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The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is generously
assisted by the City of Oshawa, the Ontario Arts
Council, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the
Canada Council for the Arts and the Department
of Canadian Heritage, Museums Assistance
Program. Additional support is provided by the
volunteers of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery,
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Volunteers at the RMG are vital to the success of
our events, programs, and projects.
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery Endowment
was established through the generosity of art
lovers and patrons to secure the future of this
important Canadian cultural institution.
Gabrielle Peacock,
Chief Executive Officer
an Ontario government agency
un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
An agency of the Government of Ontario.
Un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario.
Pantone
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Learn about volunteering at the RMG at our
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72 Queen Street, Civic Centre
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 3Z3
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Exhibitions and Collections
Linda Jansma, Senior Curator
Megan White, Assistant Curator/
Curator of the
Thomas Bouckley Collection
Jason Dankel, Preparator
Education
Elizabeth Sweeney
Manager, Public Programs
& ArtReach
Jennifer Treleaven,
Education Co-ordinator
Amanda Dansma
Gallery Educator
Jock Macdonald
Running on Empty
Introducing Gallery A
RMG Exposed 2014
Modern + Beyond
A publication of
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
Board of Trustees
2014/2015
Executive
Dr. Christine Castle, President
Richard Mazar, Past President
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Bruce Watson, Treasurer
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CMYK
Volunteers have a variety of opportunities
available to them — from running the RMG
shop, greeting RMG Friday guests, researching
our Thomas Bouckley collection, to helping
kids discover their creative potential with our
education and outreach programming.
Simcoe
Black
Please consider planned or deferred gifts, such
as bequests, life insurance, publicly traded
shares or property. Your tax-deductible donation
will help ensure the sustainability and longevity
of the RMG. Confidential inquiries should be
directed to Gabrielle Peacock, CEO:
[email protected] 905 576 3000 ext 104
Winter/
Spring
2015
P3
Administration
and Communications
Olinda Casimiro,
Director of Finance
& Administration
Elsy Gould,
Membership Co-ordinator
Norah O’Donnell,
Manager of Community
& Volunteer Development
Sam Mogelonsky,
Communications
& Social Media Co-ordinator
Centre
At the RMG our volunteers commit as much or as
little time as they can, choosing which programs
and events they would like to be part of based on
their skills and interests.
MODERN+BEYOND
ISSUE 14/WINTER 2015
Cover Image: Jock Macdonald, Nature’s Pattern, 1954
(detail). Collection of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery.
72 Queen Street, Civic Centre
Oshawa, ON L1H 3Z3
rmg.on.ca
MODERN+BEYOND
ISSUE 14/WINTER 2015
MODERN+BEYOND
ISSUE 14/WINTER 2015
P2
P3
“...the first major
retrospective of the artist’s
work in over thirty years
and the only venue to
host the exhibition, east of
British Columbia.”
“2015 brings with it a
number of opportunities
for engaging with art”
we are thrilled to
be opening the newly renovated Gallery A space
this January. Made possible by a generous grant
from Canadian Heritage’s Cultural Spaces Fund
and the Aked Endowment, opportunities are
available for community partnerships and special
initiatives as well as an annual artist residency that
prioritizes regional artists looking to experiment
with new ideas, collaborate, and work in new directions. In addition,
our re-imagined lower level welcomes visitors to the Learning Lounge, a
beautifully re-purposed space for lectures and events.
February marks the fourth anniversary of our popular RMG Fridays
series and we couldn’t be happier with the response this monthly event has
received. Please join us in celebrating on February 6 for an evening of art,
music and connecting with arts enthusiasts in our community.
2015 brings with it a number of opportunities for engaging with art
to transform the way you look at the world. In January, we install three
fascinating and diverse exhibitions: Closeups: Margaret Rodgers takes a
fresh look at the photographs in the Thomas Bouckley Collection; Running
on Empty is a contemporary group exhibition considering car culture
curated by Heather Nicol, and the much anticipated Jock Macdonald:
Evolving Form is a major retrospective exhibition of the work of influential
painter Jock Macdonald of Painters Eleven. Alongside our new exhibitions,
an updated season of workshops, lectures, OPG Second Sunday family
events, and classes begin in 2015. As always, there are programs suitable
for all ages and artistic abilities.
