What Propeller Art Gallery does

Propeller Art Gallery is a non-profit artist-run cooperative founded in August 1996 in Toronto, Ontario, operating under the legal name Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts. The organization serves emerging and established Canadian artists by providing affordable physical exhibition space, an online storefront, mentorship programs, and community programming in the West Queen West Art + Design District. It maintains a roster of approximately 45 active artist members (plus honorary members) and operates as the self-described last remaining artist-run gallery in the Queen Street West Art + Design District, with a cumulative history of roughly 540 exhibitions since inception and 30th anniversary programming underway in 2026. The gallery was founded by recent Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) graduates and has moved locations three times — 96 Spadina Avenue (1996–2000), 984 Queen Street West (2001–2014), and its current 30 Abell Street address (since 2015), which it purchased outright in February 2025 after its prior landlord Artscape Inc entered receivership in August 2023.

The gallery's technology stack is a WordPress website with a WooCommerce-powered online storefront (the Propeller Members Shop) listing 1,098+ products across 44+ member artist categories, and Constant Contact for email newsletter distribution (Art Openings & News, Calls for Entry, OFF THE WALL, Press Release lists). Core products and services include a two-tier membership program (Full Membership at $147/month plus HST with embedded 3-week gallery rental every 18 months; Associate Membership at $42/month plus HST with à la carte rental access), 3-week North or South Gallery rentals at $2,646 plus HST for non-members, an annual guest-curated exhibition program running since 1997, the OFF THE WALL annual fundraiser held in December, an Emerging Member Mentorship Program, and a blog covering curatorial essays and artist profiles. Distribution runs through a physical gallery open Wednesday–Saturday 1–5:30pm and Sunday 12–4pm, the global WooCommerce storefront, member exhibitions, and the coordinated West Queen West Art Gallery Crawl held multiple times per year.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams: recurring membership fees, transaction-based commissions on art sales (20% for members, 30% for non-members), one-time gallery rental fees, donations from 500+ supporters (including a major 2025 capital campaign), submission fees for Open/Juried Calls, and grants/sponsorships from the Government of Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, City of Toronto, and corporate sponsors (CIBC Wood Gundy/Deeks Financial Group, JPP, Above Ground, ARTiculations, Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts). The organization does not receive recurring public operating funds, operates with only two part-time administrative staff (Gallery Director Tom Taylor and Marketing & Communications Coordinator/Bookkeeping Assistant Karlene Ouellette) plus an active volunteer Board of Directors, and is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026.

Name

Propeller Art Gallery

Legal name

Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts

Website

https://propellerartgallery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Propeller Art Gallery is a non-profit artist-run cooperative in Toronto, founded in 1996, providing affordable physical exhibition space, an online storefront, and community programs to approximately 45 emerging and established Canadian artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Visual Arts Gallery

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Art Dealers (459920), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Artist-run cooperative gallery
• Visual arts exhibitions
• Art gallery membership
• Contemporary art sales
• Exhibition space rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Full Membership at $147/month plus HST and Associate Membership at $42/month plus HST. Membership fees cover operating expenses and include exhibition space allocation.
2. Art Sales Commission: Members receive 20% commission on artwork sold at the gallery (vs 30% for non-members). Gallery takes 20% commission from members, 30% from non-members.
3. Gallery Rentals: 3-week North or South Gallery rental at $2,646 plus HST. Associate members can deduct up to 18 months of previously paid fees ($756 plus HST) from rental cost.
4. Donations and Fundraising: OFF THE WALL annual fundraiser supports gallery initiatives. Individual donations from hundreds of supporters enabled the purchase of their space.
5. Donations: Gallery accepts donations though is not a registered charity and cannot issue tax credit receipts.
6. Sponsorships and Grants: Funding from government Cultural Spaces Fund, City of Toronto, and private sponsors including CIBC Wood Gundy, JPP, Above Ground, Articulations, Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts.
7. Submission Fees: Members receive 20% discounted rate for Open Call group exhibition submissions vs 30% for non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Propeller Art Gallery is an artist-run cooperative and non-profit that provides physical exhibition space, a member-based artist collective, and an online storefront for original Canadian visual art. Artists join through Full Membership ($147/month) or Associate Membership ($42/month), gain access to North/South gallery rentals for 3-week shows, and sell their work directly to collectors, with the gallery retaining a 20% commission from members and 30% from non-members. The organization also runs an annual guest-curated exhibition, an emerging-artist mentorship program, and the OFF THE WALL annual fundraiser.

Product overview

Propeller Art Gallery operates as an artist-run cooperative in Toronto's Queen West Art + Design District, offering a unified platform combining physical exhibition space and online art commerce. The core offering consists of the Members Shop (WooCommerce-based online storefront with 1,098+ artworks), gallery exhibition rentals (North/South spaces), and two-tier membership programs (Full at $147/month and Associate at $42/month). Supplementary programs include the annual guest-curated exhibition (since 1997), the OFF THE WALL annual fundraiser, and an Emerging Member Mentorship Program. The gallery also publishes a blog for news and curatorial content. The organization is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary (1996-2026).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibition Space Rental Physical gallery rental program offering the North or South gallery at 30 Abell Street, Toronto for 3-week solo or group exhibitions. Full Members receive rental included with their monthly membership; Associate Members and external renters pay $2,646 plus HST.
• Full Membership Comprehensive monthly membership tier at $147 plus HST that covers a 3-week North or South gallery rental every 18 months, gives priority exhibition scheduling, the 20% member commission rate, and access to networking, mentorship, and member resources for artists.
• Associate Membership Entry-level monthly membership at $42 plus HST for artists who want flexible participation. Provides gallery access for a 3-week exhibition upon payment of the $2,646 rental fee, a discounted Open Call submission rate, and networking within the collective.
• Propeller Members Shop WooCommerce-powered online storefront where Propeller's 45+ member artists sell original artwork (paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, mixed media, encaustic works, washi paper art) directly to collectors. Features 1,098+ products across 44+ artist categories.
• Annual Guest Curated Exhibition Recurring annual curated exhibition program, run since 1997, in which distinguished guest curators from various cultural and professional backgrounds select and present themed exhibitions at the gallery.
• OFF THE WALL Annual Fundraiser Annual December gala and artwork sale in which member artists donate artwork and tickets are sold to donors and the public, raising funds for gallery operations and initiatives.
• Emerging Member Mentorship Program Sponsored one-year membership opportunity for emerging artists who are underrepresented within the collective, providing gallery experience, mentorship, and professional development.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Gardiner MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts educational art talks in collaboration with Propeller Gallery, fostering cross-institutional knowledge sharing.
• Ontario Society of Artists (OSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for educational art talks, supporting professional development and artistic discourse.
• Contemporary Art Committee (Kirkland Lake)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for educational art talks and community art programming.
• JPPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Propeller Gallery's operations and programming.
• Above GroundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal sponsor supporting the gallery's mission and programming.
• ARTiculationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArts organization sponsor providing support to Propeller Gallery.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO): Major Toronto art museum with permanent collection, exhibitions, and educational programming. Operates as a broader incumbent in Toronto's visual arts sector with overlapping exhibition and educational programming serving overlapping artist and collector communities.
• Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada (MOCA): Toronto contemporary art museum presenting exhibitions of Canadian and international artists. Comparable as a Toronto institution focused on contemporary visual arts, but operating at significantly larger scale than Propeller's artist-run model.
• Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery: Toronto's leading public contemporary art gallery at Harbourfront Centre, exhibiting international and Canadian contemporary art. A broader incumbent in the same Toronto contemporary art exhibition space, offering overlapping programming but at much larger institutional scale.

Direct peers

• Toronto Outdoor Art Fair: Annual Toronto art fair showcasing independent and emerging artists through juried exhibitions and sales. Comparable as a Toronto-based platform connecting independent artists with collectors, sharing Propeller's emerging-artist focus and community-led GTM motion.
• Mercer Union: Toronto-based artist-run centre founded in 1979 that exhibits contemporary art and supports emerging-to-mid-career artists through memberships, exhibitions, and publications. Directly comparable to Propeller's cooperative model, target artist community, and Toronto artist-run centre positioning.
• Open Studio: Toronto-based artist-run centre for printmaking with membership, exhibition, and studio access programs. Directly comparable as a Toronto artist-run cooperative offering tiered memberships, exhibition opportunities, and commission-based art sales.
• Trinity Square Video: Toronto artist-run centre for video and moving image art, providing memberships, production facilities, and exhibitions. Comparable as a Toronto-based artist-run centre with member-driven governance and exhibition programming supporting emerging media artists.
• Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography: Toronto artist-run centre focused on photography and lens-based media, offering memberships, exhibition programming, and darkroom access. Comparable as a fellow Toronto artist-run cooperative serving emerging artists with member-governed exhibition and sales programming.

Emerging players

• Saatchi Art: Online art marketplace where emerging artists sell original works directly to global collectors. Comparable to Propeller's WooCommerce Members Shop as a digital channel connecting emerging artists with collectors, though operating at global scale rather than single-gallery community model.

Others

• Art Dealers Association of Canada (ADAC) member galleries: Network of Canadian commercial art galleries representing artists and selling works. Relevant as a broader ecosystem comparator for Propeller's gallery rental and commission-based sales model, though ADAC members operate as commercial dealers rather than artist-run cooperatives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/propeller-art-gallery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Propeller Art Gallery