For Toronto art galleries it was something of a banner year. Despite a deeply felt global recession, a surprising number of art-spaces opened throughout the city. From the cutting edge to the (relatively) conservative, the wealth of new art spaces opened in 2009 reveals that the economic downturn failed to curb the enthusiasm of would-be gallery owners.

We're a lucky city for it.

Although recent upstarts like 52 McCaul and Circuit Gallery just missed the top twelve, there's no doubt that they've enriched the art scene in Toronto (and beyond). So, as we enter 2010, I look forward to another year of engaging exhibitions and hope that we see a further rise in gallery growth.

Here are the top 12 new art galleries that opened in Toronto in 2009.