Ioana Dragomir: Exhibition Opening Reception

Help us celebrate the opening of Ioana Dragomir’s solo exhibition! Produced during her residency at the RMG, this installation will feature drawings and textiles inspired by the gallery’s archives.

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].

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

Ioana Dragomir: not quite ever only

Adorned with drawings, trinkets, textiles, and text, not quite ever  only is an exhibition by interdisciplinary artist Ioana Dragomir. This new work, created by the artist during her residency at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG), is anchored by a homey set situated on a quilt of worn moving blankets, enclosed on three sides by a skeleton of stud walls. Hand-drawn wallpaper, sewn pockets, stickers, and research fragments form delicate layers around and within the exhibition’s central structure. Using materials she found at the gallery, including scrap wood, artist files, and exhibition catalogues, Dragomir’s work is a reflection of the transitory nature of relevance and proximity. Held in temporary and site-specific compositions, each moment in the installation is a poem for viewers to discover, in a pocket in a room inside a room, hidden in plain sight.

Over nearly six decades, the RMG has played host to numerous artists, curators, administrators, and visitors, and its collection houses thousands of artworks and archived materials. The history of any gallery is made up of these things, tangible and intangible, that lend both structure and character to the idea of that place. This is also true in reverse. The people who have made the gallery what it is carry something of this place with them: home libraries hold old catalogues; the institution’s name is listed on artists’ CVs; colleagues who became friends reminisce about when they first met. As if picking up a romance novel, Dragomir chose to be swept up by the presence of these types of stories in the gallery’s archives, drawing especially from the Joan Murray artist files, assembled in large part, and named after, the RMG’s Director Emeritus. Focusing first on artist couples, then more broadly on the theme of friendship, Dragomir savours the way private matters and poetic coincidence inevitably leak into institutional histories and her own work.

Carefully sifted and crafted by the artist, the works in not quite ever only reflect Dragomir’s own imagination and point of view as much as they reveal (or conceal) anything about her source materials, which include additions from her own friends. To borrow from Sarah Ahmed’s writing, this work is an exploration of willful misuse as Dragomir pulls text, images, artworks, and ideas from one context to place them in another. This process is an invitation to consider what is lost, gained, and retained by such an act of creation. As a gesture of collaboration, it is also an opportunity to be attentive to the surprises of temporary proximity and discover delight in the relationships that make us who we are.

Ioana Dragomir is an interdisciplinary artist currently based in Montreal, Canada. She holds an Honours BA in studio practice from the University of Waterloo, an MA in Art History and Curatorial Studies from Western University, and is currently an MFA candidate at Concordia University. Her artistic practice combines her interest in writing, literary analysis, and curation with drawing, printmaking, textiles, ceramics, and installation. In particular, poetic methodologies of juxtaposition, metaphor, and slippage are important to her practice. Her work has been exhibited at Cambridge Galleries, the plumb, Centre Clark, and Support, among others. She has organized curatorial and community-based projects for the Dundas Valley School of Art and the Landmarks Biennale in Cambridge.

Installation of not quite ever only at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, 2024. Images by Toni Hafkenscheid.

Related Programming

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

Backyard Story Time at the RMG: August

Experience the magic of outdoor story time at the art gallery! Through books, songs, games, and creative activities, storytellers from Oshawa Public Libraries will spark your imagination in The Backyard at the RMG! This event is free and no registration is required.

Offered alongside the exhibition Contemporary Kids, this year’s Backyard Story Time themes are inspired by the artists in that exhibition. Celebrating the unique perspectives and ingenuity of children, Contemporary Kids is an exhibition featuring a collection of collaborative artwork made by artists and kids and interactive installations that allow parents and children to explore and play together.

Backyard Story Time at the RMG is hosted by, and offered in partnership with, Oshawa Public Libraries.

Contemporary Kids has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.

Backyard Story Time at the RMG: July

Experience the magic of outdoor story time at the art gallery! Through books, songs, games, and creative activities, storytellers from Oshawa Public Libraries will spark your imagination in The Backyard at the RMG! This event is free and no registration is required.

Offered alongside the exhibition Contemporary Kids, this year’s Backyard Story Time themes are inspired by the artists in that exhibition. Celebrating the unique perspectives and ingenuity of children, Contemporary Kids is an exhibition featuring a collection of collaborative artwork made by artists and kids and interactive installations that allow parents and children to explore and play together.

Backyard Story Time at the RMG is hosted by, and offered in partnership with, Oshawa Public Libraries.

Contemporary Kids has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.

Mother’s Day Tea 2024

Seatings at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm

$55/adult and $28/kids under 12

Come join us for tea on Mother’s Day at The RMG. Farm + Wild will be hosting seatings for the whole weekend. Daniel and his team will be serving the best Durham has to offer, so bring all the moms for delicious prix fixe. Afterward, please tour our exhibitions and visit to the RMG Shop to make your day complete for a full experience at our gallery.

Reserve your spot!

