THE RMG Art News - Fall 2019

THE RMG ART NEWS

FALL 2019

EXHIBITIONS / PROGRAMS / EVENTS / STORIES Carole Condé + Karl Beveridge, Oshawa (Part 5) 1984 5, from the series Oshawa: A History of Local 222, cibachrome print, 1982-83, Collection of the Robert McLaughlin Gallery.

rmg.on.ca

CEO’S NOTE

A Fond Farewell Although it is overwhelming to write these words, the time has come for me to announce that I will be moving on from the RMG. I step away to follow a new path of personal well-being, growth and professional exploration with great optimism for the future of the gallery.

We can take immense pride in what we have achieved working together, you the artists, members, community, stakeholders, volunteers and patrons. The successes of the past four years are shared with you. I offer heartfelt thanks for your insight and engagement.

I am particularly proud of our active stance on the issues facing our diverse communities. In her outgoing message, my predecessor Gabrielle Peacock posed a thoughtful question, “Can an art gallery be an agent for social change?” We have responded with a resounding YES, deeply devoted to elevating the RMG’s contribution to social change efforts.

The RMG team and Board of Directors will carry on with the transformational intention set out in the Strategic Plan. I stand in awe of this group. There are no words that can describe how honoured I have been to work alongside and learn from this passionate, pioneering ensemble.

Though I say farewell in early October, I proudly join you as a member, donor and enthusiastic supporter of the RMG. I am excited to watch as more good work unfolds and warmly welcome Linda Jansma back to the gallery to serve at the helm until new leadership is in place.

And so, I continue the thread – How might we create more ways in which a diverse audience feels that we are speaking directly to them? How might we innovate to fulfil our dreams and ambitions for the RMG? How might we embrace and amplify the digital space to create new connectivity and operational ease?

As always, onward and upward.

Donna Raetsen-Kemp CEO 2

CONTENT

Page 04 Fall Exhibitions + Collections

Page 17 New Faces at the RMG

Page 18 RBC Artist Incubator Lab

Page 20 Core 21 + Online Exhibition: Colin Medley

Page 21 Gallery A Programming

Page 22 Learning + Engagment

Page 29 Events + Public Programming

Page 33 The RMG Community

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EXHIBITIONS + COLLECTIONS

Oshawa: A History of Local 222 Carole Condé + Karl Beveridge October 4, 2019 - January 19, 2020 Opening Reception: October 5, 2:00PM - 4:00PM

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or over 40 years, artists Carole Condé + Karl Beveridge have been creating urgent and insightful work that challenges the status quo and brings to light the important issues facing our time. With unwavering attention and unapologetic political analysis, Condé + Beveridge’s work continues to explore the social and environmental impacts of globalization, racial inequality, class struggle, gendered labour divisions, precarity, and the complex struggles of consensus building. In tandem to this practice, they have worked collaboratively with union members and fellow artists, bringing the labour movement and art world into dialogue and in doing so, have transformed them both.

This exhibition presents the photo series Oshawa: A History of Local 222 (1982-83), a comprehensive body of work that traces the history of the autoworkers union in Oshawa from its formation in 1937 through to the mid-1980s. To produce the work, Condé + Beveridge spent two years interviewing and working with members of the Local 222 Retirees Committee. The resulting work, uses intricately staged tableaux to narrate the workers struggle from the perspective of women working in the plant and highlights gender-specific inequalities, including the fight for married women to be able to work and the inclusion of women in the union.

Carole Condé + Karl Beveridge Canadian artists Carole Condé and Karl Beveridge moved to New York City in 1969, and soon were at the centre of the burgeoning conceptual art movement. In 1975, they joined the Art & Language journal The Fox (with Joseph Kosuth and Ian Burn) and picketed the Whitney Museum of Art to protest its lack of inclusion of women artists and artists of colour, while critiquing the apolitical minimalism of Donald Judd. This ferment culminated in a major museum show, It’s Still Privileged Art, at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1976, just prior to the artists’ return to Toronto in1977.

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By the late 1970s, Condé and Beveridge drew a focus on various issues that were urgent within the trade union movement. Their method of working dialogically with their subjects was invented for the landmark 1981 project Standing Up, and has been refined in numerous subsequent collaborations. In the past three decades, over fifty solo exhibitions of Condé and Beveridge’s work have been presented at major museums and art spaces on four continents, including: the Institute of Contemporary Art (London, UK); Museum Folkswang (Germany); George Meany Centre (Washington); Dazibao Gallery (Montreal); Centro Cultural Recoleta (Buenos Aires); Art Gallery of Edmonton; and the Australian Centre for Photography (Sydney).

