Behind the Business

Immersive Art and Community Impact: The Precious Julius Story

• Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce • Season 3 • Episode 12

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Precious Julius, founder of Last Minute Gallery, is transforming how Waterloo Region experiences art. What began as a passion project has grown into a vibrant, award-winning platform that celebrates emerging artists, fosters collaboration, and brings art directly into the community through immersive, hands-on events.

In this episode, Precious shares the journey of building Last Minute Gallery, the inspiration behind The Art Experience, and how he connects artists with audiences in meaningful ways. From winning the 2025 Small Business Awards Event Impact Award to navigating the evolving arts landscape, he offers an insider’s perspective on running a creative business with purpose and impact.

Let’s go “Behind the Business” with Precious Julius.

Get a look Behind the Business in Waterloo Region with Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Ian McLean:

Welcome to another episode of Behind the Business, presented by Gore Mutual. I'm your host, Ian McLean, President and CEO of the Greater Kitchen Waterdoo Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is recorded on the traditional territory of the neutral Anichinabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. Each week I sit down for candid conversations where we go beyond the boardroom and behind the business to uncover the real stories of Waterdoo Region's business community. Today we're talking with Precious Julius, the founder of Last Minute Gallery. What started as a small passion project has grown into an award-winning, dynamic platform that is reshaping the art scene in Waterloo Region. Precious creates immersive, hands-on experiences where audiences don't just view art, they actively participate, collaborate, and leave their mark. Events like the art experience that showcases emerging artists and builds strong connections with the community. In this episode, we'll hear about his journey from concept to award-winning event impact, the lessons learned along the way, and how creativity can be a powerful driver for community. Join me as we go behind the business with Precious Julius. Well, it's a pleasure to have you here with us today, Precious. Thanks so much for spending time with us.

Precious Julius:

Absolutely. It's my pleasure to be here today. I'm looking forward to our conversation.

Ian McLean:

Well, let's start at the beginning. And what sort of inspired you to step full-time into the arts and and uh and create last-minute gallery? What was it that got you um headed in that direction?

Precious Julius:

Yeah, absolutely. So um growing up as a child, I've always loved art. I've been passionate about arts. However, growing up in an African home, quite different, right? And the noble path that you're supposed to take on is either you become a doctor, an engineer, or a lawyer, right? And so telling my parents that I wanted to do art and be an artist wasn't really accepted, right? It was frowned upon. Like you have to get a job, you have to make money. And those paths seemed like the most likely path they're gonna give you what you need, right? So I decided to, okay, listen to my parents, and I got a bachelor's degree in applied health information science. And my dream was to be a medical doctor, but I decided to put that on the side while I focused on my passion for creating. I did work uh in the corporate world for some time. I worked as a customer service representative. I did uh a little bit of tech support as well as sales. Kudos to those that are in sales because that was that was a tough one for me. But one thing I realized was that all of that experience has actually shaped me to be who I am today as an entrepreneur because it helped me with building relationships in terms of also communicating, right? So while working in the corporate world, I also was doing my work on the side, like my paintings. And so a friend of mine advised me to put myself out there. Let me be let me be more visible so that people can also see my work and portray it. So I was kind of skeptical about it because I believe every artist, when they create, they don't create with the intention of selling at first. They just want to create just for the love of creating. But I decided to put myself out there. So I applied to a few galleries, I got rejected, but I was able to sell my work at a few art markets and I sold my first painting for the first time. It was an amazing experience. And in that moment, I realized that our region does not have a significant platform that actually give emerging artists the opportunity to sell. Because most traditional galleries, they're packed with so many artists. Well, we want to get into that space. So they rarely take on new artists. And with my rejection, I realized that no, we need to do something about this. We need to make my art more accessible to those that are still starting up, right? Because that's how you build your career as an artist. So I spoke to a few artists as well, and they shared the same sentiment. Yeah, art needs to be accessible.

Ian McLean:

So Last Minute Gallery is one from a passion project, right? We talked about that, and but it's into an award-winning arts platform. So describe what that means. Tell us about the art experience and what makes it so impactful for both the artist and the audience, right? Because it is a it's a different model than you said. It's a different model than a traditional, you know, artist in a gallery concept. So describe how how that what that looks like.

