The AGH is thrilled to announce that we will re-open on July 22!
Featuring an extended exhibition schedule ripe with exciting work new and old, the Gallery has something to offer every visitor, whether this is your first trip ever or just your first trip back. To celebrate the occasion, Gallery admission will be FREE until August 31 during all open hours, which remain Thursday 11 am – 8 pm, Friday 11 am – 6pm, and Saturday and Sunday 11 am – 4 pm.
As we continue to navigate the ongoing public health conditions, the safety of our visitors remains our top priority. For up-to-date information about all of the safety protocols and procedures now in place, head to our COVID-19 Guidelines page.
Visitors entering the Gallery can finally enjoy the stunning works comprising our two newest exhibitions, Esmaa Mohamoud: To Play in the Face of Certain Defeat and Breaking the Vault: Art and Poetic Liberty. Each powerful in their own right, the two exhibitions offer a wide range of vital perspectives, from Mohamoud’s deconstruction of Black violence in sport to the young poets’ reflections on their existence in the world.
Esmaa Mohamoud
To Play in the Face of Certain Defeat
Aiming to re-examine understandings of contemporary Blackness, London, Ontario-born artist Esmaa Mohamoud draws on the modern industry of professional sports, which she equates with a covert form of neo-slavery. Featuring a dozen artworks considering a variety of concerns, Mohamoud examines collective and individual struggle through sculpture, photography, video, and installation.
Interested in seeing the exhibition from home? Enjoy this Virtual Tour as a preview for seeing this stunning work in person!
Breaking the Vault
Art and Poetic Liberty
The product of nine young, highly creative and energized Hamilton-based poets exploring the Gallery’s permanent Collection, Breaking the Vault brings new and vital voices to bear on the Gallery’s collection and opens out the curatorial process, while promoting and celebrating the excellent work being done by one of Hamilton’s most innovative and meaningful youth programs.
Curious to learn more about this show? Check out our series of Breaking the Vault videos highlighting the poets themselves, the works they selected, and their accompanying poetry.
Gallery Level Two
During your visit, don’t miss the chance to see some of our visitor favourites as they continue to inspire and evolve! Our incredible RBC Artist in Residence: Sylvia Nickerson has been hard at work shaping her residency exhibition throughout our closure, and cannot wait to show you all the updates.
Plus, enjoy a selection of the permanent collection favourites in The Collection and Kim Adams’s ever-popular Bruegel-Bosch Bus, celebrating its 25th anniversary at the AGH this year. You can even enjoy a Virtual Tour of the bus from the comfort of your home!
Outside the Gallery
Of course, you can still keep engaged with the AGH outside the Gallery walls! Join us for Sketchbook Summer with a different local artist at a new outdoor location across Hamilton each week for casual, creative workshops suitable for all ages.
Looking for something indoors? Kids can enjoy our Camp-in-a-Box offerings from home, youths can sign up for the AGH Youth Arts Collective, and art lovers of all ages can join us for our recurring Free Thursdays and Fridays at Four programs and tours.
Whether we see you on-site, outdoors, or online, we are so thrilled to welcome you back! As always, stay tuned to our Plan Your Visit and COVID-19 Guidelines page for further updates. Thank you all for your continued support!
Header image: Installation view of Breaking the Vault: Art and Poetic Liberty, 2021. Photo: Robert McNair
