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!

Kids can learn something new at the RMG!

At the RMG, learning never stops! With school winding down, it’s time to start thinking about how to keep young minds at home staying sharp! Fret not, the RMG has you and those sharp minds covered. With tons of art classes and camps, the toughest choice you’ll have is which ones to enroll your kids in!

Our Summer Camps will be the highlight of any kid’s summer, straying from traditional camp activities to explore creativity and give kids a great opportunity to indulge in a new level of arts and crafts! Here’s what we’ve got in store this Summer!

Are you looking to keep your tiny ones busy for a little bit, out of the house? Check out our Mini Summer Art Camp for Tots! For ages 2-4, running from August 2-5, from 9:30am to 10:30am Indulge your tiny tot’s creativity at the RMG, and who knows, you might end up raising the next Picasso! There’s only one way to find out!

With many parents still at work while their kids are enjoying summer break, the RMG has already thought up a way to keep your kids busy, creative and having a blast while you work! Summer Art Camp for ages 5-10 is the perfect place for kids to have fun this summer. There are plenty of options to accommodate parent’s busy schedules, with half days (9am to 12:30pm or 1pm to 4:30pm) and full days (9am to 4:30pm), parents can customize their kids day, depending on their schedule. For parents who need a little extra time before and after camp, we also offer pre- and post-camp options, where we will gladly keep your kids entertained from 8am to 9am and from 4:30pm to 5:30pm. There are five different camps, four days long, with themes ranging from Play All day to Mixed Media Mayhem. There’s something for every kid to enjoy!

When the kids get a day off school, you won’t have to worry about what to do with them this spring! The RMG has P.A. Day camps for kids aged 5-10, that run from 9am to 4pm. The camps coincide with all Durham District School Board (DDSB) and Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) P.A. Days (April 8 DDSB, April 15 DCDSB, June 3 DDSB) and encourage creative learning and activities so your kids can get a day off school, but their minds will keep going!

Are you hoping to give your teen or pre-teen something more stimulating to do than hanging out at the mall all summer? Well, we’ve got you covered for that, too! With our Pre-teen and Teen Summer Camp for kids aged 10-14, from August 2-5 from 1pm to 4pm, we offer your teens a glimpse of what it’s like to work in an art gallery! They will also have the opportunity to lead workshops while learning art techniques and making socially conscious art projects. This camp will keep your pre-teens mind fresh and stimulate thinking outside of the box while encouraging them to share their ideas and skills. It’s the perfect camp to get their minds ready for school in the fall!

The RMG also has plenty of weekly art classes this spring for kids of all ages. From P.A. days to homeschoolers, we’ve got everyone covered to kick off the closing of the school year and get kids excited to be creative this summer!

For tiny ones aged 2-4, Art Tots is a fun way to break normal routine and engage your kid’s mind in a different kind of creativity! Drop in with your family on Tuesday from now until May 10, 10:30am to 11am.

We know young kids like to have fun, but we also know they need enriching activities to keep their brains strong. That’s why Art FUNdamentals for Kids is the perfect art class for your 5-10 year old this spring! From April 2 – May 28, drop your kids off on Saturdays for 10am to 12pm or 1pm to 3pm for a super fun and informative learning experience! Your little Van Gough or Da Vinci will thank you later!

If your kids are homeschooled, it’s not always easy to come up with educational and stimulating art projects at home. So why not incorporate the RMG into your homeschool curriculum! Our Homeschool Art Classes run from 10:15am to 11:15am on Tuesdays from now until May 10, and offer a fun way to give your kids the attention of homeschooling while interacting on a creative level at an actual art gallery! How much fun is it to run art class in a gallery? Your kids will be thrilled and your home curriculum will be elevated!

So if you’re looking for enriching, educational and super fun spring classes or summer camps, look no further! The RMG is your one stop shop for your artsy kids. Visit Learn & Participate for a full list of art classes and camps, details and pricing, or call us at (905) 576-3000 for more information. Can’t wait to see you all this summer!

Expand your mind at the RMG!

While the RMG is full of art classes and camps for kids, we haven’t forgotten about parents and adults! The gallery invites art enthusiasts of all ages – young and old – to learn something new with us! Our adult classes range from artistic to physical, and we’re positive you’ll find something that strikes your interest.

If you feel like winding down after a busy day, the RMG knows just what you need! Yoga in the Gallery is the perfect way to calm your nerves and settle your mind after a long and busy Thursday at work. Meg Cox, our zen-tastic instructor, opens the class up to people of all levels, from beginners to seasoned yogis. With her down to earth and approachable attitude, and the beautiful art surrounding you in the Isabel McLaughlin Gallery, anyone can feel welcome and relaxed in our spacious yoga studio – and what better studio than an art gallery? The current session is running until April 21, with drop ins welcome, and the next session will be starting on May 5, and running until June 23.

