History
Gallery 44 was founded by a small group of artists in 1979, who joined together to share a darkroom and studio. In 1980, the collective began mounting exhibitions, and in 1986, began offering photography workshops. Gallery 44 was part of a greater network of artist-run centres that grew across Canada in the 60s and 70s. The movement was initiated by and for artists to counter dominant institutions and create communities supporting artistic production, presentation, education, and idea-exchange.
Gallery 44’s original location was on Niagara Street. G44 moved to Bathurst Street in 1986 and to its current location on Richmond Street in 1994. Each move allowed the organization to grow its public programs and membership. The move to 401 Richmond enabled G44 to expand exhibition and production facilities and join a creative community hub.
Throughout its history, G44 has prioritized equitable access to the arts and has worked to eliminate barriers for artists, audiences and youth. For example, through educational partnerships with TDSB and various community organizations and offering subsidized programs within our facilities and in-communities, including those outside the downtown core.
While we continue to grow and evolve—now presenting works by local, regional, national and international artists—we remain committed to our roots as an artist-run centre. G44 now supports a membership of over 500 artists and, on average, pays approximately $80,000 per year in fees directly to artists. Staff, Board and members continue to collaborate on vision- and decision-making, affecting both governance practices and programming.
