RMG Friday: Bubbles in the Backyard

Bubbles, Bubbles, BUBBLES! We’re celebrating the iridescence in all of us as Pride is here! The night will be filled with a cabaret of performances with all the wonderful people in our community. So, please join us for a night of frivolity, dance and letting your troubles float away into the twilight.

The Losing Art of Plating: Drag Aesthetics, Food Security, and Harm Reduction with Mikiki

7:30-9:30pm

In this hands-on workshop, participants will build extravagant plates of highly processed (ā€œjunkā€) food. Performance Artist and Queer Community Activist Mikiki will lead the workshop, facilitating conversations about the politics of food as it intersects with concepts of beauty, gender representation, drag, food security, and harm reduction. Unpacking the language of ā€œjunk foodā€ through creativity and play, this drop-in program is welcoming to people of all ages.

This workshop is offered alongside an installation by Hannah Jickling and Reed H. Reed in the exhibition Contemporary Kids, on view at the RMG from June 1 to October 6, 2024. Their installation After Wrappers, explores collaborative learning, the politics of food and of the potential of garbage.

Please note: Various food products will be available in the workshop space, so please take the necessary precautions if you have a food allergy.

If there is something we can do to support your participation, or if you have any questions about the program, please contact Hannah Keating at hkeating@rmg.on.ca.

Kali Kontour, the sensational drag persona hailing from Oshawa, has been captivating audiences for two 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.

Dank Sinatra is a non-binary drag thing, librarian, and Dora-nominated theater artist who got their start performing on Coast Salish Territories in 2018. As part of the House of Faith, they took home second place in Absolut Empireā€™s Ball 2023. Boasting the same record collection as your Dad, Dank draws on influences from cabaret to classic rock, burlesque to big band, delivering thrills, chills, and live vocal skills with a heavy dose of stupidity and an old school sensibility.

A trans non binary drag king, thing, and everything in between. Born and raised in Southern Ontario, El Experimento has been gracing the stages of Toronto and the East Coast since winter of 2022. An amalgamation and reclamation of nostalgic heart throbs, heart breakers and hell raisers. His Latin flare and hunky charm transcend time and space, leaving you aching with desire. 

Vital! Contemporary Circus is a small, local circus company founded in 2022 by Oshawa resident Jackie Houghton. Jackie has spent close to 15 years in the circus community as a performer, producer and writer. After moving to Oshawa in 2020, she realized that there was an opportunity to develop a local circus community where there was none. Since then she has performed for local businesses, Canada Day at Lakeview Park, and the inaugural Convergence Festival. In addition to performing, Jackie also produces circus cabarets locally under the banner of Vital! Circus Cabaret. Jackie continues to work towards her goal of sharing her love of circus with Durham Region and she’s very excited to be working with the Robert McLaughlin Gallery!

In the studio, make D.I.Y. Pride themed pins using polymer clay! This project is simple and fun, no experience required. Ages 12+

This event has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.

Ioana Dragomir: Exhibition Opening Reception

Help us celebrate the opening of Ioana Dragomirā€™s solo exhibition! Produced during her residency at the RMG, this installation will feature drawings and textiles inspired by the galleryā€™s archives.

Learn 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 hkeating@rmg.on.ca.

The RBC Emerging Artist Residency Program is generously sponsored byĀ the RBC Foundationā€™s Emerging Artist Project.

Mother’s Day Tea 2024

Seatings at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm

$55/adult and $28/kids under 12

Come join us for tea on Mother’s Day at The RMG. Farm + Wild will be hosting seatings for the whole weekend. Daniel and his team will be serving the best Durham has to offer, so bring all the moms for delicious prix fixe. Afterward, please tour our exhibitions and visit to the RMG Shop to make your day complete for a full experience at our gallery.

RMG Friday: Emerging Visions

This month, weā€™re celebrating a brand new exhibition at the RMG! Please join us on the lower level in Gallery A at 7:15PM for opening remarks with Durham College students and staff to recognize the opening of Emerging Visions. Emerging Visions is an annual exhibition of thesis projects by the third-year Fine Arts class at Durham College.

Order of Events

7pm ā€“ Doors Open, Art Activity begins in Studio

7:15pm – DRIFF Screening in the Lookout

7:15-7:45 ā€“ Opening Remarks and Award Ceremony

8pm – Performance by BoluSings

8:15pm – DRIFF Screening in the Lookout

8:45pm – Performance by Simmone Mariah

Bolu Adefemi or ā€œBoluSingsā€ is a 16 year old girl from Oshawa, Ontario. Bolu uses songwriting to explore the issues that touch her world. Boluā€™s mum likes to tell people “She’s been singing ever since she was in the wombā€; and Bolu agrees she has always loved to sing. Bolu Adefemi has written, produced, and released three songs on important issues: including the ā€œCorona-virus”, The importance of self care, and the ā€œBlack Lives Matter Movementā€. Bolu has been featured in the following media: CityTV, CP24 News, AM960, 680 News, Clarington This Week, Orono Times, Durham.com, The RoundTable Talk show in Long Beach, California Toronto Caribbean Virtual Festival and Ticker TV, Australia etc. Bolu loves to follow her passion, while sharing messages that she finds crucial. 