We are also thrilled to announce that in late May we will be installing
a sculpture by Noel Harding adjacent to the General Motors Centre
(GM Centre). In collaboration with the City of Oshawa, this site-specific
commission is a celebration of the City’s participation in the TORONTO
2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games in the summer of 2015.
How are you planning to transform this year? Whether it’s taking an
art class, listening to a new band play at RMG Fridays, experiencing a new
work of art in our contemporary exhibitions, or visiting an old friend in our
Permanent Collection, make visiting the RMG part of your 2015 routine.
We look forward to seeing you often in 2015. Happy New Year!
This winter we’re offering an in-depth learning series
about the artist and educator Jock Macdonald.
Events Calendar
Jam-packed RMG Fridays,
drop-in family programs,
and opportunities to learn
about the lives of artists
fill this event calendar.
Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form
31 January, 2015 – 24 May, 2015
Opening Reception
RMG Fridays, 6 March 2015, 7-9pm
Guests in the RMG Exposed 2014 photobooth by Photostar.
Day
Date
Event
Time
After months of construction,
Photo: Steve Stober
right:
Jock Macdonald
Orange Impulse, 1955
oil, graphite on canvas
Jock Macdonald
Evolving Form
Itee Pootoogook, Three Hunters Canoeing During Foggy Day, 2013 (detail). © Dorset Fine Arts
CEO’s
Message
Left:
Jock Macdonald in Nootka
Sound, c. 1935–36
JANUARY
Friday
09-Jan
RMG Fridays: Funky Fusion
Saturday 10-Jan
Running on Empty first day to view Saturday 10-Jan
Workshop: Drawing with Ron Shuebrook
Sunday
11-Jan
OPG Second Sundays: StART Your Engine!
Thursday
15-Jan
Volunteer Orientation - Registration required
Friday23-Jan
Closeups: Margaret Rodgers first day to view Thursday 29-Jan
Gift Shop Sale Saturday 31-Jan
Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form first day to view
7-10 pm
1-3 pm
1-3 pm
6pm
10am-7pm
FEBRUARY Sunday
01-Feb
Talk: Artist Pete Smith & Curator Linda Jansma
1-3pm
Friday
06-Feb
RMG Fridays: 4th Anniversary Bash!
7-10 pm
Sunday
08-Feb
OPG Second Sundays: Lunar New Year Celebration! 1-3 pm
Monday 16-Feb
Family Day - Gallery Open - Play All Day! 1-3 pm
Sunday 15-Feb
Workshop: OAC Grant Writing and Funding 1-3 pm
Thursday 19-Feb
Volunteer Orientation - Registration required
6pm
Sunday 22-Feb
Talk and Tour: Margaret Rodgers and Ruth Greenlaw 1-3pm
Thursday 26-Feb
Gallery A/ Art Lab Information Session 7-8pm
MARCH Friday
06-Mar
RMG Fridays: Evolving Form
Saturday
07-Mar
Symposium: Abstraction in Canada Sunday
08-Mar
OPG Second Sundays: Colour!
Sunday 15-Mar
Application Deadline: Gallery A/ Art Lab Thursday 19-Mar
Volunteer Orientation - Registration required
Sunday 29-Mar
Talk: Artist Toni Hamel and Curator Heather Nicol
7-10 pm
10am-4pm
1-3 pm
6pm
1-3pm
APRIL Friday
03-Apr
Gallery Closed - Good Friday
Sunday 05-Apr
Gallery Closed - Easter Sunday Monday 06-Apr
Gallery Closed - Easter Monday
Friday 10-Apr
RMG Fridays: Emerging Superstars
7-10 pm
Sunday
12-Apr
OPG Second Sundays: Amazing Abstractions
1-3 pm
Thursday 16-Apr
Volunteer Orientation - Registration required
6pm
Sunday 19-AprOpening Reception:
Durham College Fine Arts Exhibition 1-3pm
Sunday 26-Apr
Members’ Bring-a-Friend Event
2-4pm
Sunday 26-Apr
Running on Empty last day to view Wednesday 29-Apr
Workshop: Artwork Documentation - until 2 May Thursday 30-Apr
Opening Reception: Durham Catholic School Board 7pm
Gabrielle Peacock,
Chief Executive Officer
engage Family learn
art creative escape
explore fun adventure
seek design colourful
imagination growth
make believe craft RMG
Abstraction in Canada:
The Legacy of Jock Macdonald
Over 60 years ago, Alexandra Luke
organized The Canadian Abstract
Exhibition for the YWCA in Oshawa,
giving birth to abstraction in Ontario and
a collective of artists who would go on
to call themselves Painters Eleven. Jock
Macdonald, a member of this illustrious
group, is regarded as an early visionary,
leading the way in automatic and abstract
painting in Canada.
