The art galleries along and adjacent to Supercrawl’s festival corridor offer a vibrant and varied cross-section of Hamilton’s creative life.
Art Gallery of Hamilton
123 King St. W.
Founded in 1914, the Art Gallery of Hamilton is the oldest and largest art museum in southwestern Ontario with a permanent collection that is recognized as one of the finest in Canada. Embracing Canadian historical, international and contemporary art, the collection consists of more than 10,000 works. You can see superb pieces by Alex Colville, Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, Emily Carr, James Tissot, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Gustave Doré, Norval Morriseau, Keith Haring, Ed Burtynsky, Kim Adams or Tyler Tekatch, to name a few. The AGH lobby features a permanent installation of Lester Coloma’s Masquerade.
The Assembly
68 King St. E.
The Assembly is an artist-run gallery organized by a co-operative of professional artists that present their work on a regular basis. The Assembly is uniquely positioned to present contemporary art in Hamilton in a timely and immediate pace while contributing to larger dialogues in contemporary art today. Originally sited near James and Cannon, The Assembly moved to a space within Redchurch Cafe in early 2019.
B-SIDE
288 James St. N.
B-SIDE is a 19+ DIY art and music space located within FARSIDE on James Street North. Its curator-programmers lean toward the weird and wonderful. B-SIDE is open to experienced and amateur organizers. Organizers do not charge rental fees, take commissions or take a door percentage from art or music shows, but the space is not available for pop-ups or sales.
Centre [3] for Artistic + Social Practice
173 James St. N.
Centre [3] is an artist-run centre that is dedicated to promoting print and media arts in contemporary artistic discourse for practicing artists and the community at large. As a production, exhibition, education centre and animator of community arts, Centre [3] supports both traditional and experimental print media and media art practices. The centre encourages research and innovation and provides forums for discussion and examination of critical and theoretical issues. Centre3 supports artists in the development of their professional endeavours and acts as a resource centre for the visual and media arts community.
Gallery 4 Annex
55 York Blvd.
Hamilton Public Library’s Central branch has proudly made gallery space available to downtown customers since 1984. Gallery4 is located on the first floor of the Central Library. It has hosted a variety of artists using every medium, from all ranges of paint techniques, photography and 3D installations. Gallery 4 Annex is located on Circuit 4.0 (4th floor Central Library) and provides space for community organizations and individuals to share their works.
Good Nerd Gallery
138 James St. N.
Good Nerd Gallery is a contemporary art gallery and cultural hub rooted in curiosity and the belief that art should be experienced, discussed, challenged, and enjoyed by everyone. The gallery began as a nomadic project, presenting pop-up exhibitions and creative projects in unconventional spaces, including street art and mural initiatives. That experience shaped Good Nerd’s approach: art does not need to be confined to traditional spaces, and engaging with it should never feel exclusive or intimidating. The gallery presents emerging and mid-career artists from Hamilton and across Canada, with a focus on diverse practices, perspectives, and voices within contemporary art.
Hamilton Artists Inc.
155 James St N.
Hamilton Artists Inc. (popularly known as “The Inc.”) is committed to the presentation of contemporary art and related cultural practices. The Inc. facilitates a national dialogue surrounding issues in contemporary art through exhibitions, publications, performances, education and outreach projects. The Inc. actively engages in community arts programming and educational initiatives that represent the cultural life in Hamilton and beyond.
i fiori
140 James St N
A new gallery space at independent, artist-run flower/plant shop i fiori also showcases local artists.
Mulberry Coffeehouse Gallery
193 James St N.
Opened in a heritage building in August 2010, Mulberry Coffeehouse is well-known among locals for its organic coffee and craft beer, wine and cocktails, delicious baked goods, and homemade eats. The coffeehouses also hosts a variety of events and live music programming, and rotates exhibitions in its northernmost room.
Studio on James
126 James St. N.
Studio on James is home to artist Tara Smith, where she uses the space as a creative studio for creative expression and photographic workshops and classes for children, teens, and adults. There is always something happening at the studio, with a variety of special events such as open studios, one-day workshops, and rotating art exhibits.
Synonym
328 James St. N.
Synonym is a vibrant café bistro featuring a wine bar and locally sourced plates, plus a bookshop and a bottle shop. Prizing community engagement, the space regularly hosting public events that bring people together and features monthly exhibitions on an ongoing basis.
Workers Arts and Heritage Centre
51 Stuart St.
The Workers Arts and Heritage Centre aims to preserve, honour and promote the culture and history of all working people, and learn from the past while challenging the future – for future generations. The contributions of working people (not only in Canadian history but worldwide) are showcased in art, exhibits, and performances. Their labour and advocacy has made this country a fair and vibrant place to live and work, and WAHC acknowledges these struggles.
You Me Gallery
330 James St. N.
