Calgary-based disability arts organization expands reach to Toronto

Calgary’s National accessArts Centre (NaAC) — the largest multidisciplinary disability arts organization in Canada — is expanding its reach with a new accessible arts facility in Toronto, offering permanent space for artists with disabilities.

The new 9,000-square-foot facility, located in Toronto’s Trinity-Bellwoods neighbourhood, is expected to open for programming this month.

It was made possible by a donation from Dr. Peter Chung, owner of Vancouver-based Primacorp Ventures, and his wife Dr. Stephanie Chung, in memory of their late son, Joe Chung.

Joe lived with autism and epilepsy, and in his honour, the facility has been named Joe’s Place for Creativity.

It will also serve as the new home for Workman Arts, a Toronto-based multidisciplinary arts organization that supports artists struggling with mental health issues and addiction.

Raewyn Reid, director of visual arts for NaAC, said the organization gives artists the opportunity to train across various mediums, opens the door to professional opportunities, and provides a sense of community and belonging.

“I think that for anybody who is aspiring towards a career, to sometimes have a space where folks get you, and where they see something in you that you may not necessarily be able to see in yourself, is really important,” Reid said.

“A lot of these artists access or experience barriers to accessing traditional arts training programs . . . so we really see ourselves as filling a gap in service for them.”

Carla Salter, who’s been an artist with NaAC for around five years, said the organization has helped her.

“Before coming to the NaAC, I was pretty much mute and didn’t speak or talk,” she said. “The NaAC has brought me confidence and a voice and survival.”

Salter has always been an artist and creates in a variety of mediums, but the NaAC brought her new opportunities, including showcasing her work at Sankofa Square in Toronto in 2024.

“Being there, seeing my work in such a public place was an overwhelming and wonderful feeling,” she said. “It reminded me how powerful it is when artists have the opportunity to share their work with new audiences.”

Accessible and welcoming spaces can be hard to find, she said, and knowing Joe’s Place will provide that for artists like herself in Toronto “means a great deal.”

Earlier this year, the Chungs made a significant contribution to NaAC’s $30-million fundraising campaign for the future relocation of its headquarters from Fairview to West Hillhurst.

Though the exact amount was not disclosed, NaAC president Jung-Suk Ryu said at the time that it was the largest recorded donation in the history of the disability arts movement in North America.

“This is another major milestone in the NaAC’s growth and in our commitment to creating spaces where artists with disabilities can learn, create, collaborate and be seen,” Ryu said of the new Toronto facility.

“Our ambition for this new venue is bigger than simply establishing a home for the NaAC in Toronto: we want it to become a place for partnership, experimentation and artistic exchange that is open to artists and communities across the city.”

The new Calgary facility is set to open in late 2027 or early 2028, and will offer more space that’s better catered to the NaAC’s needs, and has also been designed with input from the community.

“It’s really going to be a very special building because it’s not just built for folks with disabilities, it’s built with folks with disabilities,” Reid said.

“Right now, we’re kind of bursting at the seams here. We have to run all of our performing arts programs off-site and a few other programs as well. And so, being able to have all of that space, one location, will also mean so much to our training programs.”

Catch up with the day’s headlines, curated by our editors and delivered to your email inbox at lunchtime on every business day. Sign up now for the Calgary Herald Noon News Roundup.