Precious Julius:

Yeah, so the the first event we had was in 2023. So the idea was that we're gonna bring artists all in one space where they can exhibit their work and at the same time also have members from the community also engage in the experience. Because I believe everyone has the power to create. We're all created to create. But because of the business and the responsibilities that we have, we tend to put that aside. And some people say, Oh, I can do that, I can create, right? So the idea was that while at the same time giving artists the visibility to showcase and also meet more people from the community, let's also give the attendees, the participants, the an opportunity to also express themselves, right? Let's try to break down that barrier of, oh, I'm not good enough with this work. And that was how Last Minute Gallery was created. So the the art experience is an immersive event where people from our community come together to collaborate, to paint together, while there's also a live music performance going on, and at the same time, a live exhibition from the artists that we select from our rosters.

Ian McLean:

And that is different, the the live experience of or the art, or you say the art experience, but a group together, right? That it's not the solitary. Sometimes you think of artists as you know, they go off onto their own, and this is more a group experience. Yeah. Music, either seeing or understanding others' art and then creating something yourself in a group environment.

Precious Julius:

Yes, yes. It's just where creativity can thrive because we need that. And studies show there's a correlation between mental health and the arts. So when people create, they spend more time in their meditative state. They don't have to think about the problems around. And that was why we decided to do that. Because whenever we are in a room where other people are creating, it brings up that creative aspect of ourselves as well.

Ian McLean:

Well, there's no question, there'd be an energy. Listen, Last Minute Gallery is known for pop-up exhibitions and partnerships with everyday spaces, so it's not traditional gallery spaces. I mean, you can pop up in whether it's a mall or or other spaces. Walk us through the business model because I'm interested in the, you know, one of the challenges that that the art sector has is it's it is a really tough business model. Yeah, from how does the revenue come in? Probably not enough on the earned revenue side, which is which makes it tough to be sustainable. Yeah. But walk us through the business model that you've created and how you bring these events to life.

Precious Julius:

Our business model is uh founded on different, I'll call it streams. Like we didn't want to operate as a traditional gallery where we have a physical location and then just showcase art, right? Because that's, like you said, it's expensive to maintain. So we decided that okay, the best way is to collaborate with local businesses in our region where we meet with them, we collaborate with them, and we use their walls, their spaces to showcase art. And then we have a bi-weekly roster where different artists can come in and showcase their work. That way they get more access to a broader audience of people. We also draw traction for the small business and also help the artists with more visibility, right? And part of that model is also through our events, our annual events where we bring more artists through that. And currently we're trying to also scale so that we don't want to just limit our the opportunities to only events and pop-ups, right? And with the introduction of AI, we're trying to leverage technology so that we on and we're also thinking on how we can give artists more access and also visibility using AI. And that is what we're currently working on. So we're we're growing. We just we're over two years now, so we're growing. So we are we're looking forward to what the future holds.

Ian McLean:

So you work with a wide range of both artists, sponsors, partners, businesses. You've got a you've got that that's that's a wide wide array of folks.

Precious Julius:

Yeah.

Ian McLean:

How do you balance the creative vision with the practical side? Now this is always a struggle. So you talk about you know, your passion is art, yeah, but you've created a new business. There's there's no two-way for any business. You still gotta pay the tax man and you gotta pay the bills and you know, staff and you know, whatever your whatever your cost of doing business is. Um, you still have to do both sides of that. So how do you how do you balance the the creative vision and the that part which you're I love, uh the practical side of doing the nitty-gritty of running a business like last minute gallery. And and and what does that taught you uh about yourself as a leader? Like, like you know, how do you how do you you have to balance that? How do you how do you and you you're the leader, you're the one that's got to give that vision and yeah and get all those things done.

