High art: Banksy and Warhol works to adorn Toronto pot shop

Jeff Lagerquist Yahoo Finance Canada June 15, 2020

The Tokyo Smoke store at 21 Bloor St. E. 

A downtown Toronto cannabis store is featuring works by famed British street artist Banksy and American pop art icon Andy Warhol.

The Tokyo Smoke location at 21 Bloor St. E is owned by Toronto-based filmmaker Rob Heydon.

The art from Heydon’s private collection will include “never-before-seen in Canada” pieces by Banksy, as wells some of the artist’s most celebrated works. The store will also feature pieces from other “disruptive artists,” including Andy Warhol, as part of a permanent exhibit.

“In these strange times, it felt fitting to allow customers to browse, shop and learn about cannabis while enjoying some art, while waiting patiently as we practise social distancing,” Heydon stated in a news release on Monday.

Tokyo Smoke, a brand owned by cannabis giant Canopy Growth (WEED.TO)(CGC), currently has five stores open throughout the city.

This new location is steps from one of Toronto’s poshest shopping districts, dubbed the “Mink Mile” for its concentration of luxury brands like Hermes and Prada. Cannabis retailer Fire & Flower (FAF.TO) has been renting pricy retail space on the same stretch of Bloor Street for a store that has yet to open due to regulatory delays.