Meet Carla Sinclair, our Manager of Volunteer and Community Development

Today we sat down with Carla Sinclair, the RMG’s Manager of Volunteer and Community Development to find out more about her role and what she gets up to each day. You probably recognize Carla as your host of RMG Fridays – say hello next time you see her in the RMG Shop.

The RMG: What’s a typical day like for you?

Carla Sinclair: My day looks very different day to day depending on which part of my role I am working on. I manage our volunteer program, plan RMG Fridays, the gallery’s monthly community event as well as manage our gallery shop.

Between internal staff meetings, volunteer interviews, community engagement, consignment artist acquisitions and a number of cultural advisory committees/professional development associations, meetings can often fill up many of my days. Some days are quieter allowing me to spend hours on my computer sending emails, doing research, paperwork, and planning. If I am hosting an RMG Fridays or representing the RMG at a cultural event, I get to be social and interact with the community. The flexibility of my job caters to my multi-faceted personality. I love the diversity in my role!

The volunteer umbrella involves responding to volunteer requests, booking interviews, meeting with and assessing which department best suits new recruits, managing and posting new volunteer opportunities and keeping track of hours worked. As a member of multiple volunteer associations, I attend monthly meetings that provide professional development opportunities in the industry of volunteer administration. Thinking of new ways to incorporate the many skills that walk through the doors here at the RMG is always a priority.

RMG Fridays: Wonder Women

Planning RMG Fridays involves looking at curatorial schedules and building an event around exhibitions set to open or tour each month. I often choose a theme and try to connect all of the activities that are going on during an RMG Fridays: Live music, short films, exhibition tours, studio activity, community partners, food vendors. I love to add cultural elements that engage our audience by bringing in local theatre groups to perform a teaser of their show, a dance company, spoken word poet – just about anything that showcases the incredible local talent we have here in Durham and beyond! Booking musicians is typically the first element, and when possible this happens 4-6 months in advance. Sometimes artists reach out to me, other times I get suggestions from community members. I also try to find talent by attending local music venues, open mics and cultural events.

Short films for our Friday Film Features screening room at RMG Fridays get submitted through our website. These are viewed internally and 1 or 2 films are chosen to screen every 15 minutes throughout the evening. For food vendors, they are local, independent restaurants or caterers who put together a table of delicious eats to sell in the lobby, giving local entrepreneurs a chance to engage with the community and showcase their business. I typically contact them individually but encourage anyone interested to reach out to me as well.

Carla at RMG Exposed 2015

Community partners come from a variety of sources, some send requests, others are contacted based on the mandate of their organization and how it ties in to our event theme. After the details are nailed down, the next task is submitting the information to our Marketing Manager for promotional print materials and booking volunteers to help run all of the components of the evening. We typically have 8-15 volunteers behind the scenes making RMG Fridays happen, in tandem with our incredible audio engineer, DJ Lynz and dedicated RMG staff. When the big day comes, I spend the afternoon and early evening setting up tables, chairs, AV equipment, signage, printing schedules, shopping for supplies, greeting performers and partners. I then hold a meeting with our event volunteers at 6:30pm before doors open. The rest of the night involves hosting the event on stage. I, along with my colleague and co-host welcome guests, introduce the musicians, performers, and partners while sharing all of the awesome things happening in the building that evening!

The gallery shop is another component of my role including retail management, volunteer management (our friendly sales associates are all volunteers!), merchandising and researching consignment artists. Over the past year we’ve shifted the shop vision to include primarily Canadian consignment artists. This means I have to find talented artists whose work suits our local market. Some artists approach me, others I research, or find by planning volunteer outings with shop associates to canvas art shows/studios for promising candidates. Within the shop role is a lot of paperwork; Daily sales sheets, monthly shop deposits, quarterly consignment inventory and payouts as well as general correspondence. I host a monthly shop volunteer meeting to update our associates on new product, hear customer feedback and to build community amongst our volunteers.

RMG Shop Volunteer Trip

RMG: How did you get into this field?

CS: Having worked at the Nelson and District Arts Council, in on-air broadcast radio, teaching film programs and as a partner at Empty Cup Media, I’ve always invested my career in the arts and culture. One of these roles was producing video projects for The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, where I came to know the inspired team of staff that run this incredible space. The sense of community fostered here compelled me to be a voice in Oshawa’s expanding creative culture.

RMG: What skills or training do you need for your job?

