As a downtown business owner, it’s easy to see the benefits of shopping local. Whenever we sell ?original art and gift items created by local?, Canadian artists and companies, we see that money going into their pockets; real pockets of real people who are eager ?to re-invest in their own communities by supporting local health, arts, and sports initiatives. … Read more
Over the past 22 years The Avant-Garden Shop has been building up a wide collection of Canadian Made items. As much as possible, we will support local and Canadian artists because this supports our local economy and community. When you shop locally and purchase Canadian made items, we are then able to donate to the … Read more
artFrom coffee and clothing to fabrics and original arts and craft works, you may be noticing more and more products on store shelves (ours, anyway) that are marked as “fair trade” items. So, what does fair trade mean? Fair Trade Explained The best way to define fair trade is as a movement seeking social, economic … Read more
~ In our October 2024 newsletter, we introduced a new series featuring Canadian-made items and local artists to highlight what we offer that big-box multi-national stores and online distributors do not. What follows is one example of how giving your money to local businesses goes a long way in keeping our community prosperous. ~ … Read more
You won’t find any empty wall space at Avant-Garden shop! These walls are packed with beautiful Canadian made wall art. These are all quality made pieces, most of which are powder coated and won’t rust if you want to hang them outdoors. New pieces arrived recently but they don’t last long so come have a … Read more
Messy Moose socks! These socks are super fun for kids of ages 6 months to 4 years! The bottoms have rubber anti-slip treads so your little runners don’t slide all over the floors. Lots of new designs just came in! We also have lots of great toys and tools to get your kids outside … Read more
In this week’s episode Brenda is highlighting some new products that recently arrived at the shop! The first is by an artist named Kathy from Cookstown Ontario. Kathy fuses glass together by cutting, layering and melting it at high temperatures. These sweet little birds on wood bases make a great gift or addition to your … Read more
We had a lot of fun recently going to Dog Bite Steel in Uxbridge to pick out some new pieces! The shelves are now overloaded with these unique pieces made with recycled oil and propane tanks. J.P Schoss designs, cuts, and welds everything by hand and his wife Brenda paints them! Come down to … Read more
We pride ourselves on supporting Canadian artists, including six – four from Ontario and two from B.C. – who make beautiful outdoor wall art made from high-quality metal. Some designs are intended to rust, while others are powder-coated steel so they won’t. Metallic Evolution Based out of Guelph, John and Heather have been designing and … Read more
Once again The Avant-Garden Shop will be hosting artisans at their shop throughout the spring and summer. Starting May 6th and going until the end of August, artists can book a FREE space in front of the shop to show and sell their work. The work needs to be somewhat related to the theme of … Read more