Precious Julius:

Yeah, so it's tough as an entrepreneur, it's tough. I it wasn't some what I was it wasn't what I thought it would be. I thought entrepreneurship was just to have a product, sell it, and make money and then you're financially free, right? Yeah, but from a creative standpoint, I try to do what I can do. I I leverage on my strength, and what I'm not able to do, I try to delegate to my other members of my team. For instance, the I'm responsible for securing the partnerships, the sponsorships, and also like putting out the grant applications for funding, right? That's what I'm good at, that is my strength. But when it comes to the marketing, the logistics, and other operational aspects, I try to delegate that to other team members who are good in that area because for every vision to work, you need people to ensure that it's successful. And you need to have the right team members to make it successful. And if you can do it all by yourself, right? So I try to delegate that. And looking at that from a leadership perspective, I would say I'm more of a leader who likes to give room to other ideas, right? Other people who share their ideas on how we can push this vision forward because I don't know it all, right? I also try to maintain a work-life balance, although that is a myth.

Ian McLean:

Yeah, yeah. I'm not sure that that's ever achievable for if you own a small business or you're an entrepreneur, but but uh struggling towards it is an important thing. I mean, I guess one of the things that strikes me is in you know, for for any of us, we have some strengths and some things that we're better at than other things. Like I can read a balance sheet, I could probably you know do the finances if you gave me a long runway and I made a lot of mistakes, but I could do it. But it's it's not what I like doing. I'm not, I'm not, I have to work hard at it and it feels like work. Yeah, some of the other parts are like this. Some people may go, I don't I why I love having this. Is this something that energizes me having these conversations, but it's not for everybody. So you gotta build on your own, on your own strengths.

Precious Julius:

Yeah, exactly.

Ian McLean:

The Behind the Business podcast is made possible through the support of our title sponsor, Gore Mutual. Proudly Canadian, Gore Mutual has stayed true to one purpose for more than 185 years: insurance that does good. It's the reason they exist. They believe that when we focus on being good, doing good, and spreading good, we all thrive together. We're grateful for their continued commitment to our local communities and the positive impact they make every day. For more information, visit goremutual.ca. So Waterloo Region is known for innovation and collaboration and kind of a mosaic, a cultural mosaic that we're a very, you know, frankly, a very diverse community. But what makes this region special for you and for Last Minute Gallery? Like, is there something unique about Waterloo Region and where you said, I think I've got this vision, I think this is the place I want to do it? Because, you know, I you could have said, you know, the the place for me to really do this would be to go to Toronto or Vancouver or Montreal, which are the biggest cities, and they are by their very nature, there is just more of everything in those big cities. But Waterloo Region, you chose Waterloo Region, why here?

Precious Julius:

Well, I've literally lived here for quite a bit now, and one thing I've realized is that there are always people who are available to help you, who are willing to help you. You can, if you literally want to go to a grocery store and you call someone, oh, please, I need your help. Could you take me to the grocery store? And someone's, oh yeah, sure, we can do it together. And that is one thing that is so unique about the region because it's the spirit of collaboration. Everyone is willing to help you. And in business, collaboration is very important because you can't do business alone, right? Like I said, every great vision needs people, and you have to be out there too. So share your vision, share with people who are in the community who are willing to help you, right? And that is one thing I realized about the region because so many people who who even when I went to pitch at different organizations, and we didn't win those pitches, right? We didn't get the grants. However, after the event, people would approach me and be like, Oh, I love your vision. I would like to invest as a private donor, right? Those kind of things. You would rarely see those kind of things outside the region. And that was why I decided that you know what. And also, Waterloo Region is a growing region, so we need more artistic and cultural engagement that remains unmet. So, with this initiative, the art experience, that is what we tried, that is what we are trying to bring into our region so that we can make Waterloo Region a global hub for art.

Ian McLean:

Now you made that uh some version of that comment in your um remarks because you were award winner at our BDC Small Business Awards Gala a week or two ago. I don't know, I've lost track of the calendar, but recently. Yeah. And and I think you looked you looked resplendent in your in your uh in Nigerian uh uh cellar uh ceremonial dress. It was fantastic, and we were talking just before we started, I have some family roots in in Nigeria, so it was great to see. So but winning the the Event Impact Award at the 2025 Small Business Awards, what does the recognition mean for you and your team and and how do you think it will impact, you know, presumably positively for the rest of the local arts community? Like recognizing the impact that you've had in not only art space but also as an ongoing business is something to celebrate.