It’s such a mixed bag, but I’d say…

Excellent written and communication skills
Creative thinking
Computer proficiency
Eye for merchandising and attention to detail
Organizational skills
Ability to recognize individual talents and abilities
Public speaking
Event management
Ability to teach and explain tasks well
Excellent social skills
Avid interest in being active in the cultural community
Strategic planning

Culture Meet Up

RMG: What’s your favourite part of your job?

CS: RMG Fridays! If you haven’t already been out to this awesome monthly event, I encourage you to come to the next one. Bands, artist talks and local partnerships create an atmosphere unlike any other you will find in Oshawa. I love the crowd it attracts and see it as an accessible, creative hub for entertainment, education and networking.

RMG: What are 5 things you couldn’t live without in your job?

CS: My top 5 are:

Charity Republic – Volunteer database software
Post it notes
Google
Coffee
Amazing Volunteers

RMG Fridays: HipHOpera

RMG: What do you get up to outside of the RMG?

CS: Outside of work at the gallery, I make films with Empty Cup Media. Our team has been working on a web series over the past couple years which means I’m heading to South Africa in October 2016 to film one of the latest episodes! I also spend time with my squishy faced pug Gryffin, have joined an adult ballet class after recently retiring from 5 years of roller derby, and love checking out local live music at Oshawa’s Memorial Park or The Moustache Club.

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.

Sunny Summer Fridays at the RMG

School might be out and offices quiet with people on vacation, but the RMG will be busy on the first Friday of every month with our exciting line up of summer RMG Fridays!

May

To celebrate International Youth Week in May, we are kicking off the summer season on May 6 with Young Minds, featuring a variety of art from youth in Durham Region. The musical performances for the night include the harmonious sounds of 2 Cute 4 Country along with Sarling and the Fox serenading the gallery. We also have a unique and powerful slam poetry by Jaylen Stark.

For the visual art buffs, we have Lindsay Laukner Gundlack’s photo exhibition on display, titled Familiarity in the Foreign. Lindsay’s exhibit was RMG Exposed 2015’s winner! For the kids – or any crafty guests – Karen Burwell will be in the studio with her “Drawing stories to music” art project, a super fun way to get your creative juices flowing!

Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock, Coin Operated Binoculars, Digital C-Print, 2015

June

With Pride month kicking off at the beginning of June, what better way to celebrate Pride and the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgendered and Queer (LGBTQ) community than having our own Pride Show on June 3!

We’ve lined up some stellar performances by Adam McMastir and Kate Reid for your listening pleasure, and you can catch a sneak peek of Driftwood Theatre’s summer production. You will also get the chance to tour Liminal, on display in June. So bring your pride and embrace all parts of our community on a warm, sunny, summer night!

July

This month, we’re letting Canada take center stage on the first Friday (July 1 – Canada Day) so we’ll be revving up for RMG Fridays on the SECOND Friday, July 8! It might be Canada’s birthday, but we are putting our own twist on the usual red and white this month!

A Splash of Colour offers guests a colourful taste of summer with Sarindar Dhaliwal’s exhibition: The Radcliffe Line and Other Geographies, a vibrant and colourful showcase of art. Our entertainment for the night will be Laurent Bourque, followed by Dezz & Carol with their soulful melodies. Keep the colour flowing with us in the studio with our exciting art project!

Sarindar Dhaliwal, the green fairy storybook (detail), 2009, bookwork, 50 x 187.5 x 87.5 cm. Collection of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, purchased with the financial support of the Isabel McLaughlin Acquisition Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance Program, 2016

August

With summer almost over, we are winding down this month on August 5^th with some chilled out music and cool jams.

Guests will have the opportunity to tour The Singing Alarm: Inside Knob Hill, the exhibition of street artist, lyricist, poet, photographer and urban explorer Jerm iX. Enjoy the sweet vibes of Rory Taillon and Patrick Dorie, Durham Region musicians who will be turning the lights down low on summer.

jerm IX

Schedule in the RMG this summer on the first Friday of every month (second in July) and you’ll add the perfect amount of summer lovin’ to your plans.

Also, don’t forget to get your RMG stamp for half price cover at the Moustache Club for the official RMG Fridays after-party!

Experiencing the RMG through Inartistic Eyes

Samantha Pender is a Durham College public relations student completing her winter placement at the RMG as a communications intern.

