news

December 2, 2025

Thank You

As we head into December, we want to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who supported Artcite throughout this year of major change. Your generosity, encouragement, and presence—whether at openings, events, or through donations—have made a meaningful difference. This has been a significant year of growth and transition, and none of it would have been possible without you.

What We Achieved in 2025

This year marked Artcite’s relocation to Ford City, a major milestone that has reshaped our ability to serve artists and the community. With your support, we have:

  • Completed substantial renovations to our new gallery, totalling $234,001.93, including major interior work, new flooring throughout, full electrical and lighting upgrades, and accessibility improvements across the entire space.

  • Raised $145,506.11 through fundraising campaigns, events, naming rights sponsorships, donations, and new memberships, with the majority of support coming from individual donors.

  • Created two new exhibition spaces, the Sylvie Bélanger Gallery and the Edith Jackson Gallery, and ensured that our new location is fully wheelchair accessible.

  • Reopened in July and presented six exhibitions featuring the work of Graham Krenz (Montréal), Brayden Jones (Windsor), Z’otz* Collective (Toronto), Amanda Wood (Vancouver), Alejandro Tamayo (Windsor), and Lauren Prousky (Kitchener).

  • Expanded our capacity to deliver workshops, screenings, residencies, and community programming in our new facilities.

The Cost of Our Move

Relocating a 43-year-old artist-run centre is a major undertaking. With construction, moving expenses, and professional fees, the total cost of our relocation is nearing a quarter million dollars, which is several times more than we had initially anticipated. While we are extremely happy with our new home, and while we are incredibly thankful for the generosity of the donors, sponsors, and volunteers who helped us accomplish this move, the reality is that the relocation has created a significant financial strain as we work toward long-term stability. We need to raise an additional $50,000 by July 2026 to fully stabilize and breathe easily in our new space.

Looking Ahead: What’s to Come in 2026

We are excited to build on our momentum in 2026. Next year, you can expect:

  • Solo exhibitions in the Sylvie Bélanger Gallery by Francys Chenier (St-Alphonse-Rodriguez), Jess Lincoln (Toronto), AGLENNCO (Dartmouth), Betty Pomerleau (Québec/France), and Sarah Mihara Creagen (Toronto).

  • A group exhibition by local artists Collette Broeders, Elaine Carr, Dennis Hunkler, Ed Janzen, and Karl Jirgens.

  • Six additional exhibitions by Windsor-Essex artists in the Edith Jackson Gallery, with submissions opening soon.

  • The inaugural annual spring members’ exhibition.

  • The return of both our BIPOC Artist in Residence program and DTL 43 (proper).

  • The return of PowerPoint Karaoke.

  • New community programming, including workshops, readings, screenings, and collaborative projects.

  • New and continued partnerships that bring accessible, artist-driven events to Windsor.

What’s Next for Our Space

There is still important work to do to fully realize the vision for our new space. In 2026, we will be focusing on Phase II of our renovations, which involves fully completing the Thomas A. Mills Reception Lounge. This includes:

  • Building the custom shelving and completing the work needed to make our archives publicly accessible as the Christine Burchnall Reference Library and Archive, an essential resource for artists, researchers, students, and the community.

  • Designing and completing our supporter acknowledgement wall, recognizing the donors and sponsors who helped make our move possible.

  • Installing a built-in front reception desk to support day-to-day administrative operations.

  • Building retail shelving so we can make multiples from our archives available for purchase, alongside new Artcite merchandise to support our ongoing fundraising efforts.

  • Completing essential storage upgrades in the back room to improve organization and overall efficiency.

Support Our Next Chapter

As we approach the end of the year, we invite you to support Artcite during this GivingTuesday. Your donation directly strengthens our operations, supports upcoming programming, and helps stabilize the organization after an intensive year of transition.

Donations of $25 and above come with a free membership, and you will receive an official charitable donation receipt, just in time for tax season, along with the knowledge that you are sustaining Windsor-Essex’s only artist-run centre.

Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to completing our relocation and ensuring that Artcite can continue presenting and supporting emerging and experimental contemporary art for years to come.

Thank you for being part of this community and for believing in what Artcite makes possible. We are grateful to share this new chapter with you and look forward to everything ahead in 2026.

October 16, 2025

Introducing the Thomas A. Mills Reception Lounge

Named in recognition of the collective generosity of family and friends of the late Tom Mills, this space will serve as the welcoming heart of Artcite. Still very much a work in progress, the Thomas A. Mills Reception Lounge will be home to the Christine Burchnall Reference Library and Archive, our front office, a retail area, and our donor recognition wall. It will also feature a comfortable seating area in the front windows where visitors can gather, read, and relax.