RMG Friday: Emerging Visions

This month, we’re celebrating a brand new exhibition at the RMG! Please join us on the lower level in Gallery A at 7:15PM for opening remarks with Durham College students and staff to recognize the opening of Emerging Visions. Emerging Visions is an annual exhibition of thesis projects by the third-year Fine Arts class at Durham College.

Order of Events

7pm – Doors Open, Art Activity begins in Studio

7:15pm – DRIFF Screening in the Lookout

7:15-7:45 – Opening Remarks and Award Ceremony

8pm – Performance by BoluSings

8:15pm – DRIFF Screening in the Lookout

8:45pm – Performance by Simmone Mariah

Bolu Adefemi or “BoluSings” is a 16 year old girl from Oshawa, Ontario. Bolu uses songwriting to explore the issues that touch her world. Bolu’s mum likes to tell people “She’s been singing ever since she was in the womb”; and Bolu agrees she has always loved to sing. Bolu Adefemi has written, produced, and released three songs on important issues: including the “Corona-virus”, The importance of self care, and the “Black Lives Matter Movement”. Bolu has been featured in the following media: CityTV, CP24 News, AM960, 680 News, Clarington This Week, Orono Times, Durham.com, The RoundTable Talk show in Long Beach, California Toronto Caribbean Virtual Festival and Ticker TV, Australia etc. Bolu loves to follow her passion, while sharing messages that she finds crucial. 

Simmone Mariah is a Toronto-born and-raised singer/songwriter who has been captivating audiences with her powerful voice and emotive lyrics. Raised in church Simmone discovered her love for music at a young age and has been honing her craft ever since. Simmone’s music is both fresh and timeless exploring love, heartbreak and self-discovery. In 2018 Simmone released her debut single; Miles Between which showcased her signature sound and has set the tone for her future success. Since then she has continued to write and record music that speaks to the heart of her listeners. As she continues to pursue her passion for music, Simmone Mariah is poised to make a lasting impact on the North American music scene and beyond.

DRIFF Screening

Frida in the Sky | Directed by Dani Sadun | 6:14 minutes

Frida, an 8-year-old engineering prodigy, builds an airplane behind her mother’s back to follow in her Abuela’s legacy.

In the studio, create your very own D.I.Y. planter pot stake using polymer clay! No art experience required.

Ages 12+

Doors Open 2024

In 1987, architect Arthur Erikson was commissioned to design an addition to the RMG’s existing 1969 building. Erikson’s interest in the play of light and shadow is evident in the RMG’s large skylight and upper level curved windows. Join us at 2PM for a tour of the RMG building.

Let’s celebrate Arthur Erikson’s love of light and shadow! From 10:30AM to 12:30PM, join us for a hands-on art making activity encourage participants to use their imagination to create beautiful lighted sculptures.

Doors Open Oshawa is a free, annual event that provides an opportunity to explore Oshawa’s diverse heritage and cultural sites. Spend a day discovering local history first-hand and celebrating our community’s heritage.

Pegi Nicol MacLeod: Unforgettably Hers

Pegi Nicol MacLeod (born Margaret Kathleen Nichol, 1904-1949) was inspired by everyday scenes around her. Growing up in Ottawa, MacLeod studied art at the Ottawa Art School, and later at the École des beaux-arts in Montreal.  While her subjects were varied— children, bustling crowds, views from her window—her style was undeniably hers. Art historian Laura Brandon described MacLeod’s unique vision: “MacLeod’s paintings are like jazz. Whatever the subject, her colours and lines weave a complex and energetic or discordant harmony that is unforgettably hers.”  This exhibition pulls together works in the RMG’s permanent collection that capture MacLeod’s exuberant and spontaneous energy that she applied to her life and art. 

EMERGING VISIONS: Durham College Thesis Exhibition 2024

We are pleased to present the annual Durham College Thesis Exhibition! Like all visionary explorers, the students in Durham College’s Fine Arts Advanced program are involved in a continual process of identifying and studying meaningful subjects that pertain to their own evolving bodies of work. They first research then develop strategies unique to their practice through experimentation, all the while learning to define and focus their personal interests. This exhibition includes a wide range of subjects, interests, and mediums.

Celebrate EMERGING VISIONS with the staff and students of Durham College! The opening reception will be hosted during RMG Friday on May 3, 2024. Then, stop by the gallery at 1pm on May 15th for an artist-led tour of the exhibition. This is your chance to learn more about specific projects and hear about the journey from conception to fabrication to presentation.

Related Programming

This exhibition is presented with support from the RBC Foundation.

Contemporary Kids

Contemporary Kids is an exhibition bringing together contemporary artists who make art with and for children. Within the framework of contemporary art, the interests and cultural production of children are often excluded. The artists in this exhibition embrace the unique perspectives that children can bring to art and see play as a crucial entry into artistic explorations.

Artist duo Leisure (Meredith Carruthers and Susannah Wesley) have created an immersive installation for the exhibition that allows children to play, reflect, and rest. Exploring art and movement with their bodies, kids are encouraged to work alone or with others to weave, stretch, and hoist a web of ropes and soft sculptures.

