art supplies from Dollarama, made a flyer, posted it on Instagram<\/a>, and invited people to make art in the park.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ranaa,\u00a0visual artist and organizer of Art Club.<\/p>\n

The first gathering took place in summer 2024 at Bickford Park, an event Ranaa considers “really special.”\u00a0Since then, Art Club has steadily grown, first as a\u00a0casual outdoor meetup and now\u00a0as a longer hosted event both outdoors and inside\u00a0local venues.<\/p>\n

“In the winter, I hosted one at Family Ties, and the most recent one was at New Stadium, which actually reached out and offered to host us,” she says, speaking to how colder months brought in new opportunities for the club.<\/p>\n

But a venue reaching out to host Art Club isn’t the only point of pride for Ranaa.\u00a0She says she was surprised when the most recent event drew around 100 attendees, with even more expressing interest.<\/p>\n

\"\"Beyond the art itself and the encouragement to express through colour and canvas, accessibility is central to the concept. Ranaa is adamant about keeping the event free, so it remains open to everyone, noting that local sponsorships help cover the cost of supplies.<\/p>\n

Once someone joins Art Club, there’s no formal instruction,\u00a0just materials and an open invitation to create.<\/p>\n

“It’s completely free-flow,”\u00a0she says, with tables set up with canvases, paint, oil pastels, crayons, and coloured pencils. For those hesitant to start from scratch, there’s a softer entry point: colouring book pages designed for people who might feel intimidated by a blank canvas.<\/p>\n

Ranaa says the community response to\u00a0Art Club has been “overwhelmingly positive.”<\/p>\n

“Even people who don’t normally make art really enjoy it. Some say it helped them reconnect with a creative part of themselves.”<\/p>\n

\"\"Others are drawn to something less tangible but equally important: the atmosphere. Countless attendees tell Ranaa how nice it is to be in a social space where they don’t necessarily have to talk, somewhere “they can just exist quietly and still feel included and safe.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

It’s safe to say that this sense of ease reflects a broader cultural shift<\/a>. “I think there’s a growing desire for ‘third spaces’\u00a0where people can just be themselves and enjoy an activity without pressure.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Art, it turns out, is a powerful vehicle for that kind of connection.<\/p>\n

“Art is a form of self-expression and play,” Ranaa explains. “As adults, we often lose that because it can feel intimidating. This space lets people reconnect with their inner child and create without pressure or expectations, just for enjoyment.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ranaa has succeeded in creating a comfortable, low-pressure environment for her guests.<\/p>\n

“I greet people when they arrive and explain the setup, but after that it runs itself. People sit where they want, move around, share supplies, and even bring their own projects. It feels very natural,” she says, adding that\u00a0Art Club feels like a relaxed house party.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, there are plans to keep growing. “Hopefully in June,” she says of the next event, pending sponsorship. Beyond that, she adds, “I’m excited to see how it grows and evolves in different spaces and maybe even different cities.”<\/p>\n

For now, though, the focus remains on creating space where anyone can show up, pick up a brush, and just create \u2014 for free.<\/p>\n