Equally, and congruent with the artists’ commitment to accessibility, their work has been displayed in a host of non-art and public settings, such as union halls, billboards, bus shelters and bookworks. The artists continue to work and live in Toronto.

Carole Condé + Karl Beveridge, Burial at Oshawa, Oshawa (Part 6), from the series Oshawa: A History of Local 222, 2019.

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Carole Condé + Karl Beveridge, The Burial at Oshawa

By Leila Timmins

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s part of the upcoming exhibition Oshawa: A History of Local 222, artists Carole Condé + Karl Beveridge have created an impressive large-scale photomural marking the closure of the General Motors of Canada plant in Oshawa. For this newsletter, we wanted to share more about how the

work was created and the complex social histories contained within the image.

The work takes its title from a painting by 19th Century French painter Gustave Courbet, whose A Burial at Ornans marked a major shift in the history of art. At the time, it was custom for large-scale paintings to depict either historical scenes that metaphorically upheld the social order, or religious scenes that venerated the church. When A Burial at Ornans was presented at the 1850-51 Paris Salon, it received both strong praise and criticism for its ambiguity and its refusal to clearly align with an expected genre. The large-scale painting, which measures over 10 by 22 feet, depicts the burial scene in which the clergy is gathered on the left side of the image and the towns people on the right, but rather than celebrate the church, the meaning of the work is unclear. As art historian TJ Clark notes, “the Burial seemed to hide its attitudes, seemed to contain with itself too many contraries – religious and secular, comic and tragic, sentimental and grotesque.” (Clark 83) Importantly, this ambiguity was itself a subtle critique of the power of the church, representing a shift in attention from the ruling class to the people.

Condé + Beveridge’s work straddles the boundary between documentary and conceptual art, blending aesthetic concerns with political activism. In reimagining The Burial at Ornans as The Burial at Oshawa the artists were able to create an allegorical image that points to a deeper history of inequality and the problems that occur when power is concentrated in the hands of the few. In the new image, the clergy has been replaced with General Motors corporate executive and the high priest is now the GM CEO.

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On the casket hangs a sign that says “jobs” and the grave digger is a politician, suggesting the collusion of government through corporate bailouts. Just as in Courbet’s original image, for which used the towns people to model for the painting, Condé + Beveridge photographed Oshawa locals, including numerous members of the Local 222, union leadership, younger activists and supportive constituents to stand in for the townspeople in the image. However, unlike the original, the messaging is less ambiguous, the union members are not turned away from the corporate executives, but standing in solidarity and witnessing the scene. Karl Beveridge describes the moment as marking the importance of resistance: “In our present political moment, the fact that resistance takes place is something you need to celebrate even if it is not necessarily successful… if things are moving forward, and if what you are doing supports other people to have a voice, that’s what really counts.” (Beveridge)

Carole Condé + Karl Beveridge, Oshawa (Part I) 1937 3-2, from the series Oshawa: A History of Local 222, cibachrome print, 1982-83, Collection of the Robert McLaughlin Gallery.

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body language Dani Crosby + David Bobier September 21, 2019 – January 5, 2020 Opening Reception: Saturday, October 5, 2:00PM 4:00PM

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ody language is comprised of all that is not said during a conversation. It is the intangible and subjective understanding of the expressions, gestures, intonations, temperaments, spatial configurations and feelings during an encounter that allow us to make sense of the experience. In

much the same way, the works in this exhibition are about an intuitive understanding of another person’s experience and a desire for connection that exceeds the limits of language. Working collaboratively, Oshawa-based illustrator and artist Dani Crosby and London-based multi-media artist David Bobier each produced a new body of work that responds to personal stories shared by Durham residents.

Collected anonymously through an online survey, participants were prompted with questions intended to inspire personal reflection such as: “What challenges you most on a daily basis?” and “When you first meet people, what do you wish they understood about you that is not immediately noticeable?” The artists then selected stories from the diverse group of participants to translate and represent in different ways through their work.

David Bobier, Talking to Myself, mixed media, 2019.

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David Bobier is a self-identified hard of hearing and disabled media artist and is the parent of 2 deaf children. His work has been exhibited internationally and has been the focus of prominent touring exhibitions in Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces. Bobier has received numerous grants from Canada Council for the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Grand NCE, Ontario Arts Council and New Brunswick Arts Council.

Using performance and interactive installation Bobier explores the bridging of methods of communication and language and ways of interpreting or transforming one modality to another. His work is engaged in a multi-sensory approach and experimentation that allows for the transitioning and re-interpreting of content and experience from one medium to another with particular emphasis on the tactile as a form of creative expression. He is the Director of VibraFusionLab in Thorndale, Ontario Dani Crosby is an artist, commercial illustrator, arts educator and community collaborator based in Oshawa. Art has become many things for Dani, including a service she offers and an experience to share in academic settings, but most importantly, art serves as a place for her to put the parts of herself that have nowhere else to go. Dani recognizes how lucky she is to have this outlet, which is why many of her favourite projects involve working collaboratively with the public to help others find a place to put their stories, express their identity and share their experiences.

