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Our Values

Art Windsor-Essex is always learning how to better serve our community by clearly defining and living up to our organizational values. 

Equity

Art Windsor-Essex is always learning how to better serve our community and we have an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion. We understand the work required to become community-driven will continually change. The work is an ongoing effort, and will never be finished.

We acknowledge that in the past, the gallery has been elitist and inaccessible. We take this to heart, and we are dedicated to changing our policies, and our approach to our exhibitions and programs to create a welcoming visitor experience.

Our staff and volunteers are working together to ensure Art Windsor-Essex is a space where all visitors feel welcomed and included. Together, we are forging a path to strengthen community trust to form lasting collaborative relationships with individuals and groups. We invite you to participate in this transformation.

Decolonization

All AWE team members are required to read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We seek a better understanding of the legacy of the Residential Schools system to support our own Indigenous community when they affirm their rights. The Gallery addresses the Calls to Action in our exhibitions and programming and in the care and growth of our collection. In the spirit of reconciliation, we offer free admission for Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis).

Our goals are:

  • Being good hosts and guests on this territory
  • Inviting the Indigenous community into the Gallery
  • Meeting Indigenous community members within Indigenous-run spaces
  • Hosting initiatives that engage Indigenous students, artists, and community members of all ages.
  • (Re)allocating resources for initiatives that support the growth and well-being of Indigenous people
  • Prioritizing space within the Gallery’s physical building, programming schedule, exhibition selection and special events
  • Provide opportunities for partnerships and collaborations between the Indigenous community and non-Indigenous artists.

Land Acknowledgment

Territorial Acknowledgment: Art Windsor-Essex respectfully acknowledges that we are located on Anishinaabe Territory – the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations, comprised of the Ojibway, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi. Today the Anishinaabe of the Three Fires Confederacy are represented by Bkejwanong. We want to state our respect for the ancestral and ongoing authority of Walpole Island First Nation over its Territory.

Truth and Reconciliation Statement: AWE is committed to working with reciprocity—engaging with Indigenous community members to build programs and exhibitions led by and for Indigenous people. We acknowledge AWE has a responsibility to move communities to action around Truth and Reconciliation so that together we can thrive on this territory.

Accessibility

In consultation with the community, AWE has prepared an Accessibility Policy, which was adopted in September of 2022.

Did we miss something? Help us improve by sharing your thoughts or concerns. Email visit@artwindsoressex.ca or call Visitor & Membership Services: 519-977-0013 ext.117

Read the Policy

Statement on Freedom of Expression

Art Windsor-Essex (AWE) is committed to creating conversations. AWE is a welcoming space for everyone, offering different ideas and ways of thinking through our programs. AWE believes that art has the power to inspire intellectual and personal growth and to drive change in our community.

AWE supports the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which guarantees fundamental freedom of thought, beliefs, opinions and expression for all. While some of the ideas AWE presents through our programs may be challenging, the gallery’s commitment to diversity includes diversity of thought. AWE supports the right of every individual to hold and express their thoughts, ideas and opinions provided they do not violate the Ontario Human Rights Code, or Canada’s Criminal Code.

AWE does not condone hate speech and does not tolerate any form of discrimination based on the identifiers in the Ontario Human Rights Code. Equity and inclusion are key values integrated into all areas of the gallery’s work. You can discover more about AWE’s commitment to equity as a core value, the values that align with our mission and strategic pillars by visiting our galleries, and attending our programming and events.

 

DEAI Action Plan