Changing pace, we are offering a different kind of class dynamic with Open Studio Mondays. Starting May 2 and running until June 27, our studio will be open from 10am to 4pm for artists who are encouraged to bring their own materials and work independently and freely in an open studio space.

We are also hoping to expand your mind, create inner peace and connect you with the deeper parts of yourself with Mindfulness Mondays, a six week course starting May 9 and running until June 20 from 12pm to 1pm. With Randi-Mae Stanford-Leibold, explore meditation and reflective writing using inspiration from the gallery. This is a great opportunity to slow things down and take a minute for yourself.

We have a number of exciting and unique workshops coming in spring and summer. These workshops are a great place for beginners to learn some new techniques and for artists to finesse their skills.

On Sunday, May 29, join us for Found Drawings with artist Ruth Read from 1pm to 3pm. Using various found materials, this workshop focuses on serendipitous artwork – art that happens by accident. This unique approach to art will stimulate your creativity and challenge you to look at art from different perspectives, as well as encourage you to work harmoniously and collaboratively with other artists to stumble upon some found imagery.

Ruth Read; The Garden in Winter

A couple weeks later on Sunday, June 12 at the same time, we have another intriguing workshop, Cartography of Process with Jessica Field, which hones in the theory of creativity, helping artists examine their creative process and make the most of their artwork.

If you’re looking for a mini camp experience for yourself, from August 15-19, the RMG has an exciting NEW opportunity for 19+ artists, Intro to Video! Without any experience necessary, we will teach you the basics of video and film making so you can be on your way to the next big film festival!

This spring and summer, the RMG is the creative mind’s oasis! You can relax with yoga, open your mind with mindfulness courses, and learn some awesome new artistic skills! It’s everything the creative bug in you could want and more! For more information, call us at (905) 576-3000 or visit for a full list of everything happening at the RMG!

Beat the heat this summer at the RMG!

Beat the heat by hiding away in what Mayor John Henry calls one of his “favourite places in Oshawa”. This summer we have something for everyone from amateur art critics and social butterflies to little artists and music aficionados. If a mayoral stamp of approval isn’t enough, here are eight reasons why you should head into the RMG this summer.

1. Puppet Act: Manipulating the Voice

Cantastoria, or puppet storytelling, is the theme of the latest exhibit at the RMG curated by Linda Jansma. Puppet Act: Manipulating the Voice features marionettes from the Peterborough Museum & Archives collection whose historic puppets, retired from the Peterborough Puppet Guild, present as disturbing caricatures waiting to come to life once more. The exhibition, set to open up at the gallery until September 1, also includes contemporary work from six artists. These puppeteers convey humanistic motifs of fear, manipulation, irony, humour and the battle between good and evil.

2. Boxing: The Sweet Science

Entering the ring at the RMG just in time for the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games is an exhibit that is sure to be a knockout. Boxing is a metaphor for life, filled with battles lost and won. In Boxing: The Sweet Science, curator Linda Jansma captures this expression through pieces that convey the movement, power and elegancy of the sport. Whether you’ve got a ticket to the match at the GM Centre or not, come in to see this great exhibit. Up at the RMG until September 13, 2015.

3. RMG Fridays

On the first Friday of the month, the gallery is open 7 – 10 p.m. for RMG Fridays. The gallery buzzes with live musical performances from local and emerging talent, interactive art experiences, open gallery spaces, social mingling and more. This FREE (need not to be convinced further) is suitable for music lovers and art enthusiastic big and small. Every RMG Fridays is a family-friendly event and is a hotspot for youth, families and culture-vultures.

July 3, 2015
A Canadian Celebration:
Canada is old. It deserves more than one birthday. At the RMG we’re keeping that maple syrup, apologizing, igloo-dwelling spirit going with indie rockers Canvas and Chris Doucett & The Way Out. Join local artist Monique Ra Brent in Gallery A and chat with Teri Lipman about her collection A Visionary Journey. We’re joined by local arts collective Broken Arts as they gear up for the annual Broken Arts Festival on July 18 in Memorial Park! The PanAm Cruiser will also be stopping by for the evening – learn more about the games!

August 7, 2015
Summer Sounds
We’re taking a night to celebrate the exhibition that has everyone talking, Puppet Act: Manipulating the Voice. The sounds of Goodnight Sunrise and locals Ivory Park, will occupy the main galleries while Father and son duo Matt and Joe will join us in Gallery A. Join us in learning more about the upcoming Durham Festival.

4. Gallery A

If you didn’t know already, Gallery A is a professional exhibition and studio space provides accessible opportunities for artist-driven initiates at the RMG. Each month, the gallery is occupied by a wide range of solo and group projects, curated exhibitions, artist and community collaborations, special events, film screenings, symposiums, and community art projects. And this summer, the talent in Gallery A is shining brighter than the sun!

