Our first Juried Gig Poster Show!

The RMG’s ArtReach department funtions as an educational outreach program which brings understanding and passion for art to our community. ArtReach, in collaboration with our music event series RMG Fridays, is pleased to present this opportunity for illustrators, graphic artists, musicans and others to participate in showcasing the talent in the music promotion community in Durham Region.

Posters are an art medium with a rich history. Many well known fine artists have completed famous examples: Henri Toulouse-Lautrec’s ads for theatre productions are art history staples, while more recently notable graphic designers such as Milton Glaser created designs for rock icons like Bob Dylan.

We’re very excited to see this exhibition of posters by local talent come together in May. For the past few months, we’ve been seeking submissions from graphic designers, artists, painters, illustrators and other creatives who have designed posters advertising musical performances. We were pleased to receive diverse entries and our jury has made their top 15 selections.

Meet our jury:

Jenn Shadbolt, RGD is a Toronto-based graphic designer with a specialty in delicious food & beverage retail package design. Her work can be found in groceries & drugstores across Canada and the US. She loves to see how good design improves our everyday lives.

Luke Despatie is an award-winning graphic designer, illustrator and printmaker living and working in the bucolic town of Port Hope, Ontario. A true design nerd, Luke is inspired by all things aesthetic – art, architecture, film, theatre, food, toys and comics. His past and present clients include Survivorman, The Northern Pikes, Oak Heights Winery, Random House, Harper Collins, PEN Canada, Yahoo! and Chatelaine, among others.

Chad Mitchell started his career in the music industry 13 years ago at BMG, building websites and riding the social media wave. Eventually he moved into his current position, Video Production Manager at Sony Music Canada, where he has been filming and editing Canadian and International talent for the past 9 years. He has also done gigs with CRIA, Universal Music and The Songwriters Association of Canada.

In addition today we were able to announce our prizes. They are:

The JMS Audio Best Overall Prize
$150 cash, $100 Oak Recording Studios gift certificate,
membership to the gallery & RMG Fridays swag bag

The Aked Second Overall Prize
$100 cash, $25 Long and McQuade gift certificate,
membership to the gallery & RMG Fridays swag bag

The RMG Fridays Third Overall Prize
$50 cash, membership to the gallery & RMG Fridays swag bag

(Winning entries will be announced on the evening of the event.)

Read More:

Oshawa Express Article: Posters Foster Artistic Expression

RMG Fridays Event- Friday 2 May, 7pm: Facebook
Event features performances by Marvelous Beauhunks, Viva Mars.
Book launch: Do Not Resuscitate: The Marvelous Beauhunks: Cautionary Tales from the Best-Looking Band in the World by Stephen C. Wright
Art opening: Adrian Norvid: Showstoppers, Whoppers, Downers & Out-of-Towners

DRAAG – Durham Region Area Archives Group

The Durham Region Area Archives Group (DRAAG) is an advocacy and support group for the history of Durham Region and surrounding areas. The group, made up of Durham’s archives and libraries, works to promote and preserve the shared documentary heritage of Durham Region along with some neighbouring communities. This press release announces their upcoming Archives Awareness Week.

For Immediate Release 20 March 2012

Oshawa – Are you the unofficial family archivist? Join the Durham Region Area Archives Group (DRAAG) as we celebrate Archives Awareness Week (April 2-6) with our Preserving Your Family History event on April 4 at the Northview Branch of the Oshawa Public Libraries from 2:00pm – 8:00pm. Professional Archivists and Local History Librarians will be on hand to answer questions on genealogy, document and photograph preservation, digitization, and document repair. Residents of Durham Region are invited to drop in for digitization and encapsulation demonstrations. There will be helpful information on how best to store your family collection to ensure it lasts for generations to come! Residents are encouraged to bring along their photographs and documents.

For more information please contact the Oshawa Community Museum and Archives at 905-436-7624 ext. 100.

Become a fan of DRAAG on Facebook.
Visit DRAAG on the Web to see participating institutions and partners.
Follow on Twitter @DurhamArchives

The Intern Files: Amy Weir

In this edition of The Intern Files, we hear from Amy Weir. Amy is a library and information science graduate student from the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto. In the past, Amy has interned at the RMG Library and Archives, and is currently working on a special project for the Thomas Bouckley Collection.

