RMG Fridays Presents: An Evening with Desarae Dee

The fourth and final outdoor RMG Fridays in 2022 features warm weather and warm vibes, so bring a lawn chair or a blanket and come experience the soulful musings of instrumental/fusion artist Desarae Dee.

This is an all-ages event, but pets will not be admitted. Please note that there is no smoking on city property, which includes the RMG’s backyard.

Program:

7:00 – Doors open

7:30 – Performance by Desarae Dee

8:00 – Tour of “Journeys”

8:30 – Performance by Desarae Dee

Upstairs in Arthurs on the 4th:

Films from DRIFF will be playing throughout the evening at 7:15pm, 8pm, and 9pm.

About the Films

The Night Shift | dir. Karim Shaaban | 14 mins

Zein, a young man in his mid-20s, seems content with his job as a customer service representative. During one of his late-night shifts, he receives a call from a customer which exposes him to the drudgery of his work, his powerlessness, and the ugliness of his life.

Deux Dollars | dir. Emmanuel Tenenbaum | 10 mins

After a week of leave, Sylvie is back at the Quebec company where she has been an exemplary employee for more than 15 years. She is then requested to attend a bizarre meeting.

Desarae Dee

A resident of Durham for the past thirty years, Desarae Dee is a powerhouse pianist/keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist who has been dubbed “Toronto’s Queen of Vibes”. With an extensive resume of singles as well as major releases, Desarae has developed a passionate and meaningful sound combining a unique mixture of faith, soul, and vulnerability in a divine balance. She continues to blaze a trail in the name of instrumental music all the while breaking barriers for current and future Black Women Musicians in Canada.

Special thanks to DRIFF in a Jiff and Canada Council and the Arts Reopening Fund for their support with this event. We acknowledge the financial support of Canada’s private radio broadcasters.

RMG Fridays Presents: Chastity and Mary & Adelaide

The third outdoor-edition of RMG Fridays happens on July 8th and features performances by two alt-rock bands with Durham Region roots: headliner Chastity, led by Whitby-born songwriter and frontman Brandon Williams, and Mary & Adelaide, a quartet of Oshawa-based indie-rockers. Don’t miss the loudest RMG Fridays concert yet!

Be sure to bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy the outdoor entertainment!

This is an all-ages event, but pets will not be admitted. Please note that there is no smoking on city property, which includes the RMG’s backyard.

Program:

7:00 – Doors open

7:30 – Performance by Mary & Adelaide

8:15 – Tour of “True Currency”

8:45 – Performance by Chastity

Upstairs in Arthurs on the 4th:

Films from DRIFF will be playing throughout the evening at 7:15pm, 8pm, and 9pm.

Chastity

Brandon Williams makes resonant songs that capture isolation and resilience. As the songwriter behind Chastity, the Whitby, Ontario musician has made three unrelentingly perceptive albums culminating in the cathartic “Suffer Summer”, which was released in January 2022. Chastity started as a way for Williams to find community in his suffocating and isolating suburban life, and his songs serve as an outstretched hand for the like-minded people on the fringes.

Mary & Adelaide

Mary & Adelaide formed around an intersection in Oshawa. Unimpressed by the sounds they heard around them, four friends decided to make the music they wanted to hear. The indie rock outfit formed in 2017 in comprised of Aidan McGuirk on guitar and vocals, Luke Mitchell on drums, Sam Szigeti on bass, and Kyle Topolnisky on rhythm. They have released four singles, plus a video for their song ‘Faded’.

Special thanks to DRIFF in a Jiff and Canada Council and the Arts Reopening Fund for their support with this event. We acknowledge the financial support of Canada’s private radio broadcasters.

Artist Talk with Malik McKoy

Join Malik in Gallery A for an artist-led tour of his solo exhibition Code Switch.

As RBC Emerging Artist in Residence, Malik McKoy has created a new body of work that considers how technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence reproduce human biases, and more specifically, how racialized bodies are subject to the harms caused by escapism and the commodification of identity online. In McKoy’s ongoing effort to bridge digital and paint-based practices, the work in this exhibition grapples with the increasingly blurred line between online and offline selves and how carefully constructed avatars actually relate to the people they represent.

The RBC Emerging Artist Residency Program is generously sponsored by the RBC Foundation and the RBC Emerging Artist Project.

Summer Exhibitions Opening

Celebrate the opening of three exciting new exhibitions at the RMG! This summer, we are pleased to present:

True Currency

Artists: Christina Battle, Helen Cho, Alvin Luong, Sofia Mesa, Dana Prieto, Cassie Thornton

June 18 – November 5, 2022

True Currency is an exhibition about indebtedness and exchange. Bringing together works that explore alternative economies, reciprocity, indebtedness, labour, and wellbeing, this show looks at how value is produced through the circulation of goods and ideas. Taking up exchange as both subject matter and form, the artworks here have been produced through various forms of collaboration. In looking at informal seed exchanges, mutual aid networks, gig economies, and solidarity groups, the works offer strategies for cooperation and resilience, seeing reciprocity as a marker or survival, capacity and flourishing.

