The Blackwood

Not to be confused with Backwoods Gallery. For other uses, see Blackwood (disambiguation).
The Blackwood
Former nameErindale College Art Gallery (1969–1992)
Established1969 (1969)
Location3359 Mississauga Road,
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates43°32′54″N 79°39′47″W / 43.54833°N 79.66306°W / 43.54833; -79.66306
TypeContemporary art centre
Collection size
450+
DirectorChristine Shaw
Websiteblackwoodgallery.ca

The Blackwood, also known as the Blackwood Gallery, is a public art museum and contemporary art centre at the University of Toronto, located on its campus in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.[1] Established in 1969, it is among the oldest public galleries in Peel Region.

The Backwood maintains two public art galleries: its flagship space, the Blackwood Gallery, is located in the Kaneff Centre and the E-Gallery (stylized as e|gallery) in the Communication, Culture and Technology (CCT) Building. It also operates four lightbox exhibits around the campus. It is named in honour of David Blackwood, the artist-in-residence on the Mississauga campus from the late 1960s to early 70s.

Annual exhibitions organized by the Blackwood showcase work by students in the Art and Art History joint program between the University of Toronto Mississauga and Sheridan College's Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design.[2][3]

History

The Blackwood originated in 1969 as a small campus art gallery in a corridor of Erindale College's former North Building. Then known as the Erindale College Art Gallery, it was the second public art gallery to open in the County of Peel, after the Peel Museum and Art Gallery in Brampton. The gallery was renamed in 1992 to honour David Blackwood, the campus artist-in-residence from 1967 to 1971[2][4] (or 1969 to 1975 according to The Medium) after he was sought out by Erindale principal John Tuzo Wilson.[5] Blackwood, an acclaimed graphic artist known for his depictions of Newfoundland outports and contributions to the campus, was recognized by the Order of Canada in 1993 and named honorary chairman of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).[6]

Collection

The Blackwood maintains a permanent collection of over 450 works of Canadian contemporary art with a focus on pieces created by Ontario-based and Indigenous artists, including David Blackwood, Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Carl Beam, Rebecca Belmore, Vera Frenkel, Mary Pratt, and Lucy Qinnuayuak.[7]

Facilities

The Kaneff Centre/Innovation Complex, which houses the Blackwood Gallery

The Blackwood's main space is the Blackwood Gallery, located in room 140 of the Kaneff Centre.[8] A project to upgrade its permanent collection storage and preservation facilities was completed in 2014 during the construction of the Innovation Complex. The E-Gallery is the Blackwood's secondary space, located on the first floor of the Communication, Culture and Technology (CCT) Building.

In addition to the two gallery spaces, the Blackwood maintains four public lightbox displays throughout the University of Toronto Mississauga campus, such as the Bernie Miller Lightbox outside of the William G. Davis Building. Three of the aforementioned displays were added in 2019.[2]

Leadership

Directors/Curators of the Blackwood[2]

  1. Barbara Fischer 1999–2005
  2. Séamus Kealy 2005–2008
  3. Christof Migone 2008–2013
  4. Christine Shaw 2013–present

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Art & Culture". University of Toronto Mississauga. Centre for Student Engagement. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "About". The Blackwood. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Art and Art History (Honours Bachelor of Arts)". Sheridan College. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  4. ↑ "General Idea Editions: 1967-1995 University of Toronto Mississauga Blackwood Gallery". Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  5. ↑ Teng, Danica (August 23, 2021). "From past to present: Blackwood Gallery and the continuous evolution of art". The Medium.
  6. ↑ "David Blackwood". The Canadian Encyclopedia. August 2, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Permanent Collection". Blackwood Gallery. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  8. ↑ "The Blackwood Gallery". www.visitmississauga.ca. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.