Welcome to Museum London, one of Canada's premier art and history museums.

The heart of a museum is its collection and Museum London is proud to house one of Canada's great art collections, and one of the most significant historical artifact collections in Ontario. Our art collection has more than 5,000 regional and Canadian works and our 25,000 artifacts reflect the history of the City of London as an important urban centre in Southwestern Ontario.

With every visit, you will find a reason to be inspired.
 

Message from the Director

Why is art and history important to society?

As arts administrators, curators and volunteers in the heritage and arts fields, we’re asked to answer a question whose answer seems obvious to us: Art and history are vitally important to society because we need the dialogue they create to sustain healthy individuals and communities.

“We study the past to understand the present: we understand the present to guide the future.”

What we accomplish at Museum London is to bring art and history to life. Our very simple role, among a host of responsibilities that include the acquistion and maintenance of two collections, is to present programming that helps provide perspective for the world we live in. Through the development of our exhibitions, publications and public programs, Museum London builds an appreciation for the achievement of regional artists, curators, historians and other cultural producers, and enhances local dialogue about art and history.

Our  art acquisitions prioritize the work of local artists, but these acquisitions are made alongside works by artists of national significance as a means to place regional practices within a broader context. This vision also guides the development of an integrated schedule of exhibitions and programs that have local relevance, while engaging our provincial and national communities. Our exhibitions and programs offer visitors a wide range of opportunities to engage with historical and contemporary art, and material culture that tells the story of our community.

The program schedule is planned to account for the specific realities and the diversity of our community. The Museum’s strategies for audience development acknowledge research that has repeatedly shown adult museum visitation to be linked to positive early experiences. Young audiences are reached through the traditional route of school tours and an extensive range of class offerings that are related to exhibitions.

Museum London has a knowledgeable and ambitious professional staff, a committed board of directors, a dedicated corps of volunteers and a strong membership and donor base. We enjoy tremendous support from our community and various community partners, and are pleased that the City of London has embraced the Creative Cities concept, an initiative we are actively involved with. Nationally, we enjoy strong relationships with our peers and feel very positive about our organization’s contributions to the local, provincial and national art and heritage communities.

Brian Meehan
Executive Director