Symposium
Abstraction in Canada:
The Legacy of Jock Macdonald
Saturday 7 March 2015, 10am-4pm
Lunch and refreshments included.
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is thrilled Registration required $20 / $15 students
to present Jock Macdonald: Evolving
Free for RMG Members.
Form, the first major retrospective of
This one-day symposium will explore
the artist’s work in over thirty years and
the life and work of Canadian painter
the only venue to host the exhibition,
Jock Macdonald, including postwar
east of British Columbia. The exhibition
abstraction in Canada and Macdonald’s
provides a fresh look at Macdonald’s
artistic practice and includes for the first influence on the last century of Canadian
art. This event is held in conjunction
time, previously unknown Automatics,
discovered in the archives of The Scottish with Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form
—the first major retrospective of the
National Gallery of Modern Art by the
artist’s work in over thirty years. The
RMG’s Senior Curator Linda Jansma.
day will include an in-depth tour of the
exhibition, a light lunch and refreshments
and presentations from art historians,
researchers, students and curators.
Call for proposals
The RMG invites diverse session
proposals that contribute to our
understanding of postwar abstraction
in Canada, including the work of Jock
Macdonald and Painters Eleven.
Session proposals may cover history,
theory and criticism, museum and
curatorial practice, contemporary work,
and artistic practice. Please submit your
CV and a 300 word abstract to Elizabeth
Sweeney at [email protected] by
January 15, 2015.
Website
In conjunction with Jock Macdonald:
Evolving Form the RMG is proud to
launch www.jockmacdonald.org – a
special exhibition website detailing the
artist’s life with an extended timeline,
live drawing tool and interactive gallery
of artworks. This is the first time the
artist’s work has been available online in
an interactive, web-based format.
www.jockmacdonald.com
Introducing Gallery A
Fulfilling the Legacy of
Aleen Aked and paving
the way for collaboration,
local artistic exposure
and the growth of our
vibrant arts community.
Please join us for the
Grand Opening at RMG
Fridays on 9 January.
Free family FUN!
Second sunday
of each month
Drop-in 1-3pm
Generously sponsored by
Talk and Tour with Pete Smith and
Linda Jansma, Curator of Jock
Macdonald: Evolving Form
Sunday 1 February, 1-3pm
ArtLab artist in residence Pete Smith will
discuss his relationship to abstraction
and the development of his recent
ArtLab installation. Senior Curator,
Linda Jansma will share the story of her
discovery of the previously unknown
Macdonald works, followed by a guided
tour of Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form.
Photo: Steve Stober
ELIZABETH SWEENEY,
Manager,
Public Programs
and ArtReach
Catalogue
Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form is
accompanied by a major book copublished by The Robert McLaughlin
Gallery, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and Black
Dog Publishing, featuring texts by each
curator, an essay by scholar Dr. Anna
Hudson, excerpts from Macdonald’s
correspondence and a diary the artist
kept while living in Nootka Sound from
1935 to 1936. Available at the RMG shop.
School Enrichment Programs
February 2015 - May 2015
Grades JK-12
This comprehensive school enrichment
program includes an interactive tour of
Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form, proving
an easy and engaging introduction to
the world of abstraction. Students will
also visit the studio and experiment with
watercolour and ink to create an abstract
artwork inspired by the exhibition. Visit
the Teachers Corner on our website to
learn more.
OPG Second Sundays!
12 April: Amazing Abstractions
We are letting our imaginations loose!
Inspired by the Jock Macdonald: Evolving
Form exhibition, we create watercolour
paintings, unique abstracted pinwheels,
silly sculptures and a collaborative
abstract floor art. Free.
Elizabeth Aleen Aked was an accomplished
artist and a woman with a strong sense of
the history and culture of the places she
lived, especially her summer home and
studio in Tyrone, Ontario. Miss Aked died
in 2003; in her estate, a generous portion
of her legacy was gifted to The Robert
McLaughlin Gallery.
With the support of the Aked
Endowment and funding from the
Department of Canadian Heritage, the
RMG is thrilled to embark on an exciting
new initiative aimed at fostering a thriving
local arts community.
