Spring into a Durham art gallery or museum!

This article was previously published on Oshawa This Week.

Donna Raetsen-Kemp, CEO of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, on cultural treasures in your backyard

Your Durham Region museums and galleries are gearing up for spring!

We’re all working hard to bring you the kind of programming you want — inspiring, challenging, engaging, thought-provoking and, heck yes, even entertaining. You might be surprised at the wild array of creative and cultural things to do right here in your own backyard.

At The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, we’re shining a bright light on our local community. We’re looking for meaningful, interactive ways to connect you with our arts programming and national calibre exhibitions. We’ve added unorthodox gallery programming like yoga and mindfulness sessions to our roster. Surprised? Surveys suggested it and we agreed — what better place than an art gallery for gentle movement and quiet reflection?

On a more traditional arts note, check out the meditative quality of working with clay at the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington.

On the flipside, art galleries can be amazing places for social gathering. The all-ages, RMG Fridays, on the first Friday of each month, and Station Gallery’s April Drawing for Art are great examples of amped-up cultural events that bring people together in celebration of art. Whether you like your arts and culture experience served up slow and quiet, full of energy and enthusiasm, or somewhere in between, your Durham Region art spaces have something in store for you.

If you know your public art gallery well, visit soon. If you never thought a public art gallery or museum was the place for you, give it a try! You might be surprised to find that there’s a whole lot more going on behind those doors than you imagined.

Your Durham Region galleries are free to visit, so drop by for 10 minutes or stay for an hour. Sometimes it takes a few visits to feel a connection.

Consider a gallery hop. Start your day at the RMG, SG or VAC and plot your course from there. You may want to add a visit to Parkwood Estate, the Canadian Automotive Museum or the Oshawa Community Museum.

And, finally, it may not feel like it right now but summer is just around the corner. If you’re looking for ways your kids can flex their creative muscles, public art galleries across Durham Region have a plethora of summer art camp options. Be warned, programming is top notch, so spots will fill up fast.

Check out the websites for more details – and then jump in with both feet.

Oshawa Cultural Summit

Under the theme of Creative Spaces, this year’s annual Cultural Summit is an opportunity to share ideas, learn about what’s going on and celebrate culture in Oshawa!

Highlights Include:

Keynote speaker: Tim Potocic, Director – Hamilton Supercrawl!
Community presentations:
- Laura Suchan, Executive Director, Oshawa Community Museum + Dr. Helen Haines, Assistant Professor Department of Anthropology , Trent University Durham discuss their recent archeological project partnership at the museum.
- Donna Raetsen-Kemp, CEO, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery and Gallery A artist (TBC) presents the newly renovated community gallery space at RMG.
- Filmmaker Carla Sinclair, explores LGBT culture in her recent documentary Heal Myself.
The City of Oshawa will present on Culture Counts:Oshawa’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Plan and 2015 achievements.
Special performance to be announced shortly!
Refreshments and Networking Opportunity!

Visit the Cultural Summit webpage for more information: www.oshawa.ca/culturalsummit

Have a question? Please ask! Send an email to culturecounts@oshawa.ca

WHEN
Thursday, October 22, 2015 from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM

WHERE
Arts Resource Centre – 45 Queen Street Oshawa, Ontario CA

TICKETS
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oshawa-cultural-summit-tickets-18977026798

Meet our new CEO Donna Raetsen-Kemp

Donna Raetsen-Kemp is the RMG’s new Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining us, she was managing the Station Gallery in Whitby. Stop by and welcome Donna to the RMG!

The RMG: What were you up to before the RMG?

Donna Raetsen-Kemp: For the past ten years I spent my days leading the arts and culture charge at Station Gallery in Whitby. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work together with the community to transform the gallery to a thriving people place. We set our sights on creating a warm and welcoming cultural hub. A gathering place with opportunities for people to engage with art in ways that were meaningful to them – a place for everyone. I’m immensely proud of the work we did there.

