Mercer Union
Organization
Type
Artist Run Centre, Non ProfitFounded
19791286 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6H 1N9
Traditional territory of the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Anishinaabeg, including the Chippewas and the Mississaugas
of the Credit, within the territory of the Dish with One Spoon Treaty.
About
Mercer Union is a non-profit, artist-centred space in Toronto. We have a unique track record of presenting innovative exhibitions by diverse Canadian and international artists in formative and established stages of their careers. We are dedicated to supporting the production of new and experimental work, assisting artists in realizing pivotal projects.
Mercer Union has the will and flexibility to take on ambitious projects. We foster an intimate and supportive space for artists to develop and take risks with their work. In turn, their exhibitions play a role in shaping the cultural landscape of Toronto, Canada and beyond.
Art is crucial to expanding minds and pushing boundaries. Our exhibitions, educational programs, artists’ talks, events and publications, both on and off site, encourage critical inquiry and conversation.
Mercer Union. Cultivating artists and challenging audiences since 1979.
Mercer Union was founded by twelve visionary artists who each contributed $1,500 to buy the lease on an 1800 square foot space on Mercer Street in downtown Toronto in 1979. As they declared, “Toronto does not have, has never had, and desperately needs, an artists’ organization dedicated to the exposition of new work in the most advanced forms of painting and sculpture.” Mercer Union continues to present the expanded spectrum of contemporary art practices and engage with key issues of our time. It moved from its original location at 29 Mercer Street to its current space at 1286 Bloor Street West – a renovated early 20th century cinema space – in 2008, now at the center of a growing and dynamic arts district in downtown Toronto.
(Mercer Union, 2022)