Toronto East Community Arts Program is an initiative of the Ben Navaee Gallery. By offering ongoing free visual and performing arts classes and workshops, we are hoping to help children, youth, and adults develop their visual and performing arts skills and channel their creativity. 

We started offering free classes at 29 Bellair St. in Yorkville, on Aug 2003. In 2006 we moved to the beautiful gallery at 1111 Queen St. East; it is flooded with natural light and is in the heart of Toronto's film  District / Leslieville. 

The gallery is run by Ben Navaee who is a painter and a certified yoga instructor- specialized in relaxation / meditation. His painting style is described as Ārām art, which in Sanskrit means quiet, calm, and taking rest. Ārām art is a mellow and non - expressionistic view of life's phenomena, with immaterial soothing subjects that make the body quiet and peaceful, the mind, calm and relaxed,  and the spirit, gentle and serene. Ārām art promotes positive emotions for an easy and mindful living.