David Bobier, Water Music, mix media, 2019.

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Dani Crosby, Portrait 3, acrylic ink on fabric, 2018.

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FALL EXHIBITIONS CONTINUED...

IMPACT Permanent Collection July 5, 2019 - July 5, 2020 Curated by Sonya Jones The word IMPACT is defined as a physical force, an influence, or a strong effect. Art has a unique ability to effect or influence our daily lives, challenging us and changing our perceptions, through a sensory experience. For the individual, art can affect you visually and emotionally, while collectively, it can have important broad social reach. Exploring the many ways art can impact us, this exhibition draws together works that consider human impact on the land, the effects of war, politically and socially engaged art, emotional storytelling, and visually compelling abstraction.

Douglas Coupland (Canadian, b. 1961), Future Prayer, 2011, acrylic and latex on canvas, Gift of the artist, 2012.

In Our Minds Partnership with Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences July 6, 2019 - February 2, 2020 Curated by Sonya Jones In February, we partnered with Jordon Beenen, Ian Hakes, and Lori Lane-Murphy, Ambassadors of Hope for Ontario Shores Centre of Mental Health Sciences, to develop a community-driven Painters Eleven exhibition. At the RMG we believe partnerships create important opportunities to positively reflect the creativity and diversity of our communities, and help deepen engagement with our Permanent Collection.

William Ronald (Canadian, 1926 - 1998), J’accuse, 1956, oil on canvas, Purchase, 1971.

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Oshawa Assembly Wes Peel + Thomas Bouckley Collection August 31, 2019 - December 8, 2019 Curated by Sonya Jones Created using source material from the Thomas Bouckley Collection, Whitby-based artist Wes Peel’s cyanotype photomontages bring together various historical photographs of Oshawa to create new narratives and offer different perspectives. In describing the series, Peel says the works, “combine and unify different objects and moments together. As with other forms of collage and photomontage, new combinations [of images] create new ways of seeing, and our mind invariably looks for connections.” Here, the combination of different images create fantastical scenes where fact and fiction merge. For examWes Peel, Ghost Tuners, cyanotype, 2019, courtesy of the artis.

ple, in Ghost Tuners apparitions of Williams Piano Company employees playing instruments appear floating in front of an interior view of the factory.

Dear Kay Permanent Collection August 31, 2019 - December 8, 2019 Curated by Sonya Jones Art critics have the power to shape the discourse around an artist and act as mediators between artists and audience. Kay Kritzwiser, the Globe and Mail’s art critic from 1964-1980, developed close relationships with artists and used her role as critic to champion the arts. This exhibition explores some of the artwork Kritzwiser received as gifts through her friendships with artists.

Peter Harris (Canadian, 1932 - 1993), Happy Birthday Kay, c.1980; mixed media on paper, Gift of Kay Kritzwiser, 1994.

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In Our Minds

Installation photograph of the In Our Minds exhibition, featuring works from our Permanent Collection and participant’s responses. Photo by Ingrid Forster

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“This exhibition has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life! I find solace and healing in art and creative expression. Having this opportunity to share my personal journey by participating in this exhibition is a once in a lifetime moment. I hope that others can relate and reflect on their own mental wellness through the responses we’ve created in conjunction with RMG.” - Ian Hakes A central part of the RMG’s Permanent Collection is a significant number of works

by Painters Eleven, a collective of abstract artists, who founded their group at Alexandra Luke’s cottage located on the boundary of Oshawa and Whitby, not far from Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences. Abstract expressionist works are often created with a spirit of spontaneity and the bold use of colour and form can evoke different emotions. The immediacy and affective qualities of the work drew Jordon, Lori, and Ian to engage with Painters Eleven, allowing them to connect to the work through the lens of mental illness. They each chose works that resonated with them personally and creatively responded, expressing their stories, through writing, art and performance.

Throughout this collaboration Jordon, Ian and Lori shared stories of their lived experience with mental illness, explored Painters Eleven, and participated in the exhibition development. The resulting exhibition, In Our Minds, includes personal reflections and highlights the power and importance of art to drive community conversation about mental illness. This partnership has been one of meaningful exchanges, relationship building, openness, and enlightenment—a journey that has left a lasting impression on participants and staff alike.

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FROM THE COLLECTION

Black and white photograph of two females poking their heads out of a tent, taken during the General Motors Strike.

