Get to Know Us – Senior Curator, Linda Jansma

At the RMG, we often get asked about what we do each day, how we got into the crazy museum world and also what skills would be needed to do our jobs. With graduation looming for many college and university students, we will be profiling members of our team to shed some light on what it is we do behind the scenes!

Today we sat down with Senior Curator Linda Jansma to learn more about her daily routine and how she came to the gallery.

The RMG: What’s a typical day like for you?

Linda Jansma: A typical day – well, I’m in the gallery at 7 a.m. – I’m an early riser and it’s amazing just how much one can get done between 7-9am! I always think I’m going to get writing done in those early hours of the day, but that rarely materializes. Email tends to come first, and with that, answering a myriad of questions from artists, the public or institutional colleagues. How did we do our jobs before email!!

My days can include:

A studio visit
Writing grants
Researching or writing an essay
Working on the installation of an exhibition
Connecting with donors of works of art
Bringing new works into the collection through donation or purchase
Writing artist, curator or guest writer contracts
Giving tours of exhibitions
Jurying exhibitions at other institutions
Critiquing student works at colleges or universities
Reading current magazines, articles, books on contemporary art or museum practices

Linda Jansma poses for Museum Selfie Day 2015

RMG: How did you get into this field? What skills or training do you need for your job?

LJ: I have an honours BA and a MA, both in Art History. Being able to multi-task is an important part of being a Curator: dropping what you’re doing to pick up something else (like writing this blog!), is key.

The installation of Group Portrait 1957 with artist Douglas Coupland, Senior Curator Linda Jansma and former CEO Gaby Peacock

RMG: What’s your favourite part of your job?

LJ: The favourite part of my job is connecting with artists. It is wonderful to work with artists to assist in bringing their visions to fruition through exhibitions and to see the development of their work.

Linda Jansma speaks about Jock Macdonald.

RMG: What are 5 things you couldn’t live without in your job?

LJ: The five things I couldn’t live without include:

My amazing RMG colleagues
My computer
The combination to the vault
Art websites, Art Books, Art magazines + the RMG library
The internet

RMG: What do you get up to outside of the RMG?

LJ: This past weekend I took a road trip to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Hamilton. A lot of my “down” time involves going to other galleries! I also love to go to the theatre, travel, hop on my bicycle or hang out in my gardens.

Louis de Niverville and Senior Curator Linda Jansma examine Sunset Farm #3

Make the RMG Your Event Destination

The RMG is a spectacular place to hold your next event. Whether it’s a wedding, party, or meeting, you will be impressed by the atmosphere and versatility of the gallery. With multiple spaces available for rent, including galleries, the lobby, a community meeting room, the studio and Arthur’s on the 4th, we can accommodate (almost) every event. The RMG also offers event consulting, audio visual equipment, gallery tours, catering, décor rental, on-site parking and free Wifi. To ensure your event goes as smoothly as possible Cheryl-Ann, our onsite event coordinator will be there every step of the way. Below are a few of our most popular events and personal stories to inspire you!

Photo by haleyphotogrpahy.ca

Weddings and Receptions
Tie the knot surrounded by friends, family and artwork as beautiful and unique as you are! With bright natural lighting and a modern and elegant atmosphere, the gallery is great for both large or intimate ceremonies and receptions. To ensure that your wedding is the one of your dreams Cheryl-Ann, will be on hand to assist you with all your wedding day needs!

After your reception in the gallery, head upstairs for your reception in Arthur’s On the 4^th. An elegant dining space for up to 99 people, Arthur’s has a panoramic view of the city centre and is a comfortable space to host your guests.

