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Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 12pm - 4pm

Workers Arts & Heritage Centre

Name: Workers Arts & Heritage Centre
Address: 51 Stuart Street, Hamilton, ON, L8L1B5, CA
Telephone: +19055223003
Price range: $

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Workers Arts & Heritage Centre

Canada's only national labour history museum and arts centre, housed in Hamilton's historic Custom House.

08/29/2026

Yesterday, WAHC welcomed Hamilton Centre MP Aslam Rana for a visit. MP Rana toured the Centre, learned about Custom House, and our work as Canada’s only labour history museum and multidisciplinary art centre.

Executive Director Tara and Collections Coordinator Sara talked about WAHC’s incoming collection of newspapers representing Canadian autoworkers and gave MP Rana a behind-the-scenes look at the donation. We shared information about the collection, and the process of storing, accessioning and digitizing items that come to us.

Importantly, we conveyed the merits of the Young Canada Works program— specifically the Building Careers in Heritage program— in combatting youth unemployment (in Hamilton, the rate is 17.2%) and providing access to meaningful paid work in the sector. For small community museums like WAHC with few staff, YCW helps build capacity for special projects that share diverse histories. We benefit immensely from the young workers that YCW allows us to access, and want to ensure that funding for the program is preserved and protected.

We look forward to seeing MP Aslam Rana again soon and thank him for joining us!

Canadian Heritage
Canadian Museums Association / Association des musées canadiens

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08/28/2026

Creative Food Research Collaboratory () members Anahí Gonzalez () and Katie Lawson () are in the midst of their residency with WAHC. With a focus on migrant worker’s rights and food systems, they have had conversations with other artists working at this intersection as a part of their research. Recently, they met with Martín Rodriguez () about their project NOUS / OTRXS (on now at AXENÉO7) and Farrah Marie Miranda () about her project Speaking Fruit (which was previously hosted at WAHC).

🔗Registration for their residency public program "Local" Food, Migrant Labour: Residency Reflections is now open! Register through the link in our bio.

WAHC's annual residency program is funded by incite Foundation for the Arts.

1. Katie, Martín, and Anahí meeting via Zoom.
2. Exhibition documentation of Martín Rodriguez’s NOUS/OTRXS at SBC Gallery of Contemporary Art, 2025. Photo by Arcpixel.

08/27/2026

This week, Ada Bierling’s contract as Interim Programming and Exhibitions Specialist is up. While we are incredibly sad to see them go, we look forward to feeling the incredible impacts of their work in the coming years.

From piloting a new school and camp visits program and coordinating the first two waves of exhibits for Work In Progress to developing and delivering all of our art programming, it’s been an incredible year. We benefited from Ada’s excellent programming instincts, and commitment to accessibility and equity. Please help us thank Ada for their efforts.

Here are some reflections from Ada on their work at WAHC:

“One of the most fulfilling projects I contributed to while at WAHC was Work in Progress, our ongoing multi-year heritage exhibit redesign. I worked on two iterations of the project– Fightbacks! and Survival and Dignity– bringing working people’s stories to life with input from community curators, artists, committee members, and artefacts from WAHC’s permanent collection. Seeing these histories honoured on WAHC’s walls– from the organizing successes of land defenders, housing activists, migrant workers and more– is something I’m grateful for and proud of.” ✨

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08/26/2026

This Fall season, join WAHC in a series of public programs activating Para Ayer/Due Yesterday and Anahí González & Katie Lawson's artist residency🌾

🎉September 18, 6:30-9 pm | Opening Reception and performance | A celebration of the opening of Para Ayer/Due Yesterday and WAHC’s heritage exhibition WIP: Survival and Dignity

🌽October 8, 6:30-8:30 pm | “Local” Food, Migrant Labour: Residency Reflections | Anahí González & Katie Lawson will share reflections from their residency and invite attendees into conversation shared over tamales provided by Mexican Kitchen. A new special edition produced by designer Laura Rojas will also be available!

🖌️November 28, 1-4 pm | Natural Pigment Making with Michelle Peraza | Participants will learn how to make pigments with soil and have the opportunity to paint with the pigments on fabric patches

For more information and to register, follow the link in our bio🔗 We hope to see you there!

📸1: Carritos Hechos En Saltillo Para Canadians (2023), Anahí González. Image courtesy the artist.
📸2: Left: The Employee of the Month, and The Next One, and The Next One… (2024), Artcite, Window, Windsor, ON. Photo documentation by Jel Media.
Right: Founding Celebration Ribbon Cutting (2024), Caroline Co-op. Image courtesy of Emily Power.
📸3: Workshop led by Katie Lawson and Maria Simmons as part of Bread, Butter, Tea, Soup (2024) at ArtLAB, London ON, curated by the Creative Food Research Collaboratory. Photo: Dickson Bou.
📸4: Pigment making process detail. Image courtesy of Michelle Peraza.

