Announcing our 2025-26 RBC Emerging Artists in Residence!

With thanks to the RBC Foundation for their generous support, the RMG is pleased to welcome Pixel Heller, Par Nair, and Haley Uyeda to the RBC Emerging Artist Residency Program in 2025-2026. In the coming year, these three artists will develop exciting new projects in our residency studio, then present that work in solo exhibitions at the RMG. We look forward to sharing their work with you!

Pixel Heller, Archiving the Evolution of Culture, digital photograph, 2024. Photo by Tsemaye Tite.

Pixel Heller

Winter/Spring
Residency Dates: February 25 – June 8, 2025

Exhibition Dates: June 14 – August 10, 2025

Pixel Heller is a multidisciplinary artist and designer based in Toronto. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cross Disciplinary Studies with a specialization in Life Studies from OCAD University in 2024. Pixel has exhibited work locally and internationally. Rooted in her Afro-Caribbean heritage, Pixel’s photography, performances, and textiles delve into themes of Black identity, cultural fluidity, and preservation. Drawing from Caribbean masquerade traditions, she celebrates Afrocentric aesthetics and cultural symbolism, inviting viewers to engage with the enduring spirit of Black cultural expression.

Par Nair

Summer/Fall

Residency Dates: June 16 – September 28, 2025

Exhibition Dates: October 4 – November 30, 2025

Par Nair is an Indian born interdisciplinary artist, researcher and educator who lives and makes in the GTA. She acquired an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at OCAD University and has shown her works nationally and internationally. The primary focus of Par’s art practice is to investigate and explore lived experiences of diaspora using decolonial methods and a return to ancestral practices through paintings, hand embroidery, installation, and creative writing. Through her work, she seeks to unravel and reimagine historical narratives of Indian women while gaining a broader perspective on the craft traditions and storytelling of her ancestors.

Par Nair, installation of the threads we carry, across borders, 2024 at Craft Ontario. Photo by Jocelyn Reynolds.

Haley Uyeda, offcuts, solarfast on canvas, 2023. Courtesy of the artist.

Haley Uyeda
Fall/Winter

Residency Dates: October 20 – December 21, 2025 and January 5 – February 15, 2026

Exhibition Dates: February 24 – April 19, 2026

Haley Uyeda is an artist and educator in Durham Region. She holds a Master of Fine Art from York University (2016) and a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from the University of Guelph (2011). Her work has been exhibited in Toronto, and it can be found in both private and public collections. Working in painting, photo, video and collage, Haley explores the relationship between ephemerality and painting, presenting painting as a fluid and responsive proposition. Taking inspiration from atmospheric conditions of weather, movement, and light, her work both references and engages with the temporal

conditions of nature.

Learn more about the residency program here.

Winter 2025 Exhibitions at the RMG

We are pleased to present four new exhibitions this winter!

Karen Kar Yen Law, Egg Assemblage No. 3 (detail), 2024, newsprint collage, spray paint, and resin on wood panel, 16 x 20 inches.

Karen Kar Yen Law: RBC Emerging Artist in Residence Exhibition

February 25, 2025 – April 19, 2025

Curated by Hannah Keating

During her residency, Karen Kar Yen Law will develop a new body of work within her ongoing artistic exploration of the five essential flavours of Chinese cuisine (salty, spicy, sour, sweet, and bitter). Focusing her research at the RMG on bitterness, Karen will create new paintings inspired by the unique flavour profile of the bitter melon. Drawing on a variety of painting and printmaking techniques, she will consider how bitterness relates to Chinese culinary traditions, experiences of diaspora and diasporic identities, and intergenerational relationships.

Related programming:
Exhibition Opening + Artist Talk: March 1, 2025, 1-3PM

This program is supported by the RBC Foundation’s RBC Emerging Artist Project.

Tony Lidstone, Sunrise Pier

Oshawa Camera Club: Celebrating 100 Years of Oshawa with Pictures

December 12, 2024 – June 15, 2025
Curated by Sonya Jones

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery and the Oshawa Camera Club are pleased to present an exhibition in honour of the City of Oshawa’s 100th anniversary that celebrates the vibrancy and diversity of Oshawa through photos. This exhibition will feature photographs from the City of Oshawa’s 100 Centennial Photography Contest.

The Neighbours Project, installed at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (February 2024).