During the summer of 2014, the RMG
was under major renovations to create
a professional exhibition space reserved
for exhibiting the work of local artists,
community collaborations, and themed
group exhibits. The new space, features a
professional gallery, an artist studio and
rooms designed for bringing together arts
communities.
Opportunities are available for
community partnerships and special
initiatives as well as artist residencies
that prioritizes artists who wish to
experiment with new ideas, collaborate,
Work in progress by Artist in Residence Pete Smith
and work in new directions. Artists will have increased opportunities to give public
talks, participate in professional development workshops, and give and receive critical
feedback from peers. Programming of this space is separate from our curatorial
planning and proposal selections are made with a jury of local artists and arts
professionals.
We invite you to visit the new space, take a workshop or apply for an opportunity at
Gallery A. A full listing of Gallery A programming is featured on P7.
MODERN+BEYOND
ISSUE 14/WINTER 2015
MODERN+BEYOND
ISSUE 14/WINTER 2015
P4
P5
“Jock Macdonald was a
key figure and influenced
not only his peers, but
also future generations of
Canadian painters.”
Upcoming
Exhibitions
RMG Publications
Our winter 2015 programming includes a
contemporary exhibition, a new look at our
photography collection from our community
and a major retrospective exhibition.
Kate Puxley, from the series Trans-Canada, 2011-ongoing
Closeups: Margaret Rodgers Go Figure
Selections from the
Selections from the
Thomas Bouckley Collection Permanent Collection
23 January - 7 May, 2015
Artist talk with Margaret Rodgers:
Sunday 22 February, 1-3pm
Until 16 August, 2015
As the history of art has changed, so too
has the depiction of the figure. From a
Local artist Margaret Rodgers has created sculpture carved over 30,000 years ago,
a new body of work as an extension of her until now, the figure has been both a
ongoing interest in Oshawa’s heritage.
central and enduring theme in artistic
Using photographs from the Thomas
practices. In North America, figures were
Bouckley Collection as a jumping off
often included in early topographical
point, Rodgers has created a series of
drawings, prints and watercolours
mixed media works that ask the viewer to to animate a landscape, as well as
take a closer look at scenes from Oshawa’s provide a sense of scale or information
history.
about period dress, cultural activity
Rodgers places a spotlight on captured or the social status of the person who
moments of figures that are otherwise
commissioned the work. easily overlooked in these photographs.
Working directly from the model
The act of featuring these people in her
is standard practice in the training
work is a subversion of the original intent of artists. An artist, however, might
of the photographer, but allows the viewer work not only from the nude figure,
to look at the image in a new way. Rodgers but also from photographs, skeletons
deals with incidental images, often grainy
and anatomical subjects, as well as
or blurry, but those that are suggestive of
draped figures. The depiction of,
daily life at the time. Most of the mixed
primarily, female nudes in the history
media work centers on bystanders from
of Western art brings numerous issues
various historical Oshawa events, calling
to the fore including the male gaze and
up the manner in which we all become
objectification, as well as feminism and
background strangers captured in other
cultural politics.
people’s photographs at one time or
A portrait not only represents the
another. The works featured in Closeups
physical aspect of the subject, but also
are displayed using recovered jewelry
their essence. From formal, historical
trays from the basement at 20 Simcoe
portraits of the upper class, to the
Street North, a building formerly owned
graphite sketch that quickly gives not
by Burns Jewellers and further referencing only the physical characteristics, but
Oshawa’s past.
a sense of the sitter’s personality,
Margaret Rodgers is an Oshawa-based
the portrait can portray both a sense
artist who has exhibited internationally
of “occasion,” as well as an intimate
and locally for many years. She founded
connection between artist and subject.
the IRIS Group, a women artists’
The work presented in Go Figure
collective, in 1996, taught art subjects at
is from the permanent collection of
Centennial and Durham Colleges, and
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery. The
spearheaded many projects as Director/
collection is comprised of over 4500
Curator at VAC Clarington.
paintings, prints, drawings, photographs,
Curated by Megan White.
sculpture, and installations that
originated with the generous donation
of 37 works from the collection of artist
Alexandra Luke. The RMG holdings
include both historic and contemporary
images of the figure, from quick studies
on paper to highly finished canvases.
