Guelph Museums

05/28/2026

LAST CHANCE! Only a few tickets left!
Join us this Sunday, May 31 for Plant Kin & Observation Workshop with Roots & Raven (Tanya Gluvakov). We will meet at Guelph Civic Museum at 9:30 a.m. and spend a creative day together in conversation with the plant world, here, in Guelph. Beginning outdoors on the land, within the hilltop garden and at the rivers, we will observe and sketch our plant kin and listen to teachings of Spring. With care and curiosity, we will pay attention to the plant shapes, texture, and movements. It is an opportunity to look closely, connect and slow down.

After meeting at Guelph Civic Museum, we will walk down to the art installation “At the River’s Edge, the Grandmothers are Weaving Tomorrow” located along the Speed River in John Galt Park. This gathering is offered to community members ages 13 and over, and will be held rain or shine. We will be providing sketch paper and materials but invite those who prefer different crafting styles to bring their own materials if they wish. Please wear appropriate clothing and bring a blanket or portable folding chair to comfortably sit on.

After our time outside, we will take a lunch break at 12 p.m. before gathering at the Civic Museum to create a collaborative art piece inspired by our observations. The piece will inhabit a cabinet located outside the main floor gallery space and will be on display for the duration of the current exhibition, Maawnjidyang Maa: We Come Together Here. We encourage participants to bring their own lunch, or to pick up lunch from a nearby food vendor.

Image credit: Amina Lalor

Preregistration is required: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1988860396986?aff=oddtdtcreator
The City of Guelph
Waterloo-Wellington Museums and Galleries
Gather In Guelph
Guelph Indigenous Community Council
Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
Six Nations of the Grand River
Woodland Cultural Centre
Métis Nation of Ontario
Guelph Arts Council
Art Gallery of Guelph

Spend a creative day in conversation with the plant world in Guelph. Take an opportunity to look closely, connect and slow down.

05/27/2026

REMINDER!
Join us at McCrae House on Wednesday, June 3 for Piping Nights at McCrae Memorial Gardens at 7 p.m. Listen in on the Guelph Pipe Band as they practice a variety of tunes in preparation for competition. The pipe major will share information about the music and the band. Bring a lawn chair, and settle in for stirring sounds on a summer night.

Learn more: https://guelphmuseums.ca/event/piping-nights-at-mccrae-memorial-gardens-6/
Guelph Pipe Band
The City of Guelph
Gather In Guelph
Waterloo-Wellington Museums and Galleries

05/26/2026

05/22/2026

REMINDER-TICKETS AVAILABLE!
Join us on Sunday, May 31 for Plant Kin & Observation Workshop with Roots & Raven (Tanya Gluvakov). We will meet at Guelph Civic Museum at 9:30 a.m. and spend a creative day together in conversation with the plant world, here, in Guelph. Beginning outdoors on the land, within the hilltop garden and at the rivers, we will observe and sketch our plant kin and listen to teachings of Spring. With care and curiosity, we will pay attention to the plant shapes, texture, and movements. It is an opportunity to look closely, connect and slow down.

After meeting at Guelph Civic Museum, we will walk down to the art installation “At the River’s Edge, the Grandmothers are Weaving Tomorrow” located along the Speed River in John Galt Park. This gathering is offered to community members ages 13 and over, and will be held rain or shine. We will be providing sketch paper and materials but invite those who prefer different crafting styles to bring their own materials if they wish. Please wear appropriate clothing and bring a blanket or portable folding chair to comfortably sit on.

After our time outside, we will take a lunch break at 12 p.m. before gathering at the Civic Museum to create a collaborative art piece inspired by our observations. The piece will inhabit a cabinet located outside the main floor gallery space and will be on display for the duration of the current exhibition, Maawnjidyang Maa: We Come Together Here. We encourage participants to bring their own lunch, or to pick up lunch from a nearby food vendor.

Image credit: Amina Lalor

Preregistration is required: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1988860396986?aff=oddtdtcreator
The City of Guelph
Waterloo-Wellington Museums and Galleries
Gather In Guelph
Guelph Indigenous Community Council
Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
Six Nations of the Grand River
Woodland Cultural Centre
Métis Nation of Ontario
Guelph Arts Council
Art Gallery of Guelph

Spend a creative day in conversation with the plant world in Guelph. Take an opportunity to look closely, connect and slow down.

05/22/2026

Call to Artists: Art in Real Life (Art IRL) is now open!

Artists and art collectives with a lived connection to the place we call Guelph are invited to submit Expressions of Interest for, Art in Real Life (Art IRL), an annual program supporting artist-led shared arts experiences in public space.

Developed by the City of Guelph and delivered by Guelph Arts Council, Art IRL supports projects that bring communities together through art in real time and space.

One selected artist or collective will receive a $10,000 project award.

We’re hosting a virtual Information Session for artists interested in applying:
📅 May 25, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM

📌 Expression of Interest deadline: June 8, 2026 at 11:59 PM

Art IRL welcomes interdisciplinary, community-engaged, site-specific, studio, media, and performance-based practices, with projects taking place in downtown Guelph during Culture Days 2026.

