Courtesy Peninsula Gallery, Sidney by the Sea
There have been a slew of art gallery closures and moves in 2024 and early 2025 — and the new year has barely begun. Heard of one that's missed our list? Drop us a note at editor@gallerieswest.ca so we can update our listing.
- VivianeArt Gallery in Calgary, Alberta, announced this week that it will close after the end of its only 2025 exhibition. The final group show, entitled dénouement, runs Jan. 17 to Feb. 23. The gallery has had 80 shows and presented at 29 art fairs since founder Viviane Mehr opened the space in 2013.
- Vancouver's Wil Aballe has moved to 1375 Railspur Alley on Granville Island. The first exhibition in the new space will open Jan. 16 and will feature the art of Thea Canlas.
- New Media Gallery in New Westminster, British Columbia, closed in December 2024 after gallery heads Gordon Duggan and Sarah Joyce stepped back to pursue other interests. The gallery, located in the city's civic building, opened in 2014.
- And in September 2024, Fortune Gallery in Victoria closed after 17 years in business. “It’s time for me to set off on a new adventure,” said owner Alison Tremblath, at the time.
- Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston, Ont. has temporarily closed while it undergoes a multi-million-dollar renovation. The renovations are expected to be completed in 2026, according to a story in the Globe and Mail.
- Peninsula Gallery in Sidney, BC, is moving to a new location, around the corner from its old location on Beacon Avenue. The new location, scheduled to open in January 2025, is on the corner of Bevan Avenue and First Street.
- Peter Robertson Gallery in Edmonton, Alta. is moving locations in 2025. The old location has already closed and the new location will open at some point this year at 10332 124 St. NW, Edmonton.
- Open Space Arts Society in Victoria, BC, closed last year for renovations to make the space more accessible to all, including wheelchairs. It has been operating a temporary space at 780 Blanshard Street while waiting for renovations to be complete at its 510 Fort St location. Renovations are scheduled for completion in January 2025.
- And Black Artists' Networks in Dialogue (BAND) Gallery in Toronto is still closed for renovations, but is scheduled to reopen in spring 2025.
- Glenbow in Calgary announced the closure of its pop-up location, Glenbow at The Edison in December. It will reopen in 2026 in its newly renovated space in the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture.
- Galleries West reported in December that the Art Gallery of York University has been transformed into The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery of York University and has moved to 83a York Boulevard, Toronto.
- Deer Lake Gallery in Burnaby, BC, announced its closure in August 2024.
- In early 2024, West End Gallery's Victoria location closed permanently, although the Edmonton location is still open.
- Last but not least, Le HangArt Saint-Denis in Montreal also closed in early 2024.
Source: Various
PS: Worried you missed something? See previous Galleries West stories here or sign up for our free biweekly newsletter.