Visual Arts Centre of Clarington
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    • 2021 Exhibitions >
      • Hiba Abdallah: 100 years then and hereafter
      • Public Space
      • Fossilized Sunshine
      • Bodies in Conflict
    • 2020 Exhibitions >
      • Pete Smith: Stein's Law
      • Cole Swanson: The Hissing Folly
      • Erika DeFreitas: an object, a gesture, a scene (II)
      • Juried Art Exhibition Fundraiser
    • 2019 Exhibitions >
      • Ron Benner: Trans/mission: Barley-Corn-Maize
      • Jane Eccles: In These Threads
      • Art from the High Schools
      • Sameer Farooq: BOOP Museum
      • The VAC 39th Annual Juried Show
      • Z'otz* Collective: Waiting Outside of My Hand
      • 100 Small Artworks Show and Sale
    • Past Exhibitions >
      • Exhibitions 2016 - 2018
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      • Be My Guest
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      • Kids Outdoor Art Festival
      • Clarington Outdoor Art Festival
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  • Home
  • What's On
    • 2021 Exhibitions >
      • Hiba Abdallah: 100 years then and hereafter
      • Public Space
      • Fossilized Sunshine
      • Bodies in Conflict
    • 2020 Exhibitions >
      • Pete Smith: Stein's Law
      • Cole Swanson: The Hissing Folly
      • Erika DeFreitas: an object, a gesture, a scene (II)
      • Juried Art Exhibition Fundraiser
    • 2019 Exhibitions >
      • Ron Benner: Trans/mission: Barley-Corn-Maize
      • Jane Eccles: In These Threads
      • Art from the High Schools
      • Sameer Farooq: BOOP Museum
      • The VAC 39th Annual Juried Show
      • Z'otz* Collective: Waiting Outside of My Hand
      • 100 Small Artworks Show and Sale
    • Past Exhibitions >
      • Exhibitions 2016 - 2018
    • Exhibition Catalogues
    • Submissions
    • Events >
      • Be My Guest
      • Events Calendar
      • Kids Outdoor Art Festival
      • Clarington Outdoor Art Festival
      • Past Events
  • Education
    • Adult Classes
    • Kids Classes
    • Winter Camps
    • Spring Art Kits
    • Summer Camp
    • P.A. Days and Workshops
    • VAC Resources
  • Get Involved
    • Careers
    • Membership
    • Volunteer
    • Annual Members Meeting
    • VAC Newsletter
  • Visit Us
    • About
    • Supporters
    • VAC Policies
    • Our History
    • Meet our Team
  • Donate

COVID-19 Visitor Guidelines

In response to the Government of Ontario’s emergency province-wide shutdown, the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington (VAC) will be closed until further notice.

The general public is now welcome to visit the Gallery during the opening hours: 

Seniors and Immunocompromised visitors:         Open to the public:
10:00 am -12:00 pm, Tuesdays to Sundays            12:30 pm - 4:00 pm, Tuesdays to Sundays 

The following measures will be in place to ensure your comfort and safety:
  • No more than five visitors will be permitted inside the VAC facility at any given time to ensure physical distancing within our exhibition spaces; entry will be managed on a first-come-first-served basis
    • Capacity: Main Gallery 5 persons 
  • Visitors exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 are not permitted to visit the Gallery; visitors will be asked to confirm they are asymptomatic and provide contact information on entry to support contact tracing if required 
  • Visitors who develop symptoms of COVID-19 during their visit are asked to inform Front Desk immediately to seek assistance in safely leaving the Gallery or isolating on-site until help can be provided
  • If you or any members of your household have travelled outside of Canada within the past 14 days you are not permitted to enter the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington facility.
  • Visitors will be required to sanitize their hands upon entering the VAC (pumps available at the entrance)
  • Wearing of non-surgical face masks is required following the Face Covering By-law in Durham Region.
  • Visitors are required to maintain a physical distance of 6 feet (2 metres) from other guests and staff throughout the Gallery 
  • There will be cues for visitors throughout the space, please be mindful of some of the narrowed corridors.
  • High-touch surfaces throughout the Gallery including doors will be sanitized regularly by Gallery staff
  • Washrooms will not be available to visitors at this time
  • All onsite group programming and access to the studios has been cancelled for the foreseeable future

With these measures in place, we are confident that the VAC can provide a comforting refuge and space for learning through these challenging times. Thank you for your cooperation.

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Our History
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About Us

The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington (VAC) is a not for profit public art gallery and art education centre located in Bowmanville, ON. The organization was incorporated in 1976, with the mission of delivering contemporary art to the Clarington Community, the wider Durham Region, and beyond. The VAC has a 45-year history of community engagement, connecting people of all ages and backgrounds in a creative place for artmaking and learning.​

Mission
The VAC connects people of all ages and backgrounds in a creative place for learning
and discovery.
​

Vision
The VAC utilizes art to create an inclusive space where ideas are exchanged, questions
​are asked, and connections are made.


Gallery Hours

In response to the Government of Ontario’s emergency province-wide shutdown, the VAC will be closed until further notice.

We have temporarily adjusted our opening hours to the following: 
​

Monday - Closed
Tuesday - Sunday 10 am - 4 pm


*Please note that 10 am - 12 pm is reserved for Seniors and Immunocompromised visitors.

*We will open for the general public from 12:30 pm - 4 pm.

Land Acknowledgement

The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington is situated on the traditional territory and treaty lands of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. Our work on these lands acknowledges the signatory communities of the Williams Treaties, as well as the Mississauga Nation and other members of the broader Indigenous community, for their resilience, and their longstanding contributions to the area now known as the Durham region.  ​

Visit Us

Accessibility

Visual Arts Centre of Clarington,
143 Simpson Avenue, Bowmanville, ON, L1C 2H9 
​
(Hwy 401 to Liberty Street, Liberty to Baseline,
​East to Simpson, North to Soper Creek Park)
The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington is a partially accessible venue with an accessible washroom. The front entrance can be accessed by a ramp and an outward-opening door (please note that we do not have an automatic door opener). It is important to note that the Loft Gallery and our studios are not accessible by wheelchair. Accessible parking is available on site. For any special assistance or queries about the venue, please call or email us. Admission is free and all are welcome.

The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington is committed to being a space that is safe and inclusive for all people. For this ​space​ to be accessible to ​people with ​varying allergies and sensitivities, it is a pet free, nut free, and scent free zone. We ask that visitors please refrain from bringing in animals, food items containing nuts, and wearing heavily scented products. Thank you for your consideration.

Strategic Plan

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This document captures the guiding principles of the VAC, where we would like to see our organization thrive and our plans to materialize our vision. Our goal is to articulate how and why we will use our resources to achieve our mission and broaden our investment in the community. Focusing on the outcomes and impact of who we serve, will guide us in how our operational structures, allocation of resources, and partnerships are determined.

This updated plan was developed by the board and staff of the VAC, through consultation with artists, external community organizations, instructors, members, other galleries, students, teachers, the Municipality of Clarington and volunteers from across our community. The VAC worked with Sherri Helwig and students in her “Planning and Project Management in the Arts and Cultural Sector” course, which is a senior-level course in the Arts Management Specialist program at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

Download the Strategic Plan 2019 - 2023

​
Previous Strategic Plans:
Strategic Plan 2014 - 2018
Strategic Plan 2009 - 2014

Annual Report 2018

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2018 marked a new chapter for the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington (VAC) and we are excited now more than ever to bring to Clarington the very best of contemporary art from within our local community and to show work from artists whose practice contributes to a larger global conversation. Our focus for the 2018 year was to increase the level of programming around each exhibition. This provided exciting opportunities for each artist showing their work and provided more time for the community to learn something new.

Download the Annual Report for 2018

Annual Report 2019

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2019 was another remarkable year for the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington (VAC) and we are excited now more than ever to bring to Clarington the very best of contemporary art from within our local community and to show work from artists whose practice contributes to a larger global conversation.
Download the Annual Report for 2019

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Visit us: 143 Simpson Avenue, Bowmanville, ON, L1C 2H9      (905)-623-5831

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