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.

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.

RMG Fridays Presents: Dizzy featuring Wooly

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery’s monthly free concert series RMG FRIDAYS finally returns home for the May 2022 edition! In addition to short films courtesy of Durham Region International Film Festival, an appearance by series mainstays WOOLY, and a tour of the new Tim Whiten exhibition ELEMENTAL: OCEANIC, this month’s event features a headline performance by Canadian indie darlings DIZZY.

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

Program:

7:00 – Doors Open

In the Backyard:

7:30 – Performance by Wooly

8:15 – Tour of Elemental: Oceanic

Drawing from over fifty years of production, this exhibition features sculptures and works on paper from the early 1970s to the present, representing material explorations of ritual, embodiment, ancestral knowledge, and transcendence.

8:45 – Performance by Dizzy

In Arthurs on the 4th:

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

Wooly

Wooly represents a collaboration of unique musical talents brought together through a common vision. Their music and lyrics are innovative, energetic, and insightful presenting a fresh view of the human experience and evoking a range of visceral responses. Emerging from diverse musical experiences and influences, Wooly strives to present a fusion of folk, jazz, rock, and alternative that is truly original.

Dizzy

With a Polaris Prize-nominated album and a Juno Award already under their belt, the Oshawa-based dream-pop outfit Dizzy has gained acclaim from outlets across the continent including NPR, Pitchfork, NME, and CBC Music. Tender, honest, and reflective, Dizzy’s music reveals a rare willingness to expose messy feelings and a preternatural gift for turning those musings into songs primed for singing along.

Special thanks to DRIFF in a Jiff and Canada Council and the Arts Reopening Fund for their support with this event.

NEW! RMG Virtual School

RMG Virtual School is a FREE synchronous learning opportunity for Kindergarten to Grade 8 students! One of our Educators will visit your classroom virtually and provide a directed and social interactives using artworks from the RMG’s permanent collection. Each virtual engagement is designed to build students’ visual literacy skills, nurture problem solving and communication skills, and encourage imaginative and creative thinking.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery has an extensive collection of modern and contemporary artworks, in particular, abstractions by the Painters Eleven.

This year, we will take a deeper dive into abstractions to facilitate discussion on themes such as identity, mental health and wellbeing, environmental advocacy, and social justice. While abstraction will be at its core, integration of historical artworks (such as works by members of the Group of Seven) will be used for a holistic approach to our innovative and multi-disciplinary learning offerings.

Starting February, these programs will be offered Wednesday to Friday. They can be booked to suit your classroom and school scheduling needs. Each program is approximately 30-45 minutes in length and can be extended to include a 45 minute studio workshop. Studio activity kits will be available at a nominal fee ($75 for a class set for up to 30 students), pick up at the RMG.

Kindergarten, Grade 1-3

Abstract Portraits: Communicating our Thoughts and Feelings

Mental Health and well-being is at the forefront of our daily lives and affects even the very young. Looking at and reflecting on portraits is a great way to identify various emotions in ourselves, encourage empathy with others and build healthy social relationships. In this program, we will play, discuss and explore realistic and abstract portraits by Canadian artists. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their experience through a grade appropriate basic drawing exercise. The optional extended studio workshop will encourage students to consider the use of patterns and textures to create their own whimsical water-soluble oil pastel portrait.

Grade 4-6, Grade 7-8

Abstract Portraits and Identity

Art is a connector between us, artists often use the theme of relationships as a subject of their artwork. What can art teach us about ourselves? How can art help us enhance our emotional and social intelligence? How do our identities inform our values, ideas, and actions? In this interactive program, we will consider not only our own development of identity and self-advocacy but also explore how we handle social justice issues using abstract concepts and artworks. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their experience through a grade appropriate basic drawing challenge. The optional extended studio workshop will encourage students to create a mixed media self-portrait.

To book a session, please contact Learning and Engagement Lead, Jennifer Welch at [email protected].