One recent trend I've noticed lately is the preponderance of galleries in this city opening up at the base of new condo developments. We've seen it on West Queen West in the form of places like Walnut Gallery and Mittica , and as of this Friday we'll be able to add another one to this list - Meta Gallery in the Distillery District .

Found just west of Cafe Uno , Meta Gallery will bring something new to the neighbourhood with its exhibits showcasing a dynamic group of emerging, mid-career and internationally established artists working in sculpture, painting and photography.

To learn more about the gallery, keep reading for my Q&A with Meta Gallery founder Jody Polishchuk.

Why did you decide to create Meta Gallery?

Meta Gallery is a way for me to share with others the experiences I've had with the art that I show. Being exposed to this work made me realize the potential that art has to leave a real profound imprint on people lives, not in a casual way, but in a deeply significant way. And to evolve the careers of these unbelievably amazing artists who often go unnoticed in the mainstream art world is a deeply rewarding experience

Why did you decide to open it in the Distillery District ? How does it mesh/compare with other galleries in the area?

I decided to open in the Distillery for a few reasons. I feels like it has huge potential for growth, as well as being devoted to becoming a nexus for art and culture in the city. It's something that I felt like I wanted to be a part of, an artistic community where the galleries support each other and are in turn supported by the people who visit them.

In terms of how we compare to other galleries, my intention is to be unique in showing work that's new to people. To bring a fresh perspective on art to Toronto. To maybe expand people's paradigm of what art can be and to attract people to the gallery, and by virtue of that, expose them to the other galleries in the Distillery which also show some amazing work in their own right

What sort of artists will you be featuring?

Meta Gallery represents a small group of artists who create work with the intention of inspiring some sort of transformative experience within the viewer. Its a lofty expectation, to leave a piece of artwork feeling moved in a deep and authentic way. But one that many of these artists strive towards.

So much art these days is created to engage the mind, but lost in the sea of conceptualism is the experience of actually feeling. Not specifically feeling good, or feeling bad, but just feeling. Standing in front of a piece of artwork and actually having an emotional experience is something that is unfortunately becoming more and more rare. It's important to remember that feeling is what the history of the "art experience" is actually rooted in.

I see you have shows already planned through June 2009. Is there one you're particularly looking forward to?

There are many, but two shows that I'm really looking forward to are Dean Chamberlain's exhibit of unbelievable photographic light paintings which opens on October 17th, as well as Kris Kuksi's first solo exhibition in Canada, scheduled to open on May 15th. His work is AMAZING! It really needs to be seen to be believed.