This naming sponsorship will play an important part in helping us complete the space and realize our vision for a warm, accessible, and creative environment that brings together our administrative, archival, and community spaces.

Tom Mills was a deeply creative and generous art educator who inspired countless students throughout his 31-year teaching career. Known for his mentorship, ingenuity, and dedication, he shared his love of the arts both inside and outside the classroom, fostering confidence and imagination in young artists who would go on to pursue their own creative paths. He was equally admired by colleagues for his kindness, resourcefulness, and unwavering willingness to help others.

We are honoured to dedicate this space in his name, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to all who contributed to making this possible.

July 3, 2025

We're back!

After nearly a year of planning, packing, reorganizing, and rebuilding, Artcite reopens this Friday, July 4 in our new home at 998 Drouillard Road! We’re kicking things off with a soft opening and the launch of our first two exhibitions in two newly built galleries. The building now features an accessible entryway and washroom, along with several much-needed upgrades.

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but this is still very much a work in progress. Renovation costs have reached nearly $250,000, far beyond what we initially planned for. We’ve prioritized accessibility and functionality first. The Christine Burchnall Reference Library and Archive, our donor recognition wall, built-in front desk, and several exterior upgrades are still to come.

If you’re able, please consider making a donation to help us reach the finish line. Naming rights sponsorships are also still available.

We can’t wait to welcome you into our new space on Friday! Doors open at 7pm. There will be plenty of food and drink available throughout the evening. As usual, everything is free. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

May 22, 2025

Renovation and Reopening Update

After months of hard work, walls are going up, and we’re excited to announce that Artcite will officially reopen on July 4, 2025 with our first two exhibitions. (More info on those coming soon.)

This will be a soft reopening, focused on getting back to our core programming. Once renovations are fully complete, we’ll host an official grand reopening celebration—and we can’t wait to mark that milestone with all of you.

This project has been a major undertaking—costs have now exceeded $200,000. While that’s been challenging, we’ve prioritized what matters most: accessibility, fully functional exhibition spaces, and brand new flooring and lighting throughout. Work on the front reception area—including the reference library and public archives—will continue through the summer, and we appreciate your patience as we wrap up the final touches.

We’re almost there, and your support is still crucial.

Donations of $25 or more include a membership, and $100 or more comes with name recognition on our donor wall.

Fancy new membership cards will begin mailing out in early June, and all memberships will officially go into effect on July 1, regardless of when you donate. More information on the benefits of each of our new membership tiers is coming soon.

Naming rights are still available for our Conduit Gallery and reception area—a lasting way to support Artcite’s future.

We’ll also be putting out a call for volunteers in June to help us paint—stay tuned if you’d like to pitch in!

Thank you for standing by us. We can’t wait to welcome you back in July!

Huge thanks to RTP Construction and Mean Studio for all their hard work!

March 10, 2025

Renovation and Fundraising Update

As we work toward reopening Artcite Inc. in our new Ford City location, we want to share an update on our progress. While we expected some challenges, renovations have been more complex and costly than anticipated. One major hurdle has been bringing the ceiling up to code for fire safety, which added a significant and unexpected expense.

Because of these delays, we are pushing our reopening from April to mid-May. We’re also holding off on launching our membership program until we reopen to make sure members get full value. If you’ve signed up for a membership or donated $25 or more since July 15, you’ll receive a physical membership card in the mail. More details on memberships will be announced soon.

Fundraising Progress & Next Steps

So far, we’ve raised $35,000 through website donations, GoFundMe, and our naming rights sponsorship campaign. To complete renovations while keeping our programming budget intact, we need to raise at least $50,000 more.

Now is a crucial time to donate. Every contribution helps and comes with donor benefits. Donations of $25 or more include a complimentary membership, and $100 or more includes name recognition on our donor wall. A full list of donor rewards can be found here.

GoFundMe Update

Our GoFundMe goal is $20,000, and we’re more than halfway there. If you’d like to help us reach that target, you can donate here.

Naming Rights Sponsorships

Naming rights for our community gallery and reception area are still available for terms ranging from three to ten years. If you're interested in making a lasting contribution, details are available here.

This process has taken longer than we hoped, but we’re so grateful for everyone who has supported us along the way. We’ll be sharing renovation updates and photos soon, and we cannot wait to open our doors again.

Thank you for believing in us—we love you and can’t wait to welcome you back!

February 27, 2025

Announcing the Sylvie Bélanger Gallery at Artcite Inc.

