RMG Friday: Bingo in the Backyard

Hosted by Kali Kontour, guests will enjoy six bingo games throughout the evening, with the chance to win prizes. Our beautiful backyard will set the stage for exciting drag performances, while guests sip on fruity beverages and participate in an art activity. The night is sure to be filled with laughter, music, art, and long-lasting memories.

Kali Kontour, the sensational drag persona hailing from Oshawa, has been captivating audiences for three fabulous years. With roots firmly planted in her hometown, Kali embodies elegance, sass, and unapologetic charisma. Beyond the spotlight, she champions charitable causes, using her platform to uplift and support her community in true diva fashion.

Enjoy refreshing beverages, fruity coolers, and non-alcoholic options will be available for purchase.

In the lower terrace, enjoy our rock painting station. Take your creation home, or leave it to decorate our garden.

Join us for a tour of RESISTANCE.

Learn more about RMG Fridays.

Tom Dean: Roundtable Discussions

Saturday, June 7, 2025
2-5PM, followed by a reception, 5-7PM
Top Top Projects (165 Geary Ave, Toronto, ON M6H 2B8)

Let us know you’re coming!

Roundtable A: Press and Publications
2PM
Co-presented with Art Metropole
Featuring: Vincent Bonin, Robert Fones, Peggy Gale, and Louis Jacob

Roundtable B: Artist-Run Spaces and Culture
3:30 PM
Co-presented with the plumb
Featuring: Anthony Cooper, Suzy Lake, Nell Tenhaaf, and Adam Welch

Tom Dean: GOOD-BYE is an exhibition that brings together a rarely seen body of conceptual and sculptural work produced between 1969-1974, when Dean was living in Montreal. Documenting the artist’s extensive and active engagement with the local alternative art scene and broader cultural milieu, GOOD-BYE invites viewers to reevaluate and reflect on the enduring significance of Dean’s work, and this cultural history, in today’s context.

In partnership with Art Metropole and the plumb, we are pleased to convene roundtable discussions around two essential nodes of Dean’s early practice: artist’s press and publications and artist-run spaces. Bringing together an illustrious panel of speakers, the discussions will shed light on the historical context of these movements and activities and reflect on the threads of resonance that are visible, at work, and needed in this present moment.

The event will take place at Top Top Projects (165 Geary Ave, Toronto, ON M6H 2B8) and will be followed by a reception with refreshments.

Let us know you’re coming!

Learn more about the exhibition here.

Seniors Art Competition and Exhibition 2025: Opening and Awards Reception

Join us at 2:30pm for the opening reception of Adventure: Seniors Art Competition and Exhibition. Prizes will be awarded in three categories: Novice, Hobby, and Open.

This event is free and open to everyone. If there are ways we can support your participation, please contact Hannah at [email protected].

The Seniors Art Competition and Exhibition is co-hosted by The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa Senior Community Centres, and the Oshawa Public Libraries.

Seniors programming has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Sienna for Seniors Foundation.

RMG Friday: Spring Launch

Welcome back! We launch our 2025 RMG Friday series in partnership with Oshawa Music Week, this evening will feature live music performances, art activities and food from local vendors.

About RMG Fridays
An anchor of the cultural calendar in Durham Region, RMG Fridays are community events that bring together various art forms. Designed for all ages they feature a variety of live music, performances, exhibition tours, artist talks, and highlight community partners and local businesses.

About Oshawa Music Week (OMW)
Oshawa Music Week is organized by students of the Music Business Program at Durham College. This annual event takes place in April and includes live music showcases, entertainment for music lovers, and music-industry education for aspiring and established music-business practitioners.

About our studio activity
Join local guest artist Chelsea Frattura in the art studio to get your geek on! Dive into the nostalgic world of 8-bit artwork as you design and create your own custom magnet. Using the grid method, you’ll bring your favourite pop culture icons to life—or invent your own design! Perfect for beginners.

Chelsea Frattura is a local artist and arts facilitator specializing in oil painting. Her work focuses on surrealist landscapes, drawing inspiration from the connection between memory and environment. Passionate about inspiring creativity, Chelsea loves to merge her artistic practice with her role as a facilitator, teaching a wide range of art projects to all ages—from fun, simple crafts to more advanced painting techniques.

About our guest food vendor
Bistro ‘67 offers guests a memorable field-to-fork dining experience, where community, local agriculture and learning come together. Meals are prepared and served by our skilled staff and students who create flavourful dishes inspired by fresh ingredients from the award-winning W. Galen Weston Centre for Food’s own gardens and other local suppliers across Durham Region.

