Art Gallery of Guelph
The Art Gallery of Guelph (AGG) is one of Canada’s premier public art galleries. AGG features art by Guelph’s leading visual artists and brings national and international art to Guelph. Through an innovative program that makes contemporary visual culture accessible, AGG engages the public, challenges the artistic and academic communities, and positions art in an ever-changing cultural landscape.
AGG (formerly Macdonald Stewart Art Centre) was established in 1978 through a provincial act as a not-for-profit charitable organization. AGG operates today with three sponsors: University of Guelph, City of Guelph, and the Upper Grand District School Board. With fundamental support from The Ontario Trillium Foundation, AGG undertook a major construction project in Summer 2015 that included the restoration of the historical porch, the replacement of the adjacent sewer laterals, and the reconstruction of the barrier-free accessibility ramp at the north entrance to the building.
The art collections at AGG have grown from 150 works in 1978 to more than 9,000 in 2015. The gallery houses two collections: the AGG Collection of contemporary Canadian and international art, and the University of Guelph Collection of Canadian and international art since the 15th century. Keystone Group of Seven paintings The Drive (circa 1916) by Tom Thomson and Morning Light, Lake Superior (circa 1927) by Lawren Harris, each originally purchased for the bargain basement price of $500, are among the most valuable and beloved works in the historical collections at AGG. The Sculpture Park at AGG is the largest sculpture park at a public gallery in Canada, which features 38 permanently sited sculptures by prominent Guelph, Canadian, and international artists.
Getting there
Art Gallery of Guelph
358 Gordon Street
Guelph, Ontario
Elora Centre for the Arts
The Elora Centre for the Arts is located in a restored, three-story limestone school building in one of Ontario’s most picturesque villages. The facility is envisioned as a home for contemporary art, providing educative opportunities, transformational opportunities and interpretive possibilities for all ages and instilling life-long learning through the arts.
The Elora Centre for the Arts hosted the exhibits curated by the winners of the First and Second Middlebrook Prizes.