Creativity: Issue #1 | Collective Arts

CREATIVITY

TWO TIMES A YEAR, COLLECTIVE ARTS ANNOUNCES A NEW GLOBAL CALL FOR ART. THE CALL IS OPEN TO ANY ARTIST WHO IS OF DRINKING AGE. ALL SELECTED ARTISTS ARE PAID AND KEEP OWNERSHIP OF THEIR WORK.

IF CHOSEN, YOUR ART COULD APPEAR ON CANS, BOTTLES, APPAREL, MERCHANDISE AND MORE. SUBMIT YOUR WORK AT:

COLLECTIVECALLFORART.COM

ART BY DAVID CAMISA

FEATURES

EDITOR’S LETTER

PAGE 6 SPOTLIGHT

PAGE 10 FOUND SOUNDS

PAGE 14

DINE ALONE STORE

PAGE 26

OUR BEVERAGES

PAGE 30 FROM A TO DTH

PAGE 38

COCKTAILS WITH...

PAGE 40 CHECK OUT

PAGE 42 CURATED

PAGE 44

ART GALLERY

PAGE 46 RAPID FIRE

PAGE 56

FRIENDS OF COLLECTIVE

PAGE 58

CREATIVITY

ISSUE #1

BY COLLECTIVE ARTS

CONTRIBUTORS

CREATIVE DIRECTION: STEVE ST. JEAN

DESIGN: STEVE ST. JEAN, MEAGHAN KENDALL

PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE ST. JEAN, MIKE HIGHFIELD, KEVIN CHAVEZ

WRITING: ALYSSA LECLAIR, RYAN BRISTLON, JUSTIN FAUTEUX

MARKETING: LAURYN MCLAREN

COPY EDITOR: KARLIE HOPF

COVER PHOTO : BRUNO SMOKY AT COLLECTIVE ARTS TORONTO BY STEVE ST. JEAN

EDITOR’S LETTER

CREATIVITY OR BUST

ART BY LOST COLONY

Collective Arts was founded ten years ago with the idea that creativity makes the world a better place. This belief remains true to this day. If we’re not living, breathing and delivering creativity with our beers, spirits, non-alc drinks, parties, taprooms, beer halls and beyond, then what the hell is the point?

We’ve seen a lot come and go ten years in, but let me take a second to paint a picture for you. It’s the summer of 2023, we’re filling our days consuming TikTok dance moves, news articles about artificial intelligence taking over the world, planning to pre-order Vision Pro headsets (why!?), and I decided we should make a print publication. Am I losing my mind?

Some might say print is dead, but it seems to me what’s old is new again, and it’s back with a vengeance. Hell, I bought a cassette on Record Store Day (Alexisonfire x Moneen’s Switcheroo, to be exact). Nineties fashion is in. Lil Uzi Vert covered System of Down’s “Chop Suey” on their latest record. There are no rules anymore, and if there is ever a good time to justify making a print publication, it’s right now.

Call me old-fashioned (or new school, depending on your outlook), but holding something in your hands feels good, and if you’re reading this, you know what I’m talking about. There is something magical and satisfying about flipping through records at a local shop, browsing physical magazines, and sketching or writing with an actual pen and paper. In a world of NFTs and doom-scrolling, we wanted to create an opportunity for you to slow things down, put your phone away and get inspired.

Was it the wrong decision to start a publication? Fuck it. Here I am, introducing Creativity Issue #1. This first edition features Emily May Rose (the artist behind Toronto’s favourite raccoon murals and owner of Northern Contemporary Art Gallery), emerging bands Zuto and Loviet, GoopDude’s skateboard art show and so much more. And best of all, we’re just getting started.

STEVE ST. JEAN HEAD OF BRAND CREATIVE

“IT MAY BE THE WRONG DECISION, BUT FUCK IT: IT’S MINE.”

- MARK Z. DANIELEWSKI

DRINK CREATIVELY

AT COLLECTIVE ARTS, WE CELEBRATE THOSE WHO LIVE AND BREATHE CREATIVITY. WE’VE PARTNERED WITH ARTISTS WHO CHALLENGE CONVENTIONS AND INSPIRE US WITH THEIR ENDLESS CREATIVITY AND UNIQUE STORIES.

EMILY MAY ROSE

We recently sat down with Emily May Rose (the artist behind Toronto’s favourite graffiti-tagging raccoons and owner of Northern Contemporary Art Gallery) to chat about being an artist, what inspires her and more.

Who are you? What do you do?

My name is Emily May Rose, and I am an artist.

How do you express your creativity?

I express my creativity in many ways. I create paintings, sculptures, animations. I paint murals. I design apparel. I illustrate for clients. I’m always doing something different.

Describe your art form — do you have a signature style or technique?

My work is very graphic kind of cartoony. I like to use mediums that can appear very flat and clean but still hand-painted so you can still see the little human imperfections and I like that.

My signature is my raccoons. I just think raccoons are funny. They’re always up to no good. I like making art that makes people smile and laugh.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by cities and the wildlife that lives there, so I like taking those scenarios and exaggerating them and making up new narratives. Like, “those raccoons are always up to no good but maybe it was them that stole your bike or maybe it was them that tagged the laneway.”

How long have you been creating?

How did you get your start?

I’ve been creating art my whole life. I can’t think of a time that I wasn’t. I’ve been creating professionally for about eight or nine years now.

If you weren’t creating art, where would you be?

What would you be doing?