Inscription: Marg. Watson, Marguerite McGrath. Glass and Hardware Dept. William and Mary St., April, 1937. From the Thomas Bouckley Collection, Gift of the McGrath Family.

On April 8, 1937, 3,700 GM workers punched in as usual and then walked off the job. They didn’t return to the assembly lines until a settlement was struck two weeks later.

In 2015, the Thomas Bouckley Collection received a donation of images that capture the General Motors Strike of 1937. The gift, from the McGrath family, includes 57 images, 37 of which depict the famous strike. Prior to this wonderful addition, there were only 3 images of the strike in the Thomas Bouckley Collection. This grouping of images depicts candid moments between strikers on the picket line.

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NEW FACES AT THE RMG

Hello everyone, I am Jessica Ho I just graduated from the Master of Museum Studies program at U of T this summer. I will be working at the RMG as a Conservation + Registrar Assistant for 18 weeks, doing collections related work such as vault re-organization, preventative conservation, collections database work, exhibition planning and installation. I particularly like visiting open-air museums and historic sites that allow meaningful reflection through immersing myself into specific physical settings and storylines. Favorite museums in Ontario include the CNR School on Wheels Museum in Clinton and the ZimArt’s Rice Lake Gallery in Peterborough.

Hello, I am Alex Hartstone and I have recently joined the RMG as Curatorial Assistant! As part of my role you can find me working on exhibition layouts, installation, artist research, and planning. Recently, I completed my MA in art history and visual culture from the University of Guelph where I focused my research on the ways in which curatorial work influences how we perceive contemporary Latin American art. I am passionate about arts and culture and the invaluable role museums and galleries have in creating spaces to experience it.

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RBC Artist Incubator Lab The RMG is pleased to welcome Ellen Bleiwas to the Artist Incubator Lab as the third Artist in Residence supported by the RBC Emerging Artist Project.

Residency: September 23 - December 15, 2019

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llen Bleiwas is an emerging visual artist based in Toronto. She has recently exhibited at Idea Exchange (Cambridge), Angell Gallery (Toronto), and Art Mรปr (Montreal). Bleiwas holds an MFA from York University (2017) and a Master of Architecture from McGill University (2010). She has participated

in many artist residences, including Takt Kunstprojektraum (Berlin), Artscape Gibraltar Point (Toronto), and the School of Visual Arts (New York). Her practice has been supported through grants and awards from the Toronto Arts Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and 401 Richmond through the 2017-18 Career Launcher Prize.

During her residency in the Artist Incubator Lab, Bleiwas will be creating a new body of sculptural work that explores the nature of ritual and cycles, including seasonal cycles, economic cycles, and political cycles. Through her use of materials, the artist will consider the vulnerability of these cycles to aging and change over time.

Ellen Bleiwas, Protrusions, industrial felt and beeswax, 2017.

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Colin Medley, Oshawa 13, 2017.

16 Photographs of Oshawa Colin Medley Core 21 Window + Online Exhibition October 5, 2019 – April 28, 2020

Photographer Colin Medley grew up in Oshawa. Over the past three years, Medley has returned to his hometown to document the suspended urban landscapes and changing industrial areas of Oshawa. This exhibition includes a large-scale photomural at Core 21 in downtown Oshawa, as well as an online exhibition, featuring 16 images from Medley’s Oshawa series.

“I spent the first 20 years of my life in Oshawa. I am now 32 years old and I take photos of musicians for a living, a practice I developed at long-shuttered downtown venues like The Dungeon and The Velvet Elvis.

In 2016, I was commissioned by a magazine to photograph the suspended urban landscapes of my hometown. What started as a look into Oshawa’s loss of industry through the city’s form turned into a journey directed by my childhood memories. Here I present sixteen photographs from 2016-2019 that find me revisiting specific locations from my past.”

Colin Medley is a director and photographer. He has made several short documentaries about underground musicians and subcultures and over 40 music videos. His portraits of musicians have graced album covers and appeared in publications in North America and Europe.

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GALLERY A PROGRAMMING

Wild Braid Brain Hoad September 25 – October 20, 2019 Opening Reception: October 4, 7:00PM -10:00PM Wild Braid is an exhibition of work by Brian Hoad created during his residency in the RBC Artist Incubator Lab from July 2 - September 22, 2019.

Brian Hoad is a visual artist originally from Port Hope, ON. He received his Bachelor of Fine Art Honours, Visual Art in 2015 from Queen’s University and Master of Fine Art, Visual Art in 2017 from the University of Regina. He maintains a studio practice at Dead On Collective in Kingston, ON, where he works as the Technician Supervisor for the Fine Art (Visual Art) Program at Queen’s University. Prior to attendBrian Hoad, Goon, oil on canvas, 48”x60,” 2019.

ing university, Hoad served as a full-time studio assistant to Canadian Artist David Blackwood while receiving instruction in traditional oil painting methods, copper etching, and woodcut. His practicebased research has been supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation.