08/21/2026

Announcing WAHC’s Fall 2026 Launch 🚀
Friday, September 18th, 6:30-9:00 pm

Celebrate the opening of Anahí González‘ exhibition Para Ayer/Due Yesterday, and WAHC’s heritage exhibition Work in Progress: Survival and Dignity!

Anahí González will be in attendance acting as her alter-ego Manuela, and invites people to interact with her performance The Employee of the Month, and The Next One, and The Next One… alongside Willie the Goose.

Community curators from Work in Progress: Survival and Dignity will be present to mingle and talk about their projects ranging from s*x worker organizing, tenant-led housing, and beyond, including Emily Power, Kwentong Bayan Collective, Huckleberry Point Collective, and Scarlett Gillespie AKA Jelena Vermilion.

Doors open at 6:30 pm, opening remarks begin at 7:00 pm. Refreshments will be served.

See you then! For more information about both contains, visit the links 🔗 below.

https://wahc-museum.ca/event/opening-reception-and-performance-para-ayer-due-yesterday-and-wip-survival-and-dignity/

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08/19/2026

Save the Date - WAHC's annual gala returns this November!

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, September 15th for the 31st Annual Sam Lawrence Dinner. You're not going to want to miss it.

Interested in supporting the event but unable to attend?

📰 Buy an advertisement in this year's program
🎁 Contribute to the Silent Auction
🎟 Purchase a Solidarity Ticket

If you have any questions regarding the above please don't hesitate to reach out to Cayley James, Outreach and Development Specialist, at [email protected].

We hope to see you in November.

Image Credit: Justine McCloskey, 2025 Sam Lawrence Dinner

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08/13/2026

✨ Meet our program volunteer (and Youth Council member) Declan!✨

WAHC is lucky to have wonderful volunteers, and over the next few weeks, we’ll be profiling some of our newest ones. Help us welcome them and thank them for their work! 🙏🏽

“I was born and raised in Hamilton and I’m now a history student at McMaster. In addition to my life as a student I also work as a student journalist, I love research and writing so I couldn’t ask for much better!

“I took an interest in WAHC because I love to hear working people tell their own stories. My family’s history is entwined with Hamilton’s labour movement, and it makes me so happy to see how that labour movement is such a part of the lives of others. Diversify and solidarity has always been our greatest strength.”

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08/08/2026

Due to unforeseen circumstances, WAHC will remain closed today. 🌘

We reopen on Wednesday, August 12th. Join us then! ✨

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08/07/2026

☀️This summer, WAHC has been delighted to welcome camp groups into our space to learn about labour heritage, social movements, and the arts☀️

We've written zine songbooks together like the IWW, designed posters with messages inspired by land defenders, and more!

Each educational visit is curriculum connected, includes a hands-on workshop, and allows children and youth to experience labour heritage objects in-person.

🔗For more information about booking a visit for your classroom, day camp, or recreational group, head to our website through the link in our bio!

📸1-3: Artwork & moments from camp visits in WAHC's backyard this summer.

08/06/2026

How do WAHC’s members spread the word about us, and build support for us in ways large and small? Ask Greg Smith, proprietor of Blind Pig Press, seen here in both a photo and in 8-bit illustration.

From community screenings and bowling or golf tournaments to bake sales, supporter-led events are great ways to fundraise.

Here’s a testimonial from Greg about the how and why he hosted a fundraiser screening for WAHC:

“I love WAHC and what they do but don’t have a lot of disposable income. (My) film fundraiser was an attempt to raise some money with an event that aligned with the museum’s mandate. We did the logistical stuff ourselves (tickets, advertising, film rental), but were fortunate that the wonderful staff and volunteers at WAHC were able to help put on a sold-out event in the Main Gallery. It was all surprisingly easy and we hope to do another film night in the coming year.”

New in 2026, our Peer to Peer Fundraising Guide provides ideas and tools for how WAHC’s supporters can build event more support of WAHC we do. Find it linked below.
https://tinyurl.com/mvfbcuwd

Have an event idea? Please reach out to explore how your community event can help WAHC thrive.

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Address

51 Stuart Street
Hamilton, ON
L8L1B5

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+19055223003

Website

http://www.wahc-museum.ca/

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