Almonte, Ontario is an eclectic tourist town with many surprises but I wasn't expecting a New York…read moreor Toronto quality art gallery along the banks of Canada's Mississippi. The owner is an attorney, turned astronomer, artist and gallery owner. His own work looks like it was taken from the Hubble telescope but apparently he works here on earth. Beware that light on the horizon, it may not be sunrise or sunset but the glow of Toronto in the far far distance of the night sky. I imagine with all the light pollution it must be increasingly difficult to work without heading to the far north. Sanjeev Sivarulrasa does a fantastic job of sifting through the stars and time itself to capture magical moments. A real 'must see' for anyone visiting Almonte. He also exhibits sculptures derived from the human form by Sue Adams and Deborah Arnold's carved stone formations of chlorite, alabaster, and marble. Adrienne Dagg, an emerging young artist, also on exhibit, explores the depths of portraiture and narrative figure painting. Dale Dunning is another of the galleries sculptors, working primary with very creative masks... at least in the exhibit I saw. Several other artists are also represented by Sivarulrasa's Studio and Gallery. Certainly worth the drive out from Ottawa. I'm glad I stopped in from California.

From the owner: Sivarulrasa Gallery is a contemporary art gallery representing emerging and established artists…read morefrom Almonte, Eastern Ontario, and across Canada. In 2016, the Gallery expanded and moved onto Almonte's historic main street, at 34 Mill Street, in the heart of Almonte's arts community. The Gallery presents curated exhibitions, showcasing works in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, and photographic works.

Kevin is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He is a great fun patient teacher.read more

From the owner: Professional local artists gallery, art classes with instructors Kevin Dodds, Sawsan Shorbajee, or…read moreChris Tinkler. We sell artists supplies , and offer top quality framing

What an awesome little cafe. Very artsy and bohemian. They display art by local artists and the…read moredecor is very eclectic. It's in a converted old house, so there are so many rooms and nooks and crannies, lol. They have a small patio out front and a larger patio on the side. I imagine people like Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell in their early years hanging out in places like the Art House, to give you an idea of the ambiance ;) I grabbed a breakfast sandwich and a lunch wrap to go. The Southwest Chicken Wrap ($9.85) was really tasty. It had pieces of chicken, rice, black beans, cheese, and corn (which I picked out, lol). It had a bit of a spicy kick, but I'd still consider it mild (or at most on the milder side of medium). The breakfast sandwich was an English muffin, cheese, egg and bacon. I like that it was real cheese and not like a processed Kraft Singles kind of cheese. Very tasty. Staff are super chill and friendly. I'll need to come back sometime to hang out. Street parking only.

The drinks and food are simply okay. The vibes are cool and the events are fun. But why won't they…read moredust? Everything near the counter is covered in cobwebs and dust, even the cooking instruments.

I do come to this museum every few months as they deal specifically with contemporary art. There…read moreare always new expositions which I appreciate and did I mention free? sign me up! There are 3 floors and are mostly Canadian based. There are a few expositions that I do not understand why they are there but at the same time I am not an artist. There is never a lineup but there is always a flow of people. I do know that there are events which I will have to inquire since I have read reviews about them and they sound awesome!.... On a side note, the washrooms are super clean. I also have never tried the cafe which is in the back. I will have to try it soon!

I love this place. I love their Canadian art collection, the Firestone Collection. I love how they…read morefeature local artists. I love the bright, airy spaces full of colour, the daring, provocative collections. And it's all available to the public 6 days a week FREE. When it's open, I love to have a drink or a coffee in the Jackson cafe downstairs with people I love. I walked in today and discovered Don Kwan, a friend of mine, had a show show upstairs, and I was thrilled to feel this close artistic connection with my city. We wandered casually through the gallery and gift shop and met up with a mutual friend, also a friend of Don's. It was crazy to make a social connection in this place that I love so much. Floor after floor was new and totally different contemporary art, in different media and styles. I had brought my sketch book and a pencil with intentions to do some drawing inspired by my surroundings, but unfortunately, there was nowhere to sit and contemplate. There's even an installation on the second floor with chairs, but they are all connected and you can't sit on them! There's a new exhibit coming March 26, and another exhibit on BIPOC artists in May. I can't wait.

I've learned a LOT about Koyman Galleries, just because I purchased a Groupon! I have been a…read morecustomer of theirs in the past, when they used to have shops in various malls around this beautiful city of ours. They used to have an outlet at Bayshore Mall, and I believe also at Carlingwood Shopping Centre. I know this because I bought one framed print and got it signed by the artist who was at the store to promote his work (Robert Bateman). That was an amazing experience, let me tell you! Now, Koyman no longer has any mall stores, except the one still in the Rideau Centre. And then, of course there's this place on St Laurent between Innes and Lancaster (since they're no longer in the St Laurent shopping centre!) This place is HUGE! It seems to cater more to the artists. I don't know if they necessarily have more art on display than they used to at the mall stores, because now you can see all their art, properly displayed and well spaced out and lit way better than it ever was in the mall stores. In those comparably tiny mall boutiques, they used to have layers of the art hung on sliding doors, and the stores seemed to be dark compared to this massive space, and of necessity to be somewhat cluttered. This warehouse-sized location is way not like that! Meanwhile, I was in to cash in on my groupon - I paid $30 for a $100 coupon good for custom framing. This is a deep dish discount! Keep your eyes open for such a special if it ever happens again! But don't be fooled as I was - I had forgotten how expensive good framing is. I'm getting 6 4X6 photos put into 2 frames, and will have to pay over and above that $100. I will have to revisit this review once the work is done, so that I can compare that experience to this one. For example, I don't yet know how long it will take to get this work done. I wouldn't say the store was overly busy when we got there, but there were 4 customers when we arrived around 4:30 pm (all of us in custom framing, and not in the store proper looking at buying art), and only 1 person serving, but suddenly 2 staffers appeared out of nowhere to help us out and the other customers. The groupon must really be calling the public in! The staff has been friendly so far, and knowledgeable about their stock.

I have had the pleasure to acquire a number of original paintings from the Gallery. I have had…read morenothing but exceptional service, from the purchase through delivery process. I highly recommend not only the Gallery but of course the artists which the Gallery represents. At the end of the day a Gallery such as Koyman's represents artist who make their livings off of their wonderful creations.

We were greeted as soon as we entered this gallery, but given space to look…read more There were several cards and pamphlets available upon entering the gallery for information on the current artists and on the gallery itself. I liked that there was a bench in front of a couple of the bigger paintings for more relaxed viewing and it reminded me of some of the larger galleries I have been to. Some of my favorite pieces were a huge flower and some kind of splattered paintings with numbers and symbols as well a colourful areas. Art was hung on the walls, as well as leaning in other areas, giving the gallery a more relaxed feel.

From the owner: Galerie St-Laurent + Hill specialises in the exhibition and promotion of contemporary Canadian art.read more