Decolonizing Guelph’s Founding Story
Civic Museum 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaGuelph Museums is in the process of decolonization through the restructuring of our colonialist framework and by collaborating meaningfully with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. We are committed to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and we strive to initiate dialogues and create safe spaces for truth telling. These guiding principles inform…
Indigenizing Galt
Civic Museum 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaGuelph Civic Museum was established in the 1960s to preserve and share this city’s local history. Since then, our founding story has been told through the narrative of the Canada Company. Founded by John Galt, who became its first Superintendent, the Canada Company is responsible for colonizing over two million acres of land on the…
Lacrosse: The Creator’s Game
Civic Museum 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaDewa’áo’:gajíhgwa’e’ is the Cayuga Nation word for lacrosse, which has multiple meanings: “they play with webbed sticks” and “to throw or pass the ball” and “hitting their hips. Lacrosse was gifted to the Haudenosaunee Peoples (Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca) from the Creator at the time of Creation. Other Indigenous Nations have their own…
Konnón:kwe
Civic Museum 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaImage: Amanda Strong, How to Steal a Canoe, 2015 (still from stop-motion animation) Konnón:kwe, a Kanyen'kéha (Mohawk) word signifying “three or more women,” speaks to the power of collective agency by Indigenous women artists. Themes of wellness, community, and environmental justice weave historic artifacts and contemporary fine art into an exhibition that invites visitors to…
The Dailies: Front Pages & Frontispieces
Civic Museum 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaOpening reception: Friday, May 31, 6:30 p.m. What “makes” the front page? The Dailies explores the history of headline news, the form and function of the “front page” in news making, and the use of photographs and illustrations to tell the story of a thousand words. This exhibition runs concurrently with "B&W and Read All…
B&W and Read All Over
Civic Museum 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaOpening reception: Friday, May 31, 6:30 p.m. Guelph’s storied past is recounted through this exhibition, which traces the history of The Guelph Mercury, this city’s daily printed newspaper that reported the local, national and international news to our community from 1854 to 2016. This exhibition runs concurrently with "The Dailies: Front Pages & Frontispieces"
Art As Activism: Truth, Survivance, and Resilience
Image: Alex Jacobs-Blum, The Medicine Game Opening reception: Friday, August 2, 6 PM Guelph Museums was established in the 1960s to preserve and share this city’s local history. Since then, our founding story has been told through the narrative of the Canada Company. Founded by John Galt, who became its first Superintendent, the Canada Company is…
Into the Light: Eugenics and Education in Southern Ontario
Civic Museum 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaContent warning: The exhibition Into the Light: Eugenics and Education in Southern Ontario includes content that some visitors may find offensive and/or traumatizing. Guelph Museums aims to provide open spaces for the sharing and understanding of all histories and lived experiences. We ask that visitors help to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and sensitivity.…
