Who We Are
Above Ground Art Supplies began in 1983.
We began in a tiny, windowless second story location, just down the street from the Ontario College of Art & Design, now known as OCAD University. After a couple of months we moved to a street level space around the corner and continued to expand over the next 15 years, until we had 3000 square feet and nowhere else to grow.
Above Ground specialized in hard to find items, quickly becoming a haven for art students and professional artists alike. The quest to have the greatest selection continued, and the need for a new larger location quickly followed.
In 1998 Above Ground moved across the street to a renovated 1881 Heritage Building.
We transformed it into an iconic destination for artists across Southern Ontario. This flagship store, at 74 McCaul Street, has a total of 8000 square feet with 5,000 square feet of retail space spread over 3 floors.
2012 marked the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for Above Ground.
With the opening of our second store at 2868 Dundas St West in Toronto’s Junction Neighbourhood. While not as massive as the flagship store on McCaul, the new west-end location has the same awesome selection and knowledgeable staff that Above Ground has become known for.
In 2013 we grew again, adding a new store to Toronto’s East end in the Beach.
Located at 1842 Queen St. E, and larger in size than our Toronto West location in the Junction, this store’s massive selection (3000 square feet and 4 levels!) and delicious array of materials will give any artist that “kid in a candy store” feeling! Now with three locations spanning Toronto’s West, Downtown, and East sides, we are helping artists to make this city a more colourful place!