Before I came to the RMG as a communications intern, I admittedly knew very little in the way of art. Being artistically challenged myself, I had never thought to explore art before coming here. But taking one look around the gallery immediately changed my thinking about art and how to appreciate it, despite lacking my own artistic skills.

Being a communications intern, I don’t get to spend much of my time looking through the galleries of the RMG. When I have been able to sneak away, however, I am always taken aback by the art surrounding me. While looking at the manipulated art and beautifully shot landscapes from Holly King, the wondrous abstract of Painters 11, and the many other different kinds of art throughout the RMG, I realized that you don’t really need to know that much about art to appreciate it.

Yes, understanding the style, medium or perspective of the artist can be helpful, but when it comes down to it, art is art. It’s a beautiful and absurd peak into the creative mind of a talented soul, and that is something I won’t be overlooking again.

Interning at the RMG has opened my mind to many things, not just the beauty of art. Researching content for Museum Week, was able to catch a glimpse into the history of Oshawa and see the familiar streets of today as an almost completely different town in black and white. I learned about architecture and came to appreciate different aspects of a building, something I knew nothing about. My supervisor, Sam, broadened my horizons by instilling the importance of learning things outside my comfort zone, something not to be taken for granted.

Working for a non-profit organization so deeply rooted in the community has been a great experience for me, as giving back to the community is something I care very much about. Seeing how the RMG dedicates so much time to the community through RMG Fridays – I worked on the RMG Fridays 5^th Anniversary – as well as weekend family activities like OPG Second Sundays has only grown my love and appreciation for the gallery over the past three months.

Samantha Pender, 'Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl' from the Other NFB

Samantha Pender, RMG Communications Intern, with ‘Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl’ from the Other NFB

RMG Fridays April – HIP HOPera, what?!

Next month, RMG Fridays is on April 1^st, and the killer line up is no April Fools joke! We are combining two classic genres of music for one amazing night. This April, RMG Fridays is bringing together hip-hop and opera, the ultimate mash up!

This exciting mash up will be a one-of-a-kind experience for RMG Fridays guests, and the music and dancing will be bringing down the house! Turning the RMG into an opera house will be Jennifer Mizzi, a Soprano singer, and Kristine Dandavino, a Mezzo-Soprano, from the Oshawa Opera Association.

Jennifer Mizzi – Soprano; Kristina Dandavino – Mezzo-Soprano. From Oshawa Opera Association

Switching gears, we have an awesome emcee Shaheen rapping in the gallery. We’re also turning the space into a dance floor with Judi Lopez, a b-girl who will be breakdancing. That’s not all, though; DJ Mark V. Campbell will be demo scratching as well!

B-girl Judi Lopez. Photo from www. keeprockinyou.com

We have a little visual art tying into our theme as well as some interesting themed history for you curious folks. Paul Paget (Praxis) will be explaining the roots of graffiti, and will also be doing a collaborative art project as our studio activity for the night! Showing the same love to our opera fans, Friday Film Features will be screening a short documentary about opera that night.

Durham Folklore Storytellers will also be joining us with a performance as we say goodbye to our exhibition Their Stories: Unidentified Portraits from the Thomas Bouckley Collection. You will also have the chance to meet our new ArtLab resident Ruth Read!

Unidentified Portrait from the Thomas Bouckley Collection

On top of the amazing music, rapping, dancing, and scratching, we have some community partners appearing at RMG Fridays. Crayons for Change will be in the gallery, where you can donate your used crayons that night as well as the City of Oshawa, launching their “Our Oshawa” Campaign, where our guests are encouraged to participate and take a photo, revealing what Oshawa is to you.

Bring your used crayons to Crayons for Change at RMG Fridays in April

So bring out your favourite MC Hammer parachute pants, your strongest singing voice and best tagging paint, the RMG is turning into a graffiti and HIPHOPera house!

RMG Fridays Celebrates International Women’s Day – Wonder Women

Samantha Pender is a second year Public Relations student at Durham College and is completing her first communications placement at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery this winter.

When I look at art, I see beauty. I see the creative inner workings of a mind spewed onto a canvas or into a photo or object that beams with inspiration and magnificence. What I don’t see is the months of long hours, late nights and early mornings that went into this work. I don’t see the blood, sweat and tears, and the immense strength and effort that are integral ingredients of this work of art. We don’t see that because that is not what the artist is intending to show. They want you to see the beautiful aftermath of domineering strength, hard work and unwavering persistence they endured.