If I wasn’t creating art, I don’t know what I’d be doing. I can’t even picture myself doing anything else. I used to want to be a movie star or an astronaut, so maybe that.

What

does creativity mean to you?

To me, creativity is thinking outside the box. It doesn’t have to be painting or making art. It can just be your approach to things. Seeing things differently and doing things differently.

INTERVIEW BY COLLECTIVE ARTS | PHOTOS BY STEVE ST. JEAN

SPOTLIGHT

Emily May Rose is an award-winning artist and illustrator based in Toronto, Ontario. Based on her own experiences, Emily’s work features a cast of recurring characters (most notably her weed-smoking, pizza-eating raccoons) to depict humorous situations that are relatable to many of us trying to survive in an urban environment.

You can find her murals all over the world, but you don’t have to travel far to see one. As part of our latest Mural Project at Collective Arts Toronto, Emily collaborated with graffiti artist Hungr. See what her posse of raccoons are getting up to while you enjoy a fresh pint and tasty eats.

EMILYMAYROSE.COM | @EMILYMAYROSE

FOUND SOUNDS

ŽUTO

INTERVIEW BY ALYSSA LECLAIR

PHOTOS BY MIKE HIGHFIELD

To start, I would love a brief history of the band.

UNA: I guess my take on the history of the band — or how it started — was kind of organic with no expectations. It was like this thing where it started out with me writing songs with our former guitarist, which eventually turned into, “We need a bassist or drummer” to kind of expand on these ideas so we asked Austin [drummer] and Jeffrey [bassist] respectively if they wanted to play. And so… that is where we started writing. We were jamming in our jam space in Ham-

ilton and we sort of just started writing music. Again, with no real expectation on where it would go and ended up playing our first show in March 2020 just before the pandemic hit. And when that hit, things just went kind of dormant. There was really nothing we could do. We had friends saying, “Žuto will never play a show again!” and things like that. So it sort of felt like it lost traction.

But then, right around 2021, I threw a Halloween house show and decided it would be cool to resurrect Žuto and try to release this EP of songs we had written. From there, we asked Ben [guitarist] if he would play the show with us and he just fit really well and joined the band permanently. Since then, it’s just… been history.

Were you all friends before this? Were you all just jamming and vibing? Or did this group come to be in another fashion?

AUSTIN: I think so, yeah. We were friends. And when Una initially asked me to join the band, it was one of those things where it was like, “What do you want it to sound like?” and there was a lot of overlap in the bands…we both liked and the music we wanted to kind of make together. Which is a part of why, I think, it works so well. But before that, yeah, we were just buds hanging out.

I THINK SO MUCH OF CREATIVITY, FOR ME, IS JUST GIVING IN TO THAT IMPULSE AND LETTING IT GUIDE ME. AND SOMETIMES I MAKE STUPID STUFF, AND SOMETIMES I MAKE COOL STUFF, BUT ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TIME IT’S LED TO MAKING NEW FRIENDS AND TAKEN ME FURTHER INTO THE TUNNELS OF COOL SCENES.

- UNA DI GALLO, LEAD SINGER & GUITAR

LEFT TO RIGHT: AUSTIN RUFFO, UNA DI GALLO, BEN DYMENT, JEFFREY PINCOMBE

UNA: I think having been in musical projects in the past, where it was fun but it didn’t lead to a lot of shows, sort of felt like this… instant click of chemistry with the bunch of us and that was a really cool feeling. It was something I had never really felt before. It sort of felt effortless, which was really cool.

How did you find your sound?

UNA: It’s really weird to think about because I don’t think we had any sort of idea for the sound in mind. It’s what Austin said: we had these overlapping influences. I remember wanting to write something that just didn’t feel derivative and tired, but at the same time that’s what everybody wants. So, I can’t say I’m unique in that desire… but I do remember each one of us having a really different song writing process and the way that those processes melded together kind of felt like we were in a room solving a rubix cube together. A thing I’ll say a lot at practice is, “Austin, make the drums weirder.” And I know that I write riffs in a really weird, dumb and chaotic way that challenges him to write drums in a nutty way. And then that makes Jeffrey write the basslines and so on and so forth.

Does the creative process start with a specific person every time or is it different? Are you creating it harmoniously and then saying, “Okay, I want that to be weirder!”? How does that process usually work?

UNA: It’s different every time. I would say, from my perspective, sometimes it’s one person writing a riff… For example, on our latest single “Sluice,” I wrote this chord progression that I sent to the group chat and then Ben took it and was like, “this is so… I don’t know how to write a riff around this but I’m going to stretch my brain around it and do my best.” So he did and it ended up making this really weird-sounding lead part. Then we brought that to the bigger practice where Austin wrote the drums and then we added this weird bridge at the end that came out of jamming together.

But then for other songs… we’ll just go into practice and be there for three-hours playing fuck all. Then at 90-minutes something cool happens and we just feed off of that and each other’s excitement. Someone will be like, “Put it in time” and then that’ll make it more exciting.

AUSTIN: I definitely think the best, most fun songs we have are the ones where we’ve kind of built on stuff.

Usually Una or Ben will come in and — I still don’t really know how Una counts music, which is nice because it challenges you creatively to say “How are we all going to play this together?” It’s kind of a slow process, I think for the most part.

What is ‘slow’? How are you measuring that?

AUSTIN: I don’t know. It’s not really any set time, but a lot of it is just based on no rush... We can play and jam it out for a whole practice and then say, “Maybe next time I’m going to come with something additional.” Sometimes we just need to sit on it for a little bit, so it’ll take a couple times until it feels right.

How do each of you define creativity?

UNA: I don’t know if this is just some type of weird word association, but the first thing that comes to my mind is impulse… It’s the corniest shit in the world, but I feel like I just have an impulse and drive that feels like a bodily function sometimes. To be like, I need to make something! or I need to climb to the top of my Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and like, hit the self-actualization thing so I can feel good. I think so much of creativity, for me, is just giving in to that impulse and letting it guide me. And sometimes I make stupid stuff, and sometimes I make cool stuff, but almost every single time it’s led to making new friends and taken me further into the tunnels of cool scenes. So I think at the end of the day it really just comes down to… letting the spark in the brain have some more oxygen.

AUSTIN: Ditto. Creativity and inspiration are pretty tied for me. Creating stuff or listening to stuff and then trying to — I don’t know — not inspire people but, thinking that something new could be created because of something you made or being inspired to make something because you’ve listened to something cool.

Outside of your music, how do you try to stay creative? Do you work in any other mediums?

UNA: I’m an animator by trade and so I feel like that’s a really big, creatively fulfilling thing. The 9-to-5 aspect isn’t it, but… aside from that the creative potential is huge. I also like to publish zines. I’m working on a film right now so I feel like I really get a lot of my creative juices flowing out of that. And honestly, I feel like it informs the music too. Like, the

main hobbies inform the side hobbies and vice-versa.

AUSTIN: I’m in school right now for film. That works the muscle a little bit differently. It’s nice to be kind of stuck in a thing for so long and then come to band rehearsal and switch over. Then you approach things differently and that’s where the cool stuff comes out.

What drives your creativity?

UNA: I think, for me, it’s the idea. I actually got this because one time I was lamenting in my car while driving Austin home, saying, “I hate making music right now” or this or that. He just reminded me that the point of it is for it to be fun. And of course, that comes with the disclaimer that not everybody has that privilege. Some people are doing creative stuff for their career and it can’t always be fun. But that has always stuck with me. If it’s not feeling fun, it’s fine to take a step back and not feel guilty about that. Loosen yourself from the timelines that you have given yourself. I also find that when I do that, creativity always automatically flows a little more freely. I’m no stranger to burn out so I’m aware of that — kind of how gym bros always talk about that rest period — it’s just as important as the working out period. I feel like that’s genuinely true for art as well. It’s the not-doing that also informs the doing.

Are there any specific influences that inspire your art?

UNA: I’m a really big fan of a lot of silly ‘90s bands. I really like Pavement. I really like this band called Polvo. We’re big fans, I think at least a few of us are, of this band called Spirit of the Beehive who’s like a more contemporary, kind of noisy psychedelic band. I think they were a really big influence in terms of feeling like I want to make something that sounds like this. There have been a lot of bands that have been really huge for that. The Toronto band, Slurry — sometimes I get embarrassed to admit how much I like a local band because it kind of feels like I’m stalking them or something — but I really did love them. It kind of woke me up to how cool local music could be. It didn’t just have to be, I’m going to this show to see this band. It was, I know these people and I’m kind of friends with these people. They inspire me and they’re not just some random band. I can talk to them about their process.

AUSTIN: Yeah, like Black Baron and… Love Serum and The Drips are a couple Hamilton bands that were definitely big

influences, I think, for all of us. For me for sure. Also, proggy stuff. But I think it’s nice to try and challenge yourself to listen to music you normally wouldn’t, especially when you’re trying to be creative. It’s like listening to the drums in a prog song from the ‘70s: like, what are they doing and why did they make those decisions? It just helps you think in a different way.

UNA: We’re really big Ween fans.

AUSTIN: Love the Ween.

UNA: Love the Ween!

Any final words on creativity and the passion behind being a creative?

AUSTIN: It’s different for everyone. There’s no one right way to do something when you’re trying to do something creative. Everyone’s process is different and you just have to embrace whatever feels good. For us, it’s definitely a low-pressure kind of thing where we thrive but it could be different for others so — whatever works.

UNA: I would agree with that and also that it’s not a thing that doesn’t take hard work. It definitely takes a lot of effort — especially playing shows. It’s a lot of logistics and physical labour and, you know, practicing. But I will say, sometimes when you stop trying to make it work in this way you’re imagining it to, it’ll come to you sooner. I know that for a long time I felt like I didn’t know how to interact with music. Music was the first thing I loved but I found my way in visual arts sooner than I did in music. I never even really thought I’d be in a band. But I think it’s when I just gave up the dream and I was like, “ah, whatever! We’ll see what happens!” that it just… it happened. It felt easier to be creative once it felt like I got surprised by the circumstances of life and that’s been kind of fun. So, sometimes just dropping the resistance, I think, and letting things happen organically. And making friends.

SCAN TO EXPERIENCE THE POST-PUNK PARADISE OF ŽUTO, AN EMERGING HAMILTON BAND.