Precious Julius:

Yeah, absolutely. And uh thank you very much. Uh because in all honesty, I wasn't expecting the award, right? So when it was announced, I was overwhelmed with joy. I was like, wow, this means that our vision has been accepted by the community, right? And it means we're doing something tangible, something significant. And not just for me personally, but also to our team. It shows that all the hard work, all the sleepless nights that we had to put into the project to ensure that it's a success actually bore fruit. And the the award has a significant impact in our community because it shows that the region also appreciates the arts, right? And they don't see art just as a form of entertainment, but a form of uh community building. It gives vitality to our community. So this will also strengthen the arts in the community and also give momentum to other art organizations that yes, it is possible that the arts needs to be more accessible and also make our region like the best place where investors can come, specifically just to invest in the arts.

Ian McLean:

I think it's a very good point. I mean, you know, again, I think this community was probably, even when I was younger, and I've been here since 1971, it was probably more diverse than people would have imagined. At first, you say, well, it's just men and you know Mennonites and and a and a very homogeneous. Yeah, but it's always had you know big Portuguese community, and there have been there have been cultural um uh you know pockets of of different communities, and it certainly is now a very um, you know, there's a rich tapestry of of people from all over the world here. And so we're seeing more of the whether it's the KW community or the uh multicultural um festival, and you see that every passing day is that there is just more of everything in it. You don't have to look far to see that there's a there's a there's a little bit of the rest of the world in in Waterloo Region. Every everything is here. Yeah, last Minute Gallery Thrives. I mean, we talked about this a little bit so on the collaboration. I mean that that's that's what the almost feels like the secret sauce is that collaboration. Yeah, what can the community do or local business do to support that work, the work that you're doing, and help the merging artists who you know need support to succeed in the region? So what can business and the community do to support it?

Precious Julius:

I think there's so many there's so many ways the community can support as well as businesses. I believe first is creating more opportunities by having more spaces where art is made accessible, right? Because one of the major issues that even myself, while we're planning the events, we realized that there are not a lot of spaces where we can have events outside Victoria Park Pavilion, which is, I believe, is one of the big, bigger spaces. So if we could have more spaces where we can host these events and bring more artists, that would be beautiful, right? And second of all, more collaborations between local businesses and art organizations, right? We need investments, and I think that is one area that is significantly lacking in the art industry funding, right? And where sometimes when we apply for grants, we don't get the full amount most of the time because there's so many other organizations applying at the same time, so it's hard to fund everyone, right? So if other businesses could also want to invest, it's gonna go away. And I think fine the third one would be people like you and I supporting other artists directly, right? Buying their work, because you'll be surprised if you ask a few people from the community that, oh, do you know who the emerging artists in your community are? Not a lot of people would know them, right? Yeah, so it's if we want to really push the art forward, we need to engage with these artists, we need to support them, whichever way, like the festive season is coming right now, Christmas, right? You can buy a gift for a friend, an art piece for your friend. So I I believe those are the little ways that one could also help.

Ian McLean:

So the city of Kitchener was just at the uh at the State of the City uh address, and and obviously being here in Kitchener, is rolling out a new arts and culture plan this year. Yeah. How do you see that plan benefiting grassroots initiatives like Last Minute Gallery? Um, and what opportunities do you think they have tried to embed in the in the new plan um to support or encourage um the emerging artists in in uh in 2025 and beyond?

Precious Julius:

The plan I believe it's a great initiative. It's really gonna boost the the art sector in terms of funding. Now more organizations will be able to have access to funds, which would also help them, like for ourselves, get the help our event to be better, to serve more artists, because over the years, if you follow our progress, we've not been able to showcase beyond a certain number of artists because of limited funding. Now, with this uh plan, we will I believe it's gonna give us more access to funds so that we can expand our reach to have more artists, and then that way we can compensate artists for their work. Right? And and it will also, I believe it will also help in building spaces in the region to make um some unutilized spaces more accessible. And also I think it would also help artists in the sense that they could get public art commissions where they can have more public uh projects commissioned to specific artists, and then artists get paid for their work. I think it's a great initiative.

Ian McLean:

Okay, um, we're almost out of time. So uh just before we wrap up, um, what's next for Last Minute Gallery? You you've got you've got you've doing all kinds of interesting things, but what are the any exciting projects or partnerships or expansions planned for the rest of this year as we come into Christmas and beyond?