The Neighbours Art Hive

December 21, 2024 – February 17, 2025

As a place to make, rest, and connect, the installation supports creative community development, social connection, and personal wellbeing through art-making experiences. We invite all our neighbours to drop in any time during operating hours to make use of the free art materials! Participants are welcome to take their projects with them or hang them up for everyone to enjoy during the run of the exhibition.

The Neighbours Art Hive is a temporary installation that transforms the gallery into an active studio space with help from the LivingRoom Community Art Studio.

Presented by The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation.

Related programming:

Every Friday from January 10 to February 14, 2025, volunteers from the LivingRoom Community Art Studio will be onsite to lead facilitated sessions from 12pm-3:30pm.

Into the Horizon: Durham Catholic District School Board Art Exhibition

February 27 – March 16, 2025

Community Partnership

This exhibition celebrates artworks by students in Kindergarten – Grade 12 from across the Durham Catholic District School Board.

Related programming:
Opening reception: February 27, 6-8PM

Presented in partnership with the Durham Catholic District School Board.

RMG Leadership Changes

After five years at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG), Lauren Gould will be stepping down as CEO in February 2025. Lauren joined the RMG on March 16, 2020, the first day of lockdown, at the beginning of the pandemic. While this made for an unexpected beginning, Lauren was able to navigate this time with proficiency and grace, establishing a deep culture of care for the gallery staff, Board, artists, and community. 

During her time as the RMG’s leader, Lauren completed many important initiatives including the renewal of organizational policies, the realization of The Backyard Community Arts Greenspace, and the strengthening of the financial health of the gallery through growing revenue, eliminating the deficit, and developing an internally restricted reserve. 

“Lauren‘s abilities as a caring, strategic, impactful and inspiring leader, and her passion for the arts have been deeply felt by the staff, Board, and the entire community that the RMG serves.  She has accomplished many great things during her tenure with the gallery.  Her stewardship and completion of many key initiatives leaves the organization better positioned to thrive in the future. While Lauren will most certainly be missed, we wish her well and look forward to seeing what new challenges she takes on next!” says Kegan Winters, Chair of the RMG’s Board of Directors.

“I know I speak for the entire staff team when I say that Lauren will be deeply missed. Her kindness, accountability and care for the staff have made a lasting impact on the gallery. I am grateful to have worked with a leader that embodies the values of the RMG and so thankful for all that she has done to strengthen the gallery, actively support artists, and build relationships within the community,” shares Leila Timmins, Senior Curator.

“I am fortunate to have worked with such a dedicated, joyous, creative group of people.  Serving as the leader of the RMG has been my honour and given me great joy.  The feeling of this place and space, its grounding in care, and belief in the power of the arts is truly remarkable.   I have deep gratitude for each and every person I’ve connected with during my time at the gallery,” said Lauren Gould, “The RMG has a bright and brilliant future!”

Lauren, the Board of Directors, and senior staff will be working to ensure a smooth transition in leadership in the months ahead.  The Board of Directors has struck an ad-hoc Transition Committee that will lead the search for a new CEO alongside Searchlight Partners.  The posting can be found on the Searchlight Partners’ website.

Statement on Censorship

The RMG is a place where we want everyone to feel like they belong.  It is also a space for many to reflect, learn, engage in dialogue, and connect.  During these complex global times, we believe art can play an important role in understanding our world and in healing.  We have cultivated a culture of care that considers how we care for each other, artists, and our communities.

Recently, there have been a number of high-profile incidents of censorship of artists and arts workers in our sector worldwide with regards to Israel-Palestine, particularly Pro-Palestine perspectives.  This has prompted us to make a statement so that past, current, and future partners and artists understand our stance.  The RMG also wanted to share how we’re taking action internally to support our team who have been affected by the ongoing atrocities.

The RMG does not tolerate any form of discrimination, including anti-semitism and Islamophobia.  One of our organizational values is Equity and Justice.  We are dedicated to integrating anti-oppressive and anti-racist processes throughout all facets of our work.  You can read more about our vision, mission, and values here and our Equity Public Statement and annual update here

There is a protected freedom of expression in Canada.  We recognize our team members, and others that the RMG works with, may be advocates for equity and social justice or be involved in activism outside of the RMG. We support the fundamental freedom of expression.  Similarly, we do not condone hate speech or discrimination based on the identifiers in the Ontario Human Rights Code. 

