People are always asking, why such a big space? For those of you who visited our Adelaide location, you know how big our Dupont studio is compared. For those who don't, 927 Dupont is about 5X as big. 5X the cleaning, 5X the overhead, 20X the anxiety.
Photos of our first location on Adelaide and John st.
When I first opened Coin 8 on Adelaide, the intention was to start off my own career and lease out the studio to make rent. What really changed things, was when I decided to have my first "Open
House". It was a lot different than it is now, it wasn't even photography-focused, It was a networking event for all creatives.
It was free, about 5 people showed up and we sat down at the table and talked. Although that event was...not exactly a success, it paved the way for Coin 8 to become a place of gathering. Not long after we started planning the next, and that's when it started evolving.
Fast forward to the summer of 2021, Our Open Houses have gained some popularity and we can no longer fit in an 800 sq/f studio (especially with all my shit in it). We start using the back alley, teaming up with other studios and thinking of ways to find the hardest thing in Toronto,
S P A C E. Then, all of a sudden I read this agitating, grating letter.
We are told the building is being repurposed for, you guessed it, CONDOS! We had 3 months to g.t.f.o. so it was time to say goodbye to the studio we built, and find a new home.
Studio hunting is hard. Most places downtown similar in size are about 4x more expensive, and that's simply not going to work. I'm looking for something special. I'm trying to find a big open space, something that 100 people could be using at the same time, and still be able to move around. I'm trying to find somewhere I can hold the biggest photo meets and get everyone working together all while remaining affordable. That's when I finally found 927 Dupont.
Photos of 927 Dupont pre-move-in, and during construction.
What a shit show, but it's my shit show. 5200 sq/f with a huge hall, massive west-facing windows, stunning hardwood, 20 ft ceilings... it just needs work. Understatement of the year. After a month of renos, some minor some extensive, Coin 8 was ready..enough.
Photos of our first Photo Meet at our Dupont Location.
I decided to have our first open house before the reno was completed. The road was long and bumpy (not as long and FUCKED in my head as it ACTUALLY IS, what was I thinking..) and it gave me the drive to keep going. Seeing everyone fit into one space, talking, creating, learning, and connecting, gave me my reason to persevere; because now. I never want to see this space taken away from you.
I believe the best learning moments come from working side by side with other artists in a creative and supportive environment. We all have a common goal of mastery and creation, and when we help lift others up, It helps us build the muscles to lift ourselves up.
Photos from May's Portrait Paradise Photo Meet
Organized by Jahmal Nugent.
If you or anyone you know are in these photos,
feel free to download them!
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