Martello Alley

Martello Alley Art Gallery - Unique art, decor and craft locally made Well that alley-way adventure literally just got a lot more intriguing, and colourful!
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Martello Alley - An Artful Adventure

The labyrinth of alley-ways in downtown Kingston are like little adventures we can explore everyday - full of surprises, intrigue and history. A turn here, a stone wall there, secret little balconies with a view of a court yard or a sculpture quietly, humbly hanging above your head - these are all gems that are unique to Kingston! We are excited to introduce y

ou to "Martello Alley"! When you venture down Martello Alley at 203 B Wellington Street, prepare to have a smile that only great art and creativity can create! Reminiscent of, and inspired by La Rue du Trésor in Québec this is an adventure with an wonderfully artistic ending! We are an artist collective offering eclectic works that are sure to brighten any day. Selling original art work as well as prints, this is a space designed for any budget and any style/size of space. Our work will adorn the walls of the alley tempting you further in to stroll the court yard; a work in progress that promises to be beautifully rich with local history and seasonal landscape design. Then wind up at the atelier where you will find a gallery and artists with their works in progress to welcome you at the end. Drop by and see what's new, meet an artist and have a cup of coffee with us. We would love to meet you! Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/MartelloAlley to read up about our artists and what's happening at Martello Alley! Thank you for shopping local and supporting Kingston arts! The Artists of Martello Alley

09/05/2026

🎨 September’s Featured Artist: Meg Muirhead

We’re delighted to feature the work of Meg Muirhead throughout September at Martello Alley!

Meg is best known for her evocative encaustic mixed-media paintings, created by layering pigmented beeswax with photographs, fabrics, organic materials, oil paints and found objects. The result is beautifully textured work filled with depth and atmosphere.

Her paintings often explore water, nostalgia and peacefulness, while her popular Roadside series celebrates the rustic beauty of rural landscapes. In recent years, Meg has also expanded into large-scale acrylic paintings.

Born in Hamilton and having lived across Canada and Europe, Meg eventually settled in Kingston. Her work has gained international recognition, and in 2018 she was one of only 40 Ontario artists selected to exhibit at the Ontario Legislative Building in Toronto.

✨ Discover Meg’s work locally at Martello Alley, 203 B Wellington Street, and Martello on Brock, 66 Brock Street, in downtown Kingston.

Follow her creative journey on Instagram: Meg Muirhead

09/03/2026

Sorry for the rant, but… Kingston, WTAF?!!

This keeps happening when there are renovations downtown.

I took some photos to demonstrate that it looks like our sidewalk is blocked due to construction. This is killing our business. Most of our customers are tourists and the account for 70% of our sales. If they can’t see us then there are no sales.

So I wrote to the City of Kingston about this issue that downtown businesses face far too often: dumpsters appearing directly in front of storefronts with little or no notice.

They’re unsightly, can block visibility and make businesses harder for customers and tourists to find. In our case, this dumpster even appeared just before a photographer arrived at Martello Alley to photograph the store for an upcoming worldwide online feature about Kingston.

I suggested three simple solutions:

• Notify nearby businesses and residents in advance.
• Provide temporary directional signage so customers know businesses are still open and accessible when storefronts are blocked.
• Improve the appearance of downtown dumpsters with temporary, reusable decorative wraps.

For now, I took matters into my own hands and placed signage at the corner.

Unfortunately, the response I received from the City was discouraging. Basically, they said they don’t have the staff to notify affected businesses and that notification is the DBIA’s responsibility. I disagree. Not every downtown business falls within the DBIA boundaries, so how are those businesses supposed to be notified? And the City already notifies businesses about other initiatives that may affect them.

As for directional signage and covering dumpsters, the City says these would be too problematic. I don’t agree. The City could establish a bylaw requiring these measures when new permits are issued and circumstances warrant them.

With municipal elections coming up, now is the time to bring this issue to the forefront and have candidates look at practical solutions. We can’t simply throw up our hands and say, “There’s nothing we can do.” These are reasonable measures that would go a long way toward showing downtown businesses that the City is truly behind them.

Kingston is a tourism-oriented city, and keeping our downtown attractive and accessible benefits everyone—not just individual businesses.

09/01/2026

Comme vous le savez, Martello Alley est situé au centre-ville de Kingston. Ce que je trouve vraiment amusant, c’est que les visiteurs qui viennent du Québec nous disent souvent que notre petite boutique leur rappelle Montréal. Et ce n’est pas un hasard! 😄

Nous avons toutes sortes de souvenirs et d’objets qui, de façon parfois assez subtile… ou pas du tout! 😉, donnent l’impression d’être à Montréal sans jamais dire explicitement « ceci est Montréal ».

Ces deux dames de Montréal ont été agréablement surprises et ravies de découvrir tout cela. Et elles ont été complètement épatées par la réalité augmentée que nous utilisons ici pour donner vie à certaines de nos peintures! 🎨✨

Je suis tellement heureux de voir que Martello Alley est devenu quelque chose de bien plus grand que ce que j’avais imaginé.