Mystery Tomato Plant Seedlings – yours to take home!

As an extension of the project seeds are meant to disperse (2015-ongoing), artist Christina Battle has grown a number of mystery tomato plant seedlings to give away at the opening of the True Currency exhibition. In tending to the tomato plants, Christina asks participants to try and guess the variety of each plant and to save a seed and send it back to her as a way for the project to continue.

Share your tomato plant photos with the hashtag, #seedsaremeanttodisperse.

Code Switch

Artist: Malik McKoy

June 17 – July 31, 2022

As RBC Emerging Artist in Residence, Malik McKoy has created a new body of work that considers how technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence reproduce human biases, and more specifically, how marginalized bodies are subject to the harms caused by escapism and the commodification of identity online. In McKoy’s ongoing effort to bridge digital and paint-based practices, the work in this exhibition grapples with the increasingly blurred line between online and offline selves and how carefully constructed avatars actually relate to the people they represent.

Come Together

Photographs from the Thomas Bouckley Collection

June 18, 2022 – January 8, 2023

Over the last couple of years, Oshawa’s popular community events, such as live music performances, Fiesta Festival, Pride, and the Peony Festival, shifted to digital formats. With plans for a return to in-person events, this exhibition reflects on ways historical Oshawa gathered in the past, and celebrates the importance of community coming together in celebration.

Also on view:

Elemental: Oceanic

Tim Whiten

April 9th, 2022 – August 28th, 2022

Complete Freedom

Abstract artworks from our permanent collection

December 11th, 2021 – October 9th, 2022

Light refreshments will be served.

Coming from Toronto? We have organized a bus to bring you to and from the opening! Pick up will be in front of OCADU at 100 McCaul St at 1:00PM and will return to OCADU for 4:30. Reserve your spot today!

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is an accessible venue. To learn more or request accommodations, please visit https://rmg.on.ca/visit/accessibility-and-accommodations/.

Durham College Thesis Exhibition Reception

Celebrate Emerging Visions with the staff and students of Durham College! This closing reception will be hosted during RMG Friday, the RMG’s monthly concert series.

RMG Fridays Presents: NERiMA + Division Street

Join us for the June edition of our monthly free concert series, RMG FRIDAYS! This night features short films courtesy of Durham Region International Film Festival, performances by NERiMA and Division Street, as well as the closing reception of the Durham College Thesis Exhibition: Emerging Visions.

Be sure to bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy the outdoor entertainment!

This is an all-ages event, but pets will not be admitted. Please note that there is no smoking on city property, which includes the RMG’s backyard.

Program:

7:00 – Doors Open

In the Backyard:

7:30 Performance by NERiMA

8:15 Closing reception of Durham College Thesis Exhibition: Emerging Visions

8:45 Performance by Division Street

In Arthurs on the 4th:

Films from DRIFF will be playing throughout the evening at 7:15pm, 8pm, and 9pm.

NERiMA
Staying true to both punk-rock roots and a love for the modern alternative scene, young, Oshawa-based NERiMA explores a mix of genres in their sentimental music. This up-and-coming band showcases a variety of sounds ranging from upbeat instrumentation with fun vocals to mellow songs with softly-sung, earnest lyrics.

Division Street
Kyle Hammer, known professionally as Division Street, is a musician, record producer, composer and songwriter from Bowmanville, Ontario.
Division Street is an ambiguous interpretation of a fork in one’s road.

Special thanks to DRIFF in a Jiff and Canada Council and the Arts Reopening Fund for their support with this event. We acknowledge the financial support of Canada’s private radio broadcasters.

Story and Song: Intro to Anishinaabemowin with Melody Crowe

This event is free and open to everyone. Registration required.

Join us virtually or in-person at Oshawa Public Libraries – Delpark Homes Centre Branch on Saturday June 18th from 10:30 – 11:30 am for a morning of stories and songs with Anishinaabekwe Melody Crowe. Learn the Anishinaabemowin names for the animals living around us. This event is hybrid with limited in-person capacity. Our in-person capacity is now full. To participate virtually, please register with the link above. Each participant will receive a printable colouring book.

This event is for all ages and is presented in partnership with The Robert McLaughlin Gallery and Oshawa Public Libraries.

This program is presented as part of Mamanaw Pekiskwewina | Mother Tongues: Dish With One Spoon Territory, the second of four locality specific iterations of the Mamanaw Pekiskwewina project, and was developed in tandem with the presentation of Taskoch pipon kona kah nipa muskoseya, nepin pesim eti pimachihew | Like the winter snow kills the grass, the summer sun revives it at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery. Mamanaw Pekiskwewina | Mother Tongues: Dish With One Spoon Territory is co-curated by Missy LeBlanc and Erin Szikora.