Link in below for more info and to RSVP for the virtual info session:
https://guelpharts.ca/programs/art-irl/

05/22/2026

We’re kicking off National AccessAbility Week (May 31–June 6) with a flag‑raising ceremony hosted by the Guelph Barrier Free Committee. Join us at City Hall on Monday, May 25 at Noon as we celebrate accessibility, inclusion, and a community where everyone belongs.

05/22/2026

Save the date!

Join us on Friday, May 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at City Hall in the Marg MacKinnon Room for the launch of the Welcoming Communities Strategy.

Built through a year of collaboration led by Guelph Wellington Local Immigration Partnership (GWLIP) and partners across Guelph and Wellington, this strategy strengthens inclusion, belonging, and well-being for everyone in our community including newcomers.

05/22/2026

Join us TONIGHT at Guelph Civic Museum for Fourth Friday: Rebecca Hass – Manaadjia: A Tribute to Rene Meshake at 7 p.m. It will be a moving evening of music, story, and remembrance honouring the life, art, and enduring spirit of the late Anishinaabe Elder Rene Meshake. Rebecca Hass (Nitaawegiizhigok/Singing Sky Woman), a Métis artist, opera singer, and composer, will share songs and stories born from her deep creative and personal connection with Meshake.

Admission by donation starts at 5:00 p.m. with the performance beginning at 7:00 p.m. The performance will take place on the patio, weather permitting.

Rebecca Hass’s performance is offered in conjunction with the feature exhibition Maawnjidyang Maa: We Come Together Here, curated by the Decolonizing Place Narratives Collective.

Throughout the evening, witness a 30-foot-wide video projection on the east-facing wall of the St. Agnes School, overlooking the museum’s main entrance and parking lot. The video compilation features “The Archive of Steampunk Mishoomis,” created by longtime Guelph resident, Anishinaabemowin speaker, and residential school Survivor, Rene Meshake, whose art is also represented in the “Maawnjidyang Maa” exhibition.

Full details available on our website: https://guelphmuseums.ca/event/fourth-friday-rebecca-hass-manaadjia-a-tribute-to-rene-meshake/

The City of Guelph
Waterloo-Wellington Museums and Galleries
Gather In Guelph
Guelph Indigenous Community Council
Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
Six Nations of the Grand River
Rebecca Hass-Creative

05/21/2026

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!

Tea in the Garden returns to McCrae House on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays beginning on June 4. Enjoy tea, scones and a bottomless pot of tea in the backyard gardens at McCrae House National Historic Site. Under large pine trees, experience McCrae Private blend tea or our Town Garden blend served with scones, whipped cream, berries and other sweet treats.

Bookings are required at least 48 hours in advance via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/tea-in-the-garden-tickets-1989600716301?aff=oddtdtcreator or by phone at 519-836-1221.

The City of Guelph
Gather In Guelph
Waterloo-Wellington Museums and Galleries

05/21/2026

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!
As significant work begins on the individuals excavated from the Baker Street public burial ground in Guelph, join the McMaster University research team for a project open house on Tuesday, May 26 at Guelph Civic Museum for sessions beginning at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m

Dr. Megan Brickley will give a brief project update, introducing the team of experts and students working to understand the lives of those buried in Guelph’s earliest colonial cemetery.

No lab coat required—just curiosity! Try your hand at an “isotope detective” game – using chemical clues in teeth to track who was a local and who migrated here. See a mini lab for peptide research and learn how researchers investigate the biological s*x and ages at death of those at the site. Interact with micro-CT scanned bones and explore “Excavating the Archive.” And (guaranteed to improve your hand hygiene) learn about “Microscopic Migrants” – parasites that travelled with people – alongside other aspects of health and disease, including working with a 3D bone scanner.

This interactive evening is about you, too.
Researchers need your questions, insights, and input as they plan the next steps, including a future memorial service at Woodlawn Memorial Park to “Honour Their Journey”.

Whether you’re a history buff, a student, or simply curious about who lived – and struggled -on the land beneath your feet, come ask questions, try the hands‑on activities.

Why does this matter today? In an era of global migration, understanding how health and migration intersected in the past helps us build a more informed and compassionate future.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-baker-street-individuals-help-write-the-next-chapter-tickets-1989605618965?aff=oddtdtcreator

The City of Guelph
Waterloo-Wellington Museums and Galleries
Guelph Historical Society
McMaster University
University of Guelph
Gather In Guelph

05/20/2026

SAVE THE DATE!
Join us at McCrae House on Wednesday, June 3 for Piping Nights at McCrae Memorial Gardens at 7 p.m. Listen in on the Guelph Pipe Band as they practice a variety of tunes in preparation for competition. The pipe major will share information about the music and the band. Bring a lawn chair, and settle in for stirring sounds on a summer night.

Learn more: https://guelphmuseums.ca/event/piping-nights-at-mccrae-memorial-gardens-6/
Guelph Pipe Band
The City of Guelph
Gather In Guelph
Waterloo-Wellington Museums and Galleries