The Neighbour’s Art Hive exhibition is running for the third year in a row at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, offering Durham Region residents a free, drop-in space to create art.
Partnering with the LivingRoom Community Art Studio, the Art Hive provides materials and an open studio environment designed to make creativity accessible to everyone.
The founder of the LivingRoom Community Art Studio, Mary Krohnert, said the Art Hive was “a project that hoped to build a bridge between the gallery and people in the community.”
The drop-in space is open to community members of all ages and experience levels, including first-time visitors to the gallery.
“It’s community-drawn art, which I think is really, really beautiful,” said Emma Thompson. “And I think it’s awesome that that’s accessible to the community.”
The Art Hive is available during the gallery hours, with additional events on Fridays run by the LivingRoom Community Art Studio. It is also supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
“There’s also something interesting that can happen when galleries become places where the art that is there and the art making that happens there kind of restore our sense of agency,” Krohnert said.
The LivingRoom Community Art Studio also supports community art beyond the gallery through its mobile Art Hive, a blue bus that travels to different locations across the region to bring art-making directly into the community.
“Art making gives us an opportunity to recognize our capacities for transformation,” Krohnert said. “It’s about allowing ourselves and whatever it is we’re working on to become a work in process, to just be in process.”
Another organization supporting community art in Durham is the Durham Creative Arts Centre (DCAC), located in downtown Oshawa. The DCAC opened in September 2025 and provides space and resources to support artists and creative professionals.
“So, this is a space where anyone can come together, and it’s a space for collaboration and connection,” said Austin Waddell, founder of DCAC. “So, the spaces are meant to be very multi-purpose. They’re open for interpretation, and they can be used for what’s needed.”
The DCAC offers a yearly membership starting at $50, which gives people access to the equipment and the studio space. The centre also includes a public area that is open to anyone during regular hours.
The Neighbour’s Art Hive will remain open at the RMG until Feb. 16. The LivingRoom Community Art Studio continues to host art events and will return to the gallery on Friday, while organizations like the DCAC remain available year-round.