About the bands

Siobhan Bodrug
Siobhan Bodrug is a singer-songwriter/recording artist from Toronto ON. Her music being a seamless blend of Indie Pop, R&B that her soulful vocals defy her 20 years on the planet. Siobhan has wowed audiences in many venues including opening for indie mainstays Stars and Juno award-winners Dizzy at The Golden Hour Festival, the iconic Rockwood Music Hall in New York City, the legendary El Mocambo, County Pop, and Summerfolk. She was also selected as a Honey Jam artist for 2022. She recently toured across Ontario/Quebec for her debut “Strangers Tour 2024.” She just graduated from Seneca’s Independent Songwriting and Performance program. She has appeared on SiriusXM, MIX97 and performed a live-to-air Christmas special. Her single, “The End Lies Ahead” has over 130k streams on Spotify. The future is bright for Siobhan Bodrug because as “PeopleOfPEC” said in a recent review “Can we just talk for a minute? About how FABULOUS Siobhan Bodrug is? If you have never heard of this powerhouse singer, you soon will! She is FIRE …Her voice is strong and sure, and she has a very strong command of her craft. She is a brilliant young artist”. (source: https://soundcloud.com/siobhanbodrugmusic)

Erica Knox
From upbeat excitement to mellow nostalgia, Erica Knox is reinventing her sound with self-portrayed intimate lyrics about love, life, and identity, alongside catchy hooks, reminiscent of modern day hitmakers Taylor Swift and Julia Michaels.

The 2019 ‘Best Emerging Artist in Canada’ nominee is currently recording her first full-length record with Toronto based producer and musician, Tal Vaisman. Her newest singles ‘Paradise Forever’ and ‘Make Me Happy’ are the first of many to come.

priyana
priyana is a South-Asian queer singer-songwriter from Toronto, Canada. She knew from the age of eight that music was her passion. She has attracted a community online and is known for posting videos combining her ethereal voice with love for crochet! priyana’s indie/folk-pop music draws inspiration from Lizzy McAlpine, Billie Eilish, Noah Kahan, Phoebe Bridgers, and many more. priyana’s debut album little thoughts and latest singles pinky swear, they know it too, and days i’ve cried this year are available on all streaming platforms with more to come soon.

Stefan Palicki
Stef started taking RCM piano instruction at the age of 6. Over the years, he obtained his RCM theory and Grade 7 piano with first class honours. At the age of 12, Stef began taking guitar lessons and that set him on the path toward wanting to be a performing musician.

During grades 7 and 8, Stef played keyboard, trombone and bass guitar in the school’s Jazz Band. At the end of grade 8 he audition for and was accepted into the Performing Arts Program at O’Neill CVI, where Stef has enjoyed performing in multiple bands and ensembles on a variety of instruments including percussion.

In 2019, Stef began taking part in an Open Jam at The Edge, in Ajax. This cemented his joy for performance in a band dynamic, playing classic rock and blues, live.

Stefan continues to further his music education with private instruction for guitar with Matt O’Rourke at Mattomusic in Courtice Ontario and with online instruction with accomplished guitarist, Chris Bray.

Jack Walker
Jack Walker is a Canadian indie-folk singer/songwriter from Pickering, ON. On June 11, 2021, he released his debut full-length album.

Jack writes songs with a focus on catchy melodies and poetic lyrics. He has played shows across Canada as well as the US and the UK. Jack’s main focus over the years has been playing live and since COVID-19 has put that on pause, he has shifted to recording and releasing music. Jack has taken a DIY approach to his recent album, playing every instrument and handling production and mixing duties.

RMG Friday: Emerging Visions

Join us in celebrating the works of the third-year graduating students of the Fine Arts Advanced program at Durham College. This evening will feature a curated experience designed by Tanika iNsight Circles, and an art activity with artist Bria Elizabeth.

Schedule
7pm – Doors Open
7pm – Art Studio Activity with Bria Elizabeth Starts
7:30pm – Welcome Remarks
8pm-9:15pm – Voices & Vibes: A Journey Through Story, Soul & Connection by Tanika iNsight Circles

Voices & Vibes: A Journey Through Story, Soul & Connection
“Voices & Vibes: A Journey Through Story, Soul & Connection” is a powerful one-hour (1:10 to be exact) curated experience designed by Tanika iNsight Circles to uplift, heal, and unite through the arts. This event blends spoken word poetry, personal storytelling, interactive community-building activities, and a soul-stirring performance by powerhouse R&B singer. Centering on themes of resilience, self-expression through arts, and collective healing through community, this gathering will create a vibrant space for inter-generational authentic connections.

Where: The Isabel McLaughlin Gallery (Main Floor)

Emerging Visions
EMERGING VISIONS is an exhibition that presents thesis projects by the third-year graduating students of the Fine Arts Advanced program at Durham College.

Where: Gallery A (Ground floor)

Art Activity
Join local guest artist Bria Elizabeth to explore simple science into the unknown void. Participants will select a shape that resonates with them and use metallic markers to create lines and dots of particle movements that highlight different states of matter. Simple techniques will create a high contrast in colour and finish between the metallic markers and Black paper.

Where: Art Studio (Ground floor)

About

Tanika iNsight Circles is an award winning Creative Intellect, Speaker, Trainer, Host, Artist, Event Curator, and HIP HOP EDU Creator at HIP HOP TIL INFINITY.

