ARTspace was formed in 2008 as a collaborative initiative between the Thames Art Gallery and an interested group of Chatham-Kent artists who proposed to operate ARTspace as an artist-run centre for local artists and artisans to exhibit and sell their work.
Located in a rental space at 165 ½ King Street West, Chatham, the artist-run model operated independently for less than one year. In 2009, the municipality assumed responsibility for the operations of ARTspace.
Proposal
The landscape in downtown Chatham has changed significantly since ARTspace first opened. Now several cultural businesses can be found downtown, including Art & Heirloom Shoppe, an art gallery showcasing more than 50 local artists and artisans at 137 King Street West, and Crow City Café which also features local CK artists. Visitation levels at ARTspace have declined since 2019 and despite numerous promotional activities, have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
As part of a broader plan to conduct a conceptual review and develop cost estimates for the Chatham Cultural Centre (CCC) as set out in a Report to Council on April 13, 2026 (see Important Links), administration proposed that ARTspace be relocated to the Chatham Cultural Centre to:
Enhance access to accessible parking, entrances and exits.
Increase ARTspace access as a result of alignment with existing CK Museum and Thames Art Gallery opening hours.
Provide greater exposure for local artists by strengthening the integration of ARTspace with other cultural services, including the Kiwanis Theatre, Studios One and Two, the CK Museum and the Thames Art Gallery.
Allow ARTspace to continue to contribute to the quality of life in Chatham-Kent through exhibitions and community programming that showcase Chatham-Kent artists in a vibrant and active space at the Cultural Centre.
A permanent location for ARTspace within the CCC is intended to be included as part of the broader CCC conceptual review for improvements to the space.
Further, the potential for aspects of ARTspace to also have a presence within the Chatham-Kent Community Hub will be considered e.g., artworks from members on display and available for purchase in the CK Museum gift shop.
Council Direction
Prior to making a decision, Council has asked administration to gather feedback from the public on the proposed ARTspace relocation through both in-person and online public consultation.
Next Steps
In-person engagement session on May 27, 2026, from 5:30-7:00 PM in Studio One, Chatham Cultural Centre.
A survey to gather public input will be released following the in-person session.
For those unable to attend the in-person session, a recording of the slide presentation will be posted to this page, and members of the public are invited to review the presentation prior to completing the survey.
The survey data will be analyzed.
A report will be prepared for Council.
History of ARTspace
ARTspace was formed in 2008 as a collaborative initiative between the Thames Art Gallery and an interested group of Chatham-Kent artists who proposed to operate ARTspace as an artist-run centre for local artists and artisans to exhibit and sell their work.
Located in a rental space at 165 ½ King Street West, Chatham, the artist-run model operated independently for less than one year. In 2009, the municipality assumed responsibility for the operations of ARTspace.
Proposal
The landscape in downtown Chatham has changed significantly since ARTspace first opened. Now several cultural businesses can be found downtown, including Art & Heirloom Shoppe, an art gallery showcasing more than 50 local artists and artisans at 137 King Street West, and Crow City Café which also features local CK artists. Visitation levels at ARTspace have declined since 2019 and despite numerous promotional activities, have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
As part of a broader plan to conduct a conceptual review and develop cost estimates for the Chatham Cultural Centre (CCC) as set out in a Report to Council on April 13, 2026 (see Important Links), administration proposed that ARTspace be relocated to the Chatham Cultural Centre to:
Enhance access to accessible parking, entrances and exits.
Increase ARTspace access as a result of alignment with existing CK Museum and Thames Art Gallery opening hours.
Provide greater exposure for local artists by strengthening the integration of ARTspace with other cultural services, including the Kiwanis Theatre, Studios One and Two, the CK Museum and the Thames Art Gallery.
Allow ARTspace to continue to contribute to the quality of life in Chatham-Kent through exhibitions and community programming that showcase Chatham-Kent artists in a vibrant and active space at the Cultural Centre.
A permanent location for ARTspace within the CCC is intended to be included as part of the broader CCC conceptual review for improvements to the space.
Further, the potential for aspects of ARTspace to also have a presence within the Chatham-Kent Community Hub will be considered e.g., artworks from members on display and available for purchase in the CK Museum gift shop.
Council Direction
Prior to making a decision, Council has asked administration to gather feedback from the public on the proposed ARTspace relocation through both in-person and online public consultation.
Next Steps
In-person engagement session on May 27, 2026, from 5:30-7:00 PM in Studio One, Chatham Cultural Centre.
A survey to gather public input will be released following the in-person session.
For those unable to attend the in-person session, a recording of the slide presentation will be posted to this page, and members of the public are invited to review the presentation prior to completing the survey.