Temporarily Ours David Wysotski October 23 – December 19, 2019 Opening Reception: December 6, 7:00PM -10:00PM Temporarily Ours is an exhibition of new work by local artist David Wysotski that reflects on the fragility of the natural environment and calls audiences to be conservators and caretakers of the planet. Paintings will feature preserved natural specimens, including insects and birds’ eggs, in careful and expressive detail. Throughout the first six weeks of the exhibition, Wysotski will be painting in a pop-up studio in Gallery A, giving visitors a unique opportunity to witness the artist at work and to see finished works alongside works in progress.

David Wysotski, Emptied, oil on panel, 2019.

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LEARNING + ENGAGEMENT

School Programs

Studio Sample Indigenous Vivideness School Program

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“Learning occurs in more locations than simply those of traditional instruction like schools and universities.”

By Saira Knowles

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n the culture sector, there has been a major shift from the expression ‘gallery education’ to the term ‘gallery learning’.

The move from ‘education’ to ‘learning’ represents a major deep-thinking change in the way in which the educational

functions of cultural organizations are being understood. At the RMG, the deliberate use of the word ‘learning’ demonstrates an increased focus on diversifying learning modes and enjoyment—a shift towards thinking about the broader and meaningful impact we can have on learners.

We pride ourselves on providing diverse approaches to facilitate learning as a foundational and captivating experience for visitors. Visiting school groups take full advantage of our offbeat ways to open complex ideas in ways which spark critical thinking, curiosity and discovery. Workshops for grades JK to 9 have been developed around a scope of themes from media scandals to emotional intelligence—to the story of community behind Come from Away. With titles such as ‘Mindful Media’, ‘Feelings about Feelings’, and ‘People, Places, Impact’, our workshops stage unique journeys for visiting students across multiple subject areas, instrumented by artworks that deliver an indisputable force for learning at the RMG.

To find out more about school programs at the RMG, visit our website: rmg.on.ca/activities 23

FALL ART CLASSES FOR KIDS

Art Tots: Petite Painters (ages 2-4) 10 sessions with Jen Morrison Mondays, Sept 16 - Nov 25 | 10:15AM - 11:00AM (no class Oct 14) $8 per morning | Members Free. Registration required per week.

Get your hands messy in this colourful and creative class! Together, you and your child will explore an array of fine art materials where no mess is too big, and no toddler too small. Must be accompanied by an adult.

Art Away from Home-School (ages 5-14) 10 sessions with Chrissie Wysotski Mondays, Sept 16 – Nov 25 Ages 5 to 10 | 10:15AM - 11:30AM $95 Members | $105 Non-Members Ages 10 to 14 | 12:00PM - 1:30PM (no class Oct 14) $135 Members | $145 Non-Members Fine art processes and techniques take centre stage in this beloved and established course. Our popular and creative instructor guides participants through a wide variety of mediums, supported with direct connections to our exhibitions.

NEW! Mix it up (ages 5-10) 4 sessions with Amber Buyting Thursdays, Oct 3 – Oct 24 | 4:15PM - 5:45PM $50 Members | $60 Non-Members This class immerses your child in mixed media materials that will help build kids’ confidence and their creative potential. Play with poetry and paint to create artworks as individual as our participants. Texture, messages and connections to our sophisticated world make this a 21st Century class.

NEW! Saturday Studio (ages 5 -12) 8 sessions Saturdays, Sept 28 – Nov 23 (no class Oct 12) Ages 5 to 7 | 10:00AM - 12:00PM Ages 8 to 12 | 1:00PM - 3:00PM $110 Members | $125 Non-Members Take fine art materials, an exceptional instructor, a sociable environment, add some creativity and a zest of imagination and it’s the ideal formula for a young budding artist! Children will be inspired by interactive tours of our fantastic current exhibitions and create personal, stunning mixed media artworks that will include drawing, painting, printmaking and more.

NEW! Printwork Basics (ages 5-10) 6 sessions with Amber Buyting Thursdays, Nov 7 – Dec 12 | 4:15PM - 5:45PM $75 Members | $85 Non-Members Kids will learn about multiple forms of printmaking; block, mono, collagraph and gelli to name a few. Taking inspiration from our exhibitions, our nurturing instructor will guide children to enjoy and develop printmaking skills as a fine art form.

