About Us

For hours and location please see contact page

As one of Ontario’s first community arts councils, Guelph Arts Council (GAC) has championed the arts in Guelph since 1975. Over the years, GAC has been building the cultural heart of the city by assisting with the development of new arts organizations and programs. GAC has also supported cultural workers and organizations through its programs and services, and been a voice for the arts, increasing awareness of the role the arts play in creating a vibrant community.

Our Mission: Championing and growing opportunities for Guelph’s creative community through communications, resources for learning, and cultural programs and partnerships.

Our Vision: To cultivate a vibrant city that integrates the arts into all community building.

Our values are rooted in our belief in the intrinsic value of artists and the arts, and their ability to inspire positive transformation for individuals and communities.

We value:
Advocacy: We champion artists’ rights and freedom of expression.
Creativity: We believe creativity enriches the human experience.
Community: We believe the arts are an essential part of vibrant, sustainable communities.
Inclusiveness: We support and respect all artistic endeavours and embrace diversity, accessibility, integrity, and a role for the arts in affecting social change.
Collaboration: We believe collaboration builds stronger communities.

Strategic Goals:

1. increase opportunities for the creative community to learn, work, and thrive in Guelph
2. grow connections and collaboration in the arts and between community sectors
3. advocate for and support:
   1. economic investment in the arts
   2. cultural initiatives, including cultural planning and creative spaces, that enhance Guelph’s economic development and quality of life
4. increase the engagement of residents and visitors with Guelph’s artists and arts programs
5. promote understanding and respect for:
   1. the value of the arts for individuals and communities
   2. the diversity of creative practice.

Guelph Arts Council is governed by an elected volunteer Board of Directors representing a cross-section of the community, including the arts, business, legal, and communications.

View Guelph Arts Council's 2019 Annual Report

Guelph Arts Council Indigenous Territorial Acknowledgment

The land we create on today, and all of Turtle Island, has been under the stewardship of Indigenous peoples, and has been the site of Indigenous creativity, since time immemorial. Guelph Arts Council recognizes that the land we work on and are inspired by are ancestral lands of the First Peoples and the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. We offer respect to the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples of this land – past, present and future. We recognize the significance of the Two Row Wampum Treaty in characterizing our promise of peace and friendship as we journey side by side. We also recognize our responsibility to truth and healing as we strive to build new relationships and a new future. We commit to elevating Indigenous voices through our work. We are grateful and honoured to have the opportunity to gather, celebrate, create, and learn on this land.