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An offshoot of the Kensington Art Association, CEAC was founded in 1975. In 1976 it moved to 86 John Street and then to 15 Duncan Street, offering space for performance art, installations, videos and music. Key members of the group were Amerigo Marras, Suber Corley, Bruce Eves and Ron Gillespie (a.k.a Ron Giii); Marras in particular encouraged connections with European and American artists. The group became increasingly politicized and in 1978 its government funding was rescinded. An attempt at self-sufficiency by starting a television production studio at 124 Lisgar Street was not sustainable and CEAC disbanded in 1980.

The ChromaZone/Chromatique Collective was a collaborative group of emerging Canadian artists that created and exhibited art in Toronto between 1981 and 1985. The Collective was founded in 1981 and consisted of six members: Andy Fabo, Sybil Goldstein, Oliver Girling, Tony Wilson, H.P. Marti and Rae Johnson.

Between September 1981 and May 1983, the collective operated out of their gallery space ChromaZone/ Chromatique, located at 320 Spadina Ave, Toronto. Their inaugural exhibition Mondo Chroma opened in September 1981. Between 1981 and May 1983, the Collective mounted 45 varying cultural events including exhibitions, poetry readings, banquets and fashion shows. In 1982, the Collective published their first publication ChromaZone/Chromatique (Prototype), and participated in Monumenta, a collaboration among four galleries, including ChromaZone/Chromatique, which showcased current representational art in Toronto through the work of 75 artists. In December 1982, the Collective curated and participated in OKROMAZONE - Die Anderen Von Kanada held at the Institut Unzeit in West Berlin as a direct reaction to the Canadian Government’s OKanada cultural festival in Berlin. This exhibition featured the work of 22 contemporary Toronto artists.

In May 1983, the Collective closed their gallery space to give the members more time to focus on their own work and larger collective projects. In October, the Collective exhibited together at the Norman MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina and later that month opened Chromaliving, a month-long exhibition of 150 artists in the vacant 10,000 square feet space at 131 Bloor St. W, Toronto, recently vacated by the Harridges Department store. This exhibition, co-curated by Tim Jocelyn and Andy Fabo, sought to showcase the merging of art and lifestyle and featured furniture, fashion and painting. In 1984, the group continued to present exhibitions including Kromalaffin, a show of comic book art (Grunwald Gallery, Toronto); ChromaZone/Chromatique, a traveling exhibition of members’ work (Concordia University and other venues across Quebec); Cross OT: Seven From Berlin, Berlin Super 8 and Berlin Video (several venues in Toronto); and Painting Beyond the Zone, a group exhibition of 30 emerging artists (Artists Resource Centre, Toronto).

In 1985, members of the Collective largely moved away from Toronto with Andy Fabo, Tim Jocelyn and Sybil Goldstein relocating to New York City, and H.P. Marti moving to Zurich. ChromaZone’s final exhibition Fire + Ice was an exchange of Toronto and Zurich artists held at Galerie Walcheturm in Zurich. The Collective officially disbanded in 1986, after the death of Tim Jocelyn from AIDS in December of that year. Sybil Goldstein founded and chaired the Tim Jocelyn Art Foundation after his death.

A formal Design Unit was first established at the Gallery in 1974. Prior to this, design projects that provided visual identity for the Gallery and promoted exhibitions and events were completed without the assistance of a formal department, often with assistance from external contracts. The Design Unit was established shortly after Scott Thornley joined the institution as Head Designer, and was at first separate to the Publications Department that was established in 1972. In 1981, however, these two departments were amalgamated as Publications & Design, a division of the Public Affairs branch. This department was responsible for all print and graphic material produced by the Gallery, including catalogues, posters, brochures, postcards, banners, and signage.
The department went through a series of name changes in the 1980s, becoming “Promotion” in 1983, “Graphic Design & Production” in 1986, and “Publication & Design” in 1989. The heads of the department between 1981 and 1990 included Denise Bukowski, Normand Terry, and Alan Terakawa. The Publications and Design department became a part of the Exhibitions division in the early 1990s, where it remained until the early 2010s.
During this period (1990-2010), there were a number of additional Designer roles established in different divisions, separate to the Publications and Design department. This included a Designer in the Marketing division.
In approximately 2011, the Publications and Design department separated, with Publications becoming “Publishing” and moving to the Curatorial division. Publishing was later briefly moved to the Digital division while publications were increasingly being released digitally, but the department returned to Curatorial shortly thereafter. As of 2023, Publishing remains part of Curatorial and the Design Studio is part of the Brand and Business division.

The first Educational Committee (later Education Committee) was established in March 1926 and a four-page plan for educational programs presented to Council in May of the same year. Art Classes for children began in 1930 under the tutelage and planning of Arthur Lismer, who was hired in 1927 to oversee art education classes. In 1930, educational programming also included public lectures, musical evenings, and printmaking classes for adults; lectures, talks, and classes for school teachers; free Saturday classes for children; school visits; loan exhibitions (mostly prints and reproductions); and circulation of the slide collection.

Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) was founded in September, 1966 as a not-for-profit organization to promote cooperation among artists, engineers and industry on projects involving both art and technology. Members included Billy Klüver, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Whitman, Fred Waldhauer, among many others. In 1977 the documents of E.A.T. were assembled, reproduced, and distributed to several libraries and museums throughout the world.

Extension Services’ primary responsibility was to coordinate and circulate exhibitions, lectures, and instructional programs throughout Ontario, as a part of the AGO’s mandate to support and advance visual arts across the province.
Extension Services began in 1968, when the Art Institute of Ontario disbanded and its programs were taken over by the Education and Extension Services Branch, with Alan Toff as Extension Services Officer. In 1969, Claire Haggan (later Watson) assumed the role of Extension Officer and later Coordinator of Extension Services. Gene Butt replaced Claire Watson as Coordinator of Extension Services in 1974, with Nancy Hushion taking over the role in 1975.
In 1976, Extension Services became its own division. Nancy Hushion continued as head of Extension Services until 1979 when Penny-Lynn Grossman assumed the role of division head.
In 1981 Extension Services became a department within the Curatorial Branch, with Glenda Milrod now as department head and Marcie Lawrence joining as Program Coordinator.
In 1992/1993, Extension Services became a department in the newly formed Education, Outreach, and Public Programming Division. Glenda Milrod remained as head of the department and Marcie Lawrence continued as Program Coordinator.
Extension Services disbanded in 1995/1996 when the Education, Outreach, and Public Programming Division became part of the Curatorial Division.

Factory 77, initially known as Galerie Scollard, was a Toronto artist-run gallery focused on art education which operated between 1976 and 1982. Galerie Scollard was established in Toronto in 1976 as a nonprofit charitable organization by Dushka Arezina, a Yugoslavian emigrée, artist, and art historian. It was coined a “centre for education in vision” and was located on Scollard Street in Toronto. The gallery was operated by a Board of Directors of which Harvey Cowan was the chairperson and Kenneth Lund the president. Dushka Arezina sat on the Board of Directors as treasurer and was also the gallery’s executive director. Galerie Scollard ceased operations under that name in 1978 and was re-established
as Factory 77 in November 1978 upon moving into a former carpet factory at 77 Mowat Ave. in Toronto’s Parkdale area. Factory 77’s operations were overseen by Arezina and a Board of Directors chaired by Lund, a Toronto lawyer. It aimed to present a broad view of contemporary visual arts by exhibiting established artists together with emerging ones. In the years between 1978 and 1982, the gallery mounted more than 13 exhibitions per year, featuring prominent Canadian artists such as Mary and Christopher Pratt, Lynn Donoghue, and Ken Danby. The gallery also placed significant emphasis on exhibitions by Eastern European artists such as Jiri Ladocha. The gallery aimed to foster student participation through exhibits of student and youth work, and placed significant focus on art education and appreciation outreach programs in elementary and secondary schools in the Toronto area. Due to financial and administrative difficulties, Factory 77 ceased operations permanently in February 1982.

Factory 77, initially known as Galerie Scollard, was a Toronto artist-run gallery focused on art education which operated between 1976 and 1982. Galerie Scollard was established in Toronto in 1976 as a nonprofit charitable organization by Dushka Arezina, a Yugoslavian emigrée, artist, and art historian. It was coined a “centre for education in vision” and was located on Scollard Street in Toronto. The gallery was operated by a Board of Directors of which Harvey Cowan was the chairperson and Kenneth Lund the president. Dushka Arezina sat on the Board of Directors as treasurer and was also the gallery’s executive director. Galerie Scollard ceased operations under that name in 1978 and was re-established
as Factory 77 in November 1978 upon moving into a former carpet factory at 77 Mowat Ave. in Toronto’s Parkdale area. Factory 77’s operations were overseen by Arezina and a Board of Directors chaired by Lund, a Toronto lawyer. It aimed to present a broad view of contemporary visual arts by exhibiting established artists together with emerging ones. In the years between 1978 and 1982, the gallery mounted more than 13 exhibitions per year, featuring prominent Canadian artists such as Mary and Christopher Pratt, Lynn Donoghue, and Ken Danby. The gallery also placed significant emphasis on exhibitions by Eastern European artists such as Jiri Ladocha. The gallery aimed to foster student participation through exhibits of student and youth work, and placed significant focus on art education and appreciation outreach programs in elementary and secondary schools in the Toronto area. Due to financial and administrative difficulties, Factory 77 ceased operations permanently in February 1982.

Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography is a non-profit, artist-run centre dedicated to photography and located in Toronto. Originally known as The Niagara Street Photographers’ Centre and Workspace of Toronto, the collective ran a gallery space called Gallery 44. The organization was also sometimes known as Photo 44. The collective was founded in September 1979 by a group of photographic artists with a need for shared darkroom and studio space and to create an environment supportive of photography and its evolving practices. They were incorporated in October 1984. The collective offers opportunities to its members, national and international artists to exhibit and publish their work and also provides educational programming, non-commercial traditional darkroom facilities and digital imaging services.
Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography was originally located at 109 Niagara Street, where they first began mounting exhibitions and offering photography workshops. In 1986 they moved to 183 Bathurst Street to provide larger facilities to their growing membership. The Education in the Schools program was initiated in 1987 to provide photographic education at the elementary and secondary school levels. In 1994, they moved to their current location at 401 Richmond Street West. 401 Richmond is a hub for the local arts community housing artist-run centres, galleries, arts organizations and artist studios. Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography continues to support the photographic community by offering affordable darkroom rentals, digital imaging services, exhibition space, workshops, artist residencies, print sales, hosting portfolio reviews and publishing catalogues and books.