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FALL ART CLASSES FOR ADULTS

Beginner Drawing and Painting with David Wysotski 8 sessions Thursdays, Sept 26 – Nov 21 | 6:15PM -8:15PM (no class Oct 31) $150 Members | $160 Non-Members This tried and tested class is back for beginners who want to gain confidence with acrylic painting. Our instructor sets you up for success using step-by-step processes, fine art materials and thematic projects. Learn about composition and colour, you’ll complete at least one painting by the end of this course. All materials included.

Oil Painting Explorations: Grow Your Style with Randy Hryhorczuk 6 sessions Sundays, October 20 to November 24 | 1:00PM - 4:00PM $180 Members | $190 Non-Members This class bends the tradition of still life; no fruit bowls or pheasant/bugle set ups here! Using oil paints, participants are encouraged to work freely while taking risks and experimenting with form, colour, and creative paint applications. Focus will be on a balance between clarity in shape and building your personal, creative fingerprint. Recommended for those who have already taken beginner drawing and painting classes. All materials included.

Weekend Workshop Series (Youth 14+ and Adult) Satisfying Weekend Painting with Rhonda Short Sunday, October 6, 10:30AM - 4:00PM or Saturday, October 26, 10:30AM - 4:00PM $85 Members | $95 Non-Members (includes light lunch) Per Day Painting should be relaxing; we know many people feel pressure to create realistic and perfect art. If you want an enriching, social and laid back experience, this day course is for you! Make some art, enjoy some lunch, and meet fellow art enthusiasts.

Our dedicated instructor will start with casual exercises, after which you will develop your own expressive and personal abstract painting on a canvas. We will show you how to generate ideas, experiment with colour, and explore mark-making and painting techniques to create a truly satisfying artwork. All materials and lunch are taken care of.

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Wearable Art in the P11 Pod Interview with Andrew Nasturzio “For me, costume design is less about how beautiful the sketch is or how expensive the fabrics are and more about the concept of the design. Every costume has a narrative - a story to tell.”

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eet Andrew, a budding costume designer and student in the Performance Production Program at Ryerson University. Over the summer, Andrew partnered with our Learning and Engagement department to create wearable art for our P11 Pod. Andrew developed an interest in

theatre and stage production as a high school drama student, where he was more interested in working behind the scenes than performing onstage. Although Andrew had considered attending cullinary school after high school graduation, he decided to pursue a career in the performing arts. “When I first started my program at Ryerson, I thought I wanted to become a stage manager or work in production, but after doing some wardrobe and costume work, I realized how much I loved it and decided to move in that direction,” explains Andrew.

In his third and fourth years, Andrew focused on costume design and enjoyed working with unconventional fabrics and materials. Inspired by the popular show Project Runway, he began to weave elements of fashion design like colours, textures, prints, and patterns, into his costume work. “For me, costume design is less about how beautiful the sketch is or how expensive the fabrics are and more about the concept of the design. Every costume has a narrative - a story to tell.”

After being approached by one of his professors at Ryerson about the P11 Pod Wearable Art Project, Andrew enthusiastically agreed to take on the challenge. Taking inspiration from Painters 11 and from the art in the P11 Pod, Andrew reimagined the shapes, lines, and forms he found interesting as wearable art. Andrew enjoyed selecting and working with an array of unique materials for this project; the wearable art pieces are constructed from scraps of tent, umbrella, leather, shower curtain, and table cloths!

Next time you’re in the P11 Pod, try on some of Andrew’s wearable art pieces, snap a photo, and tag us #theRMGwearableartproject!

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Andrew Nasturzio wearing one of his wearable art creations.

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Thank You OTF! The Robert McLaughlin Gallery would like to thank the Ontario Trillium Foundation for the Grant.

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arlier this year, the RMG received a $56,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, enabling us to purchase new equipment for the gallery. The Curatorial department was able to purchase new projectors, monitors, and audio equipment. Our catering kitchen got an upgrade with new commer-

cial appliances and our Learning & Engagement department got some stylish studio chairs and new teaching equipment. We upped our digital game and got an interactive, display screen for marketing and wayfinding in our lobby, as well as some iPads to use for digital projects and audience engagement!

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EVENTS + PUBLIC PROGRAMMING

Fall Exhibitions Opening Reception October 5 | 2:00PM - 4:00PM Join us for the opening of our exciting new fall exhibitions: Oshawa: A History of Local 222 and body language. Artists will be in attendance to talk about their work. Light refreshments and snacks will be served. Coming from Toronto? We have organized a bus to bring you to and from the opening! Pick up: in front of OCADU at 1:00PM and will return to OCADU for 4:30. To reserve a spot on the bus: RSVP to vault@rmg.on.ca.

