Walnut Studios Art Collective was located in a turn-of-the-century
canning factory at 83 Walnut Avenue in King West Village. Established in
2007 by artist Gregory Serpanchy and developer and building owner Jason
Martins, Walnut Studios was a community of over 45 multi-disciplinary
artists who fostered a great environment to work, create and inspire one
other. Interdisciplinary in nature, the space had artists who worked in
traditional forms of painting and drawing, sculpture installation, and
designers practicing graphic design, illustration, jewellery, fashion,
photography, and film. The format and open-concept organization of the
space resulted in many creative collaborations between extraordinarily
creative artists. Several artists who worked in the space would launch
international careers through the affordable space and community that
the collective offered. After operating for one year, Walnut Studios Art
Collective began to branch out into various community engagements and
events. Artistic Director Ilene Sova worked with local school boards to
create the children’s art programme, “Blank Canvases,” and ran adult art
classes and kids’ school programmes. Additionally, artists worked
together to run hugely popular Open Studio events in the space
bi-annually over the 10 years of its run. In 2012, Jason Martins
launched an art gallery, Walnut Contemporary, in a separate building in
Niagara to extend Walnut’s mission to connect and inspire. Walnut
Studios ran as a vibrant co-working art space for over 10 years before
it was destroyed in an accidental fire in 2018.