Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries

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Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries (GOG) will be hosting a professional development workshop this March. Building off of the previous ones, this series of workshops provides a comprehensive understanding of what it means to care for collections in 2026 and beyond. Register and fully equip your institution for the future.

Collections and Accessibility

Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Art Gallery of Hamilton
Register here

Interested in making your institution truly welcoming to all? Join GOG at the Art Gallery of Hamilton on March 10, 2026, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, for the final workshop of the year, Collections and Accessibility. Be part of the movement toward more inclusive cultural spaces.

Many institutions are beginning to make the correct steps in becoming accessible spaces; however, there is still much work to be done to get accessibility to be an intrinsic part of institutions’ operations. From collections, exhibitions and programming, institutions need to ensure that accessibility is not a ‘one-time’ occurrence and that it is considered in all aspects of their work. Improving accessibility at its most basic level is removing barriers of access.

Featuring an engaging lineup of speakers, including Sandra Iskandar (GBCA Architects), Peter Pavement (CEO, Surface Impression), Laurie Kilgour-Walsh (Head of Programming and Learning, Art Gallery of Hamilton), Ty Tekatch (Media Interpretation Lead, Art Gallery of Hamilton), and Andrea Howard (Collections Registrar, Art Gallery of Hamilton). This workshop will host three sessions that will help you learn how to move beyond “one-time” fixes and embed accessibility into the core of your operations, creating a welcoming space for everyone. This workshop tackles physical, intellectual, and cultural barriers that can hinder engagement with your collections, exhibitions, and programs.

Session #1 – Physical Space: Accessibility, Renovations, and the Built Environment

Speaker: Sandra Iskandar, GBCA Architects

Through case studies and discussion, the session will explore how standards can serve as a guiding compass rather than a final measure of success, highlighting the gap between compliance and true inclusion. Topics include adaptive reuse of historic buildings, creative and cost-effective design solutions, the role of ongoing maintenance, and recognizing when to engage specialized expertise. Participants will gain new tools to approach accessibility with confidence, creativity, and care.

Session #2 – Infrastructure: Leveraging Digital Collections for Inclusive Access

Speaker: Peter Pavement, CEO, Surface Impression

By keeping accessibility in mind from the start, organizations can find ways to make their digital collection or any digital product inclusive. This session will explore what it means to put users first, with users being both those who facilitate and those who are end-users, i.e. the staff and the visitors.

We will examine:

• How digitization enhances access within and beyond institutional walls.
• The role of digital infrastructure in serving audiences with hidden disabilities.
• How online collections can support education, community engagement, and independence.

Session #3 – From Collections to Exhibition & Programming: Inclusive Interpretation, Curation, and Engagement

Speaker: Laurie Kilgour-Walsh, Head of Programming and Learning, Art Gallery of Hamilton
Speaker: Andrea Howard, Collections Registrar, Art Gallery of Hamilton
Speaker: Ty Tekatch, Media Interpretation Lead, Art Gallery of Hamilton

In museums, we know that simply displaying our collections on our walls is no longer the only way to make them available to our visitors. Nor is it enough to be truly accessible to audiences for whom abilities, distance, or experience with the content may be a barrier. At the AGH, improving access to our collections is one of the key goals in our strategic plan, and one in which we have seen success across several different initiatives in recent years. This panel will explore the technologies that have allowed our growth, and some of the programs that move us forward.

Registration Fee

• Non-Member/General, $300.00
• GOG Member, $200.00
• Artists/Independent Art worker, $55.00
• Student with a valid student ID, $45.00
• Indigenous artists and independent Indigenous art workers (pre-registration required), free

Registration includes full-day attendance and a comprehensive workshop program for each participant to take away with them.

Please note that to accommodate your dietary needs for the March in-person workshop, we require your complete registration no later than Monday, March 2, at 9:00am. Thank you for your understanding.

Register today for the workshops and lead meaningful change.

Acknowledgments

GOG gratefully acknowledges the funding contribution from the Museums Assistance Program, the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries has over a 50-year history as an arts service organization (ASO) and represents over 270 members—public art galleries, museums, artist-run-centres, and arts organizations. GOG is the voice of visual arts, speaking to all levels of government on advocacy issues, policy, and legislation. Additionally, we continually strive to deliver innovative and cutting-edge professional development and network-building opportunities that advance, empower, and strengthen the visual arts sector in Canada.

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Contact Information:
Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries
E: communications@galeries-ontario-galleries.ca
T: (416) 598-0714