Arts
The Drake Hotel unveils Lab pop-up and creative space
The Drake Hotel's newest pop up experiment, Drake Lab, opened on Friday with an exhibit by Zack Slootsky. Found two doors east of the hotel, this new venture is intended, in the Drake's words, to be a jam space, exhibition venue and pop-up shop; as well as a lounge for the community where people can watch movies, play records, draw, jam and do all things creative.
The first installation runs until December 30th and will promote as well as coincide with the Drake's annual music festival What's in the box? There's a full calendar of events planned for the month including a record swap, acoustic jam, instrument workshop and speaker series.
Slootsky, who used to contribute photos to blogTO and also has contributed regularly to NOW Magazine, has taken advantage of the space to showcase some of the highlights from his wide-range of music photography including a photo of Wayne Coyne from The Flaming Lips crowd surfing in his massive clear ball. Plenty of well known bands and artists are represented here including Deadmau5, Nicki Minaj and Iggy Pop from his 2010 NXNE appearance just to name a few.
The Drake's "Lab" is booked until June. More detailed info will be released soon about the schedule for upcoming installations, most of which will last for two weeks.
The Lab is just one of the many new initiatives The Drake has planned in the coming months. On Valentine's Day they'll be announcing more details about their planned expansion, first reported earlier this year.
Photos by: Morris Lum
Discussion
21 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
Plywood floor looks real classy!
What a nonsensical comment. Firstly, what unique neighbourhood culture has the Drake "highjacked" (sic)? Did they steal your idea to do a show on Slootsky? Do you have the same criticism for every for-profit gallery/art space/ bar/ restuarant in Parkdale/ Queen West West? Last time I checked most of the galleries and bars operating on Queen West were also profit-minded, busy hijacking culture left and right and spreading their debauched gentrification.
The Drake, a for profit hotel, which has no obligation to provide anything to the neighbourhood, culturally or otherwise, is providing artistic/cultural programming that you or anyone in the community can choose whether they wish to participate in or not. When was the last time the Sofitel, the Hyatt, the Mariott, the Holiday Inn or any other hotel offered anything resembling an interesting event to the general community. Kudos to the Drake's innovative programmers for engaging with and contributing to the artistic life of the community.
I kinda like the idea of varnished plywood. Something different. Haven't been to the Drake in a long while. But I do respect what they've done for the area. The space looks really small but it does make a great spot for little shindigs. But it does look unfinished. But I guess that gives the people who booked it up to be creative with their event.
Julia, I think you've nailed it. Good on the Drake for trying new things. though the pulled pork sandwiches were so incredible...i really wish they kept that train going..
Maybe some better shit will "pop up" there in the coming weeks.