103 High St., PO Box 962
Vankleek Hill, ON K0B 1R0
613-678-6171
contact@arborgallery.org
Arbor Gallery is located at 103 High St. in Vankleek Hill, Ontario. Founded in 1994 by Phil Arber, a major advocate for arts and culture in the region, it operated out of Higginson House on Home Ave for several decades. In 2007, Arbor Gallery was incorporated as a nonprofit organization, and in 2013, it became a registered charitable organization with a mandate of exhibiting contemporary art. In 2016, the Gallery expanded its mission and became an art and culture centre supporting visual arts, fine crafts, and music. The Gallery moved location to High St. in 2025. Today, Arbor Gallery is a premiere venue for exhibitions and events that celebrate the diverse artists at work in our community, and through its workshop and school outreach activities, it is a valuable resource for emerging artists of all ages.
History is important to residents of Vankleek Hill, the “Gingerbread Capital of Ontario” – so titled for its many heritage buildings featuring distinctive woodwork set against red brick – and history is equally cherished by Arbor Gallery. The Gallery’s current premises offer a contemporary setting that allows the artworks to shine, yet it honours the long line of artists and artisans who have contributed to both the Gallery and the community. Arbor Gallery includes two display rooms. The Arber Room, named after founder Phil Arber (1938-2016), is a space where member artists and artisans show and sell their artwork. The Pemberton Smith Room is the main hall for local and visiting artists’ exhibitions, named after internationally renowned landscape and portrait artist Freda Pemberton Smith (1902-1991), who moved to Vankleek Hill in the 1960s. In these two distinct spaces, with exhibitions that change monthly, Arbor Gallery fosters artistic and cultural dialogues between the past, present and future.