“

SEEING THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY. ”

CREATIVITY IS THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PAINTING OR MAKING ART, IT CAN JUST BE YOUR APPROACH TO THINGS. IT’S

PHOTO: STEVE ST. JEAN

LOVIET

WORDS BY ALYSSA LECLAIR | PHOTOS BY MIKE HIGHFIELD

FOUND SOUNDS

Draped in ’90s nostalgia, Loviet’s catchy hooks and emotional lyrics may leave you crying in the club. With pop influences mixed with indie-rock and enough pep to keep you grooving — there’s a reason Loviet’s star is shining bright. Loviet is making a name for herself, opening for impressive acts including Milky Chance, JP Cooper and Morcheeba and performing this summer at major festivals, including Lollapalooza and the Ottawa Blues Fest.

The Toronto artist’s music combines an addictive pop beat with an emotional intelligence that makes her music mean so much more, and people can’t help but connect with it. Her cinematic EP, The Nighttime Is All In The Timing (produced by Now, Now band members Cacie Dalager and Bradley Hale), is a five-track banger that Loviet describes as “lots of guitars, energy, power and mess.” And you feel that mess with relatable and cutting with lyrics like, “Always pick me up, take me home/I become the person I swore I’m not/ And it’s killing us” from her single, “Broken Lips.”

Relishing in the dichotomy between a powerful beat and an emotional lyric, Loviet’s creativity expands. Her EP is primarily concept-based and paints pictures of people we know, the people we are and the people we are afraid to be. Taking on subjects like ambition, heartbreak and self-destruction, her music incorporates a vulnerability that allows her fans to see the real her and feel seen themselves.

Having pulled inspiration from artists like The 1975, Sam Fender and Hole, Loviet makes a mark in a self-realized way.

She self-identifies as “Nirvana-meets-Coyote-Ugly,” which goes beyond the shared long blond hair connection and comes to life in her performances. Her music has a story-telling aspect that allows for an ultimate zoom-out, allowing listeners to realize the deeper meaning she’s singing about. This music is about more than just the melody and lyrics, it’s an exploration and an understanding, all encapsulated into a fulfilling sound that makes you want to just scream (in a good way. We know you know what we mean).

Next on the horizon, Loviet will release her latest conceptual EP called Little Heaven, produced by Matt Tomasi, who has worked with the likes of Ethel Cain, Nicole Dollanger and 9Million. The EP tells the story of a desolate, rundown industrial town called Little Heaven. Loviet plays the main character as the audience’s eyes and ears — a lost girl in her mid-20s who is trying to navigate life on her own. Tackling the big feelings — as is canon for Loviet — this next EP promises to explore a woman’s second coming-of-age, the one where you find yourself surrounded by an emotional landscape. Songs from Little Heaven are continually dropping throughout the summer, designed as her very own “sad girl summer sampler,” showing off a new sound that edges her into the rock world.

If you jive with bands like Weyes Blood, Lykke Li and Ethel Cain, you’ll dig Loviet.

FEELS LIKE HOME AT DINE ALONE

To describe myself as an ‘elder emo’ would be an understatement.

I was 15-years-old in the year 2000; when the post-hardcore ‘emo’ scene was in its infancy. I didn’t have snakebite piercings or wear eyeliner, but I was so into the music of that time that I could recite lyrics, list off discographies and their release dates and name the members of any band — past or present.

So needless to say, when I first walked into the Dine Alone Store located at 864 Eastern Avenue in Toronto, my eyes lit up like Charlie Bucket’s the first time he walked into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory (I guess you could say I had Bright Eyes.)

For those who don’t know the story, Dine Alone Records started as a way to give City and Colour (the solo project of Alexisonfire’s Dallas Green) a separate home from AOF, who — at the time — were signed elsewhere.

As Dine Alone President and Owner Joel Carriere tells it, “We wanted to build up City and Colour as its own brand and not a side-project.”

That goal of turning artists into their own individual brands, and the work behind it, is evident within the Dine Alone Store. Packed with exclusive items boasting the branding of

City and Colour as well as other artists such as The Dirty Nil and Bedouin Soundclash, the Dine Alone Store has a plethora of creatively curated pieces that you will not find anywhere else.

Justin Ellsworth, Director of Graphic Design and Production, says the Dine Alone team “prides itself on creating creative, limited, fan-geared exclusives.”

These aren’t just limited-edition graphic tees we’re talking about. The Store has so many original, exclusive items that they succeeded in mustering up all of my nostalgic feels. Custom pins, patches and even a cassette tape of Alexisonfire and Moneen’s classic Switcheroo album were at my fingertips. It was like being at a concert merch table in my youth — but with more flair and style!

“Whether it’s limited-edition cassettes, hand-cut vinyl lathes or traditional vinyl… we look at a few factors including physical sales history for an artist and see if their fan base supports physical media over digital,” says Ellsworth when asked how the team decides on what exclusive items to create and for which artist. “From there we come up with a creative piece that would drive people to the space as their only place to ever get that exclusive.”

I was curious how much input the artists themselves had when it came to creating these pieces, and that curiosity

SPONSORED

was put to rest by Dine Alone Graphic Designer Bree Rawn as they explained that everything is “a very collaborative process.”

As it turns out, the bands themselves aren’t left in The Middle when it comes to the creative process.

“We work closely with artists to execute their vision for creative assets — in particular album art (and packaging), merch and social media assets. Building a close creative relationship with an artist has become a crucial step in maintaining a cohesive and effective design.”

The quality in everything permeated off the walls as it was easy to see how much thought, care and creativity went into not only the space itself, but each individual piece of merchandise offered. Once a design is ready for print, the Dine Alone Store solely commits to choosing Canadian/local print production companies, always looking for the quality in the details.

“That is what sets us apart,” says Rawn.