“In December of 2014, we hosted our entire wedding (ceremony and reception) at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery. The staff is extremely helpful. Cheryl-Ann, the event coordinator at the gallery, is amazing. The recommended caterer, Pilar’s Catering, is both yummy and spectacular to work with. It was a nice opportunity for the guests to be able to explore the gallery during the reception and enjoy the beautiful art work. It was a fantastic location for pictures. Dancing the night away under the atrium ceiling is so much fun. If you are looking to host a one-of-a-kind wedding, or any event really, consider the Robert McLaughlin Gallery. You will not be disappointed!” – Melody, Bride (Trip Advisor)

Photo by Grant Cole

Meetings and Corporate Events
Inspire your business, club, or organization with a creative atmosphere. We have The Lookout, The Studio, and Arthur’s on the 4^th that can accommodate meetings, large or small. We are flexible and meeting rooms can be booked for a full or half day, depending on your needs with meals and refreshments by our preferred caterer for your guests. The RMG is also a great venue to host seminars with plenty of spaces for different topics and activities, making the gallery a great alternative for getting out of the office! After your meeting, why not engage your employees with a team building studio activity, or invite them to attend a community group tour to break up the day.

The RMG is also a great place to book company parties for families, with gallery tours and studio activities available for anyone regardless of age. If networking events and cocktail parties are more suited to your company, the RMG can provide various layouts and options to make your event a success and please your employees.

“We have rented space for our business function twice at this location and have had good experiences both times,” says Lauren. “Parking nearby is free after 6 pm which is perfect for our evening events… it is a unique venue good for cocktail receptions and small weddings, birthday parties, etc. Catering is available. Staff is extremely helpful and accommodating. We would not hesitate to use them again.” – Lauren (Trip Advisor)

Photo by Brilynn Ferguson

Celebrations
The RMG also offers a variety of opportunities to host any kind of special event for your friends and family such as baby and wedding showers, retirement parties, birthdays, or engagement parties. Whatever the celebration may be, the RMG can accommodate you and ensure your event runs smoothly with our many services.

“The RMG is a “Very stylish place. Very elegant dining – The food was very tasty and hot. I was there for a retirement diner for a coworker. I would recommend to family and friends and look forward to going again.” – Attendee (Trip Advisor)
Suggested Rooms

Arthurs on the 4^thThe Lookout
Isabel McLaughlin Gallery
Alexandra Luke I Gallery

Hourglass Imaging – www.hourglassimaging.com

Family or Wedding Photos
Looking for a stunning, modern venue to take your wedding or engagement photos? Hoping to take a fun and creative family portrait? The RMG is a photographers dream with soft natural lighting, modern architecture and artwork for the perfect backdrop for any photo shoot. The gallery also has an outdoor space for summer shoots featuring a footbridge, the Oshawa Creek and public art. Take a look at the links below to get a taste of how others have been inspired by the gallery for their events and photos.

Alexandra and Albert by Haley Photography
Sarah and Ryan by Ten 2 Ten Photography
The Walker Family by Images by Kerri Photography
Shelly and Allan by Johanna Nichola Photography

Suggested Spaces

Alexandra Luke I Gallery
Mr. and Mrs. W.S Nurse Lobby
Isabel McLaughlin Gallery
Outdoor areas around the gallery
For more information about booking your event at the RMG visit our Venue Rentals page and fill out the Venue Rental Request Form or contact Cheryl-Ann with any questions at 905.576.3000 or [email protected]. We look forward to hosting your next event!

RMG Fridays Celebrates International Women’s Day – Wonder Women

Samantha Pender is a second year Public Relations student at Durham College and is completing her first communications placement at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery this winter.

When I look at art, I see beauty. I see the creative inner workings of a mind spewed onto a canvas or into a photo or object that beams with inspiration and magnificence. What I don’t see is the months of long hours, late nights and early mornings that went into this work. I don’t see the blood, sweat and tears, and the immense strength and effort that are integral ingredients of this work of art. We don’t see that because that is not what the artist is intending to show. They want you to see the beautiful aftermath of domineering strength, hard work and unwavering persistence they endured.

When I see women, I see the same beauty; and again, I am shielded from the remarkable strength those women exude in their lives. We see beautiful women of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities, but they never let us see their struggles before their triumphs. This month, the RMG is celebrating International Women’s Day with women in art, both behind the canvas and in front of it.

In the Upper and Lower Luke galleries, we are exhibiting The Other NFB: The National Film Board of Canada’s Still Photography Division, 1941-1971. On display are photos of a timeless female Canadian icon, Veronica Foster, or ‘Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl’. She was a Canadian woman working at John Inglis Co. during the second world war, a time when approximately 250,000 women around the country were finally able to work on equal ground with men by getting into overalls and into munitions factories, taking the place of the men at war.

