This month, we will be inspired by the beauty of winter. Join us to make unique paper quilled designs inspired by winter landscapes. Then, use watercolour paint to design elegant symmetrical snowflakes!
This event is generously sponsored by Ontario Power Generation.
Ages 5-7 – This camp is full.
Ages 8-12 – This camp is full.
9am to 4pm
$200 Members| $210 Non-Members
Do you want your kids to dive into creativity? Are they looking for exciting new adventures? Campers are encouraged to interact with art in fun and playful ways as they share their thoughts, and express their ideas through art. We will get hands on with some messy and imaginative art making activities that will truly inspire all budding artists. Spaces are limited.
Hereās how March Break Camp will look this year:
COVID -19 protocols and guidelines
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have questions or concerns that arenāt addressed here, please feel free to contact the Learning Department. More detailed information about camp will be sent to registered families prior to the first day of camp.
I see that you do online registrations, can I register in-person or over the phone?
While we prefer online registrations, we do accept in-person (cash, debit, VISA and Mastercard) and phone registrations (VISA and Mastercard). There is a mandatory registration form that needs to be completed fully for each camper at the time of payment. These forms are reviewed by staff and documented in order to ensure we are aware of pertinent information. We may reach out to families if we have follow-up questions prior to camp.
Families who choose to make payment over the phone will be emailed a copy of the registration form. The form must be filled out and sent back by the first day of camp.
What is your maximum capacity?
15 campers maximum per camp.
What if I have a child that is outside the age range, can they still join?
All of our camps are geared specifically for children within the designated ages. In order to ensure the best experience for everyone, participants must fall within the indicated age range.
Are pre- and post-care available?
No, unfortunately, we are not able to offer this service.
Can I register for one or two days instead of the whole week?
Unfortunately, we ask families to commit to the full week as often our art making fun requires multiple days to complete (many requiring time to dry before paint or adding final details).
What type of activities have you planned, are campers outside at all?
Campers will be spending equal time in the Lookout and the Studio. The camp will have in-gallery interactive visits including looking activities, games, and sketching. Campers in the Studio and Lookout will have opportunities to create with a variety of mediums! We have a fully fenced in backyard, and if weather permits we will be spending lunch and snack breaks outside.
Do you provide snacks/lunch?
Parents are asked to pack a water bottle, peanut free snacks and lunch daily. There are two snack breaks and lunch is from 12-1pm.
What else might my child need to bring?
If you believe your child may need a change of clothes please provide that. The Studio has fluctuating temperatures, and dressing in layers is suggested to account for this. Please ensure your child wears art friendly clothing and comfortable footwear.
What is the staff to camper ratio?
We aim for a minimum of 1 to 7 ratio.
Do you provide a ākiss and rideā?
Drop-off takes place from 8:45am ā 9:00am. On the first day, we ask campers are signed in with a staff member in the front lobby. Families can choose to escort their camper to their āhomeroomā or a camp staff member can ensure your child gets to their room.
Families may choose to do a ākiss and rideā drop off in the mornings at the front of the building Tuesday to Friday starting at 8:45am.
We require all families to pick up their camper at the end of each day at 4pm. Only authorized adults will be allowed to sign out campers.
Do you want your kids to dive into creativity? Are they looking for exciting new adventures? Campers are encouraged to interact with art in fun and playful ways as they share their thoughts, and express their ideas through art. We will get hands on with some messy and imaginative art making activities that will truly inspire all budding artists.
CAMP FULL / Registrations now closed
Ages 5 to 10
$45 Members/$55 Non-Members
Hereās how Camp will look this year:
If we must cancel camps due to public health restrictions, we will issue full refunds. Cancellations by participants will be subject to our cancellation policy.
If you have questions or concerns that arenāt addressed here, please feel free to contact the Learning Department. More detailed information about camps and the Learning Team will be sent to registered families prior to the first day of camp.
I see that you do online registrations, can I register in-person or over the phone?
While we prefer online registrations, we do accept in-person (cash, debit, VISA and Mastercard) and phone registrations (VISA and Mastercard). There is a mandatory registration form that needs to be completed fully for each camper at the time of payment. These forms are reviewed by staff and documented in order to ensure we know pertinent information. We may reach out to families if we have follow-up questions prior to camp.
Families who choose to make payment over the phone will be emailed a copy of the registration form. The form must be filled out and sent back before the start of camp.
What is your maximum capacity?
15 campers maximum.