But don’t let the Dine Alone Store exclusives fool you;

this record store is not exclusive to Dine Alone artists only. Beyond the items you can find revolving around the artists signed to the label, the Dine Alone Store also offers up albums of all sorts. Including chart-toppers such as The Weeknd, Florence + the Machine and Shawn Mendes. Browsing through their vinyl selection, I was also able to find classic favourites from Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, the Rolling Stones and more.

Having wanted to open his own record store since his days working for Sam the Record Man in St. Catharines, Joel Carriere wanted to bring his past experiences of connecting with people through their personal stories about music to Dine Alone Records.

Once he amalgamated his offices in Nashville, Germany, Los Angeles and Australia into one central location in Toronto in 2015, Carriere set forth on achieving his goal.

864 Eastern Avenue houses the Dine Alone Records office, a full commercial kitchen, rooftop patio, live-recording facility and, of course, la piece de resistance: the Dine Alone Store — complete with its own event and performance space.

“In 2022, we hosted the CBC Juno Fest, which was incredible to bring artists and the music community together after being away for so long due to the pandemic. This past April we hosted our Big Rip with Indie88 featuring the Interrupters ahead of their sold out show at History,” says Marketing and Events Manager Stacey Kerslake.

Big Rip is a marketing property created by Dine Alone that will continue into the future, with several events already planned for the Store’s event space in the coming months.

“We really try to bring events into the space that give fans a unique experience that they cannot get anywhere else.”

The intimate setting, cleverly located behind an old, repurposed vintage freezer door (which I admit I forgot to close), has a full stage and beautiful lighting that left me in awe. It took me back to 2002, when I would watch Dashboard Confessional’s MTV Unplugged DVD over and over again (Dine Alone released Dashboard’s Crooked Shadows’album — what fate!)

Flexibility is the name of the game at the Store. Artists have been able to use the inspiring space for everything: from hosting the Pixies for a live radio show to being the locale of choice where Alexisonfire wrote their most recent album, Otherness.

Thus far, the Toronto community — both general and within the music and arts community — have been loving it.

“Music fans, industry colleagues and artists alike have appreciated the attention to detail — our love of creating a welcoming environment and the uniqueness of the space,” says Carriere.

“Once, Ian Astbury of The Cult spent a day here just because he loved the atmosphere,” says Carriere. “It’s just a rad spot, rooted in music and good vibes.”

Within the Store’s first year, although only open for special events to start, it was named the Independent Record Store of the Year at the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards.

What does the future have in store for the Dine Alone, well, Store?

“We are always trying to connect the Toronto community and music and we do this through hosting a variety of events and contests out of our store,” says Kerslake. “We are in the midst of planning a community initiative for August, where customers can come in and shop our store but also explore locally made products from local vendors. And, as always, we will participate in Record Store Day Black Friday this November.”

The team behind the Dine Alone Store seem like they are just getting started when it comes to creative initiatives and, with time, more opportunities arise — not just for the brand but for the artists and the community.

“We are always looking to collaborate with other artists and brands to create cool and unique experiences. You never know what events could pop-up at our space!” Kerslake says.

With my hands full of gear — hats, tees and vinyl — I drove home with that feeling from my youth; ironically a feeling that never gets old, like I had just left a concert that I knew I would never forget.

Trust me when I say that after one visit to the Dine Alone Store, you will want to Tell All Your Friends.

“We’re proud of what we have been able to build here,” says Carriere.

To get the latest updates on all Store activities, you can follow them @dinealonestore on Instagram or visit their website at dinealonestore.com and sign up for their mailing list.

You can find the Dine Alone Store at 864 Eastern Avenue in the east-end of Toronto. They are open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Music lovers can shop in-store and online, with in-store pick-up available. Be sure to check out some of the latest record releases from Dine Alone Records artists City and Colour, Dirty Nil, Black Lungs, AVIV and Bedouin Soundclash.

ONCE, IAN ASTBURY OF THE CULT SPENT A DAY HERE JUST BECAUSE HE LOVED THE ATMOSPHERE. IT’S JUST A RAD SPOT, ROOTED IN MUSIC AND GOOD VIBES.

- JOEL CARRIERE, DINE ALONE PRESIDENT & OWNER

CODE: CREATIVITY10

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COLLECTIVE ARTS

COLLECTIVE LAGER

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Say hello to our new Collective Lager. We kept this one simple: clean and super easy drinking with a crisp, dry finish. Brewed using high quality, premium malt and hops, this crushable lager is the ultimate crowd pleaser. Bring to your band practice, a backyard hang or wherever you enjoy the simple things in life.

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For this IPA, Cudi said it best: Up Up & Away. We predominantly made use of Galaxy Hops while keeping the body smooth and crushable. We added some Galaxy Spectrum for a well-rounded intergalactic experience, bringing delicious hits of fruit into the dry hop. Perfect for sipping and contemplating life’s big questions.

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Bonjourno! Sicilian Lemon Gose — have you heard of a more beautiful thing? Refreshing and balanced tartness are the hallmarks of this beer. With a hint of coriander, which brings out the citrus character of the Sicilian lemon, this beer is a bit more aromatic and less tart than a regular lemon. Think sipping limoncello with a spritz — sign us up!

