Special Projects Gallery

Joan & Martin Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts

86 Fine Arts Rd, North York, ON M3J 1P3

The Special Projects Gallery is located in the main lobby of the Joan & Martin Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts at York University. The Gallery hosts rotating exhibitions of work by student artists and designers in York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design.

My attention was initially drawn to this gallery because of the upcoming mixed media exhibition Spoonderland by Katrissa Singer. The show is informed by the artist's own experience of navigating life with multiple chronic health conditions. In turning their work over to the public Singer hopes to promote compassion and understanding across the spectrum of abilities. The exhibition runs January 29th, 2017 to February 8th, 2017.

Located off of Fine Arts Road, the accessible entrance is via the south door of the Centre for Film and Theatre. A wide, unobstructed sidewalk with a slight incline leads to the two sets of entry double doors (68 inches wide total) which are separated by a vestibule, and come complete with automatic features. Once inside, the route to the Centre for Fine Arts and the Special Projects Gallery features 10 foot wide, laminate hallways, and two ramps for negotiating level changes between areas.

The entrance to the Special Projects Gallery itself is through a set of double doors (68 inches wide) which are propped open. The Gallery is a simple white space with concrete flooring, lots of room to move around and ample lighting. The height and position of displays may vary depending on the exhibition.

There are accessible washrooms in both the Joan & Martin Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts and the Centre for Film and Theatre. The first (pictured) had a small accessible stall measuring 48 by 59 inches with an outward swinging door and two angled grab bars on both side walls. The second had a slightly larger accessible stall measuring 68 by 58 inches and two grab bars, one angled on the adjacent wall, and the other horizontal over the toilet. Both washrooms had sinks with 28 inches of clearance underneath, and manual fixtures. Some might find the paper towel dispensers difficult to access as they’re tucked into a corner beside the sink; however, there are also hand dryers available.

The Special Projects Gallery is located north of downtown making transit more spread out. The closest wheelchair accessible station is Downsview on Yonge-University Line 1. From Downsview there are buses (including the 195 and 196) which have accessible stops and travel to York University. There are also options through GO transit, York Region Transit, and Brampton Transit. The closest visitor accessible parking is located in the Student Service Parking Garage.

Checking out Katrissa Singer's Spoonderland exhibition? Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the Special Projects Gallery in the comments below.