What if I have a child that is outside the age range, can they still join?
All of our camps are geared specifically for children within the designated ages. In order to ensure the best experience for everyone, participants must fall within the indicated age range.
Are pre- and post-care available?
No, unfortunately, we are not able to offer this service.
What type of activities have you planned, are campers outside at all?
We will have a gallery portion of the day where campers get to explore our exhibitions, get an exclusive tour and participate in an exhibition activity! In the studio, we will get messy and play around with a variety of art-making projects. We have a fenced in backyard, if weather permits we may spend some time outside to play.
Do you provide snacks/lunch?
Parents are asked to pack a water bottle, peanut free snacks and lunch daily. There are two snack breaks and lunch is from 12-1pm.
What else might my child need to bring?
If you believe your child may need a change of clothes please provide that. The studio has fluctuating temperatures, and your child may feel comfortable in layers. Please ensure your child wears art friendly clothing and comfortable footwear. If weather permits we may spend some time outside to play.
What is the staff to camper ratio?
We aim for a minimum of 1 to 7 ratio.
Do you provide a ākiss and rideā?
Not at this time. Drop-off takes place from 8:45am ā 9:00am. We ask campers are signed in with a staff member in the front lobby. Families can choose to escort their camper to the studio, or a camp staff member can ensure your child gets there!
We require all families to pick up their camper at the end of day at 4pm. Only authorized adults will be allowed to sign out campers.
This event is open to the public, but registration encouraged.
Join us for a conversation about the lasting impact and legacy of artist Kazuo Nakamura. The discussion will be led by panelists Louise Noguchi (artist), Bryce Kanbara (artist and recent Governor General Award recipient), and John Hatch (art historian). Kazuo Nakamura laid the groundwork for younger generations of Japanese Canadian artists and achieved great success in his lifetime. This event compliments the current exhibition at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Kazuo Nakamura: Universal Pattern, on view until March 5th.
Refreshments will be served.
Louise Noguchi was born in Toronto, and has been active in the Toronto art community since 1981. Her work has been included in solo and group exhibitions across Canada and internationally. A selection of these exhibitions follows: “Das zweite Gesicht”, Deutsches Museum, Munich (2002); “Track Records,” Oakville Galleries, Oakville, and the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa (1997-1999); “Modus Operandi,” Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver, and the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan (1996); and, “Louise Noguchi Selected Works: 1982 – 1985,” The Power Plant, Toronto (1989).
Dr. John G. Hatch is associate professor of art history at Western University in London Ontario. He received his doctorate from the University of Essex in art history and theory. His area of research is twentieth-century European and American art and theory, with a particular interest in the points of convergence between art and science. His articles have examined the work of Robert Smithson, Cindy Sherman, Francis Bacon, Frantisek Kupka, Shi Zhiying, amongst others, and most recently the German photographer Thomas Ruff. He is the Art Canada Institute author of monographs on Paterson Ewen and Kazuo Nakamura and is currently working on his third title examining the life and work of Doris McCarthy.
Kanbara has been working for nearly five decades: across media in painting, printmaking and sculpture, and as a curator and arts administrator. He was a founding member and the first administrator of Hamilton Artists Inc. (known then as Hamilton Artistsā Co-op) in the late 1970s and early ā80s, going on to hold curatorial positions at Burlington Art Centre; Art Gallery of Hamilton; Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant; JC Gallery at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (Toronto). He was also Executive Director of the Toronto Chapter, National Association of Japanese Canadians, Chair of the NAJC Endowment Fund and National Executive member. As one of the first to open a gallery space along Hamiltonās James Street North in the early aughts, Kanbara has been the proprietor of you me gallery since 2003. In 2021, he won a Governor Generalās Award in Visual and Media Arts for his countless contributions.
Remarks at 2PM
Coming from Toronto? We have organized a bus to bring you to and from the opening! Pick up will be in front of OCADU at 100 McCaul St at 12:30PM. The bus will leave the RMG at 3:45PM to return to OCADU by 5PM.
Powerful Glow
Jordan Bennett, Patricia Deadman, Ursula Johnson, Mike MacDonald, Peter Morin, Luke Parnell, Archer Pechawis, Anne Riley, Fallon Simard, Becca Taylor, Art Wilson and T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss
November 26, 2022 ā April 9, 2023
Curated by Lisa Myers
If we think of land and waterways as readable with a range that is fluid and ever changing, living and legible, then we can see how oneās understanding of land grows over long periods of time.
Gathered around the medicine and butterfly artworks by the late Miākmaw artist Mike MacDonald, this exhibition brings together artists whose works are rooted in and stem from specific plant and land vocabularies that reflect place-based knowledge and nuanced perspectives of medicine.
Loose Parts
sophia bartholomew, Akash Inbakumar, Justin Mezzapelli
November 19th, 2022 – February 19th, 2023
Curated by Hannah Keating
Loose Parts encourages viewers to think about the intimate connection between grief, world building, and kinship. When things fall apart or their edges fray, we can see the component parts more clearly. Instinctively, especially in grief, we try to hold on, but itās in loosening our grip and letting the pieces scatter that we find ourselves and discover tools for building new worlds. The artists in Loose Parts embrace provisional and in-between spaces, looking to ancient mythologies, dreamed-up futures, and personal stories of becoming for wisdom and ways forward.
Kazuo Nakamura: Universal Pattern
October 8, 2022 ā March 5, 2023
Curated by: Sonya Jones
Kazuo Nakamura was a founding member of Painters Eleven (1953-60), Ontarioās first abstract art collective. Although sharing in the other members’ use of abstraction, Nakamura’s work was distinguished within the group by his use of more subdued brushstrokes, simpler structures and monochromatic palette. Drawing primarily from the RMGās permanent collection, this exhibition pulls together works that reflect the scope of Nakamuraās artistic career and his constant search for truth and understanding of the world around him.
The Ties That Bind
October 8th, 2022 ā August 20th, 2023
Curated by Sonya Jones
Feeling connected is a fundamental psychological need. In nature, ecosystems depend on interactions and connections in order to thrive. Similarly, humans flourish through connections that are physical, emotional, and social. After two years of feeling disconnected, this exhibition pulls together artwork that reflects on the different ways we seek connections, whether through relationships, finding peace and perspective in nature, or exploring shared histories.
Also on view:
The Beyond Within
Annie MacDonell
September 24, 2022 ā February 12, 2023
Complete Freedom
Abstract artworks from our permanent collection
December 11th, 2021 – March 5th, 2023
Come Together
Photographs from the Thomas Bouckley Collection
June 18, 2022 ā January 8, 2023
Join us at the Winter Exhibitions Opening on November 26, 2022, 1-4pm.
If we think of land and waterways as readable with a range that is fluid and ever changing, living and legible, then we can see how oneās understanding of land grows over long periods of time.
Gathered around the medicine and butterfly artworks by the late Miākmaw artist Mike MacDonald, this exhibition brings together artists whose works are rooted in and stem from specific plant and land vocabularies that reflect place-based knowledge and nuanced perspectives of medicine.
MacDonald was a documentarian and media artist who also created garden artworks. Through documenting medicine plants for Elders in Gitxsan territory, MacDonald came to consider flora and butterflies as his teachers. Over several years, he planted more than twenty garden artworks across the land known as Canada. Through these plantings he developed a detailed vocabulary of medicinal plants, butterflies, and their diverse ecologies. Medicine takes material form through plants and food, but this exhibition invites you to imagine medicine as care and teaching; as continuance and memory; as mentorship and learning; and to consider that medicine can manifest as courage to defend land and resistance against ongoing colonial state violence.
The conversations exchanged among these artworks create a powerful glow made possible through a commitment to reciprocity, remediation and remembering. Reciprocity evokes the acts of offering and then doing, where remediation contends with the context at hand and is about being from and for. Remembering, whether through oneās body or material archives, can be painful, nourishing, interpretive and reflective ways to access ancestral knowledge.
Reciprocity, remediation, remembering – fluid, ever changing, living.
Looking Back
Rooting into Mike MacDonaldās work with butterflies, butterfly gardens and the passionate defence of the environment that inspired his lifeās work, we invite you to explore this archived version of the artist’s website. This site was recognized with the Aboriginal Achievement Award for New Media in 2000, alongside MacDonaldās essay āIndians in Cyberspace.ā Engage materials about plants, butterflies and some of the work featured in Powerful Glow.
Ā Installation of Powerful Glow at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, 2022. Images by Toni Hafkenscheid.
Join us for a Thursday Curatorial Tour of this exhibition.