When I see women, I see the same beauty; and again, I am shielded from the remarkable strength those women exude in their lives. We see beautiful women of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities, but they never let us see their struggles before their triumphs. This month, the RMG is celebrating International Women’s Day with women in art, both behind the canvas and in front of it.

In the Upper and Lower Luke galleries, we are exhibiting The Other NFB: The National Film Board of Canada’s Still Photography Division, 1941-1971. On display are photos of a timeless female Canadian icon, Veronica Foster, or ‘Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl’. She was a Canadian woman working at John Inglis Co. during the second world war, a time when approximately 250,000 women around the country were finally able to work on equal ground with men by getting into overalls and into munitions factories, taking the place of the men at war.

Unknown photographer
Veronica Foster, an employee of John Inglis Co. Ltd. and known as “The Bren Gun Girl” posing with a finished Bren gun in the John Inglis Co. Ltd. Bren gun plant, Toronto
10 May 1941
Contemporary print from vintage negative
National Film Board of Canada. Photothèque / Library and Archives Canada e000760453

In Oshawa, the GM plant ceased production of cars to begin making military vehicles and weapons, and the brawn behind those machines were our own woman, who called themselves ‘Rosie’s the Riveters’, after the American propaganda poster of Rosie the Riveter flexing her arm and chanting, “We can do it.” Rosie the Riveter, an American inspiration to woman everywhere, was created after Canada’s own Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl appeared on the cover of New York Times a few years before Rosie popped up (http://www.andrewhutchison.com/Page%201/page8/page16/index.html).

Rosie’s the Riveters, c. 1943.

Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl can be found in the NFB’s exhibition, photographed both in the factory as well as in her personal life, a wonderful contrast of a hard working woman on the line to one dressed up and having a good time.

The RMG currently has a number of female artists on display in different galleries, including Holly King’s exhibit Edging Towards the Mysterious as well as the two female artists on display in the Painters 11 gallery, Hortense Gordan and Alexandra Luke.

Installation photo by Don Corman

RMG Fridays Film Features is playing into the Women’s Day theme as well. We will be screening “Clearing Spaces” by the talented Broadbent Sisters, a beautifully shot film exploring Greek mythology with a modern twist revolving around the seemingly normal rituals in a woman’s life.

Clearing Spaces V by the Broadbent Sisters. Film Still.

RMG Fridays will also welcome the IRIS Group, an arts collective from Durham Region featuring ten amazing women: Maralynn Cherry, Rowena Dykins, Laura M. Hair, Holly McClellan, Judith A. Mason, Janice Taylor-Prebble, Mary Ellen McQuay, Margaret Rodgers, Sally Thurlow and Wendy Wallace. They are exhibiting IRIS at 20, a celebration of their 20^th Anniversary in which they will paying homage to Women’s Day by revisiting Women’s Day pieces as well as creating new artworks with collected objects from Canadian and international women. The IRIS group is opening in Gallery A on Friday, March 4^th, where you can help welcome them during RMG Fridays. They will also have an artists’ talk on Sunday, March 6^th as well as a workshop on Sunday, March 20^th.

Filmic – The IRIS Group

There’s no doubt that visiting the RMG for RMG Fridays Wonder Women will encourage you to consider how female icons and artists are reimagining gender roles throughout their art. I have been inspired by surrounding myself with such amazing artwork and I hope you will be too.

RMG Fridays 5th Anniversary – What a Night!

Samantha Pender is a second year Public Relations student at Durham College and is completing her first communications placement at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery this winter.

Now that RMG Fridays 5^th Anniversary has come and gone and all the excitement has wound down for the week, I can finally look back at the awesome night we had.

With so much going on, from musicians to dancers to Museum Hack, just to name a few, it’s hard to pick my favourite moment. So instead of choosing just one amazing moment from the night that stood out, I’m going to reminisce about a few of my favourite parts from the RMG Fridays 5^th Anniversary.

RMG Fridays 5th Anniversary. Photo by Linda Ryde.

The two musicians, Annie Sumi and Jamie Drake, captivated almost everyone in the gallery. The gallery was packed with so many people; I couldn’t even squeeze in to get pictures. To see everyone enjoying the music and back up dancers from O’Neill was so amazing.

Speaking of the dancers, the O’Neill Senior Dance Ensemble nailed their performance as they kicked off the night. Everyone was mesmerized and it was so awesome to see that level of synchronization and talent. I was pleasantly surprised to see different members of the ensemble dancing in place throughout the gallery, as I had forgotten about their stand still performances throughout the night. It was such a cool experience to see these different expressions of dance right here in Oshawa.