RMG: What drew you to the museum sector?

DRK: There were fascinating local and global things at play. Globally, the museum sector was on the cusp of a sweeping change. I found that notion exciting. Locally, there was a small, once bustling art gallery that I took classes at as a kid that had become quiet. It had just undergone a significant renovation. The opportunity to breathe life back into Station Gallery was compelling.

RMG: What is your favourite museum?

DRK: In 2012 I was part of a Canadian delegation of arts leaders on an exchange to Venice and Florence. We visited more museums than I can count, but the museum that left its mark was the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence. It’s one of those great museums that you’ve probably never heard of. Their approach is bold and innovative. They take a unapologetic stance about putting their community at the forefront of programming and redefining the museum experience. They invite the community to participate in simple and delightful ways. Palazzo Strozzi houses some of the most visited exhibitions — and has a reputation as the cool place to hang out. Their courtyard is open morning until evening with a wild array of activities that bring people together and connect them with artists and exhibitions. They bring stories to life. I still check in online regularly to see to what they’re up to.

RMG: What is your first memory of art?

DRK: It’s hard to pin down one defining moment. It’s a wonderful confluence of events and experiences.

RMG: What is one thing that you want to share with people about the RMG?

DRK: I simply want to invite everyone in. Our doors are wide open. Drop by for 5 minutes or stay for hours. Let’s get to know each other a little better. What would you like to see in your RMG? I can’t wait to get the conversation started.

Image: Donna poses a the RMG with Director of Finance and Administration, Olinda Casimiro.

Donna Raetsen-Kemp appointed the new CEO of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery

Following an extensive search, the Board of Trustees of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG) is pleased to announce Donna Raetsen-Kemp will be the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The search was conducted by the Board of the RMG, with assistance from Peter Spratt, Vice President of Collins Barrow.

“Over the past five years, the RMG has made great progress in sharing and engaging with our communities in the continuing exploration of modern and contemporary art,” said Dr. Christine Castle on behalf of the RMG Board. “As The RMG enters the next phase of its development, we are delighted to welcome Donna Raetsen-Kemp as CEO. We are confident Donna¹s cultural vision and leadership will guide the Gallery in new and exciting directions by inspiring our enormously creative staff and volunteers.”

Raetsen-Kemp was selected from a diverse and high profile pool of individuals who had a strong knowledge of Canadian art, demonstrated cultural leadership, as well as an ability to engage and connect with their communities. Additionally, candidates were considered on the basis of their ability to secure funding and connect with businesses, the Board and other stakeholders.

Previously, Raetsen-Kemp was the CEO of the Station Gallery, Whitby (2005-present) where her cultural vision saw overall attendance increase, six fold to 40,000 annual visitors, as well as the development of a robust education program offering 400 classes annually. Her implementation of fund development strategies saw revenue increase, while maintaining the delicate balance of artistic integrity and business stability. Additionally, Raetsen-Kemp is well connected within the cultural sector and involved with the International Council of Museums, the Canadian Association of Museum Officers and Directors, the Canadian Museums Association and the Ontario Association of Art Galleries.

“I enthusiastically welcome Donna as our new leader. I know her to be talented and thoughtful and I am confident in her abilities and excited for the future of the RMG,” said Olinda Casimiro, Interim CEO and Director of Finance of the RMG.

“The RMG is not only one of the leading public art galleries in Ontario, it’s a cultural hub and people place. That’s compelling to me.” said Donna Raetsen-Kemp, “I’m truly honoured to follow in the footsteps of progressive RMG leaders. The visionary Board and brilliance of the RMG team have set the stage beautifully for this next phase of transformation.”

Raetsen-Kemp’s people-first leadership philosophy will engage the community and mobilize the staff of the RMG to further expand and develop bold programming that continues to tell the story of modern and contemporary Canadian art.

Raetsen-Kemp will begin at the RMG on 17 August 2015.