Upheaval is like an earthquake. Whether from external events or personal growth, it can shake inner worlds, deconstruct long-held patterns, and free ideas from tight grips. In its aftermath, formerly rigid orders are scattered and frayed, appearing more fluid than before; within this creative threshold, the pieces left behind beg for new orientations and arrangements. A loving embrace of queerness and being in flux, the exhibition Loose Parts takes pleasure in the beauty, openness, and potential of in-between spaces and holding things lightly. Artists sophia bartholomew, Akash Inbakumar, and Justin Mezzapelli do this with intention, creating laborious works that unfasten and reorder social structures and conceptions of self through a queer lens.
In an early educational context, the theory of loose parts is a learning strategy that encourages the development of creative problem-solving skills through tactile play. Adopted as the title of this exhibition, the spirit of loose parts is carried into a collection of artworks that engage with repetitive acts of assembly. In this case, the artists work with everyday objects such as flower petals, pine needles, bread tags, and paper. Gathering and sorting, covering and weaving, their provisional installations propose a way of relating with ourselves and others that is imbued with curiosity and flexibility and is attentive to the inevitable condition of impermanence.
Seeking kinship and wisdom in ancient mythologies, art making processes, and personal experiences of becoming, the works in this exhibition yield to, rather than resist, uneven ground. Whether by choice or necessity, grief is a space where we lose and let go of things as they are. Loose Parts proposes that these familiar tools, held at armās length, might be the building blocks for creating the world one wants to live in. It is an invitation to come home to yourself and carve out space for your flourishing.
Artists Bios:
sophia bartholomew works outwards from the ruins and runes of their own cultural inheritance, adapting found and salvaged materials to create material-spiritual constructions. Their sculpture and installation work exists as part of an open and living system ā borrowing its poetics from craft patterns and junk piles, stories and sagas, improvised adaptations and decisions of necessity. sophia is descended from Norwegian immigrants on Treaty 3 territory in rural Northwestern Ontario and English and Irish settlers in so-called Toronto. They recently completed their MFA studies at the University of Guelph.
Akash Inbakumar is an interdisciplinary artist, primarily working in textiles, based in Tkaronto. Their practice explores personal racialized queer narratives and material kinship, grounded in craft methodology. Inbakumar graduated from OCAD University in 2020 and has since completed a residency at Xpace Cultural Center and is currently starting their second year of the Harbourfront Center: Craft and Design residency. They have shown work at Patel Brown, Harbourfront Center, Xpace, and Artscape Gibraltar Point.
Justin Mezzapelli is an interdisciplinary artist interested in poetics, domesticity, multiplicity, and queerness. The intersections of these domains emerge in his practice while he draws on the mundane to organize meaning. His work manifests as found material and image-based examinations of subdued identity, often in transitory states. Employing ordinary objects or knowledge as semiotic tools, he delineates the appearance of selfhood parallel to distinctly unassuming worlds. Justin holds a BFA in Integrated Media from OCAD University. He is currently based in Whitby, Ontario.
Installation of Loose Parts at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, 2022. Images by Toni Hafkenscheid.
Join us for an evening of storytelling! Beginning with a behind the scenes artist talk of The Sire of Sires with Oshawa-born artist Jordan Elliot Prosser, the evening will continue with performances by the Durham Storytellers and violinist and fiddler David Shewchuk. DRIFF is also onsite to deliver a double feature and Q&A with filmmaker Patrick Weiers.
7:00 ā Doors Open
7:15-8:00 ā Artist Talk with RBC Emerging Artist in Residence Jordan Elliot Prosser
8:00-8:30 ā Performances by Durham Storytellers
Micki Beck – Apsley, ON
Micki is a storytelling elder, starting her storytelling journey some 60 years ago. Over the years, she has worked as an individual, and in groups through schools and universities to the theatre stage and television studio.
Kesha Christie – Ajax, ON
Kesha Christie is an animated storyteller who ignites the imaginations and carries you on an amazing journey from tale to intriguing tale. She tells Anansi stories, African Folklore, Aesop Fables, Historical and original tales.
Angelica Ottewille – Havelock, ON
Angelica Ottewill is a classically trained harpist and vocalist, who combines the art of storytelling with music. Her repertoire includes medieval, Celtic and historical stories, as well as folktales from many cultures.
8:30-9:15 ā Performance by David Shewchuk
9:15-9:45 ā Performances by Durham Storytellers
Judith Shaw – Oshawa, ON
Judith believes that there is magic in words that are spoken, either through poetry or storytelling. She feels the words capture her heart; ignites a desire to combine words of her own; and share her creations openly with others. Judith finds her journey into storytelling… enchanting!