Unknown photographer
Veronica Foster, an employee of John Inglis Co. Ltd. and known as “The Bren Gun Girl” posing with a finished Bren gun in the John Inglis Co. Ltd. Bren gun plant, Toronto
10 May 1941
Contemporary print from vintage negative
National Film Board of Canada. Photothèque / Library and Archives Canada e000760453

In Oshawa, the GM plant ceased production of cars to begin making military vehicles and weapons, and the brawn behind those machines were our own woman, who called themselves ‘Rosie’s the Riveters’, after the American propaganda poster of Rosie the Riveter flexing her arm and chanting, “We can do it.” Rosie the Riveter, an American inspiration to woman everywhere, was created after Canada’s own Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl appeared on the cover of New York Times a few years before Rosie popped up (http://www.andrewhutchison.com/Page%201/page8/page16/index.html).

Rosie’s the Riveters, c. 1943.

Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl can be found in the NFB’s exhibition, photographed both in the factory as well as in her personal life, a wonderful contrast of a hard working woman on the line to one dressed up and having a good time.

The RMG currently has a number of female artists on display in different galleries, including Holly King’s exhibit Edging Towards the Mysterious as well as the two female artists on display in the Painters 11 gallery, Hortense Gordan and Alexandra Luke.

Installation photo by Don Corman

RMG Fridays Film Features is playing into the Women’s Day theme as well. We will be screening “Clearing Spaces” by the talented Broadbent Sisters, a beautifully shot film exploring Greek mythology with a modern twist revolving around the seemingly normal rituals in a woman’s life.

Clearing Spaces V by the Broadbent Sisters. Film Still.

RMG Fridays will also welcome the IRIS Group, an arts collective from Durham Region featuring ten amazing women: Maralynn Cherry, Rowena Dykins, Laura M. Hair, Holly McClellan, Judith A. Mason, Janice Taylor-Prebble, Mary Ellen McQuay, Margaret Rodgers, Sally Thurlow and Wendy Wallace. They are exhibiting IRIS at 20, a celebration of their 20^th Anniversary in which they will paying homage to Women’s Day by revisiting Women’s Day pieces as well as creating new artworks with collected objects from Canadian and international women. The IRIS group is opening in Gallery A on Friday, March 4^th, where you can help welcome them during RMG Fridays. They will also have an artists’ talk on Sunday, March 6^th as well as a workshop on Sunday, March 20^th.

Filmic – The IRIS Group

There’s no doubt that visiting the RMG for RMG Fridays Wonder Women will encourage you to consider how female icons and artists are reimagining gender roles throughout their art. I have been inspired by surrounding myself with such amazing artwork and I hope you will be too.

Their Stories: Final Stories

For the last blog posting featuring three Their Stories submissions, it includes 2 of the most popular portrait subjects. In choosing the unidentified portraits that would be the options, I was looking for ones that were intriguing or suggested a narrative. I was at times surprised at the amount of submissions received for some portraits while others weren’t as popular, which just goes to show that the process is very subjective. Everybody is going to relate to a portrait differently depending on their own experiences. Thanks once again to everyone that participated! – Sonya Jones, Associate Curator and Curator of the Thomas Bouckley Collection

Portrait 2:

Roderick

This 1921 picture of Roderick, shows him recently arrived from England, where he was an avid cricket player.

Here he always chose to wear the post game attire typical of a gentleman; he eschewed clothes that made him look scruffy. Always the gentleman.

Roderick was a triplet in an age when these family birth groupings were a relative oddity in the pre invitrio fertilization age. Rodney and Rupert remained in England.

Roderick first stayed at the Queens Hotel in Oshawa. No records of just how long he chose to live here are to be found.

Queens Hotel, Oshawa

Now in Canada, Roderick chose to try tennis and to continue to wear the post game attire. He was not stodgy per se, but he did have personal standards.

Along with tennis, he decided to give sailing a go, and revive a passion long ago put aside.

The oval picture lends a sense of formality to Roderick and it quietly pleased him.

