From a hardware store to an art gallery, the unique space will always be open to it all
By: Rowan Flood
The exterior of the General Hardware Contemporary art gallery, which was once a hardware store, on Feb. 27, 2023. (Rowan Flood/CanCulture Magazine)
"When we got the building, everybody tried to talk us out of it," says Niki Dracos, the owner of the General Hardware Contemporary. Her large gold earrings and long brown leather coat sway as she talks about the many warnings she's received in her life — "don't go to art school, don't open a gallery." She hasn't listened to most of them.
Located at 1520 Queen St. W. in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Dracos bought the former hardware store almost 15 years ago, transforming it into her diverse gallery. Growing up near Lansdowne after her parents emigrated from Greece, she knew she wanted her gallery in the west end of the city. Her speech animates as she describes the first time she saw the "cool and scary" place that later turned into the gallery. Although filled with leftover tools, measuring tape, hammers and boxes of nails and bolts, Dracos was undeterred.
"I fell in love with the kitsch, nostalgic aesthetic of the hardware store," says Dracos.
After 20 years in the design and advertising industry, Dracos felt ready to pursue her "passion projects." Her humble demeanor is evident as she describes her successful no-alcohol art show openings and post-opening dinners at small local Tibetan restaurants. She appears flustered when asked if she would ever show her own work in her gallery — the answer is no. Although she designs every day, when she looks at her old pottery work she doesn't recognize herself in them.
The open-to-public Gallery Hardware Contemporary is one floor of exposed brick, wooden floors and white walls lined with art. Small lights angle down from the ceiling, highlighting pieces while forming shadows that become part of the art-viewing experience. A small original brick hallway separates the front and back rooms, and a mysterious stairwell leads down to a small room where visitors can continue to look at art. While the gallery is small, there is also virtual viewing offered that allows more art to be showcased, yet Dracos still prefers viewing in person.
The energy, the buzz and the people make the gallery and openings exceptional, explains Dracos.
"You feed off of each other," she says.
The gallery primarily held solo exhibitions, but since reopening after their pandemic closure, catching up on years worth of work means showcasing multiple artists and their varied styles. Exhibiting art from artists from British Columbia to New York, and Berlin to France, the gallery offers a diverse experience.
Dracos welcomes every art form at the gallery. She has curated exhibitions of sculptures, photography and paintings, and has even gone so far as to build extra walls for projecting video installations.
Dracos says the process of attaining art is an extreme joy. She goes to shows, scours online doing research and uses her art-world connections. Whether an artist is emerging, mid-career or advanced, Gallery Hardware Contemporary supports them all.
The current show is titled "Light" and features multiple artists. The works within the exhibition have varying layers or elements of translucency, allowing light and shadows to play a key role within the piece.
As she looks at a painting with green and white shapes that overlap each other, Dracos explains its making.
"This is acrylic pulled through a screen," says Dracos.
Her voice softens and breaks into silence occasionally as she talks while looking at the art, "It's very beautiful…and joyful somehow."
The gallery and its collections are created with obvious passion. Dracos describes the art in intimate detail as she walks around her space looking at numerous works and artists. As she points each individual piece out, she characterizes them with love and appreciation:
"All hand printed with oil-based ink on really fine Japanese paper … an embroidered digital image ... I love the gestural quality here."
Dracos talks about how the gallery has become a place where families and young people stop in as they pass by. She welcomes those that come with an intention to view art as well as those who simply stumble upon the gallery. The space is made to allow people to connect with art emotionally and ignite conversations. The gallery is constantly evolving, and Dracos has "hundreds of ideas" about where she envisions things going. For now, General Hardware Contemporary is a place with many possibilities and potential directions, and as it rotates through various themes and styles, one thing is for certain: it forever embodies an unwavering commitment to art.
