A new art gallery is opening in Regent Park this weekend

Regent Park, built in the 1940s as Canada’s first social housing project, is in the midst of a massive revitalization. For decades, the stretch of Gerrard Street between Parliament and Sumach was dotted with low-slung brick complexes in various states of repair. The neighbourhood’s first mixed-income apartment and condo development, Daniels on Parliament, opened earlier this year. And this weekend, a new stand-alone contemporary art gallery will open as well.

On July 11, Black Rabbit Gallery, founded by artist Benny Bing, will open its doors in the 750-square-foot space that formerly housed his studio. “I’m not opening a gallery because I want to own a gallery,” says Bing, who built an international career without formal art school or gallery representation. “I’m opening one because I want to build the place I wish had existed when I started.”

The gallery will double as a creative incubator, equipping emerging artists with the business acumen needed to build sustainable creative careers. “As someone who’s worked out of Regent Park for years, I’ve watched the community evolve, and I wanted the gallery to contribute to that momentum,” says Bing. “If a young artist walks through our doors and sees a creative career as something that’s possible, not just aspirational, that’s meaningful.”

These days, being a successful artist requires more than just creating great work. It demands building a personal brand, managing social media, negotiating contracts and building relationships with collectors. With Bing’s team of mentors and guest experts, from lawyers to accountants to marketing specialists, the program will impart a comprehensive set of professional skills and practical insights.

“Artists don’t fail because they lack talent. Many struggle because no one teaches them the business behind the work,” says Bing, who founded Black Rabbit on the premise that artists deserve more than just access to exhibition opportunities. Informed by his own creative journey, he’s a strong proponent of artists remaining independent and forging their own paths rather than following prescribed routes to success.

“For years, people have asked me how I built my career,” says Bing. “Not how I paint or where I find inspiration but how I found collectors and how I priced my work. The truth is that I learned most of it the hard way. Over the past eleven years, I’ve made mistakes, asked questions, sought out mentors and slowly built a career that didn’t follow the traditional path.”

Black Rabbit’s inaugural exhibition, No Paths, Just Moves, will run at 35 Tubman Avenue from July 11 to 31. The show reflects the gallery’s foundational philosophy that there is no single formula for building a meaningful artistic career.

“Regent Park is a neighbourhood defined by resilience, creativity and transformation, and I can’t think of a better place for Black Rabbit,” says Bing. “I hope that, as they walk through the space, visitors feel both curiosity and connection.”