If we can’t picnic together, we can still picnic apart! The AGH Summer Picnic is an annual event, now in its seventh year, that began as a public celebration of the gallery’s centenary back in 2014 and has been a late July fixture ever since, drawing a community of roughly 500-plus people every year, and offering tours, … Continued
Welcome back! The AGH reopened our doors this past weekend for the first time since March, and we are thrilled to see the lovely faces of our visitors once again! We are so excited, in fact, that admission to the entire Gallery is FREE for the remainder of July. Please also note that, until further … Continued
For the past few months, we have been very excited to be part of FIELD TRIP, a new online platform delivering arts experiences from over 40 leading arts organizations across the country. From children’s programs to artist talks and workshops, the activities available on the platform are designed to advance the work of Canada’s arts … Continued
Let me begin by telling you that writing is not in my comfort zone. As a preparator at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, I am most comfortable in the exhibition and storage spaces of the AGH. You know, behind the scenes. Normally you would find me on a ladder or pulling along a grey Rubbermaid tool cart loaded with my tools of choice: levels, hammers, tape measures, maybe a pencil if you are lucky, and always razor blades. But these last few months have been somewhat different for all of us, so much … Continued
Sylvia Nickerson is a local comics artist, writer and illustrator who has received national acclaim for her stark and poignant work. This month, she began an artist residency at the AGH. Though we had planned to launch her multi-media installation, including graphic and sculptural work in our physical exhibition space in the David Braley and Nancy Gordon Sculpture Atrium, we are of course temporarily closed due to COVID-19. Nickerson has creatively adapted … Continued
We interviewed Nancy Fedorovitch, whose foundation aims to give significantly to the performing and visual arts sectors, including the Art Gallery of Hamilton. We discussed her relationship to Hamilton, the arts, and the value of supporting arts institutions in our communities. Connor: I’m curious first about your relationship to Hamilton as someone committed to supporting the arts within … Continued
Last month, REITZENSTEIN marked the conclusion of his yearlong residency at the AGH with an astonishing achievement: the completion of his thirty-foot-long tree drawing Maple (2019–20) (fig. 1). Over the past year, the artist, together with Gallery participants, steadily developed the collaborative artwork by writing rows of the word “maple” in dozens of different languages. Given the painstaking labour involved in creating Maple, Gallery visitors were often surprised to learn of its ephemerality. The work’s temporary existence is purposeful, underscoring the performative and process-oriented aspects of REITZENSTEIN’s practice. But for those lamenting that this immensely popular piece no … Continued
I want to describe a small frustration of mine that I’ve been carrying; one that I feel is worth sharing, if only because it so exquisitely wrought. During the week of March 9, I spent a chunk of time laying out an exhibition in our Upper Fischer Gallery, a space colloquially known as the Community Gallery, dedicated … Continued
Patrick was a giggler. And while this probably isn’t the right way to begin a tribute to a wonderful curator, colleague, friend, and man, it’s always the first thing that comes to mind when I think of him. And in many ways, I think it says so much about the kind of person he was. … Continued
Since the pandemic happened, I have felt very busy, but a very different kind of busy. A kind of busy where I am constantly unsure that I actually am busy. You see, while I try to continue my job in Programs and Education for this gallery, my wife works as the director of a shelter … Continued