Mission

YYZ supports critical and experimental artistic practices through exhibitions, publishing, educational programs, and the commissioning of new works. By prioritizing the agency of artists, YYZ provides a unique platform for building communities and advancement of culture.

Vision

YYZ commits to give space, financial support, and mentorship to diverse artists to develop their practices through inter-disciplinary solo exhibitions and public programs aided by institutional collaborations. YYZ will engage in contemporary cultural conversations as part of our civic responsibility.

Values

YYZ is an artist-centric environment. We place the artist at the centre of all activities and advocate for fair remuneration and creative freedom.

YYZ fosters collaboration in both our internal operations and our programming activities. Internally, we act on consensus and encourage dialogue. Externally, we engage with other institutions and work closely with artists.

YYZ promotes openness. We provide multiple entry points to YYZ and its activities and seek to reach and cultivate audiences locally and beyond.

ARTIST RESIDENCY (YYreZidency)

The YYreZidency program allows artists to use the gallery as a site for experimentation while giving the public an opportunity to see the processes of art production.

INTERVENTION PROGRAM (YYZUNLIMITED)

YYZUNLIMITED invites artists to imagine and reinvent the organization as a site of opportunity through a series of interventions, the presence of which serves as material evidence of a lasting community that is not determined by the duration or protocol of the exhibition structure at YYZ.

RETROSPECTIVE (YYretroZpective)

The YYretroZpective is an artist-initiated and self-curated take on the retrospective exhibition. Our mandate is to put artists first. We provide them with the space and support to create freely and we respect their practice in whatever form they wish to present it. We believe that it is important for an artist-run centre to support artists at all stages of their careers, from giving them their first show out of school to taking a survey look at their practice.

EXHIBITIONS

YYZ annually hosts twelve exhibitions, alongside a number of other special programming events.

PUBLICATIONS

YYZBOOKS publishes a wide range of books about Canadian criticism and art history, contributing to a broad discourse on visual culture. Publications can be bought at yyzbooks.com