Artcite Inc. is honoured to announce the naming of our main gallery as the Sylvie Bélanger Gallery, in recognition of a significant financial contribution from Sylvie Bélanger’s Estate. This dedication is a tribute to Sylvie’s artistic legacy and her lasting contributions to contemporary art in Windsor and beyond.

A visionary artist and dedicated educator, Sylvie Bélanger was known for her compelling work in sound, video, photography, and installation.

She was a passionate teacher who shaped generations of artists through her years at the University of Windsor’s School of Visual Arts in the 1980s and 90s. She also taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, University of Toronto/Sheridan College, Concordia University, and the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she remained until her retirement.

Her rigorous approach to art-making, combined with her deep generosity of spirit, made her an influential mentor. Former students remember her as an incisive thinker, an advocate for experimentation, and a relentless seeker of meaning in visual culture.

Through her teaching, she not only fostered technical and conceptual growth but also encouraged students to challenge conventions and see art as a means of critical inquiry.

Bélanger’s 1997 work, Le regard du silence, which was featured in her solo exhibition De la séduction à la résistance, was later acquired by the Art Gallery of Windsor, where it remains part of their collection. More information about the piece can be found here.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the Estate of Sylvie Bélanger for this extraordinary support. As we move forward in our new space, we are honoured to carry Sylvie’s name into the future.

View Nadine Valcin's National Film Board of Canada documentary about Sylvie Bélanger, here.

December 18, 2024

Honouring Christine Burchnall’s Legacy

At our 2022 Annual General Meeting, we promised to dedicate a space in our gallery to Christine Burchnall, Artcite Inc.’s long-time Executive Director, to honour her significant and tireless contributions to Artcite’s history and the Windsor-Essex arts community. Today, we are proud to announce that this promise will be fulfilled when we reopen in May 2025.

Christine served as Artcite’s Program Coordinator from 1984 to 1990 before stepping into the role of Executive Director from 1994 until her retirement in 2017. She was widely known for her passion for the arts, her dedication to raising the profile of local contemporary artists, and her many years of leadership that helped shape Artcite’s identity and cultural impact.

To celebrate her legacy, we are transforming Artcite’s library and archive, moving it from its former basement storage into a prominent new space within our reception area. The newly accessible reference library will provide public access to 42 years of local art history, and include a dedicated workstation equipped with a desktop computer, scanner, and professional copier. Our long-term goal is to digitize the entire archive, creating a database that will be accessible both online and in person.

The Christine Burchnall Reference Library and Archive will stand as a permanent tribute to Christine’s leadership and vision, ensuring that her contributions to Artcite and the Windsor-Essex arts community remain a meaningful part of our collective history and continue to influence and support the arts for years to come.

Christine’s dedication to championing local artists, elevating contemporary art within our region, and fostering creativity and collaboration will forever remain at the heart of Artcite’s mission. Thank you, Christine, for everything you gave to this community.

July 15, 2024

We're moving our gallery to Ford City!

Our doors will officially close to the public on October 5, and our last day at the downtown location will be November 30. We’ll reopen at 998 Drouillard Road in April 2025!

This was a complicated and difficult decision for us—one we did not make lightly—but we believe it’s a necessary and positive step to take if we want to continue to grow as an organization.

We aim to make Artcite a fully accessible and welcoming space for everyone in our community. However, our current location presents some challenges beyond our control. We currently lack accessible washroom facilities, and each year we must vacate our space for a month to allow Windsor International Film Festival operations.

Our Ford City location will be fully wheelchair accessible and we’ll be able to offer consistent year-round programming. A new reception area and front office will enable us to offer public access to our physical archives as a reference library, and we’ll have two gallery spaces: one for major juried exhibitions and related programming; and one for local exhibitions, residencies, workshops, and community events.

Phase II will include a complete digitization of our archives, affordable studio rentals, and more!

Artcite was founded in 1982 by a group of hard-working dreamers who weren’t afraid to take risks and who prized experimentation and out-of-the-box thinking. In 2024, we’re summoning the spirit of our inception and reasserting our role as an alternative, progressive space built for taking chances and challenging norms. We know we’ll fit right in in Ford City, and we’ve received nothing but enthusiastic support from the neighbourhood folks we’ve met so far!

Stay tuned for info on the many ways you can participate in what we’re up to, whether it be as a donor or naming sponsor; through in-kind donations of skills, materials, or services; as a new member of our Board of Directors; or simply by following along with our progress online. We’re looking forward to collaborating with you as we begin writing Artcite’s exciting next chapter!