RMG Fridays 5th Anniversary. Photo by Mat Calverley.

The Living Room supplied the studio activity for the night, and it really turned up the party vibe. I saw so many people from kids to adults sporting handmade party hats throughout the night, and it really added a fun element to the whole party. To add to the party theme of the night, there were amazingly delicious and colourful cupcakes. What’s a party without cake? The cupcakes might actually have secretly been my favourite part of the night.

RMG Fridays 5th Anniversary. Photo by Mat Calverley.

Some of the other events I didn’t quite get to see, like Museum Hack’s awesome and innovative tour of the galleries and the Friday Film Features screening of “Thank you for supporting the arts” from Eastdale C.V.I. and “7 Deadly Sins” from Sinclair Secondary Dancers, were packed with eager attendees as well. Art & Technique Academy of Hairstyling and Aesthetics mixed up their creativity on our faces too! I had a purple 5 on my face to celebrate the 5^th Anniversary, and I saw other happily painted faces too!

RMG Fridays 5th Anniversary. Photo by Bronwen Green.

The finished painting from JR Hunter was phenomenal. I was astounded at the end of the night, seeing how he encompassed every aspect of the event into his magnificent painting. It really captured the essence of the night.

Photo by Linda Ryde.

All in all, the RMG Fridays 5^th Anniversary was an amazing night with so many awesome things happening. And as hard as it is to pick my favourite moment, I think the few I shared sums up what a wonderful time everyone including myself had. Happy five years, RMG Fridays!

RMG Fridays 5th Anniversary. Photo by Linda Ryde.

Looking Back: Five years of RMG Fridays

What makes RMG Fridays so special? That all depends on who you ask. With so many different things going on at each RMG Friday, the gallery will still deliver, but the experience will strike a different cord with each person you ask.

We asked the wonderful staff at the RMG what they love and remember most about RMG Fridays as a tribute to five years of art, music, laughter and delight.

Our CEO, Donna Raetsen-Kemp recalls a mesmerizing moment watching one of our live music acts. “I’ll never forget the evening Birds of Bellwood created a magic moment. The room was mesmerized by their performance. It’s a beautiful thing to see a band bring a group of people together.”

A true art buff, Sam Mogelonsky, Manager of Marketing and Communications, has been star-struck several times by meeting her favourite artists at our events. “I have so many memories of RMG Fridays and love seeing the event come together each month. For me, it’s meeting the artists! I was so thrilled to get to meet and chat with Ron Shuebrook, who I had been following the work of for years. Meeting Coral Short was a real privilege as I was enthralled with her video Stop Beating Yourself Up during our Boxing: The Sweet Science exhibition. As well, meeting Wayne Petti of Greylands was a treat as Cuff the Duke was one of my favourite bands during undergrad!”

One of the main ladies behind RMG Fridays, Carla Sinclair, Manager of Community and Volunteer Development, remembers the charmed aura from December’s cozy holiday feel. “My favourite part of RMG Fridays is connecting with incredible people. This happens every month, be it conversations with visitors, volunteers or participating artists. One moment that really stands out is from our “Holiday Magic” event this past December. I had the privilege of witnessing singer Carolyn T from the first set of music join musicians Artemis and Dale in set two for an unrehearsed performance that filled the gallery with a sense of awe. The hushed room resonating with notes and harmonies created by a group of musicians who had only met a couple hours prior – another magical connection a la RMG Fridays.”

Linda Jansma, our Senior Curator, had an unexpected celebrity sighting when she realized how popular one of our performers had become since booking him as she saw swooning fans had filled the gallery! “I remember driving up to the gallery on a Friday evening and thinking ‘uh oh, there are so few cars here…’ and worrying about the turnout. When I walked in, the place was packed, and young women were sitting on chairs in the Isabel McLaughlin Gallery with no intent of moving before the second act. And the second act was Scott Helman. It was awesome that he and his band were booked before he really started to get media attention – and possibly beyond our budget! As we left that evening, cars were lined up with parents picking up their daughters who had been treated to an awesome evening in a perfect venue and an artist who has become something of a household name.”

Our Associate Curator, Sonya Jones, reminisces about a magical and Celtic night last month. “Every RMG Fridays offers something different. I love it it’s always full of people of all ages. The January [event] was amazing; the film was excellent, Holly King was lovely, and the studio was chalk full of families painting fairy doors…not to mention the band, Ugly Horse, was great. It was a packed house with loads of buzz and activities!”

