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.
The AGH is already the largest art museum in the region—Hamilton is the fifth-largest city in the province of Ontario and the tenth-largest in all of Canada—and its permanent collection, which numbers around 10,000 objects, is recognised as among the finest in Canada.
According to the local outlet CHCH, 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.)
On hand for the announcement were a handful of local MPs, headed by Lisa Hepfner, who chairs the standing committee on Canadian heritage in parliament. Also attending were fellow MPs Aslam Rana and John-Paul Danko. Hamilton mayor Andrea Horwath joined the federal representatives for the announcement.
“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 Photo by MeganAGH, via Wikimedia Commons
The AGH’s president and chief executive Shelley Falconer, who has held the position since 2014, touched on what was to come for the gallery.
“This funding launches the first phase of a major expansion for the AGH, focusing on the procurement of an architectural firm that will generate schematic drawings,” Falconer said in a statement. “Our plans will include a new main entrance on Main Street, as well as the creation of a new gallery dedicated to capturing Hamilton’s important history as one of Canada’s leading industrial centres.”
The city has long been nicknamed “Steeltown”, though in recent years the area has become a major centre for the research and investment sectors. It has also attracted many former residents of Toronto due to its relatively affordable housing.
In fact, Falconer noted that the gallery is exploring, in conjunction with City Housing Hamilton, the possibility of adding housing to the expanded AGH campus.
“We are excited at the opportunity to include housing in the gallery’s plans, inclusive of affordable housing that supports the creative industries and workforce,” Falconer said. “This made-in-Hamilton solution would be a first of its kind in Canada.”
