Mission

Paperhouse Studio is an experimental arts studio rooted in paper as the medium. We strive to create an approachable, educational, and playful environment for artists, to encourage accessibility and inclusiveness, and to share our space and expertise in order for artists to experiment and explore new ideas in their work. Through our outreach arm, Paperhouse Outreach Collective, we design community building programming for discriminated against youth.

History

Paperhouse Studio was borne out of a need for a publicly accessible paper studio in Toronto, Ontario. Beginning with a community initiative, we have built a structure that has opened multiple access points to the discovery of traditional and contemporary paper arts and culture for the Toronto community and beyond.

Paperhouse opened in 2013 in Artscape Youngplace, Toronto’s vibrant hub of creativity  in the heart of West Queen West, home to some of the most exciting arts projects and studios in the city. Built in 1914, the building was originally a public school, but after being shut down in 2000 it sat empty until 2006 when the Toronto District School Board hired non-profit organization Artscape, to repurpose the building into a community cultural hub. After a multimillion-dollar renovation, the building was reopened in November 2013 as Artscape Youngplace, endeavouring to create a safe, accessible, and inspiring space for artists to come together and share their work towards the progression of arts and culture.

Paperhouse Studio is thrilled to be a part of this community, which acts as the ideal environment for us to successfully bring paper arts into the hands of individuals across disciplines.