Peter Dowse – Ajax, ON
Peter is now branching out, using his speaking skills from Toastmasters and applying them to his new passion of storytelling. He enjoys researching historical events and presents them in a storytelling format, personalizing the characters to add impact to the story.
Dianne Chandler – Port Perry, ON
Dianne has been weaving words of story magic, myth and mystery for all ages for many years. She performs a repertoire of global folk/fairy literary tales, and special seasonal programs with drama, passion, sensitivity and humour, often in costume.
Kathleen Smyth – Bowmanville, ON
Kathleen has been telling stories most of her life, as both a writer and a storyteller. She enjoys recanting stories about historical characters, especially strong women. Kathleen enjoys telling personal stories that amuse, inform, and inspire. And she likes to help others embrace the stories within them.
Downstairs in the Lookout
Join DRIFF downstairs in the Lookout for two short films that explore youthful experiences through two different lenses. Patrick Weiers will be present to share behind-the-scenes stories and answer questions from the audience.
Screenings and Q&A will repeat at 7:15pm, 8:00pm, and 9:00pm.
The Beach Raiders (8 mins)
Directed by Tyson Breuer
This story is a fun escape to end-of-summer shenanigans. Mel and James try to keep the fun alive for one more night, knowing this life wonāt last.
i hope they remember my name (11 mins)
Directed by Patrick Weiers
Struggling with depression, a famous vlogger travels to Asia and documents his search for dopamine.
Durham Storytellers is an enthusiastic group that aims to keep oral storytelling alive, promote an awareness of storytelling and illustrate how stories fit into today’s society. They convey each story without books or notes, and are considered part of the performing arts.
Join our summer artist in residence in Gallery A for an artist talk that accompanies his solo exhibition The Sire of Sires. Featuring surprising ties between 19th century poetry, Russian ballet, and Oshawaās own Northern Dancer, youāll learn more about Jordanās experience as an artist in residence and his exciting installation and video work, which explores the relationship between reproduction, legacy, and identity.
Dave Shewchuk is a Canadian violinist/fiddler who has performed as a soloist from Ontario to Vancouver and everywhere in between, winning the hearts of audiences with stunning creativity and originality. He performs original compositions and popular favourites in various musical styles ā classical, jazz, folk, rock, and more ā and has performed with many orchestras in Canada and the UK including The Hamilton Symphony, The Ontario Philharmonic, The National Academy Orchestra, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, The Arch Sinfonia and The London Graduate Orchestra, just to name a few.
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 Canadaās private radio broadcasters.
This event is free and open to everyone.
From the collaborators of Durham Indigenous Voices, the four-part Anti-Indigenous Racism Panel Series in 2021, we are joining as a collective again for a one-night, in-person event!
We invite you to come celebrate the creativity of the local Indigenous community through music, poetry, and dance performances.
Presented in partnership with the Durham Region, Durham Public Libraries, Durham College, Durham College Student Association, Ontario Tech University, and The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, with support from the Durham District School Board and the Durham Catholic District School Board.
Light refreshments from local Indigenous caterers will be provided for this free, drop-in event. Find us on Facebook here.
Aqua Nibii Waawaaskone embodies a beautiful mixture of Anishnaabe/Ojibwe, Irish, and French heritage. They are an artist and activist in their community Tkaronto, while running their Indigenous Arts business Aqua Music. They lead hand drum circles, ceremonies, workshops, and perform their beautiful medicine music solo and with their band, Red Rhythm & Blues, where they are the creator, lead vocalist, and drummer. Aqua thoughtfully crafts each song from their life experience as an IndigiQueer person of mixed ancestry.
Sarah Lewis is an Anishnaabe Kwe (Ojibwe/Cree) spoken word artist, activist, and mother from Curve Lake First Nation, Ontario. She is currently Peterboroughās first Poet Laureate. She has been featured on Global News, CBC radio, CBC Artsā ongoing video series: Poetic License. She has also recently been published in the poetry anthologies: āThe Condor and the Eagle Meetā as well as āA Manor of Wordsā. Her poetry uncovers the ongoing effects of colonization but more importantly, how Indigenous communities are reclaiming their identities, culture, strength and sovereignty. She also explores love, women empowerment, friendship, and her connection to Mother Earth.