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ART: DANIEL KAPITAN

ART: RODRIGO QUINTANA

ART: AMBER VITTORIA

COLLECTIVE ARTS ARTISANAL DRY

Crisp and vivid, our Artisanal Dry Gin has been crafted in small batches with juniper berries and our unique, house-made botanical blend. Fresh notes of lemon, lime and orange peel keep the gin bright, while our spice blend adds complexity and depth.

ART: MORGAN SORENSEN

COLLECTIVE ARTS LAVENDER AND JUNIPER

Beautifully blue, our Lavender & Juniper Gin is blended with unique herbs like heather, lavender and chamomile. With just a touch of bergamot and sweet almond, this gin finishes dry on the palate.

ART: LUCAS BEAUFORT

COLLECTIVE ARTS

RHUBARB AND HIBISCUS

Delightfully bright, our Rhubarb & Hibiscus Gin was created with a whimsical blend of botanicals. Like the first bite of an orange, it’s juicy and floral, complemented by fresh citrus and botanicals that leave a tart, warm ginger finish on the palate.

ART: MARIO CARPE

COLLECTIVE ARTS

MAPLE SYRUP BARREL-AGED RUM

We finish our four-year-old Venezuelan dark rum in the same bourbon barrels we use to age our maple syrup. And it delivers. Fall into the warm embrace of vanilla and maple with a hint of oaky, sweet character. This rum, designed with a spicy finish and smooth balance, makes for the perfect companion to a cocktail or can be sipped neat.

COLLECTIVE ARTS WHITE PORT BARREL-AGED

RYE

Our White Port Barrel-Aged Rye glows with a rich amber colour and emits warming notes of peppered spice, oak and candied apple. This three-yearold rye has been aged for an additional year in white port barrels, which helped round out its sweet and warm features, adding hints of orange peel and dates on the finish.

ART: JESS MUDGETT

ART: DAREN THOMAS MAGEE

CHERRY WHISKEY SOUR WITH CHERRY, MAPLE SYRUP & LIME

ART: CHARLOTTE MOFFAT

CITRUS GIN COLLINS WITH GRAPEFRUIT, LEMON & THYME

ART: SHELINA PACHAI

PASSION MOJITO WITH PINEAPPLE, PASSION FRUIT & MINT

ART: COCO SPENCER

COCKTAILS

TEQUILA PALOMA

WITH ORANGE & GRAPEFRUIT

ART: SOFIA BONELLI

LEMON SQUEEZY

SPARKLING VODKA LEMONADE

ART: DANIELA ROCHA

SANGRIA SPRITZ WITH RED WINE

ART: HEIDI BERTON

VISIT AND EXPLORE OUR LATEST MURAL PROJECT FEATURING EMILY MAY ROSE, BRUNO SMOKY, JIEUN KIM X ANDY FRIESEN, BRIANNE BURNELL, ROBERT PATTERSON, AVRIL WU & MORE.

COLLECTIVE ARTS TORONTO

777 DUNDAS ST W. TORONTO

MIDDAY MULE

ZERO PROOF COCKTAIL 0%

ART: HELVETICA BLANC

MELLOW MOJITO

ZERO PROOF COCKTAIL 0%

ART: SHALACK POKEY

PERPETUAL PALOMA

ZERO PROOF COCKTAIL 0%

ART: SEB NIARK

NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER & COCKTAILS

HAZY PALE ALE

NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER 0.4%

ART: GIGO ELMOSELHI

IPA

NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER 0.4%

ART: GIGO ELMOSELHI

EMERALD STOUT

NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER 0.4%

ART: GIGO ELMOSELHI

CREATIVITY DELIVERED

WORDS BY JUSTIN FAUTEUX | PHOTO BY STEVE ST. JEAN

Over the past three years, we’ve built one of the fastest, most reliable, most badass craft beverage delivery services. Beer, cocktails, spirits, non-alc drinks, merch and more are brought right to your door, usually in mere hours (depending on where you live). We deliver everywhere in Ontario, with express service — including same-day delivery — to Hamilton, the GTA, Niagara, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and London. Just shop online, and we’ll take it from there.

Now, of course, we’ve had an online store for years. But we’d be willing to bet that until March of 2020, you never even thought about having beer delivered to your door (unless you go WAY back to the dial-a-bottle days). What could have happened in March 2020 to suddenly make home delivery such a big part of our lives? Tiger King, sourdough starters, happy hours over Zoom, any of this ringing a bell?

Yeah, you’ve probably guessed; our Doorstep Delivery program was born when the pandemic hit, and we had to find new, creative ways to get our beverages into people’s fridges. Our team worked incredibly quickly to build the service from scratch in mere days, and on March 18, 2020, we made our first home deliveries.

Our sales reps, who could no longer go from bar to bar, became delivery drivers (or “Beer Santas,” as our CEO Matt liked to call them). Our Hamilton taproom staff packed up online orders. And, as the service became increasingly

popular, nearly every person on our team was helping to collect orders and make deliveries.

We didn’t stop there, and our delivery program continued to grow. Nowadays, when you place an order, you’ll get text-message updates every step of the way until one of our art-wrapped vans pulls up to your place and one of our drivers steps out with your order, carefully packed in our unmistakable boxes featuring art by Italy’s Raul33.

As you’d expect, you can order our entire lineup of beer, spirits, canned cocktails, sparkling botanical waters, non-alcoholic beers and cocktails and merch right to your door. But have you ever been sipping one of our beers and thought, “damn, the art on this can would look great on my wall”? Well, good news! You can also order high-quality prints of your favourite pieces from our art series, which arrive in just a few days.

