Anybody can start an amorphously titled alternative space, but what defines an alternative more than a commercial venture is the community that gathers around it. Night Gallery in Lincoln Heights manages, through spirit and vision, to gather incredible coteries of artists, musicians and other less categorizable cultural practitioners to its events. Open most weeknights after 10 p.m., Night Gallery is part clubhouse for artists knocking off work at the studio and part pretty serious gallery — one recent show included a rarely seen film from distinguished midcareer artist Jennifer Bornstein in a two-person exhibition. It's not one of those fake "pop-ups" that get a corporate sponsor for their junky urban-art pseudoprotests a week after opening, but rather a space devoted to its haphazard and self-selected community. Started by artist Davida Nemeroff and lately joined by collaborator Mieke Marple, Night Gallery has a unique down-market appeal that makes it more than just a better place to grab a beer after dark. 204 S. Ave. 19, Lincoln Heights; nightgallery.ca.

—Andrew Berardini