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University of Waterloo Art Gallery

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University of Waterloo Art Gallery

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 remainin

g 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]

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

07/23/2026

Thinking back to our MFA 2 exhibitions this year, Graduate student Elise Popa ) presented, 𝘼 𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙧.

𝘼 𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙧 tells the story of Popa’s own fallow season, encapsulated through an intuitive skating practice and the building of an ice rink on a farm just outside Stratford, Ontario. The documentation that follows the process of making the rink explores how the physical labour and repetitive maintenance tasks mirror the efforts needed to support the artist’s recovery and self-determination post heartbreak. The performance-for-camera works, in which a first-person body-mounted camera is worn, explores drawing and intuitive movement as a form of embodied agency. Through using the analogy of an agricultural fallow season, the exhibition portrays a regenerative year of self-healing and renewal after loss.

Thank you to all those who came out to support!

Photos by

07/17/2026

Who remembers coming out to see Maddie Lychek's exhibition,
𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝑩𝒆 𝒂 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝑴𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒕𝒅𝒐𝒈𝒔 in April?

𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝑩𝒆 𝒂 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝑴𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒕𝒅𝒐𝒈𝒔 subverts dominant narratives surrounding racialization, diaspora, and queerness by a refusal to flatten the artist’s multiple identities (Filipino, Slovak, masculine, le***an) in ways that align with broader institutional narratives of inclusion. This crude multiple projection installation peels back the layers of identity but does not settle them, instead you witness the entire anxious, calm, shameful, prideful, solitary, collective, familial, and vulgar—whole.

Thanks to everyone who came out to Maddie's () show and the 𝘋𝘺𝘬𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘱! Congratulations Maddie!

Photo credits by

07/16/2026

This week, we look back on one of our previous MFA students shows, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙄𝙨 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 by Racquel Rowe. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙄𝙨 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 is a euphemism borrowed from a series of short stories by Zalika Read Benton called Frying Plantain. The collection details the life of a first generation Canadian of Jamaican heritage. It sums up the differences between island life and living in Canada. Exploring the notion of compulsory visibility and subverting dominant ideologies, the exhibition embodies and embraces the differences and similarities between the various black experiences across the diaspora.

Since Racquel's show at UWAG, she has been recognized in various solo and group exhibitions across Canada. She has shown at Centre Optica de Contemporain (2023), the Tom Tomson Gallery (2024), Forest City Gallery (2025), and, from July 16 to September 27, 2026, Racquel's new show at Art Windsor Essex, titled 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚.

Here is a little bit about the show from the Art Windsor Essex website: " Breaking the Surface is an emergent series of reflections – interrogating the infrastructure, tourism, longing, and visual construction of paradise. Artist Racquel Rowe, a Bajan artist currently residing in Canada, begins her process with underwater investigations; tracing the beaches of Barbados and dwelling just below the surface – where the land, sea, and sky blur into abstraction. Through slow observation, distortion, and hyper-saturated imagery, the work imagines the Caribbean outside of a familiar visual narrative, one shaped by consumption, fantasy, and tourism. " You can learn more about her show on the Art Windsor Essex's website.

Congratulations !

First two images by Scott Lee
Third image is a video still from 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 (video) by Racquel Rowe

07/09/2026

Every year, UWAG celebrates the University of Waterloo Fine Arts Master's students in their thesis research. This year, the first MFA group included two artists; the first in our summer recap is Sandra Jabbour. Her exhibition, 𝘼𝙝𝙨𝙖𝙣 𝙃𝙙𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙝 3𝙖𝙣𝙖 explored themes of memory, family dynamics, multilingualism, diaspora, and Jabbour’s relationship to her Syrian and Lebanese cultures. Notably, her paintings are infused with her personal interpretations of imagery drawn from her familial archive of VHS tapes from the late 90s and early 2000s. Despite having grown up in Canada and never visiting her countries of origin, Jabbour is deeply connected to both her cultures. She speaks about her childhood being documented on VHS tapes and sent to family members abroad. This delayed communication method became a way for her family to remain connected despite geographical distance prior to social media, fostering a relationship between her and her brother and their family members abroad that they have yet to meet face-to-face. By transforming imagery from these tapes into paintings, she creates a third space between the past and the present and different geographic locations by resurrecting the family stories and memories contained in this forgotten media.⁠
⁠
Sandra Jabbour () is a Windsor-based painter of Syrian and Lebanese descent, a 2023 BFA graduate from the University of Windsor, and a current MFA candidate at the University of Waterloo.

Great work, Sandra! We look forward to seeing your practice grow!

Photos by

07/01/2026

06/25/2026

At the beginning of 2026, 𝙞 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙚𝙨 by Palestinian-Canadian artist Jude Abu Zaineh showcased at UWAG. Jude's exhibition offered a welcoming atmosphere, serving as a contemplative space for culture, identity, and transformation.

One of the highlights from the show's run was the potluck and open mic night, TELL! In collaboration with UWAG, , , and , the event brought together nearly 50 community members in solidarity with Palestine. Thank you to everyone who came out that evening to share your stories and support.

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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