About

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Mission

Arsenal Contemporary Art is a private art center and cultural initiative founded by the patrons Pierre and Anne-Marie Trahan. Its mandate is to support the creation, production and dissemination of contemporary Canadian art through a variety of projects, including exhibitions showcasing Canadian artists alongside international artists that are organized in-house or by guest curators.  

 

One entity, three locations

Opened in 2011 in Montreal, Arsenal Contemporary Art has since expanded to include locations in Toronto (2013) and New York (2017). Although some exhibitions travel from one city to another, the programming of each art center is tailored to the community, space and audience of its locality.    

Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto 

Founded in 2013 out of a desire to include Canada’s largest city in its cultural initiative, Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto is located in a renovated industrial building in The Junction neighborhood. Since then, many other cultural institutions have moved to the area, including the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in 2018.  

It is one of the rare private spaces in Toronto that is large enough to host major contemporary art exhibitions. Some of these exhibitions are presented in the other art centers of Arsenal Contemporary Art.  

A real cultural hub, Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto, like the other centers in the network, regularly hosts cultural and philanthropic events. These events allow Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto to develop new audiences by attracting visitors who might not otherwise attend contemporary art exhibitions.