ArtPlusTax Printing Shop

I started Art+Tax in 2017, alongside my two friends and colleagues. It was an initiative with a mission to facilitate  opportunities for artists to not only showcase their work through gallery shows and other public forums, but also to sell their work and support themselves through and with their art. Initially the focus of effort was on producing events, but there were certainly plans to expand into other avenues to serve the art and creative community further. 


Naturally, obstacles were numerous mostly to do with various resources, or lack thereof. One of which was accessible, reliable and quality prints for shows as well as sale. 


Printers often prioritized bigger, sometimes corporate projects over ours. Paper, ink and printer qualities varied in price and availability, making top quality an often impossible option - especially for small projects and independent artists. Selection of papers often didn’t prioritize art specifically.


Throughout 2020, as Covid took over, I started to hear about the challenges artists were facing in producing prints - it’s hard to find professional, affordable resources and it doesn’t sit right with me that this is an issue. 


I’m a solution-driven person, so I thought now would be a great time to open a printing shop! I want to address the constraints artists experience and help to bring their work to the people while creating a stream of income for themselves.


I’m in a rare space to develop this intentionally and we all need a little beauty in 2021. Having access to a printer that serves the independent artist community would support artists with sales and much-deserved profit, especially in a time when we can’t (currently) gather to enjoy/interact with art together.


While I’ll have services that cater to the specific needs of artists, services will range to accommodate:

    •    artists and photographers 

    •    creatives requiring print media

    •    small businesses who need to print small quantities

    •    architects

    •    writers, authors and poets



Currently, I’m fundraising for equipment. I will keep an updated list of equipment and supply items here (coming soon!). Transparency matters to me. 


TIMELINE: Artists need to develop streams of income ASAP. If my community can raise these funds by April 30th, 2021 - we can open shop and begin taking orders by Summer 2021.


About me, Jamila Amarah: I’m a 30-something art enthusiast and collector with a keen sense of aesthetics. I consider myself a purveyor of culture - having lived in Toronto my entire life. I’ve seen so many of our incredible moments in this city from club flyers to fine art. Having witnessed how the culture has shifted, grown and received global recognition, I’m ABOUT community. My mission is to contribute to this ecosystem - serving my community solutions and assisting in building our resources.