IN THE FRONTLINES: O’Connor
Gallery
On May 28, a statue of the historic figure Alexander
Wood was unveiled at the corner of Church and Alexander.
Dennis O’Connor, the director and owner of The
O’Connor Gallery, also chairs the Church-Wellesley
Village Business Improvement Area (BIA), which initiated
the quarter million dollar project. It’s a great example
of how business and the arts can work together to develop
community and support local artists.
The O'Connor Gallery, located in the Church-Wellesley village
in downtown Toronto, is a comfortable, relaxed venue that
has been around since 1995. The Gallery holds ten to twelve
new exhibitions each year, from solo to group shows, and
has the distinction of being North America's pre-eminent
established gallery dedicated to showing the work of Gay
and Lesbian artists. The gallery is a regular participant
in a number of noted public exhibitions, including The Toronto
International Art Fair and Contact Toronto Photography Festival.
O’Connor holds a B.F.A. from Concordia University
in Montreal and has been a collector for over twenty years.
Toronto Arts Coalition caught up with him, in the midst
of his very hectic schedule:
TAC: How do you see that increasing awareness
of the value and importance of the arts in Toronto is fundamental
to a vibrant city? Can you relate this to the growth and
development of your gallery?
O’Connor: The measure of any great
city is the value its citizens put into culture and the
arts. A great world class city is judged by its opera houses,
its theatres, its museums, its dance troupes, and its galleries.
People travel for culture and that travel is an investment
in that city's cultural institutions. O'Connor Gallery benefits
from this international tourist market. It is no secret
that gay tourists travel and quite often choose their destinations
based on the cultural activities afforded them in these
cities. O'Connor Gallery is the oldest continually run gay
commercial art space in the world and it benefits greatly
from these international tourists.
TAC: The O'Connor Gallery is a bit off
the beaten track. Is that because you serve a specific clientele?
Is location, then, perhaps an important factor in making
both business and art-buying/selling decisions?
O’Connor: O'Connor Gallery is in
the heart of Toronto's gay and lesbian community. Therefore
we do not see ourselves as off the beaten track. Though
many of our clients are straight, galleries are destination
businesses. We see the gallery as an asset to our community
bringing people of all persuasions into the Church/Wellesley
neighbourhood. Art buying is often an impulse purchase,
so the browser is always welcome.
Model of Alexander Wood statue
Image courtesy of XTRA
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TAC: What do you think of the
new statue of Alexander Wood? Can you tell me anything
of the process (for example, the selection of the
artist) and your involvement in it? Does this bode
well for other public art in the city?
O’Connor: As chair of the
Church Wellesley Village Business Improvement Area
I was able to convince my fellow board members how
important public art was for improving the neighbourhood
for not only our clients and residents but also for
tourism. The sculpture also gave us an opportunity
to use public art to educate. Alexander Wood was chosen
as the subject because of his historic connection
to our community. In 1826 he purchased the land that
the gay and lesbian community now calls home. Del
Newbigging was chosen for the project because of his
career as a prominent Canadian sculpture and medalist.
He is one of the founders of the Medallic Art Society
of Canada. Since he is also gay, we felt that he would
bring the respect and understanding required for our
new hero. I hope that the positive feed back and experience
that our BIA receives will rub off on other BIA's
in the city to encourage them to add to the city's
art landscape. It is our intention to add more to
our streetscape. Wood is only the beginning.
TAC: Why is it important to become
a Corporate Member of Toronto Arts Coalition?
O’Connor: How could any art
or culture business not get involved in something
they apparently believe in! The more people involved
the easier to impress upon governments that culture
is an important part of society. The more that people
are educated and familiar with the arts, the better
for our cultural institutions and businesses. |
In the Frontlines – If you or your
company work for the advancement of Toronto arts and you
would like to tell us about it, please contact coalition@torontoartscouncil.org
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