Compiled by local historian Thomas Bouckley, the Thomas Bouckley Collection at the RMG depicts the history of the City of Oshawa – providing visual insight into Oshawa’s past. The collection’s catalogued component consists of over 2280 photographs and negatives, but in addition, the RMG possesses a wide range of supporting files from Thomas Bouckley’s personal collection: over 2000 items including uncatalogued photographs, documents, artefacts and ephemera.

As some may be familiar, much of the catalogued component of the Thomas Bouckley Collection has been organized and filed in proper storage, frequently displayed in exhibitions and accessed for research purposes by the public. However, the other items that make up the collection currently remain in the condition received in 1985, with little organization, improper storage, and a lack of archival-quality housing. The uncatalogued materials, while stored in folders that have been numbered and named, are also difficult to locate due to a lack of description in the accompanying finding aid. This is where I come in. Over the course of three months, I’m working toward the goal of establishing order and appropriate storage for the uncatalogued portion, with the ultimate objective of facilitating ease of access, longevity, and ongoing preservation for the entire collection.

Re-housing files in archival-quality folders, before and after.

Currently, the project’s first stage is just wrapping up: the records within nearly all of the files have been ‘re-housed,’ and placed in archival-quality storage to enhance their preservation. Some files have simply required new, archival-quality file folders, while others have required more careful intervention – removing damaged photos from dated photo albums, for example.

Damaged photos to be removed from unstable photo albums.

Doing so has involved an analysis of every item in the collection, which has provided a great opportunity to discover the treasures that Bouckley collected as part of his research. Items, such as the original postcard with inscription shown here, tell the stories of the families who lived in early Oshawa.

1917 postcard and note on verso. Man in photo is identified as Frank Mallet of Mallet House Hotel, Oshawa.
TBC File no. 013A

What’s more, some of the items within the collection speak to not only the history of Oshawa, but the history of other areas in Ontario, with research and artefacts dating as far back as the aboriginal settlements of today’s Durham Region and Southern Ontario. Once the collection has been properly re-housed, organization and the eventual production of a digital finding aid (and collection inventory) is created, access to the collection will be significantly enhanced while contributing to Bouckley’s endeavour to continually augment and to preserve our knowledge of the region’s history.

The Curator’s View: Thomas Bouckley Collection: Oshawa Then and Now

Sonya Jones is the Curator of The Thomas Bouckley Collection.

In looking at Oshawa through a “Then and Now” lens, it really puts into perspective how much Oshawa has changed in the last 100 or so years. The city continues to grow and seems to always be in transition. Consider, for example, UOIT’s continued expansion in the core of the city and how it is rejuvenating the downtown core; or the demolition of General Motor’s north plant to be replaced by a shopping complex. How do these physical changes affect how we think about our city?

See the full gallery on Posterous

Pictured:

Four Corners, 1911, Now.

Regent Theatre, 1936, Now

51 Nassau Street, c. 1890, Now

This idea of comparing history to present day is explored in the current Thomas Bouckley Collection exhibition in partnership with the Oshawa Seniors Citizens’ Camera Club titled Oshawa Creek: Then and Now. Using historical photographs from the Thomas Bouckley Collection as a starting point, members of the Oshawa Seniors Citizens’ Camera Club have photographed the Oshawa Creek as it appears today. The photographs examine the evolution of the creek and illustrate its continued importance to the foundation of this community. Please join us for the opening reception on Tuesday, February 7th, at 11:30am. Oshawa Creek: Then and Now is on view until April 26^th.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Pictured:

Mouth of the Oshawa Creek, 1922

Oshawa Creek Today, Photo Credit: Don Wotton

Cedar Dale Dam Destroyed by Flood, c. 1900

Mill Street and Oshawa Creek Today, Photo Credit: Don Wotton

The Curator’s View: True Power at UOIT

From the desk of Linda Jansma, our curator.

