{"id":698475,"date":"2026-05-28T03:04:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T03:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/698475\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T03:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T03:04:09","slug":"band-gallery-expanding-black-artists-hub-in-parkdale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/698475\/","title":{"rendered":"BAND Gallery Expanding Black Artists’ Hub in Parkdale"},"content":{"rendered":"

Construction is advancing on the expansion and renovation of\u00a0Black Artists\u2019 Networks in Dialogue (BAND) Gallery<\/a> in Toronto\u2019s Parkdale neighbourhood, where the organization is transforming its Victorian-era home into an expanded cultural facility for Black artists and arts workers. Designed by\u00a0Diamond Schmitt Architects<\/a>, the three-storey project will introduce upgraded gallery and community spaces within and behind the existing building at 19 Brock Avenue. Alongside new exhibition areas, artist studios, workshops, and gathering spaces, the redevelopment is intended to support\u00a0BAND<\/a>\u2019s growing role as one of Canada\u2019s few Black-owned and Black-focused galleries dedicated to professional artistic practice.<\/p>\n

Looking east to Band Gallery, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects for Black Artists’ Networks in Dialogue<\/p>\n

Founded in 2010, BAND has operated from 19 Brock Avenue since 2016, using the Parkdale property as a base for exhibitions, performances, workshops, talks, and artist networking initiatives focused on Black artistic and cultural production. The organization has positioned the gallery as both an exhibition venue and a community resource, supporting emerging and established artists, curators, and cultural workers through mentorship, professional development programming, and collaborative events staged both at the gallery and across partner institutions throughout Toronto. The existing Victorian building has hosted everything from solo exhibitions and artist dialogues to backyard concerts and informal gathering spaces.<\/p>\n

Main floor gallery, image courtesy of Black Artists’ Networks in Dialogue<\/p>\n

The redevelopment will reconfigure the building from basement to attic, introducing expanded exhibition galleries, multipurpose community areas, artist studios, workshop space, and a resource library within the compact 137m\u00b2 site. The project also includes accessibility upgrades, new outdoor gathering areas, and a pollinator garden. Design concepts frame the project around the relationship between the existing Victorian structure and a contemporary addition. The renovation will also restore portions of the original brickwork while adapting the building to support museum-grade exhibition standards and expanded year-round programming.<\/p>\n

Backyard and outdoor gathering space, image courtesy of Black Artists’ Networks in Dialogue<\/p>\n

While early pre-design and zoning work for the project was undertaken by\u00a0Studio of Contemporary Architecture<\/a>, the current building and interior design work has been led by Diamond Schmitt Architects. Architect Dami Akinbode has played a leading role in shaping the redevelopment, guiding the project\u2019s architectural direction. For\u00e9, led by Shada Morris, oversees landscape design elements tied to the outdoor gathering and garden spaces.<\/p>\n

Upper gallery, image courtesy of Black Artists’ Networks in Dialogue<\/p>\n

Design explorations for the project include an outdoor \u201cFence Gallery,\u201d expanded terrace areas, and reworked interior layouts intended to accommodate exhibitions, performances and workshops. Restored masonry elements contrast contemporary insertions, while the reorganization of the building aims to create clearer public access, improved accessibility, and flexible programming areas.<\/p>\n

Viewed from Noble Street early in April, 2026, the rear addition at the east end of the site features yellow scaffold framing. Blue weatherproofing encloses lower sections of the addition ahead of exterior cladding installation. Black-framed glazing has already been installed at portions of the ground level.<\/p>\n

Looking northeast from Brock Avenue at the retained Victorian structure and contemporary addition, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor AlbertC<\/p>\n

A closer early-April view of the addition reveals the project\u2019s contemporary exterior treatment taking shape, with cladding then installed across much of the upper volume. Curved rooflines and rounded wall transitions soften the massing of the addition. At grade, blue weatherproofing and wooden framing remained exposed along sections awaiting final cladding installation, while black-framed window systems and entrance glazing have already been fitted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Close-up view of the contemporary addition and cladding installation, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor AlbertC<\/p>\n

BAND identifies multiple contributors helping advance the project, including the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Foundation for Black Communities, and the Michael Young Family Foundation. The gallery is also running a \u201cFund a Brick\u201d campaign tied to the restoration of the building, allowing donors to sponsor bricks that will incorporate their names into the renewed exterior. BAND also credits artists, neighbours, consultants, and community supporters with helping sustain the long-running effort to expand the organization\u2019s permanent home in Parkdale.<\/p>\n

UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.<\/p>\n

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UrbanToronto’s research and data service,\u00a0UTPro<\/a>, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe\u2014from proposal through to completion. Other services include\u00a0Instant Reports<\/a>, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter,\u00a0New Development Insider<\/a>, that tracks projects from initial application.\u200b<\/p>\n

Related Companies:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Diamond Schmitt Architects<\/a>, Urban Strategies Inc.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Construction is advancing on the expansion and renovation of\u00a0Black Artists\u2019 Networks in Dialogue (BAND) Gallery in Toronto\u2019s Parkdale…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":698476,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[76,354,355,49,48,356,75],"class_list":["post-698475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=698475"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698475\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/698476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=698475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=698475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=698475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}