We support our team and understand that at times it can feel difficult to carry on business as usual.  As such, we may pause our communications at times, we will continue to provide personal emergency leave days or necessary wellness breaks for staff, and we will align with partners who uphold our values.  

TeachingCity Oshawa collaboration highlights public art through new interactive map

A new interactive map developed through a TeachingCity Oshawa collaboration with Durham College and The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG) is highlighting public art in Oshawa.

The mobile-friendly map allows Oshawa residents and visitors to interact with six public art pieces in the city’s downtown core:

  1. Crown, Douglas Bentham;
  2. grace, Mary Anne Barkhouse;
  3. Group Portrait 1957, Douglas Coupland;
  4. Reverb, Noel Harding;
  5. River Tree/Bench, Reinhard Reitzenstein; and,
  6. Upstart II, Clement Meadmore.

At each artwork, community members can scan the featured Q.R. code to read and/or listen to learn more about the artist, the artwork, and more.

The interactive elements of Group Portrait 1957 by Douglas Coupland have been taken one step further to incorporate an augmented reality (A.R.) component. The A.R. experience provides further interpretive information about the sculpture in a fun and engaging way.

The interactive map was developed by students from the Interactive Media Design and Contemporary Web Design programs at Durham College with input from The RMG and City of Oshawa to showcase public art.

Art enthusiasts can collect unique badges in the app while interacting with the artwork through the map. After collecting all six badges, community members can show the badges at the RMG for a free prize.

Learn more about TeachingCity at teachingcityoshawa.ca and follow #OshTeachingCity on Twitter and Instagram.

Quotes

“A new chapter of public art in the great city of Oshawa has come to life through another transformative TeachingCity collaboration,” said Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter. “An engaging experience for residents and visitors alike, the interactive map will highlight the City of Oshawa’s commitment to arts and culture, accessibility and engagement.”

“We were so pleased to partner with The Robert McLaughlin Gallery on this project giving Durham College students an opportunity to apply their classroom learning to support community engagement. I am proud of their work and I know that our community will enjoy this digital application for years to come,” said Don Lovisa, President, Durham College.

“We are so excited to showcase public art in this new virtual format,” said Lauren Gould, CEO, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery. “Public art activates the imagination and encourages people to experience their surroundings in a new way. This new digital experience provides a fun and engaging way to learn about the art in our community. We hope it inspires the community to visit the gallery and see even more art!”

Meet Emerging Artist in Residence Noah Scheinman

Please join us in welcoming multidisciplinary artist Noah Scheinman to the RBC Emerging Artist Residency Program! During his residency at the RMG, Noah will continue his ongoing research into the social and environmental impacts of nuclear power in Canada and work towards a new exhibition of sculpture and audiovisual installation. To learn more about Noah’s artistic practice and his plans for the incubator lab, visit his profile and read his blog post below!

My name is Noah Scheinman, and I’m a multidisciplinary artist with a research-based practice that includes work in sculpture, installation, moving image, photography, and design. I have a tendency to pursue long, self-initiated, and multi-stage projects that use art and media as material and conceptual paradigms for investigating the complex and contested environments of the Anthropocene—how they are imagined, constructed, maintained, resisted, and ultimately fall into ruin. In this context, ruin doesn’t imply simply disappearance or decay, but rather indicates the enduring afterlives of (industrial) modernity as it continues to haunt contemporary and future landscapes through legacies of contamination, colonialism, and the commodification and instrumentalization of natural worlds. One of these projects, Timber Limits, explores the histories, epistemologies, and political ecologies of forests and the timber industry in so-called Canada (and its global reach), while in another I use speculative geo-fiction to consider lithographic narratives of concrete as it became the material and metaphorical basis for rapid postwar urbanization.

The work proposed for my residency at the RMG emerges from another ongoing research trajectory, The Legacy of Matter, which engages artistic methodologies to map Canada’s Postnuclear Landscape—the network of geographic sites which have been irrevocably transformed by the extraction, processing, transportation, use, and storage of atomic materials. What is called “clean energy” also produces a host of damaging socio-ecological externalities that have and will continue to impact human and more-than-human worlds for generations to come. This includes northern locations where uranium is mined, laboratories where nuclear technologies have been tested (sometimes in forests and ponds!), and communities where proposals for the long-term storage of radioactive waste have the potential to forever reshape the land and its relations. While research and travel to each individual site informs a video-essay and accompanying sculptural installation that unpacks the unique features of a local place, it is when these artworks/locations are considered together that connections are made that reveal larger systematic patterns of environmental violence. This is not the spectacular destruction of exploding bombs and reactor meltdowns, but rather (to borrow from the scholar Rob Nixon) the slow, incremental violence of difficult-to-perceive processes that do their work over extended periods of time.