Melody Crowe is a Michi-Saagiig Anishinaabe Woman from Alderville First Nation which is located on the South Shore of Rice Lake, Ontario. She has dedicated her life to creating a deeper understanding and appreciation of First Nation culture, knowledge, language, and history, and has more than 25 years of teaching the Ojibway language to children, youth, adults, and Elders. She works from the place of honouring her Ancestors and honouring the importance of Indigenous Peoples and ways of knowing. In 2007, Melody received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in the preservation of language and culture from the Union of Ontario Indians, and in 2015, the Honouring Our People Award from the Ogemawahi Tribal Council. Melody is also an eagle feather carrier, a jingle dancer, and a photographer.

Mamanaw Pekiskwewina | Mother Tongues: Dish With One Spoon Territory is presented in partnership with TRUCK Contemporary Art.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Trillium Foundation for this project.

Seniors Art Competition Information Session

Learn about the contest entry guidelines and gain insight into the jurying process with help from RMG staff. We will review the competition’s judging criteria, the competition categories, and answer all of your questions. To register, visit www.oshlib.ca/signup or call 905-579-6111.

About the Seniors Art Competition and Exhibition:

The Seniors Art Competition and Exhibition is co-hosted by The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa Senior Community Centres, and the Oshawa Public Libraries. This year’s theme is victory. If you are 55+ and a member of the RMG, Oshawa Senior Community Centres, or the Oshawa Public Libraries, we invite you to submit one artwork for the exhibition. Show us what victory means to you! All mediums are accepted. Prizes are awarded in three categories: Novice, Hobby, and Open.

Submission Drop Off: August 4, 10 am-4 pm

Exhibition: August 10 to September 25, 2022

Opening and Awards Reception: August 17, 2:30 pm

Submission Pick Up: September 27, 10 am-4 pm

For more information, visit: www.oshawalibrary.ca/seniors-art-competition/

Water Gestures: Walk + Learn with Patricia Wilson and Milton Hill

This event is free and open to everyone. Registration is required.

Spend the morning at the RMG with environmental conservation coordinator and advocate Patricia Wilson and outdoor educator Milton Hill! Inspired by themes of connectedness and imagination in Tim Whiten’s exhibition Elemental: Oceanic, this interactive outdoor workshop will explore the vital role water plays in environmental cycles and local ecosystems, including its importance to human life. Through hands-on learning by the Oshawa Creek, Patricia and Milton will share their knowledge and invite others to do the same in a reflective, educational experience centered on the immediate surroundings of the RMG.

Participants are asked to bring a notebook and writing or drawing materials of their choice to do some journaling throughout the session.

The gathering will begin in the backyard at the RMG, and will extend into nearby trails and parks. You should come prepared for the weather and some walking.

Check out Elemental: Oceanic, on view at the RMG until August 28, 2022.

Patricia Wilson is the Founder of Diverse Nature Collective (DNC) and works as a Community Conservation Coordinator for Kawartha Land Trust. She holds a BSc in Biology with a Specialization in Conservation Biology from Trent University and a diploma in Ecosystem Management from Fleming College.

In her daily work, Patricia engages the community and volunteers in ecological restoration and land stewardship opportunities through events out on the land. She also creates partnerships with local organizations and businesses – helping to educate and connect people with nature and conservation work.

Patricia is also a strong advocate for racialized voices in the outdoors and is passionate about increasing diversity within the environmental movement and land trust sector. Combining both her passions for conservation work and diversifying the outdoors, Patricia started the DNC as a way to empower and mobilize racialized voices within her community and create a space that inspires, uplifts and connects people of all backgrounds.

In her spare time she enjoys spending as much time as she can in nature and loves to explore the outdoors through hiking and backcountry paddle trips!

Milton Hill is an Outdoor Educator who aims to integrate his knowledge of the natural world with spiritual traditions that foster a deeper understanding of nature and ourselves. He graduated from Fleming College’s Outdoor Adventure Education program in 2019 and has since worked for a variety of outdoor outfitters and organizations. He is inspired by his practice of the I Ching, Tibetan Buddhism, Compassionate Communication, and Ubuntu, which have all influenced his perspective of the natural environment. Developing self-awareness in himself and others, Milton has also started doing more work to help folks within BIPOC communities engage with both the challenges and potential for peacefulness in the great outdoors. Milton also enjoys learning through experiential education and crafting his own gear – including canvas and wool winter clothes, moccasins, and canoe paddles.

Notes on Access:

The backyard at the RMG is accessible through the gallery via stairs or elevator. If you need more information about the terrain or what to expect, please get in touch and we can answer any questions you have.

ASL Interpretation can be arranged upon request. Please contact Hannah Keating at [email protected] by May 20 to submit an interpretation request. All efforts will be made to fill a request, but if an Interpreter cannot be secured, we will let you know before the event takes place.

If there are other ways we can support your participation, please send an email to [email protected].

Durham College Thesis Artist Talks

Please join the students on May 19^th for an artist-led tour of the exhibition. This is your chance to learn more about specific projects and hear about the journey from conception to fabrication to presentation.