The Spaza Art Gallery in Troyeville has evolved from a home to an alternative space where artists can work, collaborate and display their art. The gallery has, since 1992, been the modest home of artist Drew Lindsay."I was working on about a dozen rural art projects in the mid-90s," says Lindsay, "and I met many artists who wanted to break into the Joburg art scene but found the city quite daunting - they just needed a friendly art space."Lindsay was that soft-landing for artists. Soon, their works, and his own, were spilling out from the studio into the passage, other rooms and the garden. Lindsay's home became the Spaza Art Gallery.Visiting it is like being in on a delicious secret.In the garden are giant sculptures by the late David Roussouw. His rusted metal imaginaries are towering mobiles of whimsy and wonder.For a long time Winston Luthuli's angels also stood sentinel at Spaza, until Luthuli found his own space further down the road.Most recently the iTemba Tower was erected in the garden as a permanent installation.The community art project was guided by artist r1. It's seen 7000 recycled cool-drink bottles being wrapped around an unused cellphone mast that extends 20m skywards. Inside each bottle is a personal message of hope and a little solar-powered lightbulb so the tower flickers with light after darkness falls.Says r1: "This project will strengthen the community of downtown Johannesburg, support the livelihood of informal waste collectors and raise awareness about recycling."This 20m-high monument will become a symbol of inspiration and a beacon of light."Lindsay's work has always been about collaboration with community.His art is spread across the city, including his mosaics under the Joe Slovo Bridge and his involvement with the statue of the miner in downtown Joburg.He was behind the alternative Joburg map created in the early 2000s that showcased offbeat treasures and opportunities in the city.Spaza was also where Rastafarian DJ Sanza regularly cooked up a vegetarian Sunday lunch with seasonal, pan-African ingredients, long before hipsters annexed the trend."Spaza is about a comfortable space for people to enjoy art, to start thinking about collecting art, or just chilling," Lindsay says.He's already looking to the arrival of spring and anticipating what sunshine in his secret garden can do for art, community and creative openness.Spaza Art Gallery is at 19 Wilhelmina Street, Troyeville. Visit its Facebook page for details and upcoming events...