Visual Arts Mississauga (VAM) Residency

Visual Arts Mississauga (VAM) is a not for profit arts organization focusing on art education, exhibition and community engagement. For over 45 years, VAM has been a vibrant and important center for fine art courses and creative opportunities serving the Greater Mississauga Area.

Thanks to the funding from the Hazel McCallion Fund for Arts, Culture and Heritage, VAM’s 2022-2023 cohorts had the opportunity to share their creative talents with the community through Visual Arts Mississauga Creative Residency (VCR)-led workshops. The VCR offered five Mississauga artists an 8-month residency for art-making and professional development. The funds provided by the Foundation were utilized to pay resident artist’s fees, resident artist production fees, mentor fees, in-person events and exhibitions, teaching fees and honorariums for additional participating performers at events. It has helped connect these artists with 7 industry professionals as well as 5 GTA based galleries through mentorship meetings and field trips. The 2022 “Now Streaming Exhibition” curated by VAM creative residents, showcased the work of 16 GTHA emerging artists, featured performances by 3 Mississauga-based singers and received over 100 inperson visits and 2,841 online views. Connecting residents with artists, mentors, viewers and cultural spaces across the GTA has strengthened Mississauga’s representation in the Arts & Culture sector and expanded the possibilities for diverse and collaborative programming.

By connecting these artists with industry mentors, while providing studio space and exhibition opportunities, the residency continues to provide local artists with the tools they need to strengthen their practice and the Mississauga art community at large.