In residence, I will continue this work by focusing on the particular historical conditions of Oshawa and the regional municipality of Durham as they relate to the production of nuclear energy, the shores of Lake Ontario, the increasing obsolescence of combustion engines, and questions of containment, exposure, and toxicity when ideologies and bodies clash and mingle in unruly mixtures of earth and time. This research program will be loosely organized around five thematic clusters:

1) Sound, geography, and jurisdiction

2) Energy regimes and material cultures

3) Invisible visibilities/visible invisibilities

4) Environmental histories of nuclear architectures

5) Radioactive water and the shoreline

Through these interconnected groupings I will investigate such events as the Gunshot Treaty of 1789, which established the northern boundary of British control in the area using the acoustic reach of a musket shot from the shoreline, the environmental implications (past, present, future) of locating nuclear generating stations in close proximity to Lake Ontario, and the ways the nuclear regime is simultaneously visible (material and architectural) and invisible (unseen radioactivity and secretive) and sometimes a weird hybrid/paradox of the two.

Informed by research and thinking on these topics, which also includes significant fieldwork, I intend to produce an audiovisual installation and pursue several lines of sculptural experimentation which poetically bring together a range of ideas and processes that address the symbols, spaces, and socio-natures of the region’s constantly changing environment… But more on that later. For now I wanted to sign off by expressing my gratitude for the opportunity to embed within the community of Oshawa and by inviting anyone with an interest in visual art, film, ecology, energy, infrastructure, fashion, rocks, baseball, and swimming to visit the RMG and drop by the incubator lab to chat about life and see what I’m working on. My project is not so much about being pro- or anti-nuclear, but rather motivated by a desire to reflect on the rich constellation of issues that attend this major development in the history of the earth. It is a challenge to myself and others to consider the nuclear regime beyond reductive and binary arguments of, for, or against, and instead focus on how it intersects with systems of power and the long-term health of the places where it materializes.

New Horizons for Seniors Program

What has the Learning Department been up to? Besides school programming and art classes, we have been actively engaged with new programming for seniors! In 2022, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery was fortunate to secure its second Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program funding. This grant enables the RMG to offer free programming to local low-income seniors with the goal to improve health and well-being for those who have been sheltering in place. With that in mind, and after consulting with some of our local seniors and care professionals, two onsite Gallery social gathering events were planned along with two eight week art making sessions hosted at local residencies. In January 2023, under the direction of artist, Holly Chang, seniors have been enjoying creating art using various materials.

In August 2022, a senior focused public program was hosted at the RMG, its aim was to provide an inviting, gentle, and accessible opportunity to seniors who have low to moderate access, mobility, and/or cognitive needs. Held on the RMG’s outdoor space and within the gallery’s exhibition Elemental: Oceanic by Tim Whiten, creative facilitator, Emma Rooney,delivered a forest bathing and journaling session and an indoor social gathering opportunity.

The next free Senior Social Event will be held on Tuesday, March 21st from 1-3pm. After a conducted survey of some of our senior community members, our aim is to have something for everybody! This event, will celebrate the arrival of spring and will include tours of  RMG exhibitions at 1pm and 2pm, a watercolour flowers painting workshop from 1:30-2:00pm and 2:30-3:00pm (drop in maximum 15 participants per session), a pre-registered floral arranging workshop with Brookstead Flowers 1:30-2:30pm (maximum 20 participants), and an opportunity to socialize in our onsite Arthur’s space with  tea/coffee and snacks from  1-3pm.

We want to thank the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program funding for making this type of programming possible.

Funded by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program

RMG Fridays return, funded by the Tourism Relief Fund

In November 2022, the RMG received a non-repayable contribution of $20,000 from Central Counties Tourism to support RMG Fridays.  Prior to the pandemic, RMG Fridays were a highlight of the events calendar in Durham Region.  These free community events were designed for all ages and have featured live music in our Permanent Collection gallery; short film screenings courtesy of Durham Region International Film Festival (DRIFF); and food and drink from various Durham-based businesses. This is part of the Government of Canada’s Tourism Relief Fund, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).  Central Counties Tourism received $8.65-million from FedDev Ontario to help local tourism organizations and businesses safely welcome back visitors, recover from the impacts of the pandemic and prepare for future growth. 

