Ontario Association of Art Galleries


The Ontario Association of Art Galleries was established in 1968 to encourage development of public art galleries, art museums, community galleries and related visual arts organizations in Ontario, Canada. It was incorporated in Ontario in 1970, and registered as a charitable organization. It is a successor organization to the Southern Ontario Gallery Group founded in 1947, renamed the Art Institute of Ontario in 1952. The association runs courses and workshops and provides assistance to art galleries in areas such as conservation and arranging exhibitions. Most member galleries participate in a reciprocal admissions program, where membership of one gallery gives admission to the others. The organization provides a liaison between galleries and the Ontario Arts Council.
Demetra Christakos is the executive director. Mary Misner, Stuart Reid, and Michael Burtch have served as President of the association and Heather Fullerton is on the Board of Directors.

Awards

Since 1988 the Association has hosted an annual juried and peer-assessed award show in celebration of outstanding achievement, artistic merit, and excellence in arts institutions and professionals in the public art gallery sector. The Awards recognize new exhibitions, publications, programs and community engagements that have been produced and commissioned by Ontario's public galleries throughout the past year. There are eleven categories for artistic merit and excellence:
OAAG's membership consists of over 270 art museums, public art galleries, artist-run centres, visual arts organizations, professional colleagues, and friends across Ontario, including: