Cultivate Art Commons is a non-profit organization in Katarokwi/Kingston dedicated to supporting contemporary artists through equity-rooted, community-engaged artistic practice.
Our Vision
A thriving gathering space that fosters inclusive artistic practices, deepens community connection, and cultivates equity-rooted artistic exploration.
Our Mission
We support contemporary artists and communities by facilitating dialogue, creation, and the presentation of diverse artistic practices to nurture the cultural landscape of the region.
Values
Artist-Led
Our artists drive our vision, programs, and priorities.
Equity & Inclusion
We are committed to creating a welcoming and accessible environment where diverse artists and communities feel represented, respected, and supported.
Advocacy
We advocate for artists' rights, including fair compensation, and model equitable, transparent practices in all that we do.
Critical Engagement
We support artistic practices that embrace experimentation, curiosity, and risk-taking while creating space for authentic engagement with contemporary issues.
Collaboration Grounded in Reciprocity
We build meaningful, long-term relationships with equity-deserving communities through trust, mutual respect, and shared accountability.
Strategic Plan
Cultivate Art Commons is a non-profit organization in Katarokwi/Kingston dedicated to supporting contemporary artists through equity-rooted, community-engaged artistic practice. This strategic plan outlines the Commons’ direction from 2025 to 2028 and is grounded in community consultation, inclusive engagement, and organizational sustainability.
Land Acknowledgment
Cultivate Art Commons is situated on the unceded ancestral territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg peoples. We acknowledge the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg peoples as the past, present, and future caretakers of this land. We also recognize the Métis peoples and other nations from across Turtle Island who have called Katarokwi/Kingston home for generations upon generations. We are grateful to be able to live, learn and make art on this land and be in such close proximity to the waters of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. To acknowledge this traditional territory and waterways is to recognize this city and country's longer history pre-dating confederation and the work that must still be done in decolonizing our spaces and relations. We at Cultivate Art Commons strive towards respectful relationships with all of our communities in hopes of walking a good path together.
Anti-Racism Statement
We at Cultivate Art Commons want to state unequivocally that Black lives matter, Indigenous lives matter, and that the lives of People of Colour matter. Cultivate Art Commons strives to ensure that members and visitors feel safe and welcome in our space and at our events. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or violence including but not limited to ableism; ageism; homophobia and transphobia; misogyny; racism and white supremacy. It is also important to us that Cultivate Art Commons not only continues to present works and programs that support Black and Indigenous artists, members and visitors, but invests in the work of becoming an inclusive, anti-racist organization. We feel it is only then that Cultivate Art Commons can advocate for artists and foster community with care and respect.
We will be holding ourselves accountable through comprehensive internal and external reviews of our board and staff, and our policies and procedures. We encourage our membership and communities to hold us to these principles as well and welcome feedback on how to make our space more welcoming and inclusive for you.
Our History
A catalyst for cultural activity in Katarokwi/Kingston, Cultivate Art Commons is in its 49th year of operations, incorporated as Kingston Artists' Association Inc. (K.A.A.I.) on October 12, 1977.
At conception, the aim of the K.A.A.I. was to operate as a focal organization for artists and the public, by providing a gallery for exhibition purposes, collecting and disseminating information about local artists, and serving as a site for discussion about alternative art forms.
In 1979, K.A.A.I. amalgamated with Another Space Gallery and soon moved to 21A Queen Street, re-naming itself Kingston Artists' Association Inc. & Gallery. It opened alongside the Kingston Art Event which featured four days of free public exhibitions, video production and screenings, workshops, art walks, dance classes, performances, talks, and more. The new association provided art exhibitions, performance events, art festivals, newsletters, and an artists' resource index. Project highlights in the '80s and '90s include the literary series Cargo Kulture, the performance series Performable Art Events, and the environmental installation series The Millennium Project.
In 1989, the former Kingston Artists' Association Inc. adopted the name Modern Fuel Gallery for its exhibition space and newsletter. The Gallery was then situated in a heritage limestone building that was constructed in 1848 to house the City of Kingston Gaslight Company. In 1849 George Herchmer Markland sold 1/5 acre to the City of Kingston Gaslight Co. which was bought by the City of Kingston in 1904. It is this company that advertised "GAS" as "THE MODERN FUEL" at the turn of the century, a slogan which remains painted to this day on the side of the building at 21 Queen St; hence the origin of the name, the Modern Fuel Gallery. At the unveiling of the new Gallery sign in 1995, then K.A.A.I. President Sandra Jass said: "If GAS is the modern fuel of industry, then ART is the modern fuel of the imagination."
The K.A.A.I., formally renamed Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre in 1995, has augmented its objectives in recent years to maintain relevance on the national and international level and continues to develop innovative ways to support alternative art production and diversity in the local community. The principle on which the original Kingston Artists' Association Inc. was founded - to provide a focal organization for local artists and support for the presentation, interpretation, and production of their work - continues today.
In October 2012, Modern Fuel celebrated 35 years of incorporation and honoured it with a plaque unveiling at Little Cataraqui Creek in honour of the Millenium Project that occurred at the Conservation area from 1990 - 2000. The plaque was unveiled at the Two Tattoos installation by artist Bill Vazan.
In December 2014, Modern Fuel moved to the newly redeveloped Tett Centre for Creativity & Learning at 370 King St. West. We share this creative hub with seven other arts non-profits, as well as eight residence artists.
In 2022, we marked our 45th anniversary with Moving Forward, Looking Back: 45 Years of Contemporary Art, a multi-layered initiative reflecting on our history, celebrating the hundreds of artists we have supported, and activating our archives.
In 2026, we undertook a comprehensive rebranding process, engaging our community and consultants from BmDodo Strategic Design to guide the work. This consultation revealed that “Modern Fuel” no longer clearly reflected our purpose and carried unintended connotations. We relaunched as Cultivate Art Commons—a name that affirms our commitment to collective growth, shared resources, and an accessible, community-centred space where artists and communities thrive. The transition signals not a departure, but a deepening of purpose, strengthening our commitment to cultivating the arts within the community.