CONNECTING ARTISTS - CREATING OPPORTUNITY - INSPIRING CHANGE
Our Mission
To communicate, advocate and mediate for the arts and the role of the arts in the community of Hamilton.
Our Vision
The Hamilton Arts Council exists to strengthen the role of the arts and culture in the City of Hamilton by making the arts accessible and relevant to the entire community.
Our Values
1. We value all members of Hamilton’s diverse creative communities.
2. We believe that the arts in Hamilton are made stronger through collaboration.
3. We hold that our Artists provide a critical creative dialogue essential to the ongoing social and economic health of the community.
OUR HISTORY
Founded in 1969 and incorporated in 1973, the Hamilton Arts Council is the second-largest and one of the oldest community arts councils in Ontario. Originally known as the Hamilton & Region Arts Council and later Arts Hamilton, we have a long history of supporting local arts and culture through publication, advocacy and community partnerships.
AFFILIATIONS
We are an affiliate member of Artist-Run Centres & Collectives of Ontario (ARCCO), a professional provincial arts service organization that fosters the network and supports the growth and development of artist directed organizations engaged in contemporary cultural practice.
We are also members of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and work to integrate the voice of arts into the greater prosperity of Hamilton’s economy. Our membership also allows us to extend the Chamber’s group health benefits to professional artists and arts organizational members of the Hamilton Arts Council.