DOORS OPEN GUELPH
Contents: (click to skip-to)
This Year's Event
Doors Open Background
Volunteer Information
Doors Open After Dark
Doors Open Background
What is Doors Open Guelph?
Doors Open Guelph is a day-long celebration of Guelph's finest buildings, creative spaces, and artistically or architecturally relevant sites. The program aims to showcase and celebrate the hidden gems as well as the great resources, businesses, and creative spaces in Guelph.
Doors Open Guelph is a program of Guelph Arts Council. Guelph Arts Council is a not-for-profit, charitable community arts council dedicated to the encouragement, stimulation and co-ordination of arts and heritage activities in Guelph and surrounding areas.
What is the History of Doors Open Guelph?
Doors Open Guelph was launched by Guelph Arts Council in partnership with Heritage Guelph and Guelph Tourism in 2002 to celebrate Guelph's 175th anniversary and to increase awareness of the City's tremendously rich architectural and historical heritage. Since 2002, Guelph Arts Council has delivered the annual program, recording an average of some 6,000+ site visitors per year to many of Guelph's finest buildings whose owners have generously opened their doors for free public tours. Between 25 and 50 per cent of those attending each year have been visitors to Guelph. One of the main reasons for the past success of Doors Open Guelph events has been the enthusiasm and hard work of close to 150 volunteers who have served as tour guides, sweeps (following along behind the tours), greeters, counters, researchers, sign crew, photographers, and more.
Since its inception, Doors Open Guelph has been part of Doors Open Ontario, an Ontario Heritage Trust province-wide initiative that was also launched in 2002 to celebrate community heritage. The intent of Doors Open Guelph is to build awareness of creative, artistic, cultural, built, and natural heritage among community residents and visitors by providing free access to buildings and properties of architectural and historical value. Doors Open Guelph has had the distinction of being the kick-off event for Doors Open Ontario, opening the province-wide initiative for several years.
When is Doors Open Guelph?
The 2019 event will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Once again, it will be the first of more than 50 such events taking place across the province.
Who runs Doors Open Guelph?
Doors Open Guelph is delivered by Guelph Arts Council and supported by a steering commity of community stakeholders. As a charity, Guelph Arts Council is supported by operating funds from the City of Guelph and the Ontario Arts Council. However, most of our funding comes from donations, sponsorship, our members, events, and the delivery of programs like Doors Open Guelph, Art on the Street, and our Historical Walking Tours.
As a membership-based organization, we ask that businesses and participants in Doors Open Guelph consider contributing to the success of Guelph Arts Council and Doors Open Guelph by becoming a member or by showing your support of our mandate and mission by becoming a sponsor, making a donation, providing site-specific volunteers or by helping us promote Doors Open Guelph throughout your own networks and community.
Who is Funding Doors Open Guelph?
Doors Open Guelph is funded by Guelph Arts Council with the support of the City of Guelph. Additional funding and support is sourced through sponsorships, donations and in-kind contributions from community businesses.
Where can one get more information?
Contact:
Patti Broughton, Executive Director
Guelph Arts Council
10C Shared Space, 42 Carden Street, Guelph N1H3A2
(519) 836-3280 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This Year's Event - Saturday, April 27, 2019, 10am - 4pm*
*The last tour departs at 3:40pm or earlier if required by lineup, in order to allow sites to close at 4pm.
Doors Open is a free community event and no tickets or registration are required. The hours are 10 – 4, and you can begin at any featured site and visit as many as you like over the course of the day. There may be line-ups at some sites.
This year Doors Open Guelph will be enhanced by Telling Guelph’s Stories, an event-within-an-event that will increase the role the arts play in Doors Open. Visitors can experience dramatic storytelling at the Gow Bridge with artist Jay Wilson, guided public art and downtown gallery walks, and arts activations at Doors Open sites.
What buildings will be open for Doors Open Guelph?
2019 site information will be published on Doors Open Ontario's website http://www.doorsopenontario.on.ca/ and below.