I wonder who “my Roderick” really was, and what was his real story

By: Donna George
Portrait 2

Daniel Underhill

If you were to ask any resident of Hampton, Ontario, what they thought of Daniel Underhill, you would always hear the same thing: “A nice lad. A bit slow, but he means well”. Raised by his doting mother and stern father, Daniel was the second of three sons, and by all accounts, the least impressive. His older brother, Richard, was an athlete without equal in the small town, breaking school and regional records in most disciplines of track and field. Steven, the youngest, was as brilliant a scholar as Richard was a sportsman. Following in his father’s footsteps, the boy courted the world of academia, becoming a lawyer, and eventually a judge. Daniel, on the other hand, stuck out by not being extraordinary at all. Awkward and uncoordinated in athletics, and more than a little slow in school, the poor boy was often ridiculed for his inability to step from behind the shadows of his far more successful kin. A constant headache to his father and an embarrassment to his brothers, Daniel felt most at home in the company of his loving mother, the only person who truly understood him. A kind boy, Daniel was happiest making others smile.

By: Spencer Baron

Portrait 1

Unidentified Portrait from the Thomas Bouckley Collection. Collection of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery.

Wanderlust

He was a farm boy, resigned to stay in Columbus for all his days. He was never a wanderer; his younger years were filled with hot summer days in the fields, and cold winters in the kitchen by the fire. A trip to the Falls changed him. At sixteen, in search of a thrill, he set forth to conquer Niagara. The traveller—he boarded a westbound train at Oshawa with a roundtrip ticket in the pocket of his shirt. It was four years before he returned to the farm to console his father, and grieve his mother. Wanderlust, he spent his mornings on Clifton Hill, spinning mystical tales of adventure to wide-eyed people, and his afternoons on the water, amid the shadow of the mist. In 1922 he followed the tourist boom south to the Florida Keys. Land speculator by day—drinker, talker, and dreamer by night. A tycoon by forty, he lost it all in the crash. He made the trek home to Columbus, riding the rails with the rest. A farmer by day, a writer by night. He settled into his life, welcoming the pace of a place set apart from the rapid changes of a new age.

By: Amanda Robinson

Get to know us! Sam Mogelonsky, Manager of Marketing and Communications

To start, we sat down with Sam Mogelonsky, who is the voice behind the RMG’s digital platforms, to learn more about her day and how she came to the gallery.

The RMG: What’s a typical day like for you?

Sam Mogelonsky: Firstly, no day is the same for me! My job is a lot like a party mix—part writing, part design, part print, part digital, but very fast paced. The first thing I do each day is open up all of our social media feeds and check in to see if we have had any questions over night on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Then I’ll typically write a morning post about something happening either later that day or upcoming at the gallery. I also have a master list of every upcoming deadline for advertising materials so I check that daily to make sure I get everything designed and delivered in time.

Once I have my morning postings and general emails taken care of, I will focus on an upcoming project or deadline. It could be designing our upcoming newsletter, writing press releases for exhibitions, updating our website, helping to design signage for the gallery or more long term planning for events such as RMG Fridays or fundraising. At the moment, I have two PR interns from Durham College so I am trying to impart some marketing wisdom on them by showing them hands on tools, like Google Analytics and HootSuite. There’s always something that comes up in a rush that needs some finessing or a design eye. I check in on social media about every few hours and will be posting throughout the day to stay in the conversation.

Sam at Making Methods, 2013

RMG: How did you get into this field?

SM: I started at the RMG about a year and a half ago. I had exhibited at the gallery in Making Methods (2013) and was captivated by the space and also loved working with Senior Curator Linda Jansma. Before that, I was working for a boutique advertising agency, managing the studio and web development. My past clients in the ad world have included car companies, telecom, hotels, tourism destinations, charities, restaurants, and even a dog food company! I was also doing a bunch of design and marketing projects for my friends in the art world—mainly designing websites and running social media campaigns for artists and galleries… and I still do this on the side.

I always had a keen eye for advertising and design, with my first projects being posters for my high school’s musicals. I grew up in a household surrounded by art and was always very interested in how to communicate visually. Since I studied fine art and am now an artist as well, understanding how people communicate and interact is key to my practice.

