5 Famous Art Galleries in Hamilton

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Looking for an art gallery in Hamilton is one easy task as this city is quite famous for its support of different forms of art. Hamilton sometimes also called “Steeltown” owing to its industrial roots is a famous port city in the Canadian province of Ontario which has time and again proven to be a good tourist attraction place. Today, we will talk about the most famous art gallery in Hamilton.

Art Gallery of Hamilton

The Art Gallery of Hamilton, also generally called AGH is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main building of this art museum covers an area of 7000 square meters and lies on King Street West in downtown Hamilton.

The art museum’s splendid building was mapped out by Trevor D. Garwood-Jones. AGH is considered the largest and oldest art gallery in Southwestern Ontario. Since, June 1914, AGH has been a major source of entertainment and education for the gentry of Hamilton.

The permanent collection of this art gallery runs over 10000 works by various artists hailing from Canada and overseas. The museum organizes regular local and traveling exhibitions for the display of works from its collection.

1.1. Art Collections

The Art Gallery of Hamilton has one of the finest art collections in Canada owing to its 10,000 artworks and +100 years in the making. The most important fact about this art museum is that around 12 percent ( as of 2018) of the total artworks are by female artists.

The permanent collection of AGH is divided into three sections- the Canadian Collection, the Contemporary Art Collection, and the International Collection.

1.1.1. Canadian Collection

This section of the AGH owns works from Canada including works of indigenous Canadian artists.

A house to various iconic works such as Alex Colville’s Horse and Train, William Kurelek’s This is the Nemesis and William Blair Bruce’s Phantom Hunter.

1.1.2. Contemporary Art Collection

The contemporary collections include works of contemporary artists from all across the world despite their national identity.

The work ranges from media including photography, paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, videos, and various new media.

Some of the famous works are We Run in Packs by DaveandJenn, Clown D’amsterdam by Karel Appel, and Red by Barbara Astman, and to know more of these you need to visit the Art Gallery of Hamilton!

1.1.3. International Collection

The works by the non-Canadian artist are kept in this section of the art gallery. The non-Canadians are mostly European artists from the Baroque till the Post-Impressionism period.

The International Collection exhibits works from the last five centuries and showcases great holding of historical American, Asian, African, and European art, with a particular emphasis on Dutch, French, Italian, and British schools.

Some of the notable works include Toklihili: The Young Indian Princess by Sophie Anderson, The Painter in his Studio by Walter Richard Sickert, Stein, and Press by John Sloan, and again I’m saying the same thing, visit the gallery to explore more of these amazing works.

If you want to know about more art galleries thriving in the city of Hamilton read the article further.

1.2. Things To Know

Before visiting a place there are a few things one must know. Let’s start with parking, street parking is available at AGH and is accessible from Monday to Friday starting at 8 am till 6 pm. It costs $1.50 per hour.

With the breathtaking display of artwork, AGH also puts forward family and public activities, school programs, festival programming, educational activities, performances, and summer camps for adults and kids.

There are many other attractions at the Art Gallery of Hamilton apart from the amazing artwork such as Lester Coloma Masquerade, In Movement: Training Sessions for Freedom Fighters, beading courses, exhibition tours, Artist’s Digitalization Opportunity, Storytime in the gallery ( especially for the entertainment of children), Good Body Feel moves, Mindful drawing, to know more of these visit their official website.

If you get lucky enough to find a way to become involved with the Art Gallery of Hamilton by being a volunteer, donor, or member it will be really helpful to coordinate your further visits to AGH.

You must know that the staff of the Art Gallery of Hamilton is very respectful and kind. They try to create a welcoming space for visitors where they can enjoy and relax to the fullest and feel safe and secure at the same time.

The gallery manifests in maintaining conversations during tours and exhibitions to encourage individuals and promote education.

Of course, before visiting any public place you got to know about the opening and closing hours. Below mentioned is the necessary information regarding the timings.

1.3. Hours

  • Tours Monday  Closed
  • Tips for Families Tuesday  Closed
  • School Programs Wednesday  Closed
  • Accessibility Thursday 11 am – 9 pm 
  • Gallery Guidelines Friday 11 am – 6 pm
    Saturday 11 am – 5 pm
  • AGH Shop Sunday 11 am – 5 pm

Speaking of special holidays, the Art Gallery of Hamilton opens from 11 am to 5 pm on Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, August Civic Holiday, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving.

The gallery remains closed on Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year.

So, plan your visit accordingly.

If you wish to explore more art galleries in Hamilton read the article further to know more about them.

Located in Banko Media and stuffed with works by early and mid-Canadian artists, this old Nathaniel Hughson Art Gallery building with its spectacular architecture and interior is an eye-catching spot for old-school people.

This gallery will be worth your time and money, so do save a visit for it whenever you are in town.

3. The Pearl Company

Located at Steven Street, Hamilton, this two-story art gallery emphasizes more on presenting various forms of artwork. Apart from the gallery space, the center is home to performance spaces, event rooms, and rehearsal spaces. The atmosphere of the center is very pleasant and cool which will refresh your mind.

Adding to the milieu, the chair, sofas, and couches just revitalize your soul along with the soft music in the background. The small intimate concerts hosted by the gallery are a cherry on top. Try not to miss it!

Josh Tiessen Studio Gallery

Josh Tiessen Studio Gallery is a private art gallery located on King Street East, Hamilton. If you are a fan of Josh Tiessen, the renowned international award-winning animal artist, and want to gaze at his works in a more personal way, this art studio is the best place for your little rendezvous that you have been planning with your art enthusiast.

Keep in mind that you can only make a visit by appointment on any day from Tuesday to Saturday.

For eight consecutive years, this Josh Tiessen Studio Gallery has been voted number one in the region by Hamilton Community News Readers’ Choice. Tight your belts before you see him in person and get ready to know all about his work.

5. Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts

Hamilton conservatory for the arts

The Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts is located on James Street South, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This is a three-in-one place where music, dance, and visual arts, all could exist, amalgamate, and thrive together.

Initially, it was opened under the name of Royal Hamilton College of Music in 1897 by C.L.M. Harris but due to some severe financial reasons, it was shut down, later on, the building of the Royal Hamilton College of Music was purchased by Vitek Wincza which re-opened as Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts.

This art faculty offers over 100 art courses to people of all ages and is immensely dedicated to providing art education to those interested all across Hamilton. Their event calendar marks up various art activities like HCA Piano Concert Series, HCA Art Gallery, And HCA Dance Theatre along with other events all around the year.

 Afterword

The value of art galleries is fathomless. They struggle to maintain the equilibrium among all forms of art and race in the quest to perpetuate and demonstrate the outstanding works of significant artists from all over the globe.

Art galleries strive to not only inspire people with the help of artworks but they also create an enigma which we carry throughout our lives. It allows the human mind to build conflicting opinions and look at the outside world with a new perspective.

Don’t let the chance of visiting an art gallery slip off your hands, grab the opportunity and make the best out of it. Happy visit!

Last Updated on by Sanjana

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