The Neighbour’s Art Hive Opening Party

The Neighbour’s Art Hive returns to the RMG this December through February in collaboration with the LivingRoom Community Art Studio thanks to generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Join us in Gallery A on December 11 to launch this year’s project and learn more about how communities benefit from art hives and art galleries being in relationship with one another. 

Most opening events celebrate art that has already been created – at this event we come together to consider empty walls and honour that which is possible!

Public Practice Art Therapist and LivingRoom Community Art Studio Founder Mary Krohnert will be on hand to discuss the role Gallery Art Hives can play in encouraging creative wellness and growth in community, and guests will have opportunities to participate in the creation of works of art that will inspire others in the weeks ahead. All ages are welcome, no previous art making experience required, just a willingness to play, connect, and explore what making art and being an artist means to you.

The Neighbour’s Art Hive a temporary installation at the RMG that transforms the gallery into an active studio space with help from the LivingRoom Community Art Studio. As a place to make, rest, and connect, the installation supports creative community development, social connection, and personal wellbeing through art-making experiences. This event is free and open to everyone. If there are ways we can support your participation, please contact Hannah at [email protected].

In partnership with The LivingRoom Community Art Studio, The Neighbour’s Art Hive is generously supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

RMG Friday: Bright and Merry

Join us for the final RMG Friday of the year! In the spirit of the Bright and Merry Market happening in downtown Oshawa, we’re hosting a festive evening filled with music, creative art activities, and warm beverages.

While you’re at the Gallery, explore our exhibitions, or drop by the RMG Shop to find unique gifts from local makers and artists.

Free entry. Everyone welcome!

What to expect:
❆ Free mini hot chocolate
❆ Desserts and warm beverages for purchase
❆ Free art-making activities
❆ Seasonal gift shop items for purchase
❆ Free access to our exhibitions

Gabe and Pancha’s presents a Bright & Merry Paint n’ Sip!

Enjoy a complimentary zero-proof cocktails and warm and cozy beverages. Paint, sip, and get creative with a drop-in style winter-themed activation led by Chelsea Frattura. 

Zine-making workshop with Zadeh

Join local artist Zadeh for a free, hands-on zine-making workshop. Zadeh is a visual and sculpture artist based in Oshawa, known for working with ceramics, recycled materials, and scanography, as well as for co-creating Zene Magazine. This publication amplifies the creative voices of individuals from across the community.

In this workshop, participants will explore the art of zine-making through the lens of culture and celebration. Together, we’ll reflect on how we celebrate the holiday season, how traditions evolve, and how creativity connects us across cultures. After a quick introduction to the history and DIY spirit of zines, you’ll dive into creating your own personal zine using collage materials like magazines, markers, and stickers.

No experience is needed, just curiosity and a love of creativity! This free session provides an inclusive and welcoming space for experimentation, sharing stories, and celebrating community through art.

O’Neil Dance Performances

7pm – Grade 9/10 piece
Echoes of Us – 7 min run time

7:15pm – Grade 11/12 piece
Ebullience – 5 min run time

7:30pm – Grade 9/10 piece
Echoes of Us – 7 min run time

7:45pm – Grade 11/12 piece
Ebullience – 5 min run time

O’Neill Dance and Movement Studies Alumni – Erin Ramenda – Grade 9/10 Artist

Erin Ramenda is a contemporary dance artist and choreographer whose work embodies a dark, mysterious aesthetic grounded in emotional depth and physical precision. A graduate of Concordia University with a BFA in Contemporary Dance, Erin has developed a distinctive choreographic voice that seamlessly weaves together expressive movement and conceptual exploration.  

Guided by the Limón technique , Erin’s choreography finds strength in softness and freedom in control, exploring the emotional landscapes that live within the body. Her pieces often dwell in darker tones—curious, introspective, and magnetic—revealing beauty in tension and vulnerability.

Recipient of two choreography awards and certified through The British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD), Erin continues to share her passion through teaching, where she nurtures movement as both discipline and discovery. For her, dance is not only performance—it is conversation, ritual, and release.