RMG Exposed 2015, staff and volunteers shot

RMG: What skills or training do you need for your job?

SM: I think the main skills are being able to communicate clearly in words and visual imagery, which I got from my undergrad in fine art and art history at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and my Master’s Degree in sculpture from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London, UK. Writing and story telling has always been key to my many roles which writing for art history and critical thinking definitely teaches you!

The more technical skills I have just picked up… in undergrad, I wanted a website for my graduation, so I taught myself how to build a website (note, in 2006 something like Squarespace didn’t exist so you had to code direct with HTML and CSS). For web building now, I use WordPress. The first site I built took quite a while to figure out, but now I’ve made over 30 websites so I can probably whip a small one up pretty quickly.

When I wanted to make projects that required image editing or video, I taught myself how to do it using online tutorials and working with friends. When I first started, I had a hacked copy of Quark Xpress and learned by using dummy books and really thinking about typography. It’s a lot of trial and error and practice… use InDesign a few times and you will forget the features—use it every single day and it becomes second nature.

Social media is a whole new beast! Being the bridge between the digital and analogue generations, (I got Facebook in 2005 and was one of the first among my friends to have it in London when I moved to the UK) I grew up before every moment was digitized. There’s so much out there and I think the way we engage with social platforms will continue to shift and evolve as we build the internet together. As the voice of the gallery online, I do my best to keep up with digital trends and am always looking for the next network we should branch into.

Hootsuite social dashboard for the RMG

RMG: What’s your favourite part of your job?

SM: Meeting the artists, seeing the collection and learning from my team. The most exciting moment of an exhibition is definitely when I get to meet the artist behind the work and learn more about their practice. I have been able to meet so many wonderful artists through working here (Coral Short, Pete Smith, Ron Shuebrook, Holly king, to name a few). They have really shone a light on what’s happening in Canadian art today and been inspiring.

I am also exceptionally proud of the new RMG website we launched in winter 2015 (that houses this article)! It was really fantastic to work with Junction Design on this project and ensure we made a site that worked for the many needs of the gallery, while providing a great user experience.

At the OAAG conference at the Art Gallery of Windsor in 2015, speaking about RMG Fridays and building a community

RMG: What are 5 things you couldn’t live without in your job?

SM: iPhone, MacBook Pro, Google Drive, Adobe CS and Instagram.

At the AGO for #MuseumSelfieDay with the Floor Burger by Claes Oldenburg

RMG: What do you get up to outside of the RMG?

SM: At the moment, my life outside of work is mainly focused on art – making it, seeing it and reading about it. When I’m not at the RMG, I’m probably on a gallery crawl, in the studio or curled up reading articles on Hyperallergic, Canadian Art, Sculpture or Juxtapose. I love good wine and food so that’s my other go-to, a good bottle of VQA and a tasty meal, especially if it involves oysters. Anyone who hangs out with me knows I love anything that sparkles, so I am always on the hunt for awesome vintage pieces with glitter. I am a big dog lover, so I try to spend as much time with my parent’s adopted 120lb Bouvier puppy, Hondo, as I can. I also have a sweet spot for bad ‘80’s and ‘90’s action movies. Die Hard is a masterpiece. Yipee Ki Yay!

For more, follow Sam at @sammogelonsky

Their Stories post featuring two creative dating profiles!

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, this week’s Their Stories post features two dating profiles that end up a perfect match. Love is in the air!

Unidentified Portrait from the Thomas Bouckley Collection. Collection of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery.

Portrait #1

Photo received by Matchmaker Dolly, with completed application as follows:

Name: Donald Bence Arthur

Age: 57

Height: 5’ 5”

Weight: 168 lbs.

Hair: mostly brown

Eyes: depends on shirt colour; sometimes green, sometimes blue

Background: Scottish/Hungarian

Occupation: semi-retired shoemaker with small mobile unit (pulled behind bicycle from town to town)

Hobbies: baking, alpine gardening and painting en plein air, mostly chimneys in winter… but also fences, (any season for the right price)

Favourite Sports: ribbon dancing, competitive whistling and caber toss

Best Attribute: a natty collection of footwear

Worst Attribute: cigar breath has occasionally been mentioned

Views on Children: don’t mind as long as it’s from a great distance

Spiritual Beliefs: I would prefer not to be matched with anyone who owns a ouija board.