Auriele Diotte has been a MĆ©tis Jigger for over 10 years. She learned to jig through the Oshawa Durham MĆ©tis Council and became part of their dance troupe, The Olivine Bousquet MĆ©tis Dancers, soon after. She has enjoyed many years of learning about her MĆ©tis heritage through dance as well as teaching others through jigging with some fancy footwork. As of August 2021, Auriele became the new owner and artistic director of the Fairytale Factory, a children’s entertainment company at which she was a performer for three years prior. As a graduate of Theatre Performance, she has been implementing the skills of storytelling, audience experience, and authenticity in every area of her life.
Virginia Barter is a Toronto based MĆ©tis/Cree historical writer, storyteller, musician and filmmaker. She is a passionate advocate of MĆ©tis culture and history. As a multi-disciplinary artist, Virginia is always seeking to discover new paths to truth and reconciliation through music, visual arts, language and poetry. She is a cultural advisor and knowledge keeper for the Toronto and York Region MĆ©tis Council, an Art Educator at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and an Indigenous Education Partner with the Toronto District School Board. As a filmmaker and writer, Virginia produces projects with strong Indigenous perspectives of land and place. Most notably, she was Producer and Host of the television series, URBAN ABORIGINAL, which highlighted the rich and culturally diverse contributions that Indigenous people bring to life in the City of Toronto.
Jordan Mowat is a Michi Saagiig Ojibwe Powwow & Round Dance singer/composer as well as a contemporary music artist from Alderville First Nation, ON, Canada. Over the past 15+ years, he has travelled extensively across Turtle Island on the powwow trail and currently sings with notable drum group Bear Creek Singers. Through this experience, he wanted to take a big step and start sharing his round dance songs on YouTube for the sole purpose of āsharing the gift of song.ā Amongst his travels he has also been able to share and perform his contemporary music and his since released tracks on most digital platforms under the name My Friend The Moon. Aside from his musical journey and cultural experiences, Jordan is an Indigenous Graduation Coach with the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board. Through advocation, mentorship, and both academic/mental health support; his goal is to help Indigenous youth realize their full potential, that they have a purpose, and to always be proud of who they are.
Mary Kelly is from the Ojibways of Onigaming and is a citizen of the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty Number Three. She is lynx clan. She is a grandmother, avid reader, and poet. Mary is a survivor of St. Margaret’s Indian Residential School in Fort Frances, Ontario. She is fluent in the Anishinaabe and English languages. āYou tore me down and left me broken, but the blood that flows through me is all I needed to rise up and fight for myself, my culture, my life.ā
Born on a First Nations Reserve in central Ontario, Cale Crowe was fueled on music from the time he had a heartbeat. Performing using an acoustic guitar, an electronic drum pad, and a loop station pedal, Cale has performed at bars, theatres, and festivals from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Cale describes the songs that make up his discography as chapters of his life – not necessarily told in order, but made to encapsulate moments of his life and the lives of those closest to him. Cale only hopes to continue to connect with people and uplift them with his music. Wherever life takes him, Cale will keep telling his story behind the strings of an acoustic guitar and a microphone.
The RMG is wheelchair accessible. ASL Interpretation can be arranged upon request. Please contact Erin Szikora at [email protected] to submit an interpretation request by October 20, 2022. All efforts will be made to fill a request, but if an Interpreter cannot be secured, we will let you know before the event takes place.
The RMG strives to make our building, collections, exhibitions, and programs accessible to people of all abilities. If there are other ways we can support your participation, please reach out to Erin at [email protected]. We welcome your feedback.
Experience this exhibition through a new 360 tour!
Feeling connected is a fundamental psychological need. In nature, ecosystems depend on interactions and connections in order to thrive. Ā Similarly, humans flourish through connections that are physical, emotional, and social. However, the desire to connect can go beyond relationships. As we have seen through the pandemic, there are benefits to connecting to natureāit can calm your nervous system and help to experience the world around you more deeply. Exploring personal and collective histories can also connect us with our roots, and situate us within the wider community. It provides a sense of belonging and understanding that can help shape perspectives and a sense of self.
The RMG believes that art cultivates connected and caring communities, and engagement with the Permanent Collection plays an important role in fostering this. With over 4,700 artworks, the shape and understanding of the Collection is continuously evolving through the acquisition of new work and exploration within exhibitions. This thematic Permanent Collection exhibition takes inspiration from the title of a new acquisition by Shellie Zhang entitled The Ties that Bind.
After two years of feeling disconnected, this exhibition pulls together artwork that reflects on the different ways we seek connections, whether through relationships, finding peace and perspective in nature, or exploring shared histories.
This exhibition is funded in part by the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Trillium Foundation.