Young at Art: Senior’s Dance & Social October 6 | 1:00PM - 3:30PM Tickets: $5 at the door, pre-registration required Come shimmy and shake at this 55+ event on October 6th, where a dance instructor will lead you through basic steps before a free dance - all set to your favourite tunes from the 50s, 60s, and 70s! This afternoon event will also feature walking tours of the new exhibition “OSHAWA: A History of Local 222”, a curator’s talk, and art activities, as well as complimentary coffee, tea, and baked goods.

RMG Exposed Fundraiser November 9 | 7:00PM - 10:00PM Tickets: $35 for members / $40 for non-members | Tickets available online or in person at the gallery’s reception | www.rmgexposed.net RMG Exposed is back for its tenth year as Durham Region’s premier photography auction. Whether you are a dedicated collector on the hunt for a new acquisition or you just enjoy the thrill of a live auction, RMG Exposed is always a fun night out and a great way to help support the arts in our community. Ticket price includes entry to the auction, as well as complimentary refreshments courtesy of Berry Hill and All or Nothing Brew House

Bright and Merry Market November 15 | 5:00PM - 9:00PM As part of this year’s Bright and Merry Market, the RMG will be keeping its doors open late on November 15th, so that you can shop a great selection of local vendors in our Lobby! The perfect opportunity to find unique gifts this holiday season, this event will also give you a chance to meet some of the artisans behind the great, locally-made products available in the RMG Shop, all while supporting your community!

RMG Fridays - On the First Friday of Every Month!

FREE Admission, Cash Bar, All Ages Upcoming Dates: October 4, November 1, December 6 | 7:00PM - 10:00PM Join us for an evening of fun as the gallery buzzes with live musical performances, interactive art experiences, open gallery spaces, exhibition tours, film screenings, social mingling, and more!

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OPG Sundays FREE Family Programming at the RMG

By Jennifer Welch

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PG Second Sundays is a much loved monthly event with lots of art making fun! It’s typical to come in to one of our events and hear the murmur of energetic conversations coming from an exhibition space, seeing families filtering into the lobby to grab a quick snack before heading back into an

exhibition to put the finishing touches on their masterpieces.

In March 2012, RMG formed a partnership with Ontario Power Generation to create a free, inclusive, family-oriented, drop in event for everyone to connect with art. The first year, OPG Second Sunday events had 734 participants creating some amazing artworks to take home. Although successful, it needed room to grow and connect more directly with the exhibitions. It shifted from studio into the gallery spaces.

Since 2017, our attendance has increased, reaching between 900 and 1000 participants. The formula for success was found; it involves snacks, juice, music, animated instructors and fun art making projects with themes like My Trees & Me, Holi: Festival of Colour, and Grimy not Slimy. Families stay longer and spend more time working on their fine art projects while chatting with fellow patrons. Meaningful connections are forming among families within the community.

The RMG has some exciting news: OPG Second Sundays is only going to get better!

Starting in September, families will be able to get hands-on painting experiences (and other messy materials) in the studio! Also new in September, a storytelling component, bringing permanent collection artworks to life. Storytelling will be at every event starting at 1:30pm.

OPG Second Sundays will continue to celebrate the gallery experience as an enjoyable place of family, creativity and learning. OPG Second Sundays fulfills RMG’s guiding principle of putting people first, contributing to a vibrant community; to serve as a welcoming community hub and gathering place.

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OPG Sunday participants make art inspired by our James Kirkpatrick Exhibition, To the Unseen Future.

To find out more about OPG Sundays events, visit our website: rmg.on.ca/ events/opg-second-sunday

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FREE FAMILY EVENTS

Kick Off to Culture Days Art Resource Centre Saturday, September 28 | 10:30AM – 12:30PM FREE | Materials Provided This year, the RMG is excited to be participating in the Kick Off to Culture Days event, taking place at Alexandra Park, where we will celebrate the unveiling of student work from Dani Crosby’s Durham College Community Collaboration Course with an interactive art activity.

Doors Open Oshawa Saturday, September 28 | 10:00PM to 4:00PM Doors Open is a province-wide celebration that provides a unique opportunity to explore and enjoy sometimes hidden and interesting places and spaces in cities across Ontario - all free of charge! Gallery tours will be available at the RMG throughout the day.

OPG Sundays Drop-in 1:00PM - 3:00PM | FREE | Materials Provided September 29 - The RMG & Me We will create explosively colourful artworks in our space, inspired by the RMG paintings on our walls. Go home with something bright and beautiful.

October 27 - Think With Ink Think with ink and explore our exhibitions’ stories. This month, we make an inky, messy, graphic artwork that’ll be a keeper!

November 10 - Oshawa Lives Our special exhibition weaves together past and present in Oshawa. Come and learn about our local history and montage together a collection of images to create a story of your own.

Young participants making art in our Studio.