Simmone Mariah is a Toronto-born and-raised singer/songwriter who has been captivating audiences with her powerful voice and emotive lyrics. Raised in church Simmone discovered her love for music at a young age and has been honing her craft ever since. Simmone’s music is both fresh and timeless exploring love, heartbreak and self-discovery. In 2018 Simmone released her debut single; Miles Between which showcased her signature sound and has set the tone for her future success. Since then she has continued to write and record music that speaks to the heart of her listeners. As she continues to pursue her passion for music, Simmone Mariah is poised to make a lasting impact on the North American music scene and beyond.

DRIFF Screening

Frida in the Sky | Directed by Dani Sadun | 6:14 minutes

Frida, an 8-year-old engineering prodigy, builds an airplane behind her motherā€™s back to follow in her Abuelaā€™s legacy.

In the studio, create your very own D.I.Y. planter pot stake using polymer clay! No art experience required.

Ages 12+

Doors Open 2024

In 1987, architect Arthur Erikson was commissioned to design an addition to the RMGā€™s existing 1969 building. Eriksonā€™s interest in the play of light and shadow is evident in the RMGā€™s large skylight and upper level curved windows. Join us at 2PM for a tour of the RMG building.

Letā€™s celebrate Arthur Eriksonā€™s love of light and shadow! From 10:30AM to 12:30PM, join us for a hands-on art making activity encourage participants to use their imagination to create beautiful lighted sculptures.

Doors Open Oshawa is a free, annual event that provides an opportunity to explore Oshawa’s diverse heritage and cultural sites. Spend a day discovering local history first-hand and celebrating our communityā€™s heritage.

Bead with us! An Online Artist Talk with Raechel Wastesicoot

Join artist Raechel Wastesicoot and exhibition curator Erin Szikora for a chatty and informal online conversation about the making of Kenatentas. Delivered in the format of an online beading circle, we invite audience members to tune in with a beading or crafting project of your own. Join the conversation and learn more about the materials, memories, and spirit woven into each of Wastesicootā€™s work.

Click here to register. This event is free, interactive, and open to everyone. If there are ways we can support your participation, please reach out to Hannah Keating at hkeating@rmg.on.ca.

Raechel Wastesicoot: Kenatentas is presented with support from the Government of Ontario through the Tourism Relief Fund.

Curatorial Tour: Contemporary Kids

Join curator, Hannah Keating for a guided tour of Contemporary Kids, which includes work by Shaya Ishaq, Hannah Jickling + Reed H. Reed, Leisure (Meredith Carruthers and Susannah Wesley), and Amy Wong.

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 Hannah Keating at hkeating@rmg.on.ca with any specific requests.

No advance registration required.

This exhibition has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.

Oshawa Art Associationā€™s 56th Juried Art Exhibition: Opening Reception and Awards Presentation

Join us from 6-9pm for the opening reception of the Oshawa Art Associationā€™s 56th Juried Art Exhibition. Awards to be presented at 7pm.

This event is free and open to everyone. If there are ways we can support your participation, please contact Hannah at hkeating@rmg.on.ca.

Presented in partnership with the Oshawa Art Association.

Durham College Artist Talks 2024

Join us at 1pm on May 15th for an artist-led tour of Emerging Visions, an exhibition that presents thesis projects by the third-year graduating students of the Fine Arts Advanced program at Durham College.

We welcome staff and students from Durham College and any members of the public who want to learn more about specific projects and hear about the journey from conception to fabrication to presentation.

This event is free and open to everyone. If there are ways we can support your participation, please contact Hannah at hkeating@rmg.on.ca.

RMG Friday: The Big Hat

We’re going back to the roaring 20’s! Come out to continue the celebration of Oshawa’s Centennial and travel back in time with us. Show off your hats inspired by a time when glitz, glamour, and the evolution of a new city was about to take place.

This month, weā€™re also celebrating a brand new exhibition at the RMG! Please join us in the RSM gallery at 7:15pm for opening remarks to recognize the opening of his solo exhibition, The Big Hat.

Order of Events

7:00pm: Doors Open

7:15pm-7:30pm: Opening Remarks

7:15pm: DRIFF screening in the Lookout

7:15pm: Art Activity with Farah in the Studio

7:30pm-8:30pm: Oshawa Music Week performances

8:15pm: DRIFF screening in the Lookout

Image in the artistā€™s studio, 2024. Courtesy of Tony Romano.

Tony Romano creates sculptures and videos that playfully reimagine found objects and rework raw and recycled materials. Rooted in a family tradition of carpentry and ironwork, he has long been interested in the endless recyclability of metal, the narrative possibilities it offers, and the memories it holds onto. In The Big Hat, Romano has created a new series of sculptures that tell a cautionary tale of an imagined whirligig community reckoning with the arrival of a greedy professor.

Oshawa Music Week, presented by Durham College, will be featuring music from Acoustic performers in the Isabel as part of their series of musical performances throughout the week.

Enjoy performances by Equal, Sam Bedard, J BOOM, Siddhant Shah, Donte, Simmone Mariah, and Brothers Wilde.

One of those Good Lives | 8 minutes

Directed by Joseph Carney

When the young, white and unencumbered Steve (Sean Depner – Riverdale, Deadly Class) is hit by a truck, he awakens in a cavernous and decaying opera house. There he meets The Ticket Taker, a shape shifting bureaucrat of death who explains that Steve must be sent back to perform one influential act before enjoying a life of guaranteed privilege and luxury. Steve must decide whether or not to uphold a status quo that benefits only him.

Join us in the studio to create your very own musical inspired magnet. No art experience required!

This polymer clay project is suitable for visitors 12+