OPG Sunday: Sleepy Animals

In the Studio
This month we explore the works in Olivia Whetung: inawendiwok. We will take note of the artist’s experience working on and with the land. The artworks speak of the interdependence and relationality within our ecosystem. We will be using acrylic paint to mimic textured bark on paper. The studio activity and lobby activity will then be pieced together to create one artwork showing cozy hibernating animals, showing the importance of woodland environments.

In the Isabel Gallery
We will create sleepy animals, curled up in hibernation using oil pastels. Hibernating animals in Ontario include foxes, squirrels, skunks, snakes and more!

Olivia Whetung: inawendiwok installation at AGM, 2024.

About Olivia Whetung: inawendiwok
Whetung’s poignant works solicit our attention and reconsideration of spaces and species that are crucial to biodiversity and to sustainable food production. Tenderly foregrounding our more-than-human neighbours, they remind us that we are not the only ones to benefit from the land’s gifts, nor to suffer from ecological ruin. The exhibition’s Anishinaabemowin title, inawendiwok, loosely translates as “they are related to each other,” emphasizing the ways in which coexistence within the ecosystem is mutually linked.

Click HERE to learn more about this exhibition, and view related events!

Suitable for ages 3+
Free admission, no registration required.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is a proud participant in Ontario Power Generation’s Power for Change Project, supporting the areas and people where OPG operates.

OPG Sunday: Creative Castles

In the Studio
Let’s take inspiration from Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2,000 Ships by creating our very own treasure maps. Using the ideas of voyaging and fantasy, we will create our own diverse and epic worlds.

In the Isabel Gallery
Inspired by the fantastical architectural landscapes evident in Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2,000 Ships, we will craft our own castles using paper collage techniques.

Ekow Nimako, Wawa Aba, The Sunrise Dancer (circa 1358), 2022. Courtesy of the artist.

About Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2,000 Ships
The projects this month are inspired by the exhibition, Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2,000 Ships. Combining architecture, historical accounts, and fantastical possibilities, Ekow Nimako transcends the geometric form of LEGO® to recreate the 14th century sea voyage of Abu Bakr II.

Learn more about the exhibition, the artist and view related events HERE.

Suitable for ages 3+
Free admission, no registration required.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is a proud participant in Ontario Power Generation’s Power for Change Project, supporting the areas and people where OPG operates.

OPG Sunday: Vibrant Music

All ages. Free admission.

In the Isabel Gallery
This month we are joining forces with Making Music Together!

They will be bringing a live, interactive activity into our gallery space. Children will explore music with instruments and props, engaging with trained specialists for a fun morning filled with tunes. Please register ahead of time using the form below.

Registration form

In the Lobby
Inspired by Georgia Fullerton’s watercolour abstract art we will try our hand at creating expressive and vibrant patterns! Paint using the wet on dry technique, then cut your art into a leaf shape to commemorate the season.

In the Studio
Using gelli-plate leaf printing with real preserved leaves, we will take imprints of their texture capturing the essence of fall with warm colours!

About Making Music Together
Making Music Together is a recognized, research-based early-childhood music program with over 20 years of experience. We specialize in bringing the joy of music, movement, and education to children from birth to 8 years old. Our mission is to foster musical growth, essential life skills, and a lifelong love of music in young learners through engaging and developmentally appropriate activities.

Registration form

About Georgia Fullerton: Being In and Moving Through
This exhibition showcases Fullerton’s well-known abstract expressionist watercolours and collages as well as invites viewers into her creative process. For Fullerton, the act of artmaking is just as significant as the final piece, with both working together to illustrate how art serves as a vital tool for processing and moving through emotions. Learn more about this exhibition, and view related events HERE.

Georgia Fullerton, Candy Coated 2019, watercolour and mixed media.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is a proud participant in Ontario Power Generation’s Power for Change Project, supporting the areas and people where OPG operates.

Opening Reception: Ekow Nimako: Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2,000 Ships

Join us in celebrating the opening of Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2,000 Ships, a solo exhibition by Toronto-based artist Ekow Nimako curated by Alyssa Fearon. We’re pleased to align this exciting event with Convergence 2025 in downtown Oshawa, featuring a performance by our very own artist in residence, Pixel Heller.

Please RSVP using this form.

Event details:

Remarks at 2pm
Artist Talk + Tour at 2:15pm
Hands-on LEGO activities for all ages
Light refreshments provided

Coming from Toronto? We’ll pick you up! Save your seat on the art bus
shuttle using the RSVP link. The bus will collect guests from the
ROM (100 Queens Park, Toronto) at 11:30am and return around 5pm.