Cheryl-Ann, our Events Coordinator, sums up everything she loves most about RMG Fridays. “The RMG Fridays nights have certainly gone through many transitions over the last five years. The evening has become a place to meet friends before heading out to have dinner, or to enjoy a date night. The music is always entertaining and usually a fantastic surprise. The atmosphere is electric for a great evening. It’s always refreshing to talk to a first time guest one month and see them back the next. Meeting first-hand the community and guests from the surrounding area is joyous and very rewarding. It is an event we have every month and [is] very much anticipated by many staff and enjoyed by our supports; and it’s free, who doesn’t love that?”

Carla Sinclair, our Manager of Community and Volunteer Development said “My favourite part of RMG Fridays is connecting with incredible people. This happens every month be it conversations with visitors, volunteers or participating artists. One moment that really stands out is from our ‘Holiday Magic’ event this past December. I had the privilege of witnessing singer Carolyn T from the first set of music join musicians Artemis and Dale in set two for an unrehearsed performance that filled the gallery with a sense of awe. The hushed room resonating with notes and harmonies created by a group of musicians who had only met a couple hours prior – another magical connection a la RMG Fridays.”

In five years, RMG Fridays has grown into the hotspot for art and music lovers on the first Friday of every month. According to our staff, the nights are full of unforgettable music filling the Isabel, favourite artists peeking around the gallery, strangers who soon become friends, and a little bit of magic.

The RMG Fridays 5th Anniversary on Feb. 5th will be short on nothing, and if you haven’t felt the magic yet, now is your chance.

Now that you’ve seen what our favourite memories are, what are yours? Tell us at RMG Fridays 5th Anniversary!

RMG Fridays Turns Five!

The RMG is celebrating the 5^th Anniversary of RMG Fridays in February, and we couldn’t be more excited! The gallery strives to bring together local talent and community, and after five #shwasome years, we are proud of all we have accomplished through these events!

RMG Fridays is a free event held on the first Friday of every month that combines live music, art and film from Oshawa, Durham Region and GTA artists. The RMG is passionate about its roots in Oshawa and the surrounding area, and we show this appreciation by bringing in a majority of our entertainment from the Durham Region. How much have we accomplished? In 2015, RMG Fridays welcomed 2593 guests, and 57% of them were new. We acquired 38 community sponsors, 25 bands and 15 exhibition tours. We think this is something definitely worth celebrating.

Next month on February 5^th the RMG will be the place to be. Don’t to miss this party! The lineup of music is incredible, we’ll be screening an exciting film, and we have a few other tricks up our sleeve too. From our own backyard, Annie Sumi will be representing her hometown of Whitby with her indie-folk sound as she serenades the gallery with the first set of the night.

Following Annie is an exciting percussionist, Jamie Drake, who will be playing his tunes on a different kind of drum set. If you like the sound of that, you’ll want to stick around until the end when he bangs out a few more pieces for our moving art to dance to. No, the Painters Eleven pieces aren’t jumping off the wall to dance, but the O’Neill Senior Dance Ensemble, who will be performing throughout the night all over the gallery, will end the night with a performance featuring Jamie Drake.

The RMG has a couple more surprises in store for our big event. We’ve invited Museum Hack to the gallery! Museum Hack is a museum touring company that turns a regular tour into an unforgettable adventure! Described as “not your grandma’s museum tour”, these exciting tour guides will be taking five groups of 10 people each on an exciting trip around the RMG. Make sure to sign up for a tour as soon as you arrive; museum buffs and eccentric art lovers alike definitely won’t want to miss this adventure.

While the gallery buzzes with music, dancing and art, we also have artist JR Hunter painting live with inspiration from the night’s festivities. Make sure to mark your calendars as RMG Night on February 5^th from 7-10pm. There may be a few other surprises in store you won’t want to miss!

RMG Fridays Partnership with the Moustache Club

The RMG is thrilled the announce that The Moustache Club will be the official host of the “after party” for RMG Fridays!

Following the close of RMG Fridays at 10pm, we ask guests to head over The Moustache Club at 15 Simcoe Street North to enjoy more live music by local bands. Guests at RMG Fridays who present proof of attending the event will receive a discount on cover at the Club.

We’ll see you at The Moustache Club!