Painting Cafe Opens

Fresh Paint Studio + Cafe | Toronto’s Community Art Studio

Fresh Paint Studio + Cafe is Toronto’s community art studio and creative hub at 1849 Danforth Ave. Founded by artist Roxane Tracey in February 2016, the studio was built around a single idea: a community art studio in Toronto should be a place where anyone can walk in, pick up a brush, and make something, regardless of whether they had ever set foot in an art class before.

What began as a one-room concept has grown into a full weekly programming schedule, a second Scarborough location at 2229 Kingston Rd Unit A, and a reputation as one of Toronto’s most welcoming creative spaces. If you are looking for a community art studio in Toronto that runs real programming for real people, Fresh Paint Studio is worth knowing about.

The best paint nights create space for creativity, relaxation, and connection.

What Makes Fresh Paint Studio a Community Art Studio

The distinction between a community art studio and a commercial paint night venue matters. At Fresh Paint Studio, the space runs a full calendar of paint nights and guided workshops, but it also runs freestyle drop-in sessions where you can come in without a booking, choose your own subject, and paint at your own pace. The cafe stays open during sessions. Kids’ programming runs alongside adult classes. Groups can book the whole space privately, or individuals can drop in solo.

The variety is deliberate. A community art studio in Toronto should serve the community around it, not just the customers who already know what they want. Fresh Paint Studio’s programming spans toddler art sessions, adult watercolour classes, corporate team-building events, live Art Slam performances, Paint Quest adventure painting, bachelorette parties, and family painting days.

The Space: A Century-Old Church on the Danforth

The studio itself is housed in a converted century-old church at 1849 Danforth Ave, between Coxwell and Woodbine stations. Renovations uncovered original hardwood floors and exposed brick buried under decades of carpet and panelling. The 11-foot tin ceilings are original to the building, over 100 years old. The result is a studio that feels warm and permanent rather than rented and temporary.

The cafe side of the studio serves coffee, tea, smoothies, and light treats during sessions. You can paint and have a coffee at the same time, which is exactly the point. It is a creative space and a social space, not just a room with easels in it.

Community Art Studio Toronto: What’s on the Calendar

The regular schedule at Fresh Paint Studio includes paint nights several times a week, freestyle drop-in painting for adults and kids, Art Workshops covering watercolour, acrylic, paint pouring, glass painting, and batik, and seasonal programming including summer art camps for children. Private bookings are available for groups, and corporate team-building sessions are a core part of the offering.

The Scarborough location at 2229 Kingston Rd, Unit A, runs a parallel schedule, extending the studio’s reach to families and groups in Scarborough, Pickering, and Markham.

Open to Everyone | No Experience Required

No experience is required at Fresh Paint Studio, and that is not just a marketing line. The programming is genuinely structured so that someone who has never held a paintbrush can show up, follow a guided paint night, and leave with a finished piece they are proud of. Workshops run with a minimum of four people, making them accessible for small groups without needing to rent out the entire venue.

Kids’ programming runs alongside adult sessions, so families can paint together or separately. Birthday parties, baby art sessions, and kids’ painting parties are a regular part of the calendar.

A Community Art Studio in Toronto Since 2016

Fresh Paint Studio has operated as a community art studio in Toronto since opening in February 2016. In that time, the studio has hosted thousands of paint nights, workshops, corporate events, and kids’ camps, all from the same Danforth Ave location that Roxane Tracey renovated from scratch before the doors opened.

The addition of the Scarborough studio marks the next step in what started as a neighbourhood art space. Both locations run under the same ethos: create art fearlessly, regardless of experience, regardless of background, and regardless of whether you have ever thought of yourself as an artist.

How to Book or Drop In

Fresh Paint Studio is located at 1849 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4C 1J3. The Scarborough studio is at 2229 Kingston Rd, Unit A. Call 647-927-0764 or email info@freshpaintstudio.ca. Browse the Event Calendar on freshpaintstudio.ca for upcoming sessions, or check the Contact and Hours page for current opening times at both locations. GreenP parking is available on the Danforth; free parking is available on nearby side streets.

For private bookings, corporate events, birthday parties, or group sessions, contact the studio directly to discuss dates, group sizes, and options.