Toronto, December 13, 2021 – The Ontario Arts Foundation and The Gordon Foundation are pleased to announce the 2021 grants from the Elizabeth L. Gordon Art Program:
Acquisition Grants
Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton $9,000
Canadian Clay & Glass, Waterloo $3,600
Museum London, London $7,000
Oakville Galleries, Oakville $9,000
Varley Art Gallery of Markham, Markham $8,900
Development Grants
Art Gallery of York University $7,500
“This year a strong mix of projects received funding for the acquisition of works by both established and early-career artists, adding great value to collections that will have lasting impact on the galleries and the communities they serve” says Bruce Bennett, Executive Director of the Ontario Arts Foundation. “The Elizabeth L. Gordon Art Program continues to be a valuable means of support for galleries seeking to build community engagement, provide education opportunities and encourage Canadian visual art appreciation.”
Acquisition grants assist galleries and museums with the acquisition of Canadian works of art for their permanent collection. Development grants support initiatives that increase the public’s knowledge of collecting or a gallery or museum’s permanent collection, and help make a gallery or museum’s permanent collection more accessible to the public.
The grant decisions were made by an Ontario Arts Council jury made up of arts professionals with broad knowledge and experience of public gallery activities in Ontario. The 2021 jury members were Sebastien De Line (Kingston); Pamela Edmonds (Hamilton); and Nahed Mansour (Toronto).
The Elizabeth L. Gordon Art Program aims to foster a broader appreciation of Canadian visual art and artists by assisting public art galleries and museums in Ontario to grow their permanent collections, and support community engagement between a gallery or museum and its local community.
For information, please contact:
Bruce Bennett, Executive Director
416-969-7413 | bbennett@oafdn.ca
Established in 1991, the Ontario Arts Foundation (OAF) is passionately committed to building long-term support for the arts in Ontario. In 2020-2021, the OAF paid out over $5.2 million in endowment income and $220,000 in awards and scholarships.
The Gordon Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to protecting Canada’s water and empowering Canada’s North. The Foundation seeks opportunities to amplify underrepresented voices, elevate emerging issues, and collaborate with like-minded organizations to drive powerful, sustainable outcomes.
About Elizabeth L. Gordon
Elizabeth L. Gordon, a founder of The Gordon Foundation, held a lifelong interest in art, history, and culture. Her passions, in addition to friends and family, included art, museums – for showing and sharing art – and the public value of good design. Her contribution to The Gordon Foundation was to insist on grants for the arts. For many years, she volunteered regularly with the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the Art Gallery of Ontario), taking great interest in stimulating Gallery membership. Through The Gordon Foundation, Elizabeth Gordon encouraged emerging art galleries and museums across Ontario by providing grants to enable them to purchase original works of art. To honour her, the Foundation established the Elizabeth L. Gordon Art Program, providing an enduring memory of Mrs. Gordon’s patronage and appreciation of Canadian art.