About
artverb* is an independent artist-run business dedicated to serving the needs of Toronto’s visual arts community. We are based in downtown Toronto and cater to artists, galleries, museums and institutions.
- Specializing in local fine art transportation and installation throughout Southern Ontario
- Service delivered by friendly and uniform-wearing artists
- 20+ years of professional art handling experience
- Offering bi-weekly New York City and monthly Ottawa/Montreal shuttles from Toronto, in climate-controlled, air-ride suspension, lift gate equipped, fully alarmed, unmarked trucks
- Delivering to art fairs all across North America, including NYC, Chicago and Miami
Ryan Barrett
Founder and Owner
Ryan makes artverb*. This company is his vision. He tells everyone what to do. He likes being green. He also likes cookies. Some people know him as the mousetrap artist. Some people know him as an ultra runner. And some people know him as the boss.
Email: ryan@artverb.com
Agata Ostrowska
Operations Manager
Agata is not just an operations manager. She takes care of international logistics and oversees day-to-day operations to ensure that our clients are always happy. When not in front of the computer, she’s in her studio making art.
Email: agata@artverb.com
Sabrina Iacono
Project Coordinator
Sabrina coordinates local projects and logistics. She has a BFA in Criticism and Curatorial Practice and a background in painting and interior design. Her work experience varies from gallery administration and event coordination to freelance interior design. She’s pretty bossy.
Email: sabrina@artverb.com
Pippin
Office Dog
Pippin is still working on his Bio.
Dean Povinsky
Lead Installer and Art Handler
Dean is just a normal guy who likes movies and watching the waves lap upon the sand as the sea birds circle above waiting to scoop up the stardust falling from his gleaming hair. We’re not really sure what makes him such a nice guy but we’re pretty sure it has absolutely nothing to do with how incredibly handsome he is, or the fact that he was born in Oshawa, ON.
Mackenzie Duncan
Installer and Art Handler
Mack is an artist and art handler originally from Barrie who made his first steps into the art world as studio assistant for public sculpture installations and as an installer for shows at Georgian College and The University of Guelph where he graduated from both their art programs. He later went to work for the Clay and Glass Gallery of Canada in Kitchener Waterloo before finding his way to Toronto where he began working for artverb*.
Mack’s own artistic practice is inspired by the likes of Diana Alhadid, Vanessa Brown, Alexander Calder, and Ryan Gander. To name a few.
Obay Alrifai
Packing Manager, Installer and Art Handler
Obay is an OCADU graduate in Drawing and Painting and currently practices out of his studio in Toronto. He works with spray paint, airbrush, oil pastel, acrylics and oil paint. Obay runs a studio space in Toronto’s west-end and enjoys cooking, walking and eating.
Travis Murphy
Art Handler and Installer
Travis grew up in the quaint hamlet of Ameliasburgh, ON in what city-folk now call ‘The County’. He currently resides in Toronto’s Little Portugal neighbourhood, where he enjoys jogging, democracy, and his beloved Maple Leafs, who he’s pretty sure won the cup in the 80’s or 90’s, or something. When he grows up he hopes to wear sharp suits Like Leonard Cohen, and handle oils like Giovanni Bellini
Finnegan Hudson
Art Handler
Finn is a young artist working out of his studio located in the city’s East-End. He is a Drawing and Painting student at OCAD University, working primarily with oil paints as well as mixed media.
Steven Weliczko
Driver and Art Handler
Working in the transportation industry for almost twenty years, Steven has developed his skills in both short and long haul logistics. His experience in extreme Northern climates comes in handy during winter trips, and he values a really good latte on early morning starts. Of all the cargo he’s every transported, he thoroughly enjoys transporting art the most. Steven’s attention to the specific needs of cultural objects in transit has been his top priority and passion. When not behind the wheel, Steven enjoys sketching and painting and upping his culinary skills with cooking adventures (new tool: 2700K kitchen torch). Winters are spent growing vegetable seedlings and summers are reserved for nurturing those now-burgeoning vegetable crops. Fishing and classic video gaming round things out.
Stephen Deffet
NYC Installer and Art Handler
Stephen Deffet is an artist currently living and working in Brooklyn, New York. Stephen has shown his work internationally and directed an artist-run gallery out of his garage for two years while living in Ohio. When Stephen is not at the studio or working one of his art handling jobs he is most likely eating or sleeping.
Todd Irwin
Chicago Art Handler
Todd handles art on our Chicago shuttles. He is also a fine art printmaker and maker of zines and small publications. Otherwise he is drinking coffee at Chicago diners or hanging out with his dog Laika and cat Hot Sauce.
Todd also runs Bitmap Press and handles the design and production of all the cool artverb swag.
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