The collection is continuously
evolving, and Go Figure includes recent
acquisitions that exemplify the RMG’s
dedication to sharing, exploring and
engaging with our communities through
the continuing story of modern and
contemporary Canadian art.
Curated by Linda Jansma.
Margaret Rodgers, Fireman and Fan, Prospect Park 1900, 2014
Running on Empty:
Kim Adams, John Massey
Kate Puxley, Seth Scriver
and Shayne Ehman,
Monica Tap, Elinor Whidden,
with Jean Luc Godard
Jock Macdonald:
Evolving Form
31 January - 24 May, 2015
10 January - 26 April, 2015
Curator’s Talk with Heather Nicol:
Sunday 29 March, 1-3pm
Navigating the “Great Canadian
Landscape” for discovery, trade, or
pleasure has historically occurred at slow
speed, by foot, wagon or canoe. Today,
a web of highways and byways travelled
by automobiles lead us from city to
country and beyond and up to (a legal)
110 km per hour. For many Canadians,
“live” encounters with vistas and wildlife
primarily occur from within the metal
armour of the automobile.
For decades the car held mythic
promises of freedom and romance. Road
trips, auto shows, car bodies, Hollywood
movies and advertisements have served
as both creators and statements of style
and identity.
Over time these near-utopian
constructs have come under intense
scrutiny from a wide range of cultural
and environmental perspectives. In a
nation like Canada, with our vast and
varied terrain, notions of transport
are especially significant. The artists
gathered for Running On Empty position
the car as a mediating force in our
evolving relationship with landscapes.
Here, expeditions have unexpected
consequences, bucolic scenes become a
blur, a car’s interior overpowers a sense
of connection to the exterior world, or
a machine’s potential to transport us to
better things may be unattainable.
In spite of its allure and convenience,
the promises of the car often fall flat.
A projection of Jean Luc Godard’s
1967 film “Weekend” sets the tone of the
exhibition. In it, a couple’s supposedly
idyllic road trip begins with a promising
escape from the bustling city, but soon
descends into a mire of traffic jams and
worse. Seth Scriver and Shayne Ehman’s
award winning 2013 animated feature
film “Asphalt Watches” is an imaginative
rendering of their epic cross-county hitch
hiking adventure, replete with scenes
of Canada’s varied landscapes, and a
dizzying array of characters who are
fellow travellers of its vast roadways.
Jock Macdonald, Nature’s Pattern, 1954.
Elinor Whidden’s work mines
history books and scrap yards to stage
contemporary versions of historical
moments. Her work forges links
between early fur trading routes and
today’s highways systems; exploring
myths of adventure and discovery, and
the ongoing impacts of our colonial
past. Kim Adams’ imaginative vehiclebased assemblages envision potential,
yet somehow unattainable, utopian
scenarios where technology and people
are intertwined. His humorous displays
of ingenuity, pleasure, and industry are
generously detailed, evoking a nostalgic
desire for a bright future. Kate Puxley
considers the highway as a zone of
encounter between cars, humans and
animals, mining the roadside for her raw
materials and bringing us alarmingly
close to the wildness we both crave and
fear. In almost total opposition to this
stance, John Massey’s seductively slick
photographs of car interiors offer a world
unto themselves, where the vehicle’s dips
and valleys mimic the natural landscape
and the human form. Looking outside
of the car becomes an extension of the
contained experience of the traveller.
Monica Tap considers the speed at which
we are transported though the land,
conflating the impressionists palette and
methods with a digitized, accelerated
experience of the country drive.
Curated by Heather Nicol.
Monica Tap, One-second Hudson no. 4, 2007
Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form is a
travelling exhibition, organized by
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery,
the Vancouver Art Gallery and the
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and
celebrating the artist’s life and exhibiting
many previously unknown works. The
exhibition begins with Macdonald’s early
painting career in Vancouver, surveys
his move toward abstraction and his
extraordinary automatics, and concludes
with the later abstractions he produced
as part of the Toronto-based collective of
abstract artists, Painters Eleven.
A pioneer of postwar abstraction
in Canada, Jock Macdonald was a key
figure and influenced not only his
peers, but also future generations of
Canadian painters. The exhibition traces
the artist’s practice and shows the
dramatic transformations he underwent
throughout his development. Influenced
by spirituality and Surrealist thinking,
Macdonald believed that the artist’s task
was to “break out of the tangible reality
of daily existence to realize the highest
planes of art expression”. (Pg 15, Thom,
“The Early Work: An Artist Emerges”)
His career was an artistic journey in a
perpetual state of evolution and growth.