O’Neill Dance and Movement Studies Alumni – Zuri Skeete – Grade 11/12 Artist

Zuri Skeete (she/her) is an emerging multidisciplinary dance artist within the Toronto community. Zuri is a recent graduate from York University’s Choreography/Performance Specialized Honours BFA in Dance. She is a performer, choreographer, and teacher with a heavy focus on improvisation and contemporary dance. She has had the opportunity of working with artists such as David Norsworthy, Syreeta Hector, Tracey Norman, and Susan Lee. Zuri has co-choreographed pieces for Dance Ontario Weekend and Fever After Dark. She has also choreographed and performed a commissioned piece for Toes for Dance’s Common Ground Festival. Additionally, she is the co-founder and artistic director of The Meaningful Movement which aims to create spaces, events and conversations for all artists and art lovers. Zuri is constantly striving to explore her identity and movement aesthetic, persistently questioning if she can go deeper in everything she works on. Being present, staying curious and always ready to play allows her to fully immerse in the language of dance. She is always grateful for opportunities to collaborate and share her passions with other artists.

Artist Statement 

Ebullience – Choreography by Zuri Skeete in collaboration with the O’Neill Performing Arts Dance and Movement Studies Grade 11 and 12 Dancers.

Ebullience is an exploration and journey of joy. How can we find and achieve joy within ourselves? How can we share it with others?  This piece has elements and inspirations from Georgia Fullerton’s current exhibit in the gallery: Being In and Moving Through. Her abstract works and the words that she uses to describe her feelings and art resonated deeply with us within our creation process. It helped us understand how self discovery further connects to the root of what joy is.

The RMG reserves the right to cancel this event due to circumstances beyond RMG’s control or not reasonably anticipated, including but not limited, to weather, or inability of Facility to host Event.

Unity Through the Arts: Juried Exhibition 2025 Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony

Come together to celebrate cultural diversity in Durham Region!

Cultural Expressions for CHANGE Inc., in partnership with The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, presents the exhibition “Unity Through the Arts”. This juried art exhibition features artists from Durham Region and the surrounding area.

This year’s theme celebrates cultural diversity—not just as identity, but as the lived traditions, creative practices, and community expressions that shape how culture is shared, interpreted, and passed on. We are seeking artworks that explore and honour diverse cultural experiences, including but not limited to: rituals, storytelling, textiles, food traditions, clothing, language, craft, spiritual practices, and intergenerational knowledge. We also welcome works that reflect lived experiences shaped by migration, displacement, diaspora, or community belonging.

Cultural Expressions for CHANGE Inc. is accepting online artist registrations now until October 3, 2025. Click here to register.

This exhibition is presented in partnership with Cultural Expressions for CHANGE

Courtyard Concerts

We’re pleased to host Courtyard Concerts in our Backyard this fall. Join us on September 17 and October 15 from 1-2pm for this exciting music performance series.

September 17
1 – 2pm

ABBYGABBY is a sister duo who blend catchy melodies, soulful harmonies, and playful energy to create music that’s both heartfelt and fun. Rooted in pop, gospel, and R&B, their songs tell real-life stories and celebrate love in all its forms. Through their music, they aim to create a space where people feel the vibes, connect, relate, and have a good time.

October 15
1 – 2pm

Kromatix_ is the sultry sound of Funky R&B and Neo-Soul reimagined. A singer, pianist, and storyteller from Scarborough, he blends lush harmonies and timeless grooves inspired by
D’Angelo and Stevie Wonder. With a Canada Council–funded debut album on the way, his
intoxicating artistry is set to mesmerize globally.

Courtyard Concerts are free live music series featuring diverse Ontario-based artists. Performances are curated with a focus on diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Artists range from solo instrumentalists, acoustic singer-songwriters, duos, trios, and full bands.

Courtyard Concerts is made possible thanks to the generous support of Ontario Creates

Par Nair: Exhibition Opening + Artist-led Tour

Help us celebrate the opening of Par Nair’s solo exhibition at the gallery, featuring a new series of large-scale landscape paintings and embroidered artworks.

Remarks will begin at 1:30pm with a musical performance by Hasheel followed by an artist talk with Par. She will reflect on her time in the RBC residency program and share insights into her new work in an artist-led walkthrough of the exhibition.

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

Hasheel is a South Asian Queer Hindustani Classical Musician. He began training at the age of five under his father. He also started playing the bansuri under the guidance of his first teacher and original flautist on the Life of Pi score, Shri Jeetu Sharma. He quickly excelled in both Indian and Western music and started composing and writing his own pieces at the age of thirteen.

