Welcome to the Thames Art Gallery and ARTspace

We invite you to visit and get inspired in our beautiful exhibition space in downtown Chatham, Ontario. Visit ARTspark in the mezzanine for free, all ages, creative fun, and sign-up for a class in our art studio.

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Thames Art Gallery Exhibitions

Hyphenated by artist Lana Matskiv

HYPHENATED

Artist: Lana Matskiv

Exhibition Date: April 17, 2026 - July 5, 2026

Opening Reception: Friday, April 17, 2026 | 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Hyphenated brings together over forty works by Lana Matskiv that explore the hyphen as both lived experience and poetic metaphor. Through paintings, drawings, collages, and installations, the exhibition reflects on hyphenated Canadian identities—linking ancestry and belonging—not as division, but as connection. Extending beyond ethnicity, the works consider relationships across time, land, memory, and shared human aspirations. Grounded in Chatham-Kent, itself a hyphenated place, the exhibition reflects Canada’s layered cultural fabric. Drawing on Ukrainian and contemporary influences, Matskiv’s practice affirms identity as an evolving space of collective belonging and strength.

Here I Am: Student Art Exhibition 2026

HERE I AM

Artists: Student Art Exhibition

Exhibition Date: April 17, 2026 - July 5, 2026

Opening Reception & Award Ceremony:
Friday, April 17, 2026 | 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Celebrates young artists from grades 9–12 in Chatham Kent. Each artwork shares a story. These creators use many materials and techniques to explore their ideas. Look closely and discover how they see their world and their place in it.

Thank you to our valued Award Sponsors. The Thames Art Gallery Graduating Art Scholarship was generously donated by Cathy Van Raay Myers, Awards of Excellence sponsored by The Andersons, People’s Choice Awards sponsored by Salus Mutual.

QUEER PORTRAITS: Call for Entry

Submission Open: April 27th at 9:00 am to May 29th at 4:00 pm

The Thames Art Gallery invites artists connected to the Chatham‑Kent community to submit work for Queer Portraits, part of the Community Arts Initiative. This exhibition highlights portraits that reflect 2SLGBTQIA+ lives, identities, and allies, celebrating personal stories and lived experiences through art. Artists may submit up to two works in any medium, provided they are ready for display and do not require wall mounting.

Selected works will be exhibited at the Rotary Lounge at the Capitol Theatre in August 2026. We welcome artists to share work that centres visibility, representation, and connection through portraiture.

Submit Your Entries
Submit Your Entries

ARTspace Exhibitions

  • Psalms: Part One

    February 4 - May 31, 2026
    Opening Reception Friday February 6 from 5-9 pm as part of Art Under the Stars CK

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