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University of Waterloo Art Gallery

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University of Waterloo Art Gallery

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University of Waterloo (UWAG) In 2010, the gallery was renovated and revitalized by Director/Curator, Ivan Jurakic.

The University of Waterloo Art Gallery (UWAG) was established in 1964 and is located in East Campus Hall (ECH), adjacent to the Fine Arts Department. UWAG engages both the campus and community-at-large with an annual slate of exhibitions featuring recent work by significant emerging and mid-career artists from across Canada and abroad. The exhibitions program strikes a critical balance by remaining responsive to our vibrant regional arts scene while exploring aspects critical to the expanded field of contemporary art as they occur on a national and international level. Our exhibitions, opening receptions and events are free and open to the public from September to May. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday to Friday from noon to 5:00 pm by appointment. Located in East Campus Hall at 263 Phillip Street off of University Avenue West, behind University Shops Plaza. Use South entrance to ECH across from Engineering 6. Limited meter parking is available behind ECH. Visitor Parking is available daily in Lot E6 and Lot E5 or Lot B after 3:45 pm. Cost $5.00

Contact:
Ivan Jurakic, Director / Curator
519.888.4567 ext. 36741
[email protected]

10/06/2026

Have you had a chance to visit Abraham Oghobase's exhibition? Featuring his iconic large-scale silkscreen prints, 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛: 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 explores interpersonal narratives, using photos as a base for traditional photography and reconstructed sculpture.

investigates the ways that photographic images shape memory and history. The artist’s mixed-media installation 𝘖𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥𝘦 (𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸?) references both his middle name and its translation from the Urhobo language. Historically, photography was routinely used as a tool to legitimize colonial dominance and reinforce Eurocentric ideology. Oghobase’s reconstruction of images suggests a restorative counternarrative. The artist explores his Nigerian heritage through family photographs and archival imagery culled from the Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University. He explores different image-making methodologies to edit, overlay and reframe these images using analog technologies ranging from photocopying to screen printing. Family photos are enlarged on canvas and paired alongside readymade furniture. Monochromatic silhouettes of figures and flora are printed on Kozuke paper banners alongside agricultural and industrial imagery. Oghobase excavates the socio-economic and historical associations found in these images, centering his intellectual curiosity and lived experience as a corrective against racism, exploitation, and cultural erasure.

Abraham Onoriode Oghobase (b. 1979 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a visual artist and researcher. He holds an MFA in Visual Arts from York University, where he is currently a PhD candidate. Recent exhibitions include All That Sustains Us, Medina Triennial, Medina, New York; Notes to Self, Smokestack, Hamilton, Ontario; Gallery TPW as part of the Toronto Biennial of Art 2024; as well as the Nigeria Pavilion at the 60th La Biennale di Venezia International Art Exhibition.

Photos by: @

09/24/2026

Do you love art and technology? Whether you are a visual artist interested in textiles and sculpture or someone fascinated by the intricacies of outmoded technologies, Laura Moore's show 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 is worth seeing up close and in person.

The multidisciplinary artworks in 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 are rooted in Laura Moore’s fascination with obsolete technology and her commitment to repurposing materials. Having established a reputation for carving 1:1 scale vintage computer monitors and boom boxes out of stone, over the last few years her practice has expanded to include the making of quilts and mosaics.

Culled from a personal collection of obsolete technology, she swaps the geometric patterns of the traditional quilt for that of a diagrammatic circuit board from a Nintendo game controller for instance. While the quilts elicit a degree of anxious comfort, the recent mosaics represent a further mash-up of past and present. Based on the guts of her collection of cell phones, each wall-mounted mosaic represents a circuit board enlarged to 1:12 scale. Suggesting archeological relics, thematically Moore’s work invites us to consider the preponderance and disposability of consumer electronics and the troubling inheritance these artifacts represent for future generations.

