The KWAG Blog

Portion of a community quilt made of face masks tied together, each illustrated with textiles and painting, on view behind a glass window
Since Fall 2020, KWAG's Public Programs Department has been fortunate to partner with Brenda Reid, a graduate student at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, on her From Behind the Mask community quilt project. Initiated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this project invited... Read More
Historical black and white photo of young Black men protesting for the right to vote
With the pandemic forcing many of us indoors, more of our opportunities for social interaction gradually moved online. We took to online video conferences not just for work-related meetings, but for seeing our loved ones, attending school, doctor’s appointments and more. It took little more than a... Read More
Installation view of Deanna Bowen's Black Drones in the Hive, showing a pair of shackles displayed on a white plinth in front of a wall filled with framed archival images
the heart of a community As an artist and audience-centered institution, we, at KWAG, begin the new year with a continued commitment to our community. By embracing art as a means to engage our imaginations, challenge our perceptions, and inspire change, the Gallery, together with creatives across... Read More
Adad Hannah photo of a restaging of Picasso's Guernica using wood and cardboard cut-outs, arranged in a lush green backyard space
Like many art museums, the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery cares for a Permanent Collection of artworks that has been gathering and growing since our first acquisitions in 1957. Through generous donations and thoughtful purchases, KWAG has been steadily adding artworks to our Collection for all but... Read More
A microscopic view of coronavirus molecules highlighted green and yellow in a blue and purple nebulous space
Earlier today, the Province of Ontario ordered a province-wide lockdown of all non-essential businesses in order to contain the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. This lockdown takes effect at 12:01 am on Saturday 26 December. Based on this directive and out of an abundance of concern for the... Read More
Instalation view of Deanna Bowen: Black Drones in the Hive
It has been over six months since the Gallery closed in mid-March due to COVID-19, and over three months since we reopened in mid-June. During this challenging time, art museums have had to re-calibrate their purpose and find new ways to reach their audiences. For the team at KWAG, this has meant... Read More
Shuvinai Ashoona's Composition (Clock) is a coloured pencil drawing featuring a large circular form split between black upper and white lower sections marked with Inukitut syllabics and Arabic numerals, surrounded by soft coloured drawings of the sea goddess Sedna and other figures
While few among us can imagine any hint of international travel in this unusual summer, one work of art in our Permanent Collection has gone abroad for a special journey to the 11 th Berlin Biennale . Shuvinai Ashoona’s Composition (Clock) (2014) left the Gallery last month to begin its journey... Read More
Screenshot of a Zoom conversation between Dylan Robinson, Candice Hopkins and Crystal Mowry
At at time when COVID-19 prevented our usual public gatherings, KWAG hosted its first virtual Curators Talk on Wednesday 24 June to introduce the curators and ideas behind Soundings: An Exhibition in Five Parts . Moderated by KWAG Senior Curator Crystal Mowry, this conversation hosted on Zoom and... Read More
White text on a black background reading "The Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery stands in solidarity with all people of colour in the fight against racial injustice and inequality."
Watching multiple incidents of deadly violence against Black people unfold before our eyes – Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Regis Korchinski-Paquet – and the protests that have erupted in response, has left us feeling distraught, aghast and angry. Systemic racial... Read More
View down the Corridor Gallery towards a darkened lobby, with art on view on two long dark blue walls
This week has been a quietly momentous one at the Gallery as staff have returned to their newly-distanced desks – many for the first time in three long months – and collectively taken on the many tasks of preparing the Gallery for a safe reopening. As we welcome a new season with our featured... Read More

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