Art Windsor-Essex facts for kids
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| Established | 1943 |
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| Location | 401 Riverside Drive West Windsor, Ontario N9A 7J1 |
Art Windsor-Essex (or AWE) is a cool art gallery in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It used to be called the Art Gallery of Windsor.
It started in 1943. This gallery is a public place where you can see amazing art from artists in the area and all over Canada. AWE collects and takes care of Canadian art, making it a special cultural spot in Windsor.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of AWE
Starting at Willistead Manor (1943-1975)
The Art Gallery of Windsor first opened its doors in a beautiful building called Willistead Manor in Walkerville. This unique building, designed by Albert Kahn, was home to the gallery from 1943 to 1975. During these years, the gallery officially became a non-profit organization in 1944. It also began to build its amazing collection of Canadian art.
In 1947, the gallery, then known as The Willistead Gallery, helped start a group called The Southern Ontario Gallery Group. This group later became the Ontario Association of Art Galleries.
Moving to the Waterfront (1975-1993)
By 1958, so many people were visiting Willistead Gallery that it became too small! The gallery needed its own space and its own leaders. After talking with the Windsor City Council, the gallery became an independent place with its own board of directors.
By 1967, the gallery was looking for a new home again. In 1970, someone suggested moving into an old Carling Brewery warehouse by the water. This modern building was a great fit for an art gallery in a city known for making things. The Art Gallery of Windsor opened here in 1975. Over the next 20 years, it built one of Ontario's most important collections of Canadian art.
A New Home and a New Look (1993-Today)
In 1993, the Art Gallery of Windsor moved again, this time to the Devonshire Mall. The gallery rented its old waterfront building to the province of Ontario. This was so the new Casino Windsor could open there. This move helped the gallery raise money to grow its collections.
For six years, the gallery was a bit unsure of its future. Should it stay at the mall? Move somewhere else? Go back to the old warehouse? Or build a brand new place? Finally, in 1999, Dr. Lois Smedick, who led the gallery's board, shared plans for a new art museum. It would be built right where the old Carling warehouse used to be.
The old warehouse was torn down, and a new, modern building was built in its place. This is where the Art Gallery of Windsor is located today! In 2014, a new museum, the Chimczuk Museum, opened on the first floor of the building. The art gallery now uses the two floors above it. The museum is named after Joseph Chimczuk.
See Also
- List of art museums
- List of museums in Ontario