Laura Moore is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in sculpture. Her work has been extensively exhibited across Canada and Europe. Recent exhibitions include: Memories of the Future, a mid-career solo exhibition at McIntosh Gallery, London, ON (2025), Soft Internet Theory at the Art Gallery of Guelph (2025), Picture Stones in Bergen, Norway (2024), Love Languages at Art Windsor Essex, Windsor (2024), Erratic Behaviour at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener (2024), Memory Bathing at OpenArt Biennale, Örbero, Sweden (2022) and Memory Sticks at Baneheia & Odderøya, Kristiansand, Norway (2022).

Photos by

09/16/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out to the opening reception of Abraham O. Oghobase's exhibition | 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛: 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 and Laura Moore's exhibition | 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 last week! It was amazing to see members of our community, UW Arts friends, and meet many new people who have never been to UWAG before.

The exhibitions will be up until Saturday. December 5, and the Gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday 12-5pm.

Photos by

09/10/2026

We are excited to celebrate the opening reception of Abraham Oghobase | Notes to Self: Offerings on History as Memory and Laura Moore | Handheld tonight from 4-8 PM.

For University staff and faculty, we welcome you to see the show between 4-5pm this evening for a preview of these exhibitions!

Join us and meet the artist and celebrate this exhibition!

After tonight we resume our regular opening hours of Wednesday through Saturday 12-5 PM.

09/08/2026

We are excited to launch our Fall 2026 season with a reception for two exhibitions on Thursday, September 10th (thursday)! There will be a staff and faculty preview from 4-5 PM and an opening reception from 5-8 PM.

Join us to celebrate the opening of 𝘼𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙢 𝙊. 𝙊𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚 | 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛: 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 and 𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 and 𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙖 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙧𝙚 | 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙

Abraham O. Oghobase investigates the ways that photographic images shape memory and history. The artist’s mixed-media installation Onoriode (Who Knows Tomorrow?) references both his middle name and its translation from the Urhobo language. Exhibited in context with the large-scale print installation Notes to Self, these recent bodies of work are made in response to the tensions inherent to both the personal and historical archive. Historically, photography was routinely used as a tool to legitimize colonial dominance and reinforce Eurocentric ideology. Oghobase’s reconstruction of images suggests a restorative counternarrative. The artist explores his Nigerian heritage through family photographs and archival imagery culled from the Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University.

The multidisciplinary artworks in Handheld are rooted in Laura Moore’s fascination with obsolete technology and her commitment to repurposing materials. Having established a reputation for carving 1:1 scale vintage computer monitors and boom boxes out of stone, over the last few years her practice has expanded to include the making of quilts and mosaics. While the penchant for referencing obsolete consumer electronics remains central to her practice, this switch from smooth exteriors to the complexity of internal circuit boards has allowed the artist to expand her material and visual vocabulary. Culled from a personal collection of obsolete technology, she swaps the geometric patterns of the traditional quilt for that of a diagrammatic circuit board from a Nintendo game controller for instance.

We look forward to seeing you!

The event is free to attend, and all are welcome.

09/02/2026

The UWAG install team has been busy at work over the past two weeks preparing for Abraham Oghobase Oghobase Abraham | 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛: 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 and Laura Moore Laura Moore | 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 exhibitions!

The opening reception will be Thursday, September 10, from 5-8 PM, we hope to see you there!

08/20/2026

If you are in Toronto during the month of August and happen to be near SCaM Project Space, be sure to check out Jacob Irish’s show 𝘼 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. During his time at the University of Waterloo as an MFA candidate, he and Julie Hall, a collaborating couple working in video, audio, and sculpture, exhibited their show 𝘽𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 in 2022.

Since their exhibition at UWAG, has continued his drawing practice as well as work in sculpture, video, and audio. He the audio editor of the MOMUS podcast and is evolved in several other collaborative and community-based fine arts projects in the K-W area. Notably too, as a part of the 2025 | Field Guide to the Understory, his work 𝘼𝙡𝙤𝙛𝙩 was shown in Kitchener City Hall.

You can go see his work at SCaM in Toronto on Saturdays and Sundays 2-5pm and there will be a Q+A on August 29th at 6pm, so make sure to save the date and check out his show! Congratulations Jacob!

