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OPENING SUMMER 2012


click image to enlarge In early 2011, the Art Gallery of Hamilton was approached by the owners of 118 James Street North to be a tenant in the north unit of their ground floor. After extensive business planning and evaluation, on June 7, 2011 the Gallery’s Board of Directors approved a proposal
to open a retail store focused on high design and an event rental and performance space, subject to terms. The terms were met shortly thereafter, and the project was approved.



Click here to watch Mark Stewart, AGH Director of Commercial Activities, discuss the Design Annex (March 21, 2012).


The Motivation
The AGH is opening the Design Annex to:
  • generate revenues in support of the Gallery’s activities;
  • significantly expand the Gallery’s community profile and presence;
  • expand the AGH’s role as an accessible institution that is directly engaged with the Hamilton community;
  • provide an alternate venue for AGH programming and events that is unique in Hamilton and complementary to current AGH facilities;
  • further the Gallery’s mission of enriching and engaging the community through art.
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Design Store

Against the backdrop of a 19th-century commercial building with exposed brick, hardwood floors, a pressed tin ceiling and large windows, the Design Annex will be anchored by a storefront dedicated to design. The store will sell a fresh selection of contemporary home and office products such as furniture and lighting. It will also feature creatively designed everyday items such as those featured in the MoMA Store (the Museum of Modern Art in New York).

The store will carry product lines from respected distributors as well unique creations from Canadian artisans. Complementing the decor products will be artworks from our Art Rental + Sales Programme, which promotes the work of contemporary Canadian artists. The store at the Design Annex will work with the gift-oriented Shop at AGH to provide a compelling set of selections for shoppers.

Exhibitions

The Design Annex project space will feature experimental contemporary art installations by artists from Hamilton and abroad. Exhibition receptions, free to the public, will be held during James Street North art crawls. Projects planned for 2012 include an experimental design installation that transforms the interior, a Supercrawl community partnership exhibition in September, and an artist’s multiples show around the holiday season. This exhibition opportunity provides artists with a fresh space for the presentation of works in all media, including new media. The space welcomes Hamilton residents and visitors to engage with contemporary art in a highly visible and accessible venue in the heart of Hamilton’s James Street North arts district.

Event Rental and Performance

Event Services is one of the Gallery’s primary revenue generating activities, enabling it to continue to produce world-class exhibitions and engage the community. Currently operating out of several spaces at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the department will assume the back half of the Design Annex as a new event space, smaller than the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Pavilion.

The space has a distinctly different vibe, making it a welcome and complementary addition to the portfolio. The space will also be used in a collaborative fashion by the Gallery’s Film, Media and Special Events department, Art Rental + Sales department, and Contemporary Curatorial staff. The result of this collaboration will be a diversity of exhibitions, events, experiences and presentations such as music performances and poetry and spoken word readings.

Support the Design Annex
The Gallery would be pleased to discuss unique recognition opportunities associated with the Design Annex.

*To enquire about these opportunities, please download our Informational Package. General questions can be directed to 905.527.6610 ext. 255.



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