Thames Art Gallery

Connecting Art and People

The Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee is an independent body of volunteers who bring their skills, their perspectives and their enthusiasm for developing the Thames Art Gallery’s mandate and mission. As we undergo cultural changes and demographic shifts, the committee is a vital part of the gallery’s governance, meeting 6 times every year and holding an Annual General Meeting to broaden public participation and engagement with the Thames Art Gallery and ARTspace.

We are currently seeking new Advisory Committee Members!

About Us

The Thames Art Gallery (TAG) is a non-profit gallery dedicated to promoting the understanding, appreciation, conservation, and enjoyment of the visual arts in the community of Chatham-Kent for present and future generations.  The Gallery places emphasis on arts education and diverse multidisciplinary programming that encourages engagement and fosters critical dialogues. TAG's primary curatorial activity is the interpretation of contemporary Canadian art and its history, with a focus on artists from the region of south-western Ontario.  We research and produce exhibitions in a range of media, and aspire to be responsive to the challenges of presenting high quality, innovative art in all forms, including installations, electronic and interactive works, websites, film, video and performance, both within the Gallery and off-site.  The exhibitions program is designed to provoke, inspire and encourage reflection on the particularities of our locale and population, and extend the definition of art as it relates to broader contemporary culture.  Public programs, curatorial research, collecting, and audience development are all considered inherent components of the organization's activities.

 Mission Statement

• Maintain and operate an art gallery and related facilities in keeping with recognized professional standards

• Educate our community in the history, appreciation and practice of the visual arts by presenting exhibitions and related programming of a professional standard and local, regional and national significance.

• Increase public awareness and understanding of the Gallery's purpose and role.

• Promote inclusivity within the ever-expanding cultural fabric of Chatham-Kent and Canada.

• Collect professional works of art with an emphasis on works representative of the people who live here and indicate a vision for cultural growth and vitality.

• Conserve the Permanent Collection and hold these works in trust for the public.

• Act as an information resource for artists and the community.

• Ensure that programming is accessible to all through stand-alone and digitally augmented exhibitions and programs.

• Engage our public in the visual arts by creating targeted starting points for conversations and participation.

Images are from the Chatham-Kent Museum Archive. To visit the museum’s digitized collection click the photos.

 History

The history of TAG began in 1963, when the abandoned Chatham Vocational School (built 1925) was offered for sale to the highest bidder.  It was purchased for $37,500 by a group of citizens eager to establish an art centre in Chatham.  By 1969, The Thames Theatre Association for the Arts was presenting live performances in the original school theatre and the old gymnasium was being used as an art gallery. A community fundraising campaign led to major renovations to the gymnasium and studio areas of the building in 1975, at which time the TAG received federal designation as a National Exhibition Centre. The City of Chatham assumed the financial responsibility for the Gallery in 1980.  At that time the building was renamed – The “Chatham Cultural Centre” and was home to TAG and the Kiwanis Theatre. In 1987, a new addition was constructed and a third venue, the Chatham-Kent Museum became part of the Centre. 

The gingko leaf symbol used in TAG’s pervious logo is representative of the history of the site that is now the Gallery.  In the late 1800’s, the first mayor of Chatham planted a gingko tree on the grounds of his new home.  That home later gave way to the Chatham Vocational School and then to the Chatham Cultural Centre.  The original tree still stands on the property. Today the Cultural Centre is the centre of arts and heritage for the Municipality, with Thames Art Gallery being the only collecting public art gallery in Chatham-Kent area.

 Land Acknowledgement 

The land that is known as Chatham-Kent today is the traditional land of the Three Fires Confederacy: the Odawa, Potawatami and Ojibwe. These Indigenous Nations, known as the Anishinaabeg and Lunaapeew, agreed to the mutual sharing of the land, with obligations and responsibilities to the environment. Chatham-Kent neighbours the Lunaapeew at Delaware Nation which is part of the McKee Purchase Treaty, as well as the unceded territory of the Bkejwanong Walpole Island First Nation. Chatham-Kent continues to be home to diverse First Nations Peoples and Métis Peoples. This land was settled through the McKee Purchase Treaty of 1790 and we, as beneficiaries of the treaty, recognize our responsibilities including our collective responsibilities to the land and water. Today these responsibilities and obligations extend to all Peoples.

We invite you to reflect upon this land acknowledgement, what it means to you, and how you are upholding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.

The Exhibition Spaces

The Gallery occupies approximately 3,200 square-feet of exhibition space. There are currently three spaces within the gallery– the Ground Floor Gallery, Mezzanine and the Project Room. The Ground Floor Gallery (2,000 square feet) retains the original hardwood floors from the Chatham Vocational School, and a ceiling height of 21 feet. There are two staircases that lead up to the Mezzanine, circling the Ground Floor Gallery; this space serves as exhibition space, but also provides a bird’s eye view of the exhibition downstairs. The Project Room is located directly under the Mezzanine.

Located at the north end of the CCC are the Gallery’s fine art storage area and art studio.  Studio II (1500 sq. ft.) is a fully functional art studio with pottery wheels, kilns, lithograph and intaglio printing presses that are used for art classes and by visiting artists. There is a second large area (1500 sq. ft.), with a full kitchen attached, Studio I, that is used as another space for opening receptions, lectures, film screenings, and performances.  The office area of the CCC houses the Box Office, Marketing and office space for the Gallery, Museum, and Theatre. The Gallery has access to the Kiwanis Theatre for larger group screenings and live performances.