First two images by from 𝘽𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙪𝙡𝙡
Last two images by Jacob Irish from 𝘼 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩

08/11/2026

The University of Waterloo invites applications from emerging artists to exhibit artwork in the University Senate and Boardroom. This is an exciting opportunity to present work in one of the University’s most significant governance spaces, where it will be viewed by members of Senate, Board of Governors, university leadership, invited guests, and visitors throughout the year.

One artist will be selected to exhibit work in Display Window B for a one-year exhibition period. The display area dimensions are 22’ W × 7’ H × 17” D.

Applicants must meet one of the following criteria:

- Currently enroled in either the University of Waterloo MFA or BA in Fine Arts programs.
- University of Waterloo BA or MFA in Fine Arts graduates who completed their degree within the past two years (2024–2026).
- University of Waterloo BA or MFA in Fine Arts alumni who graduated within the past ten years (2016–2026) and are currently enroled in a graduate program at another university.

The selected artist will receive an artist fee of $5,000 CAD.

For more information and the application requirements, visit the project page on the Secretariat website: https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat/3407artproject

The application deadline is September 4, 2026 and the successful applicant will be notified by September 14, 2026.

08/06/2026

Looking to visit some amazing art exhibits over the summer? Look no further than the K-W region, with several indoor and outdoor artworks and shows on display! If you haven't been by UWAG in a while, we always recommend stopping by to check out 's work, 𝘾𝙧𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 located on the East Campus Hall windows above the UWAG doors. Whether you view it during the day with full sun or at night, illuminated from the inside out, Natalie's work is one to see!

Now what about in the region? Outdoors, you can check out...

- 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝘼𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 by Mike MacDonald - located at the outdoor garden at , on view until October 31, 2026
- 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙄𝙄𝙄/𝙇𝙤𝙖𝙙-𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 by - metal sculpture at , on view until November 29, 2026
- 𝘼𝙧𝙩 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙠 in Uptown Waterloo by Various Artists
- 𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 by Greg Staats - located at UWAG on windows facing Phillip Street, on view until April 30, 2028

Indoors, you can also check out...

-𝘼𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 group show at - on view until August 23, 2026
- 𝘽𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 - 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙂𝙞𝙛𝙩 exhibition at - on view until November 16, 2026
- 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 by Ella Morton - located at , and on view until August 8, 2026 (last weekend to see this show!!)
- 𝙀𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 by Various Artists - located at the , on view until August 15, 2026
- 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣 by Natalie Hunter - located the Cambridge Galleries Queen’s Square location, on view until August 29, 2027

Photo by of Natalie Hunter's work 𝘾𝙧𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩

07/30/2026

James Malzahn’s exhibition 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑩𝒐𝒙 ends our recaps from the UW Fine Arts MFA shows this year.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑩𝒐𝒙 examines how powerful systems enter everyday life by appearing useful, convenient, entertaining, and reassuring. Presented as a modern domestic device for safety and public information, it carries the appeal of something new: a media object families could watch, gather around, and feel proud to own. While rooted in a mid-century setting, the exhibition speaks to contemporary concerns around artificial intelligence, networked surveillance, and persuasive media: tools with the potential to benefit society, but also to manipulate, misinform, observe, and control when placed in the wrong hands. Through documentary material, archival traces, domestic space, and electronic installation, the work asks how belief is created and how authority becomes part of ordinary life. Rather than treating innovation as inherently dangerous, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑩𝒐𝒙 encourages awareness and critical discussion, inviting viewers to consider how technology, trust, comfort, and convenience shape both private life and public belief.

James’s ) show was a hit with our visitors for its interactive elements. Thank you to all those individuals who participated in his exhibition to bring it to life! And congratulations to all the UW MFA students who exhibited this year and for graduating from the program!

Photos by

Address

263 Phillip Street
Waterloo, ON
N2L3W8

Opening Hours

Wednesday	12pm - 5pm
Thursday	12pm - 5pm
Friday	12pm - 5pm
Saturday	12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+15198884567

Website

http://uwag.uwaterloo.ca/

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