Unidentified Portrait from the Thomas Bouckley Collection

Dolly matched Donald with Portrait #9.

Name: Eleanor Mondegreen

Age: 65

Height: 4” 1” (seated), 5’ 3” (upright)

Weight: (including boned corset, petticoats, bloomers, woolen dress with brass buttons) 180 lbs. (buck naked, 135)

Hair: yes

Eyes: not bad, getting harder and harder to read in dim lighting

Background: actually, just an old bedspread the photographer hung up

Occupation: proud nurse with the VON for decades until a terrible ruckus, fisticuffs really, with a patient who disputed my insistence that the hymn ‘Keep Thou My Way’ contained the phrase “gladly, the cross-eyed bear”.

Hobbies: tatting

Favourite Sports: darts

Best Attribute: a sense of whimsy

Worst Attribute: cannot keep a secret for love nor money

Views on Children: it’s all a backward glance at this point

Spiritual Beliefs: I would prefer not to be matched with anyone who owns a ouija board.

Follow-up Notes:

Three years after their marriage, Donald became fully retired by which time Eleanor had tatted herself a 20^th century wardrobe. They lived long and happily. Dolly’s greatest success story.

By: Carin Makuz

Their Stories – Unidentified Portraits 3 and 9

This week’s Their Stories posting includes a letter and a short first-person story. Be inspired by one of the unidentified portraits and participate by posting on the wall in the exhibition space or in the comments below!

Portrait #3

A lapsed Jesuit

The day that I was asked to sit for this photograph was the same day that I discovered my benefactor and friend Dr. Emile Herbert would no longer be attending communion at St. Ignatious of Loyola church where I had preached for more than twenty years. It was then that I understood why I had been born. My true calling was to become a medical doctor, rather than a priest. Dr. Herbert would no longer be attending services because he had become stricken by the same disease that he had spent his life trying to eradicate. And that disease was Dementia Praecox, or what is often referred to as insanity.

By: Carol Barbour

Unidentified portrait from the Thomas Bouckley Collection

Portrait #9

Dearest Mother,

I hope this letter finds you well. I have thought much of you this day. With tears in my eyes earlier, I said aloud, oh that sons and daughters should take their parents advice to heart.

Through my tears I recalled how you spoke harshly of Helen the day we wed. I am sorry I did not believe you then, but I have come to understand. You looked into my future and saved me with your guidance.

Before we parted, you taught me how to feel joy, to take pleasure in the recalling of a simple word or a shared moment. Marriage has much difficulty, but thanks to you I stop, take in all that is around, and let the joy fill me. The way the girls look following an afternoon of play, the flowers in bloom at the front of the house and smell of the chemicals in my developing trays. I feel strength in my happiness and conviction to overcome my plight.

The gift of one joyous moment to the next carries me through the difficult times. You have taught me well. This day, I feel the greatest appreciation for my mother.

With love,

William

By: Lisette Sanders Coulson

Top 5 Reasons to Volunteer at the RMG

Are you interested in art? Do you love helping with events? Do you have a passion for education? Then volunteering at the RMG is the place for you!

With countless opportunities to choose from, there are positions available for any age, skill set or interest. These are our top 5 reasons to volunteer, what are yours?

1. Give Back

Sure, volunteering at the RMG helps you to build a repertoire of skills. It also has a huge impact on our community. Did you attend art classes during March Break? Have you had a memorable RMG Fridays out with friends? Those experiences would not have been possible without our stellar volunteer team!

2. Be Creative

There is nothing better than leaving work and feeling inspired. The RMG offers a creative, relaxed and inspiring atmosphere where you can learn and grow. Sam Mogelonsky, Manager of Marketing and Communications, says “having volunteers is critical to keep our voice fresh. I love working with creative young minds who want to learn and bring their skills to the table.”