Site 1:Marcolongo Heritage Farm | Site 2:Trails Open - 2162 Gordon Street, from Marcolongo Heritage Farm to Hall's PondUnique one-off opportunity to view the most important natural area within city limits, Hall's Pond. 30 minute walks from the Marcolongo Farm back to this series of kettle lakes embedded within the Paris moraine ponds will take place throughout the day. Hikes led by Guelph Hiking Trail Club, presenting the 10th year of Trails Open. On site parking (parallel parking, long driveway)
| Site 3:KidsAbility Centre for Child Development | Site 4:Greenbriar |
Site 5:Diyode is a Guelph-based collective dedicated to re-invigorating the do-it-yourself movement. Situated in the former Carson Reid Homes office, the 2500 sq. ft. workshop contains tools and supplies for wood and metal working, electronics, prototyping and crafting. Diyode members will demonstrate uses of the tools and workshop areas. On site parking Volunteer training day: Tuesday, April 2, 6pm | Site 6:The Victory School | Site 7:Aberdeen House | Site 8:Lornewood Mansion |
Site 9:The Sovereign | Site 10:Provincial Offences Court | Site 11:Spring Mill Distillery | Site 12:Heritage Hall |
Site 13:Gow Bridge Stories | Site 14:[CANCELLED]St Mary's Ukrainian Church |
Art walking tours with artist collective Ahmri + AbbyJoin artist collective Ahmri + Abby on their free walking tours of amazing downtown art gallery spaces, artist-run centres. Tours leave at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm from the People Information Network, 46 Cork Street. Featured stops include 10C Shared Space, Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art Gallery, Boarding House Arts, Silence Sounds, Rosanne Morris, Arienne Wesley and Mary Karavos Studios and more!
|
Doors Open After Dark
Launching the weekend, Guelph Museums’ Doors Open After Dark will celebrate Guelph’s 192nd birthday, and commemorate the 240th birthday of Guelph founder John Galt, with history and art activations at and around the Civic Museum from 9 pm April 26 to 1 am April 27. Artists and historians can respond to a Call to Artists for Doors Open Guelph and Doors Open After Dark by visiting guelphmuseums.ca.
Volunteering
SIGN UP FOR A VOLUNTEER SHIFT! >
Did you know that our Doors Open Guelph volunteers get a front-of-the-line pass to all the other Doors Open sites?
Volunteer either morning (9:30-1) or afternoon (12:45-4:15) and spend the rest of the day touring buildings with incredible architecture, amazing facilities, and intriguing stories! Volunteer roles mostly involve greeting visitors and helping guide them through the space. Site Captains help support other volunteers throughout the day.
Training is provided to all volunteers. There will be a brief orientation session for each site, where you’ll have the chance to see the space where you'll be volunteering, get a sense of the tour, meet the other volunteers for that site, and ask questions. Orientation sessions are held in early April.
VOLUNTEER ROLES Overview
1) Tour Guides of historical buildings and creative spaces
2) Greeters to meet the public and organize tour group
3) Counters to assist the greeter and count participants
4) Sweeps to follow the tours and keep participants moving
5) Site Captains to put out event signs, welcome and support their site's volunteers, liaise with staff
VOLUNTEER ROLES Details
Tour Guides are provided with pre-researched notes about their site ahead of time. On event day, guides lead groups of visitors on 15-20 minute tours, telling facts and stories to do with that site. Guides are generally provided with more info than can be fit into a short tour time, so guides pick the points that resonate with them and bring their own flair and style to it!
VOLUNTEER SHIFTS
Regular volunteer shifts on event day are 9:30 - 1:00 or 12:45 - 4:15. Site Captains deliver materials and install signs at 9 a.m., collect and return them after 4 p.m., and act as liaison throughout the event day.
SIGN UP FOR A VOLUNTEER SHIFT! >
Doors Open Guelph will be held this year on Saturday, April 27, 2019. Mark your calendars for a day-long celebration of Guelph's finest buildings, creative spaces, and artistically or architecturally relevant sites. Doors Open Guelph has the distinction of being the annual kick-off event for Doors Open Ontario. Presented annually by Guelph Arts Council since 2002, the program showcases and celebrates Guelph’s hidden gems, as well as our great resources, businesses, and creative spaces.
VOLUNTEER TRAINING
Please note there will be two general orientation and information sessions to choose from: March 5 and 7, 5pm at City Hall (1 Carden Street, Guelph)
There will also be on-site training sessions scheduled for early April to help familiarise volunteers with their assigned site and practice the tour. Volunteers of past events have found the on-site session extremely helpful and highly recommend volunteers attend their site's session, which typically takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Doors Open Guelph’s success is due to the enthusiasm and hard work of volunteers who serve as tour guides, sweeps, greeters, counters, researchers, site captains, photographers, and more. Join us as a volunteer and help make Doors Open Guelph a true community celebration. Please fill out this short form to register your interest. Site Captains will be contacted first. Regular shift volunteers will be contacted in February to select site, role and shift.
SIGN UP FOR A VOLUNTEER SHIFT! >
If you have any questions, please contact Katie Wilde by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone at 519-836-3280