On November 22nd, 2025 Guelph Arts Council celebrated our 50th anniversary in our new home at Quebec Street Shoppes. When we sent out our invitations we knew the Guelph Arts community would continue to show the support we have received for the past five decades. We waited for RSVPs to trickle in, but they didn’t, they poured in. And when those RSVPs turned into a room full of new and familiar faces celebrating 50 years of creativity, collaboration, and art in this city, we were touched.
The evening offered a mix of performance, participation, and connection. Before the performances began, dignitaries including MP Dominique O’Rourke, MPP Mike Schreiner, and Mayor Cam Guthrie addressed the audience, sharing their support for Guelph’s arts community. GAC President Susan Carey and Vice President Paul Barson spoke next, celebrating the past, the present, and the future for the organization.
Programming opened with artist and maker, Marlene Paibomesai, guiding guests through a collaborative community beadwork project. Dancers Heather Cornell and Georgia Simms then brought the room into motion with an improvised duet blending contemporary and percussive dance. Following dance, GAC Board member Jay Wilson brought theatre to the space with a few stories, including one from his upcoming performance at the River Run Centre. And then to close the evening, rising singer-songwriter Arshia Shah shared original music that showcased both her emotional depth and her growing presence as an emerging artist.
Throughout the evening, jazz duo Confluence (Max de Groot and Liam Gallagher) filled the space with thoughtful, exploratory soundscapes between program moments. Guests also enjoyed Niche, a documentation of an art installation that transformed downtown Guelph in 1995, shown in the new Sally Wismer Gallery alongside the GAC Members Show.
The unveiling of the Sally Wismer Gallery—named in honour of GAC’s longtime Executive Director—was another highlight of our 50th celebration, as we held a small ceremony earlier in the day with Sally, her family, and other well-wishers. The gallery will serve as a space for artists of all disciplines to share their work, reflecting the passion and dedication Sally brought to GAC for so many years.
This celebration also marked a moment of transition for GAC. After two years at the artBar, we’ve moved into our new space in Old Quebec Street Shoppes, where we can continue offering year-round exhibitions, programming, and community access more sustainably. We are deeply grateful to the directors, staff, and volunteers whose dedication over the past 50 years made this milestone possible.
As we celebrated 50 years of creativity and community, we also looked ahead with the introduction of the first annual GRETAs (Guelph Recognition of Excellence in The Arts) set to launch in 2027. This city-wide gala will honour outstanding work across all disciplines, showcase artists at every stage of their careers, and foster collaboration throughout Guelph’s arts community. A dedicated team is already forming, and we’ll be seeking partners, volunteers, and sponsors to bring the inaugural event to life.
Whether you attended our anniversary event or celebrated from afar, you are invited into the next chapter of GAC’s story. Please visit our new Sally Wismer Gallery and take part in our ongoing community story project by sharing your favourite Guelph arts memories. You can add your story on one of the index cards available in the gallery. Your memories will become part of a keepsake book we hope to publish in the future, capturing the creativity, connections, and moments that have shaped Guelph’s arts community over the past 50 years.
The 50th anniversary celebration reminded us that the arts in Guelph are a shared story written by all of you; the creatives, supporters, and audience members. To everyone who joined us and to everyone who has supported GAC over the past 50 years, thank you. Our new space is already full of your energy, your memories, and your creativity.
As we begin this next chapter, you can continue shaping the story of Guelph arts: share a memory, visit the gallery, attend a show, or support our programs with a gift. Your donations help bring year-round exhibitions, community programming, mentorship opportunities, and new initiatives like the GRETAs to life. Together, we’ll keep the arts at the heart of Guelph for the next 50 years and beyond.