Next time you’re having friends over and forgot to hit the LCBO, or you don’t feel like lugging a bunch of cans home, take out your phone and hit up our online store; all the craft bevies you need are just a few taps away.

Shop now at collectiveartscreativity.com and use the code DRINKCREATIVELY for free shipping on your next order.

One use per customer. Expires December 31, 2023.

CODE: DRINKCREATIVELY

USE CODE FOR FREE SHIPPING ON YOUR NEXT ORDER. ONE USE PER CUSTOMER, EXPIRES DEC 31, 2023. COLLECTIVEARTSCREATIVITY.COM

MIXOLOGY MATT

PHOTOS BY STEVE ST. JEAN | ART BY TIMMY DRIFT

COCKTAILS WITH

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz COLLECTIVE ARTS

RHUBARB HIBISCUS GIN

1 oz ST.GERMAIN

1 oz LEMON JUICE

0.5 oz SIMPLE SYRUP

2 DROPS OF COLLECTIVE ARTS

LEMON ROSEMARY BITTERS

2 DROPS OF MS.BETTER COCKTAIL FOAMER

GIN & GERMAIN SOUR

COMBINE ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS INTO A COCKTAIL SHAKER.

DRY SHAKE FIRST, ADD ICE, THEN WET SHAKE FOR 10-15 SECONDS. DOUBLE STRAIN INTO A CHILLED COUP GLASS AND ADD 3 DROPS OF ANGOSTURA BITTERS.

WITH A COCKTAIL PICK, RUN THROUGH THE DROPS TO CREATE HEARTS.

COLLECTIVE ARTS SPACES

WORDS BY ALYSSA LECLAIR | PHOTOS BY MIKE HIGHFIELD

HAMILTON

207 BURLINGTON ST E HAMILTON, ON

Your ride to Collective Arts Hamilton may seem like a trip through an industrial area of the city, but amongst the residential North End and the abrupt beginning of factories nestles our Mothership.

Covered in art from artists who live all over the world (Cone The Weird, Ola Volo, Werc, Bruno Smoky and Shalak Attack), its an immediate draw to Craft Beer lovers who love a good time and who want to see where the magic happens.

Inside the walls of our brewery, where the brewers are hard at work and the can line is buzzing, you’ll find a Taproom full of even more art, good times and a gallery wall with bottles from our first ever Art Series! Grab a pint and enjoy the vibes or a 6-pack to go, the choice is yours.

Then, head to the Beergarden & Beer Hall boasting an event space with a huge capacity, wicked acoustics and a badass patio covered in even MORE art by Brianne Burnell and a mural amongst the barrels inside by Jordan War.

Concerts, Art shows, Launch Parties, Dance Parties… you name it, Collective Arts Hamilton has probably hosted it. Whether its collaborating with Wavelength Music or hosting Fruit Salad Queer dance parties — there’s an event for everyone. Plus, exciting weekly events that keep people coming back for more.

SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR BEERGARDEN, FOOD & DRINK MENU, WEEKLY EVENTS, RETAIL STORE, BREWERY TOURS AND MORE.

TORONTO

777 DUNDAS ST W TORONTO, ON

In the neighbourhood of Dundas West, Collective Arts

Toronto’s Ola Volo mural is an immediate draw to the eye. The best part? What happens inside is even better.

If the mural-filled walls, and graffiti-tagged stairwell don’t tell you how wicked the space is, just wait until you see our events calendar. Head into the Taproom and see Toronto’s favourite raccoons by Emily May Rose and a floral dream by Gosia Komorski. From EP release parties, to your favourite Toronto cover bands, there is always some music keeping the building buzzing.

As you head down the stairs with graffiti tags from all our artists, you are greeted by a room full of kick ass art — a mural project we did with local Toronto artists. With art from Bruno Smoky, Avril Wu, Andy Friesen, Jieun Kim, Dave Setrakian, Aiden Riddell, Timmy Drift, Robert John Patterson and Brianne Burnell. This versatile space allows for every genre of art. So, whether Northern Contemporary is hanging their latest pieces on the walls or we’re having a punk show downstairs, you can’t stop the creativity from flowing.

Pair your favourite CA pint with a comfort-food-inspired menu by Dundas West’s very own Heartbreak Chef — it’s like we know how to give you the best night of your life or something. Hot eats, chilled pints and some art from the coolest Toronto artists around. We aren’t kidding around here.

SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TORONTO TAPROOM & BOTTLESHOP, WEEKLY EVENTS, FOOD & DRINK MENU, EVENT BOOKINGS AND MORE.

@COLLECTIVEARTSON

OTTAWA

9 BYWARD MARKET SQUARE, OTTAWA, ON

Check out our latest Collective Arts Pop Up Shops. Each features a bottleshop, taproom and murals by Joel

MacKenzie and Kayla Marok.

UNION STATION TORONTO

65 FRONT ST W, TORONTO, ON (LOWER CONCOURSE, AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE FOODIE AISLE)

“GOOFY” A SKATE DECK ART SHOW

FRANZ STEFANIK @FRANZSTEFANIK

SUGARBONES @SUGARBONES

JOSH EMTER @JOSHEMTERTATTOO

METALPLUSH @METALPLUSHMADE

KURT BARTLETT @AGARDENOFGHOULS

LAURA KEELING @LAURAKAYKEELING

GORD BOND @GORDBONDARTIST

CURATED BY ANDREW FRIESEN

BASKA SZOSTAK @BASKA_SZOSTAK

ANDREW FRIESEN (GOOPDUDE)

showcases a collection

decks

the creative works of fellow local artists and friends. Check out the gallery at our Collective Arts Union Station Pop-up in Toronto. Best of all, if you like what you see, this exhibit is also for sale! Cop one of these limited-edition skate decks before they’re gone.

