For 70 years, KWAG has been the cultural heartbeat of Waterloo Region. Now, as we look to the next 70, we’re asking our community to invest in what’s possible. This is more than a milestone—it’s a turning point.
With an annual operating budget of $1.4 million, the Gallery is sustained by considerably fewer resources than many of our peers. Almost half of this budget is derived from limited government funding; the remaining revenue depends on annual fundraising campaigns, programming activities, memberships, project grants, and sponsorships.
Your donation directly enables
Stewardship of 4,400+ artworks
Our growing Permanent Collection preserves our region’s cultural legacy.
Equity in our collection
Acquiring and maintaining works by Indigenous, Black, and artists of colour who have been historically excluded.
Your investment in the 70 for 70 Visionaries Campaign ensures that exceptional art remains accessible, that emerging voices find a platform, and that KWAG continues to enrich lives across our region for generations to come.
Where we have been
In 1956, a group of local visionaries from the art, business, and education sectors met to establish an art gallery in Kitchener-Waterloo, building upon an idea that had taken root thirty years earlier — to collect and exhibit art of their time and take the lead in presenting current work by Canadian and international artists. On 23 September that year, the Gallery’s first exhibition, opened by A.Y. Jackson, took place in a bicycle shed behind KW Collegiate: a major exhibition of paintings by Tom Thomson.
What's next
Now housed in the Centre In The Square, KWAG cares for more than 4,400 works in its Permanent Collection. What has flowed in years following the Gallery’s incorporation continues to be profoundly current, bold, innovative, sometimes controversial, and always thought-provoking. Without the support and generosity of individual donors, a collection of this scope and quality would not be possible. In fact, donations and bequests represent roughly 95% of the collection.
Ways to Support KWAG
70 for 70 Campaign Benefits:
- Tax receipt for the full amount of your donation
- Recognition in our 2026 Annual Report and Donor Wall
- Subscription to KWAG e-newsletter updates
- Invitation to donor recognition event
Support an Artwork Benefits:
- All 70 for 70 benefits listed above
- Name recognition next to sponsored artwork for the duration of the exhibition
- Website acknowledgment
Support an Artwork
Which artwork speaks to you?
Through Support an Artwork, you can make a direct contribution toward the care and conservation of a work in this anniversary exhibition. Your support helps protect these artworks for future generations while creating a meaningful personal connection to the Collection.
To support an artwork in Sharing the Passion, please use the Canada Helps link in the button below. Tax receipts will be issued via Canada Helps. A minimum of $500 donation ensures that your name will be displayed alongside the artwork, as well as in our donor recognition screen in the lobby. For more information about Support an Artwork, please email Trisha Kelley at tkelley@kwag.on.ca
Visit the Exhibition
Sharing the Passion: 70 Years of Building the Collection explores the story of KWAG through the artworks and donors who shaped it. This special anniversary exhibition highlights the relationships and generosity that helped build the Gallery’s Permanent Collection over seven decades. On now until 19 July 2026.
Plan Your Visit