On Monday, 28 November in the morning, I attended the official opening of UOIT’s Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Centre (ERC). Six years ago, we invested in a ground source heating system for our home, so I am excited to know that Oshawa’s university is a leader in research into innovation in clean and renewable energy as this is where the future is undoubtedly taking us. After the dignitaries spoke, they gathered in front of a sculpture to cut the ribbon and declare the building officially open. Yes, they stood in front of a sculpture!

And not just any sculpture but Geordie Lishman’s True Power, a magnificent 4.1 metre high stainless steel horse that I first saw at Geordie’s home and studio in Ajax. True Power was the central work in the exhibition Hidden Worlds held at the RMG this past summer and which I described in the catalogue essay as an “other-worldly creature of graceful power.” This exhibition was definitely a highlight in our 2011 programming year as shown by the hundreds of people who attended the opening and the number of repeat visitors we had over the summer months.

I was thrilled to hear of the community grass roots initiative to purchase the work for UOIT and specifically for the new research centre. Oshawa and its citizens continue to support this place as a creative city and it shows in how quickly they were able to raise the funds to make this initiative happen. Geordie describes his sculpture as symbol of untapped potential in harnessing energy. How perfect that it would become a centre piece for an institution that is also seeking to harness renewable energy sources! Congratulations go to Geordie, our tireless community supporters of the arts and UOIT in making this match possible.

Roundup: Q in Oshawa Campaign

With just an hour or so to go in the Q in Oshawa campaign, we thought now would be a good time to reflect on what we’ve achieved in an incredibly short window of time. Oshawa’s spirit for arts and culture is electric and we’re thrilled to be part of it. Here’s some links to things that have been suggested as reasons for Q to come to Oshawa. Win or lose, we’ve had so much fun working on this campaign and we are so proud of all of the supporters and friends we’ve made along the way.

Thanks Oshawa!

The Durham Theatre Festival is “in the queue to get Q to Oshawa!”

Our friends in Whitby the Station Gallery offered their vote of support. Thanks SG!

The Durham Shoestring Performers community theatre group.

The Get Bent Records Summer Solstice concert series

Oshawa saxophonist Matthew James

Our very own collection of works by Painters Eleven, the largest in the world.

The Ontario Philharmonic, based out of the historic Regent Theatre, Oshawa

Patrick Dorie‘s Hope in High Places kept us motivated….

World’s Collide Spiderman Comic Cover!

Isabella’s Chocolate Cafe loves Jian

Mad Cafe loves Jian (and so does Momma Mad Cafe!)

The Patty Shack offered Jian his very own namesake burger…

The Geek Freaks, Oshawa’s award-winning hip-hop dance crew, two time OUCH champs!

Fiesta Week, the best week-long multicultural festival in Ontario

The Oshawa Express printed a story about the campaign

OCVI alumni ...Shalom Harlow, Ed Broadbent, John Donabie & Olympic figure skater Donald Jackson and Isla Craig, among many others…

Neil Pashrica, author of 1000 Awesome Things grew up here.

Forest City Lovers supported the campaign, and offered to sing back up for The Stellas if they got to perform this:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1l0M4TsgsE?wmode=transparent]

The Oshawa Art Association would love it if Jian came!

Durham College Journalism Students created this roundup of Arts & Culture stories students have collected!! How awesome is it? Super awesome. SHWASOME.

We collected Q Portraits at First Fridays!

Durham Tourism jumped on board…and shared through their Art of Transition campaign

Randy Boyagoda was born and raised here, wouldn’t he be an interesting guest?

Will McGuirk’s love for Star Records, Oshawa’s independant vinyl shop shone through

We’d love to hear supporters Cuff the Duke and The Stables play together again…an ode to Oshawa, “Rossland Square”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jq5qnmOQZg?wmode=transparent]

Andrew Nicholls and Darrell Vickers, writers for the CBC and the Tonight Show heard about the campaign all the way in Los Angeles!

Durham College/UOIT Campus’ famous O became a Q!

The Ontario Association of Art Galleries tweeted us with support, thanks OAAG!

We found out that Moxy Früvous once played the Moon Room. Thanks Kerri!!

Steppenwolf? Two members, totally from Oshawa. Born to be Wild!

Our popular blog post “Top Ten Reasons Jian should visit Oshawa” helped get things rolling.

