Canada's Art Gallery of Hamilton gets federal funding for expansion that will double its exhibition space

"The Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH), located around 90 minutes down the road from Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario, revealed at a press conference Tuesday (20 January) that it will be the recipient of nearly C$1m ($684,000) in funding from the department of Canadian heritage's Cultural Spaces Fund, money that is earmarked for the expansion of the more than century-old gallery."

"According to the local outlet , the AGH's exhibition space will increase by 70% thanks to the addition of a 745-sq.-m gallery. As many as 300,000 visitors are anticipated annually once the expansion is complete. (For comparison, Canada's most-visited museum, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, had just over 1.1 million visitors in 2024 according to The Art Newspaper's most recent analysis of attendance figures.)"

""The Art Gallery of Hamilton is a source of pride for our city and a place where people come together to experience art and culture," Hepfner said in a statement. "This investment is an important step toward creating a more innovative, inclusive and accessible space for everyone in our community. I am thrilled to see this project move forward and know it will benefit Canadians for years to come.""

The Art Gallery of Hamilton is located around 90 minutes from Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario and serves as the largest art museum in the region. The gallery will receive nearly C$1 million from the department of Canadian heritage's Cultural Spaces Fund to expand the more than century-old institution. The expansion will add a 745-sq.-m gallery and increase exhibition space by 70%. Projected annual visitors after the expansion are as many as 300,000. The AGH's permanent collection numbers around 10,000 objects and is recognised among Canada's finest. Local MPs Lisa Hepfner, Aslam Rana and John-Paul Danko attended the announcement alongside Hamilton mayor Andrea Horwath. Shelley Falconer has been president and chief executive since 2014.

Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events