“The RMG was thrilled to receive this support for RMG Fridays to enable us to hold these events outdoors in summer 2022 as audiences became more comfortable gathering.  We supported artists and performers we otherwise would not have been able to host, attracting over 1100 people to our events.”

Lauren Gould, CEO, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery

Since relaunching RMG Fridays in 2022, we’ve featured local musicians and performers such as: Dizzy, Wooly, NERiMA, Division Street, Desarae Dee, Hunter Sheridan, EQUAL, L CON, David Shewchuk, and Durham Storytellers. These Fridays of the month have continued to feature film screenings by Durham Region International Film Festival and free tours of our exhibitions by the RMG’s team of curators.

The RMG plans to continue this popular series in early 2023.

About Central Counties Tourism

Central Counties Tourism is the provincially-funded not-for-profit dedicated to developing, supporting and promoting tourism in Durham Region, York Region and the Headwaters Tourism Region.  Since their inception, they have assisted dozens of municipalities through destination development and hundreds of tourism related businesses grow their capacity, strengthening the visitor economy in the region. 

About the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

The Government of Canada’s $500-million Tourism Relief Fund is helping tourism-oriented businesses and organizations recover from the pandemic and prepare for future growth. The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) is delivering nearly $120 million of the Tourism Relief Fund across southern Ontario.

RMG unveils new mural by Jon Colwell

RMG unveils new mural by Jon Colwell
Erin Szikora, Project Co-Curator, Missy LeBlanc, Project Co-Curator, Jennifer French, MPP for Oshawa, Leila Timmins, Senior Curator at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Lauren Gould, CEO at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery

Oshawa, ON:  On Friday, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG) was pleased to unveil one of two community-informed murals at the gallery, thanks to a $44,700 Community Building Fund grant from the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Trillium Foundation as part of the Mamanaw Pekiskwewina | Mother Tongues: Dish With One Spoon Territory project. Local MPP Jennifer French and one of the project curators Erin Szikora spoke to the impact of this grant, which was awarded in 2021.

“It was wonderful to appreciate the mural by Jon Colwell as it is showcased at the RMG,” said Jennifer French, MPP for Oshawa. “I am grateful that the OTF has invested in our local gallery and the Mamanaw Pekiskwewina | Mother Tongues: Dish With One Spoon Territory project. This investment means that the community of Oshawa can experience art and Indigenous languages in various ways. Oshawa as a host community has appreciated the art and creativity which reflected our community. Thanks to the funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Mother Tongues has been a tremendously successful and engaging project,” added French.

The mural by artist Jon Colwell was on display at the Delpark Homes Centre Branch of the Oshawa Public Library before being installed at the RMG.  It will ultimately be gifted to Bawaajigewin Aboriginal Community Circle.  Developed in consultation with local Indigenous community members, the mural reflects the vibrancy and diversity of Oshawa’s Indigenous community, increasing Indigenous visibility and representation in public spaces across the city.  Another mural, by artist Jay Havens, is still on display at the Jess Hann Branch Library.  It will be permanently installed at the Carea Community Health Centre.  Both murals were produced as part of an outreach program connecting local language communities to the exhibition curated by Missy LeBlanc Taskoch pipon kona kah nipa muskoseya, nepin pesim eti pimachihew | Like the winter snow kills the grass, the summer sun revives it. 

Jon Colwell’s mural on view at Oshawa Public Libraries – Delpark Homes Centre Branch, 1661 Harmony Rd. N., Oshawa.
Jay Haven’s mural on view at Oshawa Public Libraries – Jess Hann Branch, 199 Wentworth St. W., Oshawa.
Jay Haven’s mural on view at Oshawa Public Libraries – Jess Hann Branch, 199 Wentworth St. W., Oshawa.