Hasheel lived in India to pursue his musical training and is currently a senior student of the legendary Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Hasheel has performed around the world and across Ontario. He is also featured in numerous albums and film scores and his collaborations include those with Balkan musicians all the way to electronic House and Drum and Bass artists.

Hasheel pushes gender fashion norms that exist in and outside of India. He often gender bends while wearing clothing inspired by Indian bridalwear. His music mixes hip-hop, electronica, R&B, and Bollywood with a steady undertone of traditional Indian Classical.

Performances have included those with Kailash Kher, Hariharan, Karthik, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, Karsh Kale, and for academy award winner A. R. Rahman. He has also headlined stages at Pride Toronto, Small World Music Festival, Basement Bhangra Beyond in NYC, and Iceland Airwaves in Reykjavik. His most recent work includes ‘LIMCA’ and ‘RaagRani’. Released as a spin on Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’, ‘LIMCA’ is a celebration of Indian culture and queer expression. ‘RaagRani’ is a documentary style music video celebrating the union of his cultural identities.

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

Winter Exhibitions Opening Reception

Join us as we celebrate the opening of three exciting installations at the gallery with guided tours, musical performances, and refreshments. Artists and curators will be in attendance.

Inside, we’re pleased to present Olivia Whetung: inawendiwok, a solo exhibition touring from The Art Gallery of Mississauga. In The Backyard, we’re excited to launch two public art projects: Scott Rogers: Mutualism (Fixed Assets), an ambitious temporary public art installation, and the permanent installation of Couzyn van Heuvelen’s Arctic Char Steaks (2021-2023), which were featured in Couzyn van Heuvelen: CAMP at the RMG.

Come celebrate these amazing artists with us!

Let us know you’re coming!

1:30pm – Formal remarks with artists and curators and a musical performance by Missy Knott


Missy Knott, an Anishinaabe woman from Curve Lake First Nation, is a talented award-winning singer-songwriter. Performing under the name Singing Wild Rice Girl, her music and artistic voice are deeply rooted in her Indigenous culture. Her passion for supporting fellow Indigenous artists led her to found Wild Rice Records, an independent record label based in Nogojiwanong (Peterborough). Through her label, Missy collaborates with community members to help artists at every step of their creative path, from building a strong foundation to developing their unique sound. In addition to her work as a musician and label founder, Missy has used her voice to amplify others. She previously hosted the afternoon drive program on ELMNT FM and even hosted her own pre-recorded show, Pass the Mic. This program highlighted the work and voices of Indigenous community members and artists from across Turtle Island. She is also a board member for the Ontario Arts Council. Beyond her musical endeavors, Missy is a dedicated mother, ricer, educational assistant, and philanthropist who remains an active and proud member of her community.

2:15pm – Join Olivia Whetung (artist) and Mona Filip (curator) in the gallery for a tour of inawendiwok


A member of Curve Lake First Nation and citizen of the Nishnaabeg Nation, artist Olivia Whetung draws upon her experience working on and with the land to create artworks that speak of the interdependence and relationality within our ecosystem. Researching land-based and food de-commodifying movements, Anishinaabe knowledge, and the ecology of her home territory, Whetung presents a series of sculptural installations, digital prints, and three-dimensional beadworks that articulate the vital connectivity between woodland, wetland, and garden environments.

Olivia Whetung: inawendiwok installation at AGM, 2024.

Mutualism 07, discarded Perspex display, metal components, steel rope, nylon
line, bird seed, 2021, 60cm x 18.5cm x 10cm, photo: courtesy of the artist

3:00pm – Join Scott Rogers (artist) and Leila Timmins (curator) in The Backyard for a tour of Mutualism (Fixed Assets)


Mutualism (Fixed Assets) is a new temporary public artwork for the backyard at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery. This ambitious new installation builds on Rogers’ interest in human- built infrastructures for the care and support of non-human beings. Taking the form of a site-responsive bird feeding station, the work is assembled from broken automobile parts scavenged from roads and highways. This reuse of discarded materials connects with the industrial history of Oshawa, while proposing possibilities of ecological renewal out of the wreckage.

