Originally two separate entities, Centennial Gallery and Gairloch Gallery were amalgamated on 27 June 1980 to form Oakville Galleries, each bringing its own distinct history.
Mandate
Oakville Galleries (Og2) is a not-for-profit charitable public art museum where contemporary art is the impetus for advancing imagination and self-reflection. Through two sites, Og2 serves communities in Oakville, Halton Region and wider audiences nationally and internationally. Og2 is governed by an autonomous Board of Directors.
Mission
Og2 is a fertile site for exploring the art of our time. To this end, Og2 pursues research; builds and maintains a collection; produces and circulates exhibitions; publishes; develops and delivers educational programmes; and raises funds to support operations.
Vision
To be a catalyst for connecting people and ideas through art.
Values:
Art
Education
Diversity
Communication
Responsiveness
Sustainability
Partnership
Professional standards
Above all, Og2 believes in the convergence of these values to achieve its mandate.
Oakville Galleries is committed to the presentation of contemporary art in all aspects of its programming – exhibitions, education and acquisitions for the permanent collection. The Galleries's educational goals include a commitment to providing an effective means by which each visitor is offered supportive guidance in approaching contemporary art and its incumbent issues, while still nurturing each visitor's individual experience of the work on view.
Situated within larger public environments, the physical settings of both Gairloch and Centennial sites contribute to the growth and development of new audiences. Together, the park and the heritage house present a unique environment for realizing artworks that respond to the particular qualities of the architecture and the location. Programming at Centennial Square, located within the public library building, attracts a broad cross-section of the community, with over 70 per cent of Oakville's residents using the library facilities on a regular basis.
Recognizing the importance of its relationship to the community, Oakville Galleries continually assesses the nature of its programmes. In questioning the role of a public art gallery in given communities, every effort is made to define new directions and goals in the complex social situations of present-day urban art institutions. The result is a programme that brings together issues from different perspectives, i.e. exhibitions, lectures, activities directed towards targeted publics, publications, interactive Web projects and artist/curator/writer residencies. Exhibitions are the principal way through which Oakville Galleries contributes to the community. Most recently, Oakville Galleries has routinely programmed exhibitions with an opportunity to experience and compare the ways in which contemporary artists approach issues that are relevant to our varied publics. Oakville Galleries is able to forge outreach and crucial links with specific communities.
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