If there was ever an exhibit to drag your friends and family too this summer, the sixth annual Square Foot Exhibit, opening this weekend, is definitely the one. Presented by AWOL Gallery on Ossington Street, the exhibit features close to 1400 pieces of work from nearly 600 artists, each measuring a square foot, 12x12 inches.

I stopped by the 2,500 square foot exhibit space early this week to document the frantic work that goes into hanging so many pieces in such a short amount of time. I put together a short audio slide-show of the work with a time-lapse sequence at the end that was shot over 8 hours.

But to really understand the size of the exhibit you need to see a big photo like the one below.

Each piece is being sold for a modest price of $200, and with such a variety of artists, mediums and skills, the exhibit will make many buyers happy.

The sheer size is incredible and I found myself lost in inspiration and awe. There is no way to take in even a small fraction of the pieces but it will leave you feeling giddy with artistic energy.

Programs are being printed with all the artists listed alphabetically and the location of their pieces, as well as all the locations in the grid and the name of the artist.

The show will be running until the September 7.

Square Foot 2008

Exhibition Dates: August 16th - September 7th, 2008
Location: 100A Ossington Ave. 2nd floor (an off site venue just steps from the Gallery)
Gallery Hours: Thursday to Saturday 12 to 6pm, Sunday 1 to 5pm or by appointment

Opening Reception: Saturday, August 16th, 7 pm
Get to the opening reception early if you want to get in. There have been line-ups around the corner in previous years.

Images and audio by Joseph