ANDREWFRIESEN.COM @GOOPDUDE

CHRIS PEREZ @CHRISPPEREZ

PETRA MATAR @BONPETRA

GENEVIEVE LATOUR @GNARRRENEVIEVE

CAROLINE FRIESEN @THEGOODFUNCLUB

DAVID O’CONNOR @SWEEETDAVE

Andrew Friesen’s art exhibit “Goofy”

of hand-painted skate

featuring

ART GALLERY

JIEUN KIM

Who are you?

I’m June. [Laughs]

Where are you from?

I’m from Seoul, South Korea but I live in Toronto now.

What do you do?

I’m a Street Artist, Tattoo Artist, I do design, sometimes make logos… sometimes, ceramic works. I love creating.

How do you classify your style?

Oooh, my style? Bold and colourful.

What are your favourite projects to work on?

Sometimes I really enjoy doing street art, mostly because I love spray paint and I love the vibe of being outdoors doing it with other people. But, sometimes I really enjoy tattooing because it’s more personal and you get to have more of a deeper conversation with your clients because it’s a more one-on-one thing.

What is creativity to you?

Creativity is fuel for me to move forward because my life is about art. I make my living by making art. So, without creativity there won’t be anything. So, yeah — it’s my food. It’s my fuel.

Who are your favourite artists?

I really like Henri Rousseau. He’s a French artist — I also have a tattoo of one of his paintings.

For more contemporary artists… I really like all the spray artists all over Toronto. I really admire how people use the same medium that I do and create such different art.

Favourite place to find inspiration?

I guess just from nature. I like to get out sometimes, like go camping or to a cottage. We live in a really busy city, so sometimes I need some quiet time to think about my art.

Why is art important?

It gives freedom… Like, with art you can make anything. It doesn’t have to make sense, it doesn’t have to be logical. You can just create something that you feel. And not everybody feels the same about art so it’s a fun thing.

What’s your favourite Collective Arts drink?

I really like Saint of Circumstance. It was actually one of the first cans I worked on with Collective Arts!

What’s your dream project?

I always wanted to be an International artist. I’m, like, halfway there because I’m from Korea! But, I want to do more work outside of Canada. This summer I’m going to Germany for the Hands Off The Wall Festival.

Where’s your favourite mural by another artist?

I really, really like Okuda’s mural that’s on Jarvis and Carlton. It’s a huge, huge mural… It’s really, really cool.

Where’s your favourite place you’ve ever done a mural?

I really liked painting in Halifax. Not only was it a good vibe with the people around, but we also had one of the best oysters there. [Laughs]

What do you do to stay inspired?

I think collaboration with other artists. Whenever you work with other people you always learn something from them no matter how experienced you are.

RAPID FIRE

JIEUN KIM DRINKS CREATIVELY SCAN TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Step into history and creativity at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Their permanent collection is one of Canada’s finest collections, boasting artists like Colville, Haring and Carr. Embrace inspiration with studio classes, festivals, performances and artist talks. Discover art that challenges, engages and excites—perfect for creative souls seeking unique experiences.

ARTGALLERYOFHAMILTON.COM

@AT_THEAGH

FRIENDS OF COLLECTIVE

Searching for Toronto’s most decadent comfort food? The Heartbreak Chef is where it’s at. Jerome, the restaurant’s creative culinary mastermind, has brought to life everything from Big-Ass Chicken Sandwiches to dreamy Deep-fried Brussels. Try these tasty eats at Collective Arts Toronto or the Heartbreak Chef restaurant (823 Dundas St W, Toronto.)

THEHEARTBREAKCHEF.COM

@THEHEARTBREAKCHEF

Witly is the go-to agency for makers. They are a trusted partner of Collective Arts, making physical products and digital marketing tools that matter (and look fire). From merchandise and apparel to on-site creative activations, Witly has you covered. @byWitly is their house, and @WitlySupply. Co is their housebrand. Make it matter!

BYWITLY.COM

@BYWITLY

DINE ALONE STORE

Located at 864 Eastern Avenue in Toronto, the Dine Alone Store was built for music lovers. Featuring exclusive items from their stacked artist roster, the shop also carries a wide range of vinyl, apparel and more.

With its beautiful decor and live event space, the Dine Alone Store is where modern and nostalgia converge.

NORTHERN CONTEMPORARY

Northern Contemporary is a creative hub consisting of an art gallery, creative work spaces and digital print production studio owned by Emily May Rose.

In the heart of Toronto’s Roncesvalles neighbourhood in the west-end, Northern Contemporary showcases work from both local and international artists.

NORTHERNCONTEMPORARYGALLERY.COM

@NORTHERNCONTEMPORARY

ALL SORTS PRESS

All Sorts Press is a letterpress printing and design studio in Hamilton. They specialize in handcrafted luxury printed matter using early mid-century printing presses.

Custom creative work includes wedding invitations, posters, typesetting and design, stationery, prints and illustration.

ALLSORTSPRESS.COM

@ALLSORTSPRESS

ART GALLERY OF HAMILTON