RSVP

About the exhibition:
Continuing his afrofuturistic reimagining of ancient African kingdoms in the medium of LEGO bricks, Ekow Nimako explores the mysterious fourteenth century sea voyage of Mansa Abu Bakr II in Journey of 2,000 Ships. Combining architecture, historical accounts, and fantastical possibilities, Nimako transcends the geometric form of LEGO to recreate the epic voyage, presenting an uninterrupted and unco-opted narrative of Black civilizations and liberated futures. Visit the exhibition page for more information.

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

Organized and circulated by Dunlop Art Gallery.

Saturday Studio: Fall 2025

This 8 week class is filled with art making that inspires creativity and imagination! Each week will be a new adventure with sculptures, paintings, drawings, printmaking, and more using artist quality materials!

Ages 5 to 7 10:30am – 12pm
Ages 8 to 12 1 – 2:30pm
$100 Members/$120 Non-Members
8 Weeks: September 20 -November 15 (no class October 11)

Sign up!

*Cancellation requests received prior to the start of the program will receive a full refund minus a $15 administration fee. We do not issue refunds (partial or full) after the start of the program.

The RMG reserves the right to cancel programs if the minimum enrollment is not met. In the event of a program cancellation, a full refund will be given. If a program is cancelled, registrants will receive notice one week prior to the beginning of the program.

Homeschool Art Class: Fall 2025

These programs are inspired by our exhibitions and personal responses to the art on the walls! We foster a multi-dimensional approach that encourages individuality and imaginative problem solving skills using quality fine art materials. Spaces are limited.

Ages 5 to 7
10 – 11am
$75 Members/$95 Non-Members (8 weeks)
Dates: September 16 – November 18 (no class Sept 30, Nov 11)

Ages 8 to 12
11:15am – 12:45pm
$100 Members/$120 Non-Members (8 weeks)
Dates: September 16 – November 18 (no class Sept 30, Nov 11)

Sign up!

*Cancellation requests received prior to the start of the program will receive a full refund minus a $15 administration fee. We do not issue refunds (partial or full) after the start of the program.

The RMG reserves the right to cancel programs if the minimum enrollment is not met. In the event of a program cancellation, a full refund will be given. If a program is cancelled, registrants will receive notice one week prior to the beginning of the program.

PA Day Camp: November 2025

PA Day camp is all about creativity and art adventuring!
Campers are encouraged to interact with art in fun and playful ways as they share their thoughts, and express their ideas through art. We will get hands on with some messy and imaginative art making activities that will truly inspire all budding artists.

Ages 5-10
$50 Members/ $70 Non-Members

Sign up today!

*Cancellation requests received prior to the start of the program will receive a full refund minus a $15 administration fee. We do not issue refunds (partial or full) after the start of the program.

The RMG reserves the right to cancel programs if the minimum enrollment is not met. In the event of a program cancellation, a full refund will be given. If a program is cancelled, registrants will receive notice one week prior to the beginning of the program.

Doors Open at the RMG

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is celebrating Doors Open in Oshawa on May 3rd. Join us for guided architecture and art tours, explore our various exhibitions, and drop by the shop.

Admission and tours are all FREE!

Join a guided architecture + art tour

11:30 am, 1 pm and 3 pm

Our welcoming Visitor Engagement Assistants will deliver tours of this stunning modern building. Discover the original vision for Oshawa’s public gallery, brought to life in 1969, and how architect Arthur Erickson designed a massive 36,000-square-foot extension that made the gallery what it is today.

Spend time with our exhibitions

Visit our gift shop

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery has a history of supporting and promoting local artists, artisans, and makers. The RMG shop features products from across Ontario, including jewelry, ceramics, books, home goods, and Indigenous designed and manufactured products. Each sale helps support local artisans and our free community programs.

The RMG Shop is located in the lobby of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery.

About Doors Open

Doors Open Oshawa is a free annual event held on the first Saturday in May. This event provides an opportunity to explore Oshawa’s diverse heritage and cultural sites. Attendees are encouraged to spend the day discovering local history, unique Oshawa buildings and spaces while celebrating the communities heritage.

OPG Sunday: Pretty Peonies

This time of year brings beautiful flowers! Create peonies, daisies, roses, sunflowers and happy pollinator bugs with clay in your very own plasticine garden.

Suitable for ages 3+

Free admission, no registration required.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is a proud participant in Ontario Power Generation’s Power for Change Project, supporting the areas and people where OPG operates.

OPG Sunday: Clay Creations

This month we’ll be getting our hands muddy with clay! In the studio, we are using clay to form coil pots, a popular method to create bowls and cups.

In the lobby, etch intricate patterns into scratch art paper, revealing metallic designs underneath. Patterning techniques and inspiration will be provided.

Suitable for ages 3+
Free admission, no registration required.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is a proud participant in Ontario Power Generation’s Power for Change Project, supporting the areas and people where OPG operates.