Bria Elizabeth is a local artist who has led community projects with non-for profit organizations in the Oshawa area. She has her degree as a specialist in Media/Studio from UTSC where she was first introduced into facilitating community arts projects. Her current practice involves exploring negative space and mark making using multimedia art supplies. She currently has been involved with local arts collective Ruckus for the past few years and is passionate about art accessibility for marginalized communities and people groups. She believes that art is for everyone or anyone whether the art is created and stays in your home, in community spaces or galleries.

RMG Fridays
An anchor of the cultural calendar in Durham Region, RMG Fridays are community events that bring together various art forms. Designed for all ages they feature a variety of live music, performances, exhibition tours, artist talks, and highlight community partners and local businesses.

Curatorial Tour: Resistance

Join Curator, Sonya Jones, for a tour of the exhibition “Resistance”. This permanent collection exhibition explores how artists throughout history have used art to resist and disrupt social and political structures– including within the art world.

Thursday Curatorial Tours are free and open to everyone. They provide deeper insight into the themes, context, and content of our exhibitions. Seating options are available. For more information about access and our facilities, please visit this page or contact Sonya Jones at [email protected] with any specific requests.

No advance registration required.

Tom Dean: GOOD-BYE Opening Reception

Join us in celebrating the opening of Tom Dean: GOOD-BYE! The artist and curators will be in attendance. Please RSVP using this form.

Coming from Toronto? We’ll pick you up! Save your seat on the art bus shuttle using the RSVP link above. The bus will collect guests from Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst St, Toronto) at 11:30am and return around 5pm.

Refreshments provided.

Read more about the exhibition here. This event is free and open to everyone. If there are ways we can support your participation, please contact Hannah at [email protected].

RSVP

Holiday Tea at the RMG

Join Berry Hill Co. for Holiday Tea at the RMG!

For 3 Days only this year, Berry Hill Co. will be upstairs in Arthur’s hosting a delightful holiday event.

Reserve your spot!

Reservations and any queries must be made directly through Berry Hill Co.

Expressive Arts Workshop: Transformation Collage

“Make Art. Feel Better.“

Presented in partnership with PeaceLove and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, join us for an Expressive Arts Workshop focused on how art can promote mental well-being. The evening will start with a tour of the exhibition Breakthrough featuring the art of Jack Bush who found healing and joy through his art. The workshop will provide a safe space for participants to share, self-reflect, grow and heal through artful collage. No art experience is required. All materials and aprons will be provided.

Registration is required.

About PeaceLove
PeaceLove promotes mental wellness by using creativity and expression to inspire, heal, and communicate. We believe everyone deserves a safe space to share their emotions. Our workshops are a place to create fearlessly and honestly without judgement. A place to be vulnerable, celebrate, and empower each other.

About Ontario Shores
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences is a leader in mental health care, providing a range of specialized assessment and treatment services for people living with complex mental illness. Patients benefit from a recovery-oriented environment of care, built on compassion, inspiration and hope. Ontario Shores engages in research, education and advocacy initiatives to advance the mental health care system.

In Conversation with Christina Leslie

Come out to hear Christina Leslie share insights and reflections on Likkle Acts with exhibition curator Hannah Keating. The talk will shine a light on Leslie’s practice, research, and the innovative photographic processes that she used to create the works in Likkle Acts.

Join us at 1pm for a reception catered by Starapples. The artist talk will begin at 2pm.

Likkle Acts is an exhibition by Pickering-based artist Christina Leslie featuring three recent projects inspired by Leslie’s relationship to Jamaica and the medium of photography. In this work, Leslie embraces experimentation and seeks to represent Jamaica and its history through the people, places, and experiences that are personally significant to her and her family.

This event is free and open to everyone. Seating will be provided for all guests.

For more information on our facilities, please click here. If you have questions about the event or other requests, please email Hannah at [email protected].

Christina Leslie is an artist based in Pickering, Ontario. She earned her BFA in 2006 at OCADU in Toronto and her MFA at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, USA in 2022. Her photographs have been featured in numerous publications and exhibited both nationally and internationally. Her latest series “Sugar Coat” has been exhibited virtually on Ain’t Bad Magazine (2021), Featureshoot.com (2022), PetaPixel.com (2022), and in-person at BAND Gallery (2023). She has exhibited nationally and internationally at GAMU (2009), Royal Ontario Museum (2010), Pier 21 (201, Art Gallery of Windsor (2017), Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives (2020), Prefix ICA (2021), and McMaster Museum of Art (2022). Much of her photographic practice revolves around the themes of de-colonialism, identity, immigration, issues of marginalization, history, memory, race, and her West Indian heritage. She often utilizes text and alternative and historical photographic processes to produce her photographs. She is a member of an all-female photography collective, Silver Water Collective and is represented by Stephen Bulger Gallery in Toronto.

The gallery thanks Ontario Tech University’s Faculty of Social Science and Humanities and Starapples for sponsoring this event.

Christina Leslie: Likkle Acts is presented by Partners in Art with additional support provided by the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Arts Council and Alterna Savings.