This artist is recreating tiny versions of now-shuttered Toronto music venues

The doors don't open at these music venues, but even if they did,you wouldn't fit inside.

That's because these versions of The Silver Dollar Room, Koolhaus and the Orbit Room are miniaturesof the historic live music venues that once hosted some of Toronto's most funconcerts.

Carpenter Andrew Smith, 72,began recreating the former venuesout of plywood and paint during the COVID-19 pandemic and found them to spark some creativity he said he hadn't felt in years.

You can see how he goes about making the miniatures in the video above.

Smith's now built 19 venues, and said all have two things in common: live music was played there, and they are no longer in business

His work, which he said has tapped into a "vein of nostalgia,"is gaining online attention and some are on display in the window of an east-end art gallery.The name of his show: TorontoLost Music City,is a tribute tobars that are now silent and a poke in the eye of the city's claim that it is still alive music hub.

The Orbit Room

Toronto band The Dextersusedto frequent the Orbit Room a College Street venue that hosted livemusic from a wide range ofgenres for 26years before it closed in 2020 to the point that it felt like home.

So Lou Pomanti,the band's founder,was stunned when he saw Smith's miniature venue.

"It was so exact that I thought it was just a photo of the front door," he said.

"What a great way to keep that immortal."