Alongside these interactive artworks, Amy Wong presents a body of work she produced with her son Rudi. Illustrating the creative negotiations that constitute intergenerational relationships, this work also reveals the vital connection between Wong’s studio practice as an artist and childcare strategies as a parent. Hannah Jickling and Reed H. Reed also present a survey of artwork that was created with children. Developing experimental curriculum for classroom settings, the artists have been thinking alongside kid collaborators for several years. Adopting a critical lens and youthful perspective, they have created an expansive collection of publications, prints, and sculptures inspired by their collaborative projects.

Altogether, the work in Contemporary Kids is a celebration of the unique ways children see and engage with their environment. The exhibition is a playground for all ages, serving as a reminder to find joy and fun in each other’s company and seek creative problem solving in an ever-changing world.

About the Artists:

Hannah Jickling + Reed H. Reed have been collaborating since 2006. Their projects take shape as public installations, social situations and events that circulate as photographs, videos, printed-matter and artists’ multiples. They have facilitated many collaborative research projects with children, most notably Big Rock Candy Mountain (2015–ongoing). In 2017 they published Multiple Elementary with YYZBOOKS, part exhibition catalogue, artists’ book, and candy store advertisement. Multiple Elementary explores the elementary school classroom as a site for the invention and reception of contemporary art practices.

Jickling and Reed are recipients of numerous awards including the Ian Wallace Award for Teaching Excellence (2016, Emily Carr University), the Mayor’s Arts Award for Public Art (2017, City of Vancouver), the Sobey Art Award Longlist (2018, National Gallery of Canada and the Sobey Art Foundation), the 2018 VIVA Award (Jack and Doris Shadbolt Foundation for the Visual Arts). Together, they have presented work at: Western Front (Vancouver), Contemporary Art Gallery (Vancouver), Mitchell Gallery (Edmonton), Arts League (Houston), the Malmö Art Academy (Malmö, SE), Dunlop Art Gallery (Regina), Studio XX (Montreal), Carleton University Art Gallery (Ottawa), Gallery TPW (Toronto), Kelowna Art Gallery, Theatre of Research (Hamburg), Westfälischer Kunstverein, (Münster, DE), the Tate Liverpool (UK) and the Ruskin School of Art (Oxford, UK).

Jickling and Reed are currently based between xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ/selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in territories – working to locate their practice between urban/southern and rural/northern contexts. They teach part-time at the Yukon School of Visual Arts.

Leisure is a research-based collaborative art practice between Montreal-based artists Meredith Carruthers (1975) and Susannah Wesley (1976). Recent projects on friendship, collaboration, material exploration and intergenerational exchange include: Having Ideas by Handling Materials (Oakville Galleries, 2023), The Ceremony (Foreman Art Gallery of Bishop’s University, 2021), Conversation with magic forms (most recently exhibited at CAG Vancouver, 2020), the solo retrospective How one becomes what one is (MusĂ©e d’art de Joliette, 2018), Panning for gold/Walking you through it (MusĂ©e d’art contemporain de MontrĂ©al, 2017) and DualitĂ©/DualitĂ© (Artexte, Montreal, 2015). Upcoming exhibitions include their curation and participation in the 5th Virginia McClure Ceramic Biennale (2024, McClure Gallery), a group exhibition at the Tartu Art Museum, Estonia (2024), and a solo exhibition at Optica (2025). Wesley and Carruthers are currently working on a precedent setting collaborative PhD candidacy in Research-Creation within Concordia University’s Individualized Program.

Amy Wing-Hann Wong (b. 1981, Toronto, she/they) is an Angry Asian Feminist disguised as an oil painter. Her practice ranges from painting-based installation to collaborative projects that explore the politics of making noise and thinking through together. Often inverting private and public spaces, Wong asserts ways in which a leakiness and messiness of things can aspire towards feminist and decolonial ways of being. Their practice oscillates between varying systems of representation to evoke non-linear, personal narratives. They often work with what they consider a bad idea or a cliché to redefine them on their terms. Wong completed her BFA at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, MFA at York University in Toronto, Ontario and post-graduate studies at De Ateliers in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Rudi Sun-Yu Wong (b. 2017, Toronto, he/him) is in grade 1 at Iroquois Junior Public School. He knows a lot about bugs, gemstones, outer space, and poop jokes. He loves arts and crafts, swimming, and dancing. Wong lives with his mom, aunt and grandparents in Scarborough and with his dad downtown. He has two dogs and an aquarium of fish and shrimp and farts and plants and rocks and also water. Past collaborations between Amy and Rudi include Room for Taking Care at OCADU Graduate Gallery, Toronto ON; Exchange Piece at the Design TO Festival; A Glitter of Seas at Dreamsong, Minneapolis, MN.

Installation of Contemporary Kids at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, 2024. Photo by Toni Hafkenscheild.

Related Programming

This exhibition has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.

Exhibition support also provided by Companies Who Care and Canada Mats.

Programming support: