About Us
Background
Founded in 1979 in Durham, West Grey, the Durham Art Gallery is a regional arts organization serving Grey and Bruce Counties. Our mandate is to inspire, educate and delight people of all ages through access to a wide range of contemporary art. We embrace a multidisciplinary view of cultural practice and present visual and media art together with literary and performance events.
From our earliest incarnation in the local library to our current purpose-built home, the Gallery’s evolution has been marked by transformation and maturity. Over the past years we have introduced new exciting initiatives: off-site exhibitions in supermarkets, public parks and local businesses; satellite events in underserved communities; collaborations with art universities and colleges across Ontario, and the launch of several professional arts festivals: the Words Aloud Spoken Word Festival began as a collaborative effort between the Gallery and the Words Aloud Collective. Hosted by the Gallery and organized in collaboration with OCAD University, the Common Pulse Festival is a panorama of emerging art genres and practices.
Mission
The Durham Art Gallery provides a welcoming, inclusive centre for community engagement and appreciation of contemporary art, ideas, and culture, while continuing to build Community, Equity, and Diversity through responsible stewardship. We produce dynamic public programs that inspire creativity, appreciation, dialogue and engagement while building bridges to span the perceived gap between contemporary art and rural communities.
DAG Team
Executive Director
Jennifer Norman
Jennifer Anne Norman is a cross-disciplinary artist, educator, and arts administrator from Northern Ontario. She is a member of the Faculty of Art at OCAD University where she teaches a range of painting and drawing courses. She has also taught at Sheridan College and Centennial college in recent years.
Her studio practice conflates ecology and art theory with a site-responsive, experimental approach to traditional drawing methodologies. She has participated in numerous national and international artist residencies and exhibitions and her work is held in several public and private collections.
Summer Staff
Paige Bowen
I am an emerging artist and curator, born in South Africa and now based in Southern Ontario. I completed my BFA in Drawing and Painting at OCADU in 2024, continued to the Haliburton School of Art and Design, and am now working to complete a certificate in Museum and Gallery Studies at Georgian College. Deeply invested in digital culture, immigration politics, community building, and sustainability, I hope to continue to create meaningful change through art, community, and hard work.
Summer Staff
Trinity Bechan
Hi everyone, my name is Trinity and I am a second-year student at the University of Toronto studying Political Science with a special interest in social justice, equity, and inclusion. I am an avid fan of reading, exploring, and trying new things. For the past 10 years I have called the community of Markdale my home. In Markdale, I am an active volunteer with the Markdale Agricultural Society where I plan programs, events, and activities catered to youth in the area with a particular focus on youth leadership, agriculture, and creativity. I am very excited to be a part of the Durham Art Gallery team and look forward to meeting each of you this summer!
Summer Staff
Annie McCarthy
I’m an energetic, and passionate artist who wants to explore all the colorful avenues that the world has to offer! I’ve worked for various art camps, and planned many small-scale art events pushing the philosophy of process over product. When I’m not in the art scene, you can find me gallivanting across the world, attending to numerous random side quests (crossing the Sahara on camel-back, jumping out of a plane in Cyprus, or skiing down the Italian alps). My journey continues this fall with enrollment in nursing school, exploring the balance between art and medicine as a lifestyle.
Summer Children's Programming Coordinator
Marny Seager
I am an elementary teacher, mom of two busy boys, and a creative person at heart. My family runs Welbeck BMR, which brought us to the area a few years ago. I love inspiring young people to get creative, knowing how important it is for well-being, confidence, and happiness! I love the small town community of Durham, and am so happy to be part of the Art Gallery team to run the upcoming Summer Camp!
Board of Directors
Board President
Paige Crewson
Paige Crewson is a lawyer with more than 20 years of experience spent working at top law firms in Canada and abroad. She has also held in-house roles including a General Counsel position. She has in-depth experience negotiating and documenting commercial transactions (including in the public-private finance sphere) and a working knowledge of corporate governance, compliance, and risk management.
Director
Ken Bryson
Ken Bryson is a local professional marketer with 20 years experience in small and large businesses, managing advertising, messaging, web development, email and social media marketing. Recently, Ken took on ownership and publishing of MOSAIC magazine, the local independent arts, culture, and community magazine for Grey Bruce. Ken has lived on a small organic farm outside Neustadt since 2007. Ken has previously been a board member of Edge Hill Country School 2009-2010.
Director
Shannon Linde
Shannon Linde is a curator, artistic producer, and artist living in Toronto and West Grey. She is currently the Senior Curator with EQ Bank, an all-digital financial institution with a growing collection uniquely focused on supporting digital art and emerging artistic practices. Shannon is also a founding member of Aisle 4, a Toronto-based curatorial collective that aims to enhance arts engagement in the city through social practice and public art.
Director
Cheyenne Sundance
Cheyenne is an organic farmer who cultivates 2 acres of a diverse array of cut-flowers, herbs, vegetables and melons in Mount Forest, Ontario at her farm called living wage certified farm Sundance Harvest. In addition to operating her own farm, she is the director of an educational urban farm in collaboration with the non-profit Sundance Commons in north Etobicoke. With a strong interest in incubators, community land trusts and cooperative farming she co-founded Sundance Commons, a southwest Ontario based non-profit that provides the tools, long-term land access at five incubation farms, markets, and training for new farmers historically-excluded from the agricultural sector. Sundance Commons provides all these resources at no cost to these new farmers and aligns with the spirit of community land trusts. Aside from farming, Cheyenne likes puppet theatre and dancing at discotheques.
Director
Edward Birnbaum
Some of Edward's earliest memories are at his family's farm in West Grey and over the years he has developed a close connection to the area. He now brings his children to the area every weekend and throughout the summer months.
Professionally and personally Edward has been committed to helping build communities. His work with the Mayor of Toronto included building strong relationships with Toronto's art sector, Municipal staff and other levels of government. He understand how impactful small arts and non-profit organizations can be through his work with Artscape in the planning and creation of a new facility in an under-served area of the city.
Directions
Durham is about two hours northwest of Toronto. Coming up Highway 6 from Guelph: after entering Durham, go east (right) one block after the traffic lights and make the first turn north (left). Continue until you see the Gallery. Coming up Highway 10 from Toronto: turn west (left) at the traffic lights in Flesherton and continue on County Road 4. In Durham, turn right (north) at the last street before the traffic light. Continue until you see the Gallery.
Accommodations
There are several Airbnb options available in and around Durham:
There is public camping in the park just across the river from the Gallery:
Accessibility
The Durham Art Gallery is wheelchair accessible.
Upon request, the Durham Art Gallery will provide, or arrange for the provision of accessible formats of our communications for persons with disabilities. If you require information in an accessible format, please contact us at 519-369-3692 or info@durhamartgallery.com