AGB’s Community Generator is a series of community-arts projects and activations geared to serve more artists and audiences. The programs are dedicated to creating equitable and open processes for artists and community organizations across the Burlington, Hamilton, and Halton Region to apply for free access to exhibition spaces, arts education, and studios.
The 2026/27 application will be available online May 2026.
Community
Generator
Opportunities
The Community Generator Exhibition Series showcases the creativity of local artists, collectives, and community groups.
Artists and curators are invited to exhibit in AGB’s dynamic spaces:
AGB Lounge Wall: 41’ x 8’
Courtyard Wall: 17’ x 8’
Studio Corridors: Display units throughout the studio hallways
These exhibitions foster dialogue, creativity, and connection between artists and audiences.
The Community Generator Artist-in-Residence Program offers a year-long, self-directed opportunity for artists to explore, experiment, and create within AGB’s studios.
Residents enjoy:
- 40+ hours per week of studio access (ceramics, fibre, photography, painting, sculpture)
- Use of tools, glazes, firing services, and personal storage
- A supportive, communal atmosphere for shared learning
Artists are encouraged to connect through talks, workshops, screenings, and collaborations with AGB’s curatorial and learning teams.
The Community Generator Learning Outreach Project brings free, artist-led workshops to grassroots community organizations that may lack access to creative programming.
Each year, four social agencies are selected to co-design workshops tailored to their participants’ needs.
Programs focus on:
- Mental health and well-being
- Youth engagement
- Environmental education
This initiative highlights the power of art as a tool for connection, growth, and inclusion.
The Community Generator Special Projects will take place in the Living Room, a vibrant, experimental space for artists and collectives to creatively engage with social, political, and cultural issues.
Projects may include:
- Performances
- Zines and publications
- Screenings and installations
- Interactive or workshop-based experiences
These multi-day projects are designed to bring people and ideas together in the Incite Gallery, moving beyond traditional exhibition formats.
MEET THE 2025/26 COHORT
Community Generator Exhibitions
This year’s Community Generator Exhibitions highlight a dynamic range of artists and curators who are shaping conversations within the region’s creative community. The 2025/26 season features participants whose work spans diverse media, ideas, and approaches.
Exhibiting artists and curators: Dave Conlon, Lois Crawford, the Medallic Art Society of Canada, Kamaldeep Kaur, Natasha Martin, Maha Mustafa, Paper Pals Collective, Ibrahim Rashid, Zorica Silverthorne, Jamie Vardy, Nikola Wojewoda, Francesca Durham, and Hibah Mian.
Image credit: Kamaldeep Kaur, Blooming Hearts, 2025. Natural Colors and Gouache on hot press Arches Aquarelle sheet. 28″ X 34.5″ Courtesy of the artist
Community Generator Artists-in-Residence
Our incoming Artist-in-Residence cohort brings together a multidisciplinary group of makers exploring ceramics, fibre, photography, painting, and experimental practices. Throughout the year, they will be developing new projects and engaging with AGB’s creative community.
Residents for 2025/26: Mary-Ann Alberga, Oriana Confente, Habiba El-Sayed, Carly Franklin, Kamaldeep Kaur, Katherine A. Laird, Cathy Lorraway, Devina Lookman, Dominic Pinney, Vanessa Crosbie Ramsay, Ciara Rieder, Breanna Shanahan, and Jamie Vardy.
Image credit: Workshop with Brendan Tang at the AGB. Photo by Robin Yang.
Community Generator Learning
The Learning Outreach program continues to expand its partnerships with community organizations through collaborative, artist-led workshops designed to meet local needs and spark creative engagement.
This season, AGB is partnering with the Mood Disorders Program at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) and the Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee (BAAC) to co-develop workshops that centre well-being, accessibility, and creative empowerment.
Image credit: Burlington Green wet felting, 2024
Community Generator Special Projects
The Special Projects series transforms the Incite Gallery into a site for experimentation and collective expression. Each project invites audiences to encounter art as a catalyst for reflection, conversation, and social exchange.
This year’s lineup includes new works by Garden of Repairs (Sarah Mihara Creagen and Zoe Hayes), Maryna Salagub, and Pauline Halsey, whose projects will animate the space through participatory installations, performances, and creative interventions.
Image credit: Garden of Repairs and Keeping Six Arts Collective, 2024