MacLaren Art Centre Verified listing

The MacLaren Art Centre is the regional public art gallery serving the residents of Barrie, Simcoe County and the surrounding area. The Gallery has a permanent collection of over 27,000 works of art and presents a year-round programme of world-class exhibitions, education activities and special events. The MacLaren is housed in a 24,000 square-foot award-winning building. This architectural landmark in downtown Barrie combines a renovated 1917 Carnegie library and a contemporary addition by Siamak Hariri of Hariri Pontarini Architects. The MacLaren is a cornerstone of culture for Barrie, a central meeting place, a destination for visitors and catalyst for downtown revitalization.
The Gallery’s mission is to engage and enrich the immediate and larger community by providing innovative and relevant visual arts programming. The Gallery is committed to encouraging the awareness and enjoyment of the visual arts for community members of all ages, interests and abilities, including children, youth, adults, families, artists, students and educators, and to offering a range of exciting and accessible educational programs. Our ongoing mission is to bring “people to art and art to people” in ways that are inviting, engaging and innovative. As such, the MacLaren continues to pioneer new ways of making art meaningful and accessible for its audiences while building strong community relationships and public participation.