In Arctic Char Steaks, Couzyn van Heuvelen renders a staple of Inuit cuisine at an exaggerated scale, creating thick slices of Arctic char from solid steel. The rusted surface coloration mimics the rich orange of the fish’s flesh, while the patina of the metal suggests both preservation and the passage of time.

Beneath the char steaks, the cardboard references the makeshift seating used at summer hunt camps on sea ice—where cardboard offers insulation and a clean surface for processing food. This gesture evokes moments of community, shared labour, and nourishment central to Inuit life on the land.

By combining industrial materials with culturally significant imagery, van Heuvelen blurs boundaries between contemporary sculpture and traditional practices. The work honours food as a site of connection and memory, recontextualizing an everyday necessity within a sculptural language that is both reverent and inventive.

Installation of Couzyn van Heuvelen, Arctic Char Steaks, 2021-2023, steel and cardboard at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, 2023. Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid.

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

Closing Activities: We are ten thousand hands that plant seeds

Installation of We are ten thousand hands that plant seeds at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, 2025. Photos by Toni Hafkenscheid.

Free admission. Everyone is welcome.
Dive deeper into the themes, histories, and techniques behind the group exhibition We are ten thousand hands that plant seeds. Learn from the artists directly, enjoy a delicious lunch, and experience the exhibition before it closes on October 6.

11am-1pm – “Mapping with Embroidery”
Hands-on workshop with exhibiting artist Sharmistha Kar 16+
This workshop has limited registration, so please save your spot here!

12:30pm-2pm – Lunch
Join us for delicious food from local restaurants! Enjoy RMG’s backyard and meet the artists and curator.

2-4:30pm – “Sounds of Resistance”
Sound Talk + Listening Session with exhibiting artist Soledad Fatima Muñoz
All ages
Drop-in! No registration required.
Refreshments provided.

Sharmistha Kar, Soft Shelter IV (detail), bunka on tarpaulin, 2018.

Mapping with Embroidery
Hands-on workshop with Sharmistha Kar
11am-1pm
Ages 16+
Register here.

While learning the slow and meditative technique of Bunka embroidery, workshop participants will consider ideas of memory, mapping, migration, and movement. Together we’ll ask: how does it feel to experience a new place or to imagine a familiar place in a new way? Sharing stories, and travelling by way of thread across fabric, participants will encounter a unique pace of making, with support from artist Sharmistha Kar.

Sounds of Resistance
Sound Talk + Listening Session with exhibiting artist Soledad Fatima Muñoz
2-4:30pm
All ages
Drop-in! No registration required.

Led by artist Soledad Fatima Muñoz, let’s dive into the sounds of South American resistance. Featuring selections from her personal record collection, the session will focus on the groundbreaking Chilean label, Discoteca del Cantar Popular (DICAP). Founded in 1967 by the Communist Youth of Chile, DICAP became a vital voice for politically engaged musicians whose work was often silenced by mainstream outlets. It played a central role in the Nueva Canción Chilean (New Chilean Song) movement, offering a sonic platform for anti-capitalist expression and cultural resistance. Even after the 1973 military coup and the destruction of its Santiago offices, DICAP’s mission lived on—operating from exile in Paris and Madrid and continuing to release music under the sub-label Canto Libre for Chilean artists in diaspora.

Through an afternoon of shared listening, Soledad Fatima Muñoz will guide us through this sonic history—tracing threads of resilience, memory, and artistic defiance that resonate deeply in her own creative practice.

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

Co-presented with SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Centre).

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

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

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.

RMG Friday: From the Ground Up

Join us for a mystical night of story telling and folk tales. From the Caribbean to Ireland, to India and beyond, be transported to a place of wonderment through a magical night of discovery.

Performing artists from Durham Storytellers, Dianne Chandler, Kesha Christie, Enid De Coe, and Brenda Beck, will weave stories of magic that entice the imagination of childlike wonder and thrill.

Durham Storytellers is an enthusiastic group that aims to keep oral storytelling alive, promote an awareness of storytelling and illustrate how stories fit in today’s society. They convey each story without books or notes, and are considered part of the performing arts. Members are from all walks of life and at various stages in their storytelling journey. They strive to inspire others to want to share and tell their stories.