Pour ceux et celles qui vivent dans la région de Kingston et qui n’ont pas encore découvert notre petite boutique, venez nous voir! Après seulement 11 ans, notre petit magasin est devenu l’une des attractions touristiques incontournables de Kingston — et, selon TripAdvisor et plusieurs autres sources, le meilleur joyau caché de l’Ontario! ❤️

📍 Venez découvrir par vous-même notre petit coin de Montréal… à Kingston! 🇨🇦❤️

08/27/2026

🎉🎶 We have some VERY exciting news to share! 🎶🎉

We are absolutely thrilled for Jackie Findlay, one of the talented artists in our collective at both Martello Alley and Martello on Brock!

Jackie just sent us this wonderful email:

“Hi David,

It’s official! Never dreamed of this when I was at The Alley last summer. It really helped to perfect my songs by playing there!

Thanks a million!”

And now we know what she was working toward! ❤️

🏆 Jackie is a 2026 InterContinental Music Awards Winner in the North America – Alternative category! Her song “Awakening” was selected among the finalists in this year’s competition. (InterContinental Music Awards⁠)

The InterContinental Music Awards celebrate exceptional independent artists from around the world, recognizing excellence in songwriting, performance, production and innovation across a wide range of musical genres and cultures. The 2026 awards also introduced new categories recognizing Rising Stars (Youth) and AI Music.

We couldn’t be happier for Jackie. It is especially meaningful to know that performing at Martello Alley last summer helped her develop and perfect her songs.

This is exactly what we love about being a local artist collective — giving talented local creators a place to share their work, connect with people and grow.

Congratulations, Jackie! We are so proud of you! 🎶❤️🏆

And who knows… maybe a little bit of that Martello Alley magic helped along the way! 😉
Kingston Kingston

08/19/2026

🎸 Yes, we have some Tragically Hip merchandise at Martello Alley! 🇨🇦

If you’re a Hip fan—or just love a little piece of Canadian music history—we’ve got some fun Tragically Hip-inspired goodies, including keychains, fridge magnets, stickers, prints and more.

And there’s something especially fitting about finding Hip-related art right here in Kingston, the hometown of The Tragically Hip.

The band formed in Kingston in 1984, with all five original members attending the same high school. From those early days in Kingston, they went on to become one of the most beloved and influential Canadian bands of all time. Their music became woven into the fabric of Canadian life, and their legacy was cemented by their remarkable final tour and the emotional 2016 hometown concert. (The Hip Gift Shop⁠)

But here’s the Martello Alley twist: our Tragically Hip merchandise is created by local artists and makers. ❤️

That’s what we’re all about. Martello Alley is a locally owned, independent gallery and shop in downtown Kingston, and everything we sell is made by local artists and artisans. When you buy something here, you’re not just taking home a souvenir—you’re helping support the creative people who live and work in our community.

We have hundreds of unique pieces of locally made art, gifts, souvenirs, prints, jewellery, pottery, woodwork and so much more. And, of course, you never quite know what you’re going to discover when you wander down our little French-inspired alley!

📍 Martello Alley
203 B Wellington Street, Kingston
🕙 Open almost every day, 10 AM–5 PM

Come have a look, discover some local talent, and maybe take home a little piece of Kingston—and a little bit of The Hip—with you.

Because, as Kingston knows better than most, some music never really leaves us. 🎶❤️

ShopLocal SupportLocalArtists MadeInKingston CanadianMusic LocalArt KingstonArtists OntarioMade

08/18/2026

Well, that’s another painting sold with the help of Augify! 🎨📱

A customer was impressed by how some of the paintings in our stores can literally “come to life” when scanned with the free Augify app. She asked if I could animate my painting “La Bataille” — and told me that if I could, she would buy it.

So… I animated it, and she bought it! 😄

That makes SIX paintings sold in just over two weeks that were animated using Augify. And honestly, I’m becoming a pretty big fan of this technology.

Augify is a Montréal-developed augmented reality app that lets you scan artwork, products and other images and add animation and interactive digital content to them. It’s free to download and use, and customers can simply scan participating artwork with their phone to see something they wouldn’t normally see hanging on a wall.

We’ve been experimenting with it at Martello Alley and Martello on Brock, and it’s turning the shopping experience into something much more interactive and memorable.

If you’re an artist, gallery owner, retailer, restaurateur, museum, tourism operator, or really any business owner…

Why are you NOT using Augify? 🤔

I have no financial interest in Augify. I’m just experimenting with it, and so far, I’m pretty impressed with what it can do.

And apparently, so are our customers! 😁

KingstonOntario ShopLocal MadeInCanada CanadianArt ArtAndTechnology

08/16/2026

✨ Experience Martello Alley in a Whole New Way with Augmented Reality! ✨

We’ve been experimenting with something pretty amazing at Martello Alley—and now you can experience it for yourself! 📱🎨

We’ve added Augmented Reality (AR) to our stores using the Augify app. With the app on your iPhone or Android device, you can simply log in as a guest, scan selected artwork, and watch it come to life right in front of you! 🤯

And we’re not stopping there…

🚀 Coming soon: We’ll be adding AR experiences that bring the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s Montreal themes of our store to life too!