Precious Julius:

Um yeah, we do have some exciting projects coming up, especially for the Art Experience 2026. We're working towards that for next summer. And and but our main focus right now is to scale and to find more ways that we could be of service to our community and Canada and beyond. So we are trying, we're looking into the use of AI and how we can build a system where artists in our region and not just our region alone across Canada can reach other audiences globally. So that is what we are currently building, and it's quite exciting. I'm looking forward to it.

Ian McLean:

Well, AI is in the top of everyone's uh tongue these days, but uh I think that's a that's a wise move, is that there seems to be a lot of opportunity to be um more efficient and effective and and and get that that reach that you're looking for. Yeah. Listen, uh at the end of uh each of these episodes, I ask a few rapid fire questions, and it's the same questions I ask everybody. Okay. Um, and it's really the the podcast is about your entrepreneurship and sort of your successes in business in the community for all of the people I interview, but it's also about leadership. It's uh you know some of the questions that underlie that. And so I asked the same set of questions because it's always fascinating to me how people interpret and how they kind of respond to these questions. So um, if I could if you could go back and tell your younger self something, what would it be?

Precious Julius:

I would say know who you are, know who you are, know your gifts, know your strength, and then refine that gift and serve it to your generation because that is where your prosperity lies.

Ian McLean:

I like that. Um, who or what has inspired you most along the way? My family.

Precious Julius:

Yeah, they've they've been amazing. Like, because I I I came to Canada alone. Yeah. I went to school, I went through all the emotions of school, yeah. But they've always been there for me. So my family, 100%.

Ian McLean:

Uh, if you weren't doing what you're doing now, uh in your current career, what would you what do you think you'd be doing instead?

Precious Julius:

Playing football.

Ian McLean:

Really? No, uh American football or real football? Real football, real soccer. Okay, sorry. Well, that's waiting. I always have to I just came back from Australia and every time football came up, I said they're not talking about the football I played, they're talking about real football. Yeah. Um what book are you reading, or are you watching a podcast? Uh what do you what do you listen to to kind of give your brain a break?

Precious Julius:

Yeah, I I have a curious mind, and there's a saying, there's a quote that says that leaders are readers. So I love to read abroad.

Ian McLean:

That's a good one. Leaders are readers.

Precious Julius:

Yeah, I like to read a broad range of work. I I'm currently reading We Who Wrestle With God by Jordan Peterson. It's a great book, it explores our nature with uh God and humanity. And for podcasts, I enjoy listening to Jay Shetty on purpose. And also I love to listen to because I have spiritual mentors like Mans Monroe and uh a preacher from Nigeria. His name is uh Apostle Joshua Joshua Selman. I enjoy listening to his teaching, so those are the kind of things that keep my mind engaged. Yeah.

Ian McLean:

Okay, and what's one of your favorite local businesses here in Waterloo Region? Where do you where do you go? Where's your go-to?

Precious Julius:

Oh, uh for oil ice cream.

Ian McLean:

Oh, so a joy was in the kitchener or the Waterloo one? In Kitchener. In Kitchener?

Precious Julius:

Yeah. My friend introduced me to it, and ever since then I've never stopped.

Ian McLean:

Oh, it's the best. My my girl, I've got all kinds of empty jars that need to go back periodically from the girls because they uh they get their uh their ice cream there. That's a good one. Yeah, okay. Um if if anyone wants to be in touch uh with you, what's the best place for the anyone watching or listening to connect with you or learn more about the work that you're doing?

Precious Julius:

Uh you so they can reach out on social media, Last Minute Gallery Gallery, and on our website, last minute gallery.com.

Ian McLean:

Well, thank you so much for spending time with us today. I know one of the I always say this, but it's so true, is one of the most precious commodities uh for someone like you, precious, is time. And uh so thank you for spending some of your time with us and sharing your story. Really appreciate it.

Precious Julius:

Thank you so much. It was a pleasure being here.

Ian McLean:

Thank you for joining us for another episode of Behind the Business, proudly presented by Gore Mutual, insurance that does good. New episodes drop every Thursday, so be sure to tune in next week. You can also visit greater kwchamber.com to catch up on past episodes anytime. We'll see you next time as we continue to go behind the business.

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Ian McLean

Host
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Precious Julius

Guest