Carla Sinclair, Manager of Community and Volunteer Development, sums it up to a tee, saying that she “loves meeting new volunteers and hearing their interests, skills and talents to see how they can work with our team of staff. Volunteers have the ability to use their strengths, gain new skills and develop an array of contacts while donating their time to the gallery. Our staff has so much gratitude for all of the amazing energy volunteers give to this vibrant, cultural space called the RMG.”

Photo by Grant Cole.

3. Build that Resume!

Regardless of if you are completing your high-school community service hours, doing a post-secondary field placement or simply looking to give back to the community, we’ll have a spot for you! Volunteers work on everything from helping with events, to handling artworks to instructing young minds.

Are you interested in education? Help out with art camps or OPG Second Sundays and learn in our studio. Are you a social media whizz? Help us with marketing and communications and build our following. Do you live for music and live events? Get involved with RMG Fridays and help us bring new talent to Oshawa. Are you an artist or in a museum studies program? Our curatorial volunteers will get hands-on experience by helping with exhibition installations and archival research.

“No matter what the task, I always try to ensure that what a volunteer is working on will be helpful for their resume,” says Associate Curator, Sonya Jones. With multiple outlets for every skill-set, the RMG is the perfect place to lend your time and build your resume with relevant skills.

4. Be Surrounded by Art

Beautiful, airy spaces full of art are only steps away! The stunning renovation by noted architect Arthur Erickson will to fill you with inspiration as you walk into the office everyday. We believe opportunities for teamwork, brainstorming and collaboration, so we have an open-door policy (or no doors at all!) We guarantee you’ll be showing up to work early just to browse the exhibitions.

Photo by Linda Ryde.

5. Create Contacts

With multiple events, visiting artists, staff and volunteers, there is no shortage of contacts and networking opportunities at the RMG. With such a friendly environment, it’s easy to approach anyone for a casual chat. Stick around for RMG Friday and get to know people in the arts and Oshawa community and listen to great music with your new friends!

To apply now, click here and fill out our online application. For more information, please contact Carla Sinclair at [email protected], or call 905-576-3000. We look forward to meeting you!

Unidentified Portrait #2 – Story by Freda Jepson

This past fall, I put a call out to the community to submit creative writing entries to accompany unidentified portraits in The Thomas Bouckley Collection. With ten portraits to choose from, submissions included diary entries, letters, short stories, poetry and even a dating profile. I was so pleased with the number we received and the quality! The project resulted in an exhibition that is currently on display at the RMG until May 1st. Due to spatial restrictions, I wasn’t able to include all of the submissions, however, I will be posting two additional stories each week on the blog for all to enjoy. A huge thank you to everyone who participated!

On April 7th, join us for an evening with the Durham Folklore Storytellers. Using the submissions to the Their Stories exhibition as inspiration, the Durham Folklore Storytellers will take listeners on a journey to imagine the lives of these unidentified people.

– Sonya Jones, Associate Curator

Portrait #2

Loneliness

Am I to know no one as me

And to be known by none

To have no one to walk with me

As I approach my home.

Other lonely paths ‘longside of

mine run parallel

Yet join not mine to make a road

That leads where love can dwell

Should kindred spirit call to me

“We two now one shall be”

I’d kindle then the fire of life

To blaze for eternity.

By: Freda Jepson

Unidentified Portrait #1 – Story by Mat Calverley

– Sonya Jones, Associate Curator

Portrait #1

My dearest Emma,

If you receive this then my greatest work has failed. At dawn this morning I set out to walk across the Niagara Gorge. I hoped to do it until I break the record for fastest crossing. Even my friends think me crazy. They say “Cliff, why would a man who works off the ground want to spend his free time there”. Tell them I did this because I want to meet the sky on my terms.

I have been preparing for this my whole life. As a boy I there was no tree in all of Simcoe country that I could not climb. Working on chimneys and steeples seemed like the logical career. But over time, that place that I loved became only a place where I worked. I see Toronto now- a city that defies our limitations- and want to feel the freedom that that city must feel.

I do not expect to make money off of this endeavour. But then it would not be a labour of love. I hope that this letter will never be delivered; but if it must, I need you to understand why I stepped out this morning.

With love,

Clifford

By: Mat Calverley