Best of all, Augify is completely FREE to use.

So, before you visit us, why not download the app and log in as a guest? That way, you’ll be ready to explore our artwork and discover the extra layers of our gallery experience when you arrive.

📲 Download Augify:
• Find the link in our Instagram bio
• Or search “Augify” in the App Store or Google Play Store

Come see what happens when art comes to life! 🎨✨

Kingston LocalArt MadeInKingston ArtGallery HiddenGem VisitKingston OntarioTravel ExperienceKingston

08/10/2026

🎭 WHAT A WONDERFUL VISIT FROM “WHO IS ESTHER”! 🎶✨

A couple of days ago, we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming the cast of Who Is Esther to Martello Alley, where they treated us—and our unsuspecting visitors—to a little taste of their show!

And what a treat it was! ❤️

The cast brought so much energy, talent and enthusiasm to our courtyard. Our visitors loved it, and so did we! It was one of those spontaneous Martello Alley moments that makes you realize just how much incredible talent is happening right here in Kingston.

Who Is Esther is part of Kingston’s Kick & Push Festival and is a new urban musical by Randall Craig.

Meet Esther, a modern-day heroine who inspires people to believe that each person can make a difference.

And guess what? There are still performances coming up! 🎭

📅 Show Dates:
• August 10 — 1:45 PM
• August 14 — 7:00 PM
• August 15 — 12:45 PM
• August 16 — 5:45 PM

📍 Rehearsal Hall, Room 203
Tett Centre
370 King St. W., Kingston

If you’re looking for something different, entertaining and inspiring to do in Kingston, GO SEE THIS SHOW!

🎟️ Buy your tickets and come out to support these wonderful and talented performers. They certainly made our day at Martello Alley!

👉 Tickets & information: The Kick & Push Festival – Who Is Esther⁠

And who knows… maybe they’ll come back and perform for us again! 😉🎶

MartelloAlley SupportLocalArtists LiveTheatre KingstonArts DowntownKingston
Kingston Kingston

08/10/2026

APOLOGIES- I left out the clip showing Lucy’s painting Fred & Ethel on Brock Street.
So here is the amended video.

🎨 WAIT… DID THAT PAINTING JUST MOVE?! 👀

Yes! Something pretty exciting is happening at Martello Alley — we’re bringing artwork to life with Augmented Reality! 🤯

Download the FREE Augify app, log in as a guest, scan selected pieces throughout the gallery… and watch what happens!

🐝 A bee flies and buzzes right out of Rosanna Salter’s artwork.

🐉 A dragon in Elaine Burke’s new painting flaps its wings and breathes fire! 🔥

🪿 Lucy Carvalho DeSousa’s Canada geese stroll around Market Square.

🦝 Karen Leggo’s raccoon family looks around as if they’re searching for trouble.

🏒 Two of my paintings come to life with kids playing King of the Castle and having a snowball fight. ❄️

🍷 And outside in the courtyard, one of my painted screens has a wine bottle that actually pours wine into the glass!

This is just the beginning. We’re having WAY too much fun bringing art to life — and it adds a whole new dimension to the gallery experience.

Come try it yourself! Download Augify, scan the artwork and see what happens. 📱✨

📍 Martello Alley — 203 Wellington Street, Kingston
🕙 Open daily 10–5

Come see the art… and watch it come alive! 👀🎨

08/10/2026

🎨 WAIT… DID THAT PAINTING JUST MOVE?! 👀

Yes! Something pretty exciting is happening at Martello Alley — we’re bringing artwork to life with Augmented Reality! 🤯

Download the FREE Augify app, log in as a guest, scan selected pieces throughout the gallery… and watch what happens!

🐝 A bee flies and buzzes right out of Rosanna Salter’s artwork.

🐉 A dragon in Elaine Burke’s new painting flaps its wings and breathes fire! 🔥

🪿 Lucy Carvalho DeSousa’s Canada geese stroll around Market Square.

🦝 Karen Leggo’s raccoon family looks around as if they’re searching for trouble.

🏒 Two of my paintings come to life with kids playing King of the Castle and having a snowball fight. ❄️

🍷 And outside in the courtyard, one of my painted screens has a wine bottle that actually pours wine into the glass!

This is just the beginning. We’re having WAY too much fun bringing art to life — and it adds a whole new dimension to the gallery experience.

Come try it yourself! Download Augify, scan the artwork and see what happens. 📱✨

📍 Martello Alley — 203 Wellington Street, Kingston
🕙 Open daily 10–5

Come see the art… and watch it come alive! 👀🎨

Address

203 B Wellington Street
Kingston, ON
K7K2Y6

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+16137672966

Website

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