December 8 - Made It At The Movies Departing from our exhibitions, we play with traditional holiday movies. We make iconic images into new, fresh and funky versions of themselves to get us into the holiday spirit.

OPG Sundays are generously sponsored by the Ontario Power Generation.

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THE RMG COMMUNITY

Volunteer Highlight Megan Caroline Wilk Megan is an interdiciplinary artist and Oshawa native. She has been volunteering with the RMG since November, 2018 and can often be found working in the RMG Shop, assisting with merchandising, researching local artisans, and running the shop’s Instagram account.

Megan enjoys volunteering at the RMG because it connects her with the local arts community. “The RMG is really a hub for arts in Oshawa and I really like being in a space with fellow artists and creatives. Volunteering here has really helped me connect with the arts community in Oshawa and given me some career inspiration. I have learned so much about local artisans just by working in the shop,” says Megan.

When she isn’t in the shop, Megan helps out at events and with painting for exhibition installations.

Her favourite things about volunteering at the RMG: connecting with artists, networking, and meeting new people!

Thank you Megan for all you do for the RMG!

Interested in Volunteering at the RMG? From weekly classes and workshops to RMG Fridays and OPG Second Sundays, our education programs rely on the support of community volunteers. An ideal position for students, volunteering as an Art Studio Assistant is a great way to gain experience and give back to your community. Art skills are not required to help with the Learning + Engagement team- as long as you like working with kids, we’d love to have you aboard!

To inquire about available opportuniVolunteers Hedore Gionet, Petra Demers, and Pat Bayus, helping out at an RMG Fridays event.

ties, contact Samuel Powless, Volunteer Coordinator, at spowless@rmg.on.ca

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Cultural Partnership with Art Toronto

Image courtesy of Art Toronto.

October 25 – October 27, 2019 Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building For more information about the fair and to purchase tickets, please visit: ArtToronto.ca The RMG is pleased to announce our cultural partnership with Art Toronto again this year! Don’t miss this incredible event and opportunity to connect with the Canadian visual arts sector.

Art Toronto, Canada’s international fair for modern and contemporary art, celebrates its 20th anniversary season this year. Founded in 2000 by Linel Rebenchuk, Art Toronto has grown exponentially. Today the fair is an integral event in the Canadian visual art sector, presenting work from over 100 international art galleries, and attracting more than 20,000 art collectors, professionals and enthusiasts from all over the world to Toronto.

Get 20% OFF single-day general admission tickets by using the promo code: AT19RMG

Partnership With All or Nothing Brewhouse In June the RMG was thrilled to be a part of All or Nothing Brewhouse’s grand opening at their new space in the old Beer Store on Ritson Road. The brewery and distillery features an open concept industrial design with many of the building’s features from the 1950’s still visible, as well as an outdoor patio and biergarden where you can stop by to enjoy one of their amazing craft beers.

We are looking forward to working with our new neighbours Staff of All or Nothing Brewhouse in front of their facility.

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All or Nothing Brewhouse on innovative programming to continue to elevate the community!

Offering a unique array of Indigenous-designed and produced items, including jewellery, books, and homewares from writers and artisans both local and

RMG Shop Highlight Featured Above:

from across Canada, the RMG Shop features plenty

Beaded Sunglasses by Candace Halcro $60

of products not found anywhere else in Durham Re-

Deerskin Choker by The Restless Native $20

gion. All products are tax-free and help support our free community programming.

“Me Artsy� by Drew Hayden Taylor $25

A new collaboration between Toronto-based artistrun centre and publisher Art Metropole and The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, the Ephemeral Streams pop-up shop was created to give artist-driven publications a home in Oshawa. Filled with rare artist books, exhibition catalogues, zines, and more, Ephemeral Streams is sure to have something that will change the way you view the world.

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INFORMATION FOR YOUR VISIT LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is situated on the ancestral lands and treaty lands of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation and the traditional territory of the Mississauga Nation.

ACCESSIBILITY The RMG is wheelchair accessible and manual wheelchairs are available. ASL and sign language interpretation are available upon request. Large Print, Tactile Tours & Audio Description are available upon request.

CONTACT US

GALLERY HOURS

GALLERY TOURS

72 Queen Street

Monday-Friday 10AM - 5PM

Gallery tours are available

Civic Centre,Oshawa, ON

Thursday 10AM - 9PM

Thursday evenings and on

L1H 3Z3

Saturday 10AM - 4PM

905.576.3000

Sunday 12PM - 4PM

rmg.on.ca

FREE ADMISSION

weekends. To arrange tours for larger groups, please contact us in advance.

communications@rmg.on.ca

An agency of the Government of Ontario.

Un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario.

rmg.on.ca