23 June – 12 July, 2015
Gallery A: Monique Ra Brent: The Painted Soul
Art Lab Studio: Adam White

14 July – 2 August
Motor City Stories
Home to Home

5 – 30 August, 2015
Gallery A: Matthew and Joseph Catalano: Arbor Nimbus

5. OPG Second Sundays

Every second Sunday of every month, the RMG hosts an afternoon of free family activities. Families of all kinds and sizes are invited to explore exciting exhibitions, art materials and fun hands-on activities together! You will discover things to do throughout the RMG, so you can follow your imagination and experiment with new ideas and projects. Projects suit art lovers of all ages and skill levels. Ideal for children 3 and up, however kids work with their parents & art instructors. Drop-in between 1 and 3 p.m., no registration required!

July 12, 2015
Go Team!

We will be celebrating the 2015 Pan Am Games, RMG style! We will make medals, noise-makers and party decorations to cheer on the athletes.

August 9, 2015
Calling all Artists!
This month we will explore 2D and 3D artworks, from raised salt paintings to mini sculptures, we will create artworks that will surely inspire the artists in all of us!

6. Talks and Tours
Art education for all ages is both valuable and important here at the gallery. This summer were hosting several talks exploring the messages, themes and meanings within our current exhibitions.

Sunday, June 28, 1 – 3 p.m.
Join us for this lively and entertaining talk with Sean O’Meara – a former amateur boxer, current Oakville city councillor and the sport-organizing chair for boxing at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games! You will also have an opportunity to join Senior Curator Linda Jansma for a guided tour of the special exhibition Boxing: The Sweet Science.

In Gallery A, join artist Monique Ra Brent to learn more about her work and exhibition, The Painted Soul.

Sunday, July 19, 1 – 3 p.m.
Motor City Stories and Home to Home Opening Reception
Join us in Gallery A and celebrate the works and artists features in Motor City Stories and Home to Home.

Sunday, July 19, 1 – 3 p.m.
Spirit of Sport Exhibition Tour
Join Associate Curator Sonya Jones for a tour of Spirit of Sport: Selections from the Thomas Bouckley Collection.

7. The Permanent Collection

At the RMG, we have an extensive collection of permanent works totalling more than 4,000 works. Often pieces are incorporated into exhibits from our archives. Our current exhibition, Go Figure, was curated by Senior Curator Linda Jansma and explores various aspects of human temperament and how this conception is professed by artists.

8. Painters 11

Painters 11 began in the fall of 1953 in Oshawa, launching them as Ontario’s first abstract painting group. The group includes members such as Alexandra Luke, Jock Macdonald and Jack Bush – Luke being the catalyst of the group’s formation. The group held their first exhibit under the name “Painters 11” in February 1954 at Roberts Gallery in Toronto, Ontario. The RMG has had a long-term relationship with Painters 11, which explains why the gallery is the owner of the largest collection of the group’s work.

Our Isobel McLaughlin Gallery occupies works by Painters 11, interchangeable from our extensive collection. Be sure to stop by the gallery to see the iconic abstract works by the Canadian group.

To stay in the know about all the great events by signing up for our newsletter here https://rmg.on.ca/exhibitions-and-events.php.

Vol ‘n’ Tell is an ongoing series of blog posts written by RMG Volunteers. Raechel Bonomo is an art enthusiast and writer from Oshawa, Ont.

Vintage Oshawa: Summer in the City

This blog post comes from the desk of Sonya Jones, our Assistant Curator and Curator of the Thomas Bouckley Collection.

Spring has sprung and summer is almost here! In the winter, it can be easy to go into hibernation, whereas the summer is a time to get outside for adventures and build memories. The days are longer and the weather warmer, allowing you to spend as much time as possible outside. For me it represents gardening, patios, hiking, and most importantly, vacation. Some of the best summer vacations can be “stay-cations,” where you spend your holiday at home taking full advantage of your backyard and seeing what your city/town has to offer. The Thomas Bouckley Collection contains many images showing summer’s past in Oshawa, including historical residents cooling off in the lake, relaxing, playing outdoor games, and generally basking in the sun. The images celebrate summers experienced in Oshawa and capture the spirit of the season.

Oshawa-on-the-Lake, 1915

With this in mind, we have launched our Vintage Oshawa: Summer in the City project. Each week summer images from the Thomas Bouckley Collection will be posted to our tumblr page (click here) so be sure to bookmark it!

Not only do we want to feature images from the collection in this online exhibition, but we also want to represent the city, past and present, by having the community post their own images of Oshawa in the summer. This could be anything from recent family barbecues in the backyard to swimming lessons at Rotary Park. How do you like to spend the summer in Oshawa? What are some of your favourite hot spots?

Sonya in the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens

One place I visit on my lunch breaks in the summer is the beautiful Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens.

It’s easy to submit your photos or videos to this online exhibition. Be sure to include information about the images, such as a story, where it was taken, and the approximate date. Let’s celebrate summer and revel in memories built in Oshawa.

Help us create a visual history of summers in the city!

Click to visit www.vintageoshawa.tumblr.com