The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has received a $200,000 funding boost from the Ontario government, announced by local MPPs. The grant is intended to support the gallery's operations and programming, helping it recover from pandemic-related revenue losses and continue serving the community.
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is hosting a series of exhibitions featuring the work of students from local high schools and Lakehead University. The shows include a senior high school exhibition and a display of work by Lakehead University Visual Arts students, highlighting a diverse range of media and artistic approaches.
Matthew Hills, executive director of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, gave local media a tour of the partially-completed facility on the city's north-side waterfront, confirming the opening has been delayed from 2025 to 2027. Inflation, supply-chain issues, and trade wars have driven the project cost to $74.7 million, with a $22.6 million funding shortfall. City council recently released $5 million to prevent a construction shutdown, and Hills said a phased opening in 2026 is under consideration. Current funding includes $37 million from the federal Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, $5.7 million from Ontario, $5.2 million from the city, and $4.9 million in private donations.