The project also included a two-part panel series exploring the importance of Indigenous languages with artists, language teachers, and community organizers who are at the front lines of language revitalization work in our communities.  In partnership with Oshawa Public Libraries, the RMG also hosted a Story and Song event to introduce children and youth to Anishnaabemowin with Melody Crowe.  Anyone can download a free printable copy of the Story and Song: Anishinaabemowin Colouring Book illustrated by Indigenous artists Sabrina Fontaine, Mem Ireland, Sheri Osden Nault, Skye Paul, and Michael Tiggelman, with Anishinaabemowin translations provided by Melody Crowe.

“We are committed to centering Indigenous voices in the gallery and working to address structural inequities perpetuated by the continued impacts of colonialism.  This project was beautifully conceived by Missy LeBlanc; as the exhibition travelled the country each host city or town developed their own outreach project to reflect that local community.  We’re grateful to the artists, participants, Missy, and Erin for their contributions to project, and to OTF for their funding support,” said RMG’s CEO Lauren Gould. 

Mamanaw Pekiskwewina Mother Tongues: Dish With One Spoon Territory was awarded the Galeries Ontario/Ontario Galleries (GOG) Public Program Award at an event on November 28, 2022.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery: The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG) is the largest public art gallery in Durham Region.  We believe that art cultivates connected and caring communities.  As an artist-centered and community-oriented public art gallery in Durham Region, we bring people from diverse backgrounds together to engage with art that inspires new perspectives, generates meaningful conversations, and creates a sense of belonging.  We build relationships with diverse artists and communities through art. The RMG works in collaboration with artists, partners, and audiences to present dynamic and inspiring collections, exhibitions, and programs in an inclusive and equitable environment.

Today, the RMG’s collection of over 4,700 works focuses on telling the continuing story of Canadian abstraction.  Each year we present Permanent Collection exhibitions alongside special exhibitions of contemporary art and artists.  We prioritize engaging diverse audiences in new and familiar ways through our programming.  We foster community connections and partnerships to create a greater sense of belonging.  We reimagine the gallery, making space for all.  Annually, we welcome 38,000 visitors and 10,000 participants to engage in our: exhibitions, education programs, volunteering opportunities, event spaces, shop, artist-in-residence program, and digital programming.  Admission to the RMG is FREE and we typically offer over 100 free public programs each year.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

National Day for Truth + Reconciliation – September 30th, 2022

Last year our team spent some time considering how we wanted to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.  We decided to close to the public and take the day for team and self-directed learning.  We began our day by each sharing a personal land acknowledgment using guidance generously given to us by Trina Moyan, nehiyaw iskwew (Plains Cree) artist, writer, and producer; we took time to engage with resources put together by our team, and had opportunities for group learning and discussion. The second half of our day was spent engaging in self-directed learning. For many, this meant diving deeper into the list of resources shared internally and attending local commemorations. For our Indigenous members of staff, it meant unplugging from work and spending the day whichever way they needed to.  Overall, it felt like we were honouring the intention of the 80th Call to Action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report

Publically, we shared resources with our community that were generously put together by two members of our team, Samuel Powless who worked with us as our Manager of Visitor Engagement until last month, and Erin Szikora, Greenspace Project Coordinator. That list and last year’s statement are here.  Our hope was to provide a starting place – or a place to continue – your own learning.

One of the commitments we made last year was to revisit our land acknowledgment.  It was written internally with support from Leila Timmins, Samuel Powless, Erin Szikora, and myself. Below, I share an annotated version of that land acknowledgement, as a way to demonstrate the learning we have collectively undertaken and to give recognition to the scholars who have helped us along the way.

As this country continues to navigate what this day means, the RMG will once again close to the public on September 30.  We’ve had new members join our team and will once again take the day to learn, participate in commemorations, and continue the conversation around how we – individually and as an organization – can continue to support and advocate for the self-determination of Indigenous communities. 

With thanks,

Lauren

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is in the treaty lands of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. This land has been the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg since 1700; before that time, it was stewarded by various communities belonging to the Haudenosaunee and Wendat confederacies. It is covered under the Williams Treaties and the Dish with One Spoon Wampum.

This area continues to be home to many Indigenous people from across Mishiike Minisi. We recognize the sovereignty of all Indigenous nations and are grateful for the opportunity to learn, live, and work on this land.

We acknowledge that the RMG is in treaty land, and respect our collective responsibility to protect and nurture the land. We also recognize the continuing impacts of colonialism and our responsibilities to redress the ways this has helped shape our organization. We are committed to working to address structural inequities and to centering Indigenous voices in the gallery.