Experience a mesmerizing Moko Jumbie performance by award-winning Miss Coco Murray, accompanied by live West African drum and percussion. Coco Moko Jumbie pays homage to a traditional masquerade figure that serves as a spirit and protector of the village in Western/Central African regions. This resilient stilt dance tradition is a symbol of emancipation as a traditional Carnival character, celebrating contemporary Caribbean culture.

Collette “Coco” Murray is an award-winning Afro-diasporic dance artist-scholar, cultural arts programmer, educator, and arts consultant with over 25 years of experience in the Canadian arts sector. Her work centers on West African, Caribbean folk, carnival arts, and stilt-dance traditions. As a passionate advocate for equity in the arts, Coco blends performance, education, and community engagement to promote anti-racist dance pedagogy and culturally responsive programming. She’s currently pursuing a PhD in Dance Studies at York University.

Enjoy a casual exhibition tour of We are ten thousand hands that plant seeds with Seemil Chaudry, Community Engagement Assistant, South Asian Visual Art Centre. Seemil will guide participants through the exhibition, sharing stories and behind-the-scenes insights on the artworks on display.

Installation of We are ten thousand hands that plant seeds at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, 2025. Photos by Toni Hafkenscheid.

Nini’s Ice Cream Truck will be serving up sweet treats. Cool off with ice cream or shaved ice in a variety of tasty flavours that are sure to satisfy the tastebuds.

RMG Fridays are free community events that bring together various art forms. Designed for all ages they feature a variety of live music, performances, exhibition tours, and highlight community partners, artists and local businesses.

Dwelling Stains II, 2023. 16″ x 20″. Henna & Ink on Wood.

Guest artist Judith Grace Vijaysenan will be joining us. Visit the studio to learn about her art practice. Try your hand at henna art on wood and take home your finished product. No experience required!


Judith Grace Vijayasenan is an Indian-born, Toronto-based visual artist. Her medium styles incorporate oils, acrylics, ink and henna on Wood. Judith likes to base her pieces on memory, land, and small connections that she has to her past and present land (India and Canada).
She is graduated in June 2023 with a BFA in Drawing and Painting and minoring in Social Science from OCAD University. Judith’s work has been exhibited in Ada Slaight Gallery: Gathering Divergence (2022), OCAD University’s GRADEX 103 (2023) and The Clarke Center for the Arts in “Marinating in our Surrealistic Land” (2024) group exhibition.

The RMG reserves the right to cancel this event due to circumstances beyond RMG’s control or not reasonably anticipated, including but not limited, to weather, or inability of facility to host Event.

Fall Seniors Social

Back by popular demand, this free event encourages seniors (age 55+) to spend the afternoon curating their own program. We will offer refreshments, tours and drop-in art making sessions.

Schedule of events:
Scroll further down to see all details!

1- 3pm – Light refreshments in Arthur’s
1 – 3pm – Record and CD Acrylic Painting Activity in the studio
1pm and 2pm – Guided tours of the RMG’s current exhibitions starting in the lobby
1:30 – 2:30pm – Canoe on the Lake sketching class with Jade Wysotski in the lookout

Untitled design – 3

1:30-2:30pm │The Lookout │1st Floor

Canoe on the Lake
Guest Instructor: Jade Wysotski
Working with graphite and graphite blend pencils, this piece will bring you back to calm days on the lake. We will capture the beauty of a Northern Ontario landscape using reductive techniques to communicate rich values and soft textures. Enjoy creating a work of art suitable for all drawing abilities.

1 – 3pm │Studio │1st Floor

Join us in our onsite art studio to create mandala acrylic dot-paintings on CD’s and Vinyl Records. Fun for total newbies and veteran artists alike. Drop-in at any time throughout the senior social and spend any amount of time creating. All materials provided, don’t forget to take home your unique creation!

1 and 2pm │ Lobby │Main Floor

Meet us in the lobby for exploratory exhibition tours. View historical Canadian artworks that are protected and selected from our Permanent Collection, including the influential Group of Seven, an Andy Warhol work and Painters Eleven member, Hortense Gordon.

1 – 3pm │ Arthurs │4th Floor

Join us in our charismatically renovated event space, featuring lush autumnal views from above Oshawa. We are serving free, light refreshments including hot tea, coffee and small bites. Perfect to warm up and socialize with new and familiar friends!

Receive 10% off on regular priced items in our gift shop. Not including books or member pricing, in store only.

This event is supported by Sienna for Seniors Foundation.