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Guelph Arts Council

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Dedicated to advocating for, celebrating, and amplifying arts & culture in Guelph. Founded in 1975. Guelph Arts Council

10/09/2026

In September, the Guelph Arts Advocacy Alliance sent out a survey to Guelph’s municipal election candidates. 🗳️

In the survey, we asked candidates whether they would be willing to commit to several items to support arts & culture if elected. 🎨🎭

Today we’re highlighting the responses to Commitment 1: Modernize the Community Fund. 📣

The description we provided in the survey for this commitment read:

“Divide the Community Fund into two distinct streams, one for social service organizations and one for arts and culture organizations. Substantially increase the total amount of funding available through the Community Fund or its successor programs, with current funding levels at least doubled. A two-stream model, with increased funding, would better reflect each sector’s distinct role and the scale of need across our community.” 
Legend: Yes: “I support this commitment” No: “I do not support this commitment” Blank: No response received

Stay tuned for the responses to the rest of the commitments! You can also see the full responses at the link in our bio. 🔗

Note 1: Candidates’ names are ordered alphabetically by last name.

Note 2: Candidates had from September 2nd to September 30th to respond and received two reminders ahead of the deadline.

10/08/2026

Check out these great arts opportunities in the Guelph area! ⚡️🎨

Swipe through to see what's happening and visit this link to apply: https://guelpharts.ca/opportunities/

10/06/2026

Applications are now OPEN for the 2026 GAC Members' Show! Submit your work today! 🖼️

All current GAC Members are invited to submit 1-2 works for consideration. Works must be 2D, no larger than 24x36 inches (including frame, if applicable), and be ready to hang.

The Members' Show will run from early November to mid-December.

The deadline to submit work is October 25th at 11:59PM.

Visit this link for more information and to submit your work: https://guelpharts.ca/uncategorized/call-for-submissions-gac-members-show/

09/29/2026

Scenes from last week’s Yukon Gold Folk Club show at the Sally Wismer Gallery featuring Basset and Janice Lee.

Thank you to everyone who came out and made yet another show successful! 🫶🎶💐

Stay tuned to Yukon Gold Folk Club for information on future shows. 🎤

09/24/2026

Our September Arts Newsletter is here! Visit this link to read the full stories: https://guelpharts.ca/news/

09/23/2026

Applications are NOW OPEN for the 2026 Jane Graham Memorial Award and 2026 Youth Opportunities Award!

Applications for the Jane Graham Memorial Award are open to Guelph and Wellington County based visual artists for professional development opportunity funding.

Applications for the Youth Opportunities Award are open to Guelph and Wellington County based individuals and not-for-profits to initiate, enhance, or expand opportunities for youth in the arts.

The deadline to apply for both awards is November 1st, 2026 at 11:59 PM.
⁠
Learn more and apply through this link: https://guelpharts.ca/gac-awards-funds/

09/16/2026

See the art come to life! ☀️🎞️

Developed by the City of Guelph and delivered by Guelph Arts Council, Art in Real Life (Art IRL) is an annual program that supports artists in creating shared arts experiences with communities—in real time and space—across a range of mediums and modes of expression.

Selected through an open call for Expressions of Interest, Beck Stanbra (he/they) brings their distinctive artistic practice and lived connection to Guelph to the 2026 Art IRL program.

Taking place downtown during Culture Days, their project creates opportunities for community members to witness, participate in, and engage with the work in real time.

In Beck's own words: "This project uses documentary style photography as a means to showcase the unique and diverse q***r community of Guelph on a broader public scale. Through this series of “snapshots”, the line between public and private life is challenged and explored. The daily rhythms of q***r life have historically been seen as a perversion that should be kept behind closed doors. What may be seen as publicly acceptable for cisgender heterosexual individuals, would be considered unacceptable for q***r individuals and couples. This project forces a confrontation between these spheres by bringing domestic intimacy and unique lived experiences to the public sphere."

Learn more at this link: https://guelpharts.ca/programs/2026-project/

09/15/2026

Now showing at the Sally Wismer Gallery...

Counterbalance: Creative Practices of 2 Arts Organizers
Madeleine Avery & Preetam Sengupta
Curated by Lisa Fedak

September 9th – October 29th 2026

Gallery hours: Tue to Wed, 10am to 4pm

Closing Reception October 28th 6pm-8pm

Earlier this year, Guelph Arts Council put out an open call for a curator to propose and develop an exhibition featuring two artists, selected by the curator. The call suggested that the exhibition should “explore a conceptual, material, or thematic conversation between the two bodies of work, allowing meaning to emerge through proximity, contrast, and dialogue.⁠” The selected curator for this pilot project is Lisa Fedak, who selected artists Madeleine Avery and Preetam Sengupta to feature in the exhibition.

From the show essay: “This exhibition is an opportunity for Sengupta and Avery to give some attention to their own art practices. Space for making art can get lost when you have important responsibilities supporting other artists in your community. Add to that the regular demands of life. Giving these two arts organizers a limited timeline and the responsibility to create something new is a way to momentarily switch focus and get art off of the back burner. The goal is to play and explore, not worry about creating anything too polished or even finished. I sense an excitement in giving themselves permission to counterbalance the attention both Preetam Sengupta and Madeleine Avery give to their roles as arts organizers.” -Lisa Fedak, Curator

09/02/2026

It's municipal election season and we're calling on candidates to commit to supporting arts & culture! 🗳️

How can you help? 📧🔗
Visit the link below to access our email template and ask the candidates in your ward to make arts & culture a campaign priority. Once you're done, send this post to a friend!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wR_GipFJaDlgnNVd4DqACeCpRBrg-chxrx6ryWeyG30/

Why? 🏘️✨
Arts & culture activities strengthen our community, support our economy, deepen civic engagement, and contribute to quality of life, making Guelph a remarkable place to live!

08/26/2026

Calling all local businesses! We’re seeking sponsors for the Guelph Recognition of Excellence in the Arts (GRETAs)! ✨🎨🎭

Swipe to learn more or drop us a line! 💬 We’d love to chat about how your organization can get involved in the biggest day in Guelph arts!

Address

Guelph Arts Council, 22B-55 Wyndham St N (Quebec Street Shoppes)
Guelph, ON
N1H7T8

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+15198363280

Website

http://guelpharts.ca/

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