The Art Shelter | froginhand

Welcome to the Art Shelter

SHELTER IS MORE THAN WEATHER PROTECTION.
It shields from loneliness and isolation.

WANT TO USE THIS SPACE?

Want to use The Art Shelter for your event, project, community group - or to incubate a new creative idea?

Here's how it works.

You can access the Art Shelter by joining one of our annual curated seasons. There are four seasons of programming: Fall, Winter, Summer & Spring. These curated seasons are karma-exchanges

AND

If you are not part of a curated season, we offer space in exchange for a donation.

We ask people to pay for space with their time, expertise OR - something called a Karma Exchange model. Our model is based on 4 usage tiers: residents, activators, partners and of course, the Frog in Hand family (members of our artistic network and current or recent collaborators).

RESIDENTS
Are you working on a project that needs a series of focused dates for rehearsal or incubation? Residencies are 30 hours, usually over one week. We ask residents lead something in exchange for space - this could be a sharing of a work in process, a class, community event, workshop or outreach event.

ACTIVATORS
Activators host ongoing, long-term happenings or events that are spread out over more than one week. These kinds of projects benefit from a regular, ongoing presence in the space. An example of an Activator might be a monthly jam session. We ask activators to lead something in exchange for space - this could be a sharing of a work in process, a class, community event, workshop or outreach event.

PARTNERS
Partnerships are sought from organizations who share Frog in Hand’s values of placemaking. These partnerships are developed mindfully, and with great care, and are mutually beneficial to both organizations. They will involve an exchange created in collaboration with Frog in Hand. As an example, an arts organization may wish to host a series of workshops, or a community group may wish to host a special yearly event.

FROG IN HAND COMPANY MEMBERS & COLLABORATORS
Already part of the Frog Fam? Reach out to us to start a conversation about ways the Art Shelter can support your work, and your creative ideas.

What does an exchange mean?
An exchange refers to a trade. An exchange should:
(1) elevate the artist's current project and practice
(2) elevate their & Frog in Hand’s presence in the community

Don’t fit into any of these areas? Propose something to us, and we’ll collaborate.

If you are interested in a monetary exchange, we access these on a case-by-case basis.

Reach out and start a conversation!

HISTORY

The Art Shelter began as a post-pandemic response. In 2023, we purchased a 42-ft diameter geodesic dome from Arctic Acres. Then we built it in Mississauga, at 887 Hydro Road. In Spring 2024, we will launch our first season of activities in this unique, beautiful and unconventional space. This is a place for Frog in Hand to rehearse and create, but it will also be shared with our community. It will be artist-run and community-engaged, an intentional act of climate leadership. Its limited footprint, flexibility and collaborative operating model will provide space to incubate new ideas and forge community connections.

The Art Shelter is entirely off-grid. It's a repurposed green house.

We're going to use it to cultivate and grow creative ideas.

With this project, we hope we can do more with less in ways that are socially inclusive, environmentally proactive, and better aligned with an unpredictable future.