Oshawhat Magazine, a new alternative publication set to launch jumped on board the first day.

Oshawa’s Mayor John Henry was the first notable to offer his support. Thanks John and the City of Oshawa for all of your support!

The Facebook page continues to buzz with posts as we type this. We’ve probably missed some friends and supporters!

Our storied institutions Parkwood Estate, Oshawa Community Museums, the Canadian Automotive Museum, UOIT, Durham College, Trent University Oshawa, and of course all of us here at the RMG look forward to welcoming you to Oshawa Jian!

See the full gallery on Posterous

Press Release: RMG Brings Oshawa into CBC Radio 1 Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Oshawa, November 29, 2011

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery brings Oshawa into CBC Radio competition for live broadcast of Jian Ghomeshi’s “Q”.

It all started as a conversation at last week’s successful creative class event the Art of Transition Tourism Summit. With so much happening in Oshawa and Durham’s creative culture scene, the desire to bring attention to the various projects and opportunities in the area has never been greater. Staff from The Robert McLaughlin Gallery suggested this idea on twitter, and the tweet was recognized by CBC Radio 1 personality Jian Ghomeshi. The Q host has recently been promoting a campaign that cities could enter to bring his show to their community.

Never one to back down from a challenge, RMG CEO Gabrielle Peacock took up the cause, issuing more tweets and imploring staff to get on board. “We’ve got a lot happening here, just 35km from the city. Q shines a light on culture: music, art, theatre and more. This is why we want Oshawa selected — it’s not about what people know about us, it’s an opportunity for Jian and the Q listeners to discover some cultural assets in their own backyards. We’re joining the contest later than other cities, but we’ve got a lot of heart and think we have a shot at winning,” Peacock told staff. Staff jumped on board in just a few days a Facebook page has emerged as well as the promise to guests at the RMG’s monthly cultural event series “First Fridays” that this week’s event (December 2, 7pm) will include a way to get involved and show support.

“First Fridays has become a staple in the local culture diet,” says RMG Manager of Communications and Social Media, Jacquie Severs. “It’s the right place to promote this campaign. This week we feature Jazz performers The Gillian Margot Trio, alongside the photography exhibition “Susan Dobson: By Design” and the AIDS Committee of Durham Region’s “POZitive Portrayals” that features work by HIV Positive artists. We’ll have a photo booth with local photographer Marina Osmond. The event shows how diverse our cultural offerings are here. We wish Jian could come and see it for himself, we aren’t just a car town anymore!”

The RMG needs community support to make the campaign more powerful. Having already received votes of confidence from PFLAG Durham and Durham College’s Downtown Oshawa News, the RMG now needs ‘likes’ on its Facebook page, tweets with the hashtag #QinOshawa and community partnerships. Local record label Get Bent Records has offered to bring bands to perform for Q. The RMG hopes other local arts & culture staples will get on board.

Oshawa’s mayor John Henry issued a statement of support, highlighting the RMG as an important asset in the campaign. “With the public’s support we can bring into the light one of Oshawa’s best kept secrets.”

“This is a grassroots effort, we need all the support we can get! The RMG is prepared to donate 20 memberships to community groups and businesses who offer support and services,” says Gabrielle Peacock.

To stay on top of the campaign please visit and like: www.facebook.com/QinOshawa

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___________________________________________________________

THE ROBERT McLAUGHLIN GALLERY

72 Queen Street, Civic Centre, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 3Z3

905-576-3000

www.rmg.on.ca

Q in Oshawa

Yesterday we were at the Art of Transition Tourism Summit and Creative Awards. An electric atmosphere was in that room; it was filled with like-minded individuals, those that care about Durham Region’s transition from a manufacturing economy to a creative economy. Artists, business people, musicians, dancers, chefs, writers, art galleries, museums, crafts people, engineers, students, filmmakers, ski hill operators, sustainability advocates, farmers, designers, communicators and more came together to highlight the importance of arts and culture in our community.

It is appropriate that it was during this event that we decided to lead the charge to bring Jian Ghomeshi and his CBC show Q to Oshawa.

Q is an energetic daily arts, culture and entertainment magazine that takes you on a smart and surprising ride, interviewing personalities and tackling the cultural issues that matter.

Hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, with his trademark wit and spontaneity, Q covers pop culture and high arts alike with forays into the most provocative and compelling cultural trends.

From music icons like Van Morrison and Neil Young; smart conversations with everyone from Al Gore to Barbara Walters; CNN operas; to the branding of politicians… Q brings you big names, big ideas, and those paving the way on the cultural landscape.

Q is your cultural intervention!

Learn more and get involved!

Join the Facebook Fan Page Q Live in Oshawa Campaign and share it with your friends.

Tweet it! Official hastag #QinOshawa – follow @jianghomeshi and include him on your tweets.

Stay tuned! More updates on how to get involved coming soon!

The Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards & Tourism Summit

This Friday staff from the RMG will be at the UOIT/Durham College campus in Oshawa at the Durham Region Tourism Summit, which is followed by the DATCA’s, (Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards). We’re proud to be part of this event as an exhibitor and a DATCA nominee!

Two of our projects were nominated this year. One is our First Fridays event series, the other our public art installation by Douglas Coupland. We are so proud of both of these accomplishments and we look forward to learning about all of the other interesting and exciting projects that have happened in Durham Region that led to other businesses, artists and organizations being nominated.

We hope you will be attending the event!

November 25, 2011
TIME: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
PLACE: Durham College/ UOIT Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre
ADDRESS: 2000 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa, Ontario
ADMISSION: FREE

Links From the Art of Transition:

Summit and Awards

Nominees

YouTube Page with many speaking about the importance of this project

The Art of Transition on Facebook

Facebook Event Page – Tourism Summit

Facebook Event Page – Creative Marketplace

The Curator’s View: Diverse Art Experiences

Curator Linda Jansma discusses some recent art experiences and how their diverse natures created three unique experiences.

I’ve had three distinct art experiences over the past four days. The first was this past Friday when I attended the 12^th annual Toronto International Art Fair at the Metro Convention Centre.

Art fairs are primarily about selling art, its commoditization. From $600 8cm square paintings to large works closing in on $200,000 this is much more about business than what happens in a public gallery setting such as the RMG. Past art fairs are compared with this one; dealers woo both experienced and new collectors; lectures help the novice into the world of buying art for both pleasure and investment. Toronto-based artist, Kent Monkman’s installation maze spoke to the life of the artist: grants, dealers, curators, biennales, etc. Words were linked by four tableau rooms representing the artist, curator/museum director, collector, and galleriest, all with actors playing roles. Art imitating life right outside of the walls of the maze.

The second experience was the grand finale of the Office of Identity Collects on Saturday afternoon. Two Saskatoon-based artists, Heather Cline and Michele Sereda, spent a week at 16 King Street East, just east of Oshawa’s four corners. The 27 people who attended the “Citizenship Ceremony” were some of the people who had participated, earlier in the week, in Cline and Sereda’s art performance where they were photographed and interviewed as part of a piece that will result in an exhibition of Cline’s paintings and video work in September, 2012. Saturday’s group was sworn in and then asked to walk up and down King Street while Cline recorded the events from the opposite side of the street. As artists—for whom this was their first Oshawa visit—they revealed as much about Oshawa and those of us who live or work here, as they learned from us. I’m very much looking forward to September’s exhibition.

Monday morning’s experience was diametrically opposed to Friday afternoon’s. I came into work with my gardening gloves, tools and a tarp taken from my garage. And then I, along with other gallery staff and Sympathetic Hunting Magic’s curator, Gil McElroy, began to strike the exhibition. Striking usually implies wrapping and crating works of art to be returned to the artist or sent on to the next gallery. This was true in the case of Niall Donaghy’s sculpture, but Shelly Rahme’s work was disassembled and will be hauled to a landfill later this week. Shelly spent a week earlier in September assembling/creating three sculptures, primarily with twigs, roots, branches, and clay. They were powerful works that related to consumerism and longing. But they will never end up at Toronto’s Convention Centre, or in anyone’s collection. They are site specific work, meant to exist for the moment and only live on in the catalogue and installation photographs of the exhibition.

For three very different reasons, this has been a good four days.