Bunz Trading Zone, Toronto’s ingenious bartering community with nearly 40,000 strong, held a group art show for art-loving bunz last week at Queen West’s Northern Contemporary gallery.

It was exciting to interact with real life bunz and check out the range of work on display.

Founded by Emily Frances Bitze, we love Bunz Trading Zone for many reasons, but above all, it is the impressive community spirit within this group that has captured our hearts. Yes, there are countless trades for tokens and tall cans, and seeing people post photos of their 90s Troll Dolls or VHS porn collection is amusing, but what really distinguishes it is the genuine hunger for civic engagement and activism. The Bunz community, both online and offline, is quickly evolving to become Toronto’s most promising network for change. If you want something done in this city, you’re better off taking it to Bunz than to city hall.

In such a positive creative space, cool art grows naturally and thrives.