As a founding member of Painters Eleven,
Macdonald’s contribution to abstract
painting in Canada is seminal.
Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form is the
first major retrospective of the artist’s
work in over thirty years and is a fresh
look at his influential career.
A special project website at
jockmacdonald.org details the artist’s life
with a time-line, drawing tool, biography
and gallery of artworks.
The exhibition is organized by The
Robert McLaughlin Gallery, the Vancouver
Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Greater
Victoria, and is curated by Ian M. Thom,
Michelle Jacques and Linda Jansma.
Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form
($34.95 - hardcover)
Co-published by The Robert
McLaughlin Gallery, the Vancouver
Art Gallery and Art Gallery of
Greater Victoria and Black Dog
Publishing, featuring texts by
each curator, an essay by scholar
Dr. Anna Hudson, excerpts from
Macdonald’s correspondence and
a diary the artist kept while living in
Nootka Sound from 1935 to 1936.
Members’
Bring-a-friend
Event
Sunday 26 April
2pm to 4pm
join
y!
toda
2014
OAAG
AWARD
WINNER
Ron Shuebrook: Drawings
($10.00 - softcover)
The catalogue accompanying the
recent exhibition Ron Shuebrook:
Drawings received a 2014
curatorial writing award from the
Ontario Association of Art Galleries.
The 46-page catalogue features
essays by Melanie Authier, Robert
Enright, John Kissick, David Urban,
as well as full-color photography.
Become a
Member
of the RMG
Photo: Steve Stober
Linda Jansma,
2014
OAAG
AWARD
WINNER
Senior Curator
Curator’s Choice
It has been an exciting journey to
be involved in the development of
Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form.
As the “spiritual home” of Painters
Eleven, it was natural for the RMG
to be part of this collaboration with
the Vancouver Art Gallery and Art
Gallery of Greater Victoria. Many of
the 26 works by Macdonald in the
RMG’s permanent collection are
featured in both the exhibition and
publication, as are other paintings
from major public holdings across
the country, as well as from private
collections.
The exhibition presents important
new research: a previously unknown
diary that Macdonald kept while
he and his family lived in Nootka, a
remote community on Vancouver
Island, correspondence from Jock
to British Surrealists Dr. Grace
The Collaborationists
Jennifer Marman & Daniel Borins
($25.00-softcover)
Jock Macdonald, 1958 Park Gallery Opening, Gift of the Feheley Family, 2014
Pailthorpe and Reuben Mednikoff, and a selection of 86
previously unknown works housed in the archives of the
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh.
The latter represents a link between Macdonald’s early
forays into abstraction, and his fully realized automatic
works and a number are included in the exhibition.
This wonderful photograph of Macdonald, taken at the
opening of a Jack Bush exhibition in 1958 at Toronto’s
Park Gallery, is also a recent discovery and a 2014
addition to the RMG’s important P11 archives. We are
grateful to the Feheley family for their generous gift of
this material.
101 pages. This full colour
catalogue documents the
exhibition The Collaborationists:
Jennifer Marman & Daniel Borins.
Essays included in the catalogue
are by Linda Jansma, Melissa
Bennett and Christian ViverosFauné. This catalogue won a 2014
design award from the Ontario
Association of Art Galleries.
To purchase please visit our gift shop or contact norah o’donnell by email [email protected] or call
905 576 3000 x106
The Imagination Station is a space
for families to hang out, make art,
and play. Drop in any time to explore
art books, our magnet wall, and other
art-making activities!
Families are invited to drop in and
work on a project together. Free!
MODERN+BEYOND
ISSUE 14/WINTER 2015
MODERN+BEYOND
ISSUE 14/WINTER 2015
P6
P7
Events
Gallery A
In November, RMG Exposed captured the best in
photography during our annual fundraiser. Join us
in February when we will celebrate the four-year
anniversary of RMG Fridays!
Fulfilling the Legacy of Aleen Aked and paving the
way for collaboration, local artistic exposure and
the growth of our vibrant arts community.
CIBC Wood Gundy Emerging Photographer Award for Best Overall Submission:
Lora Moore-Kakaletris, Andreas
RMG Exposed 2014
We’re celebrating our four-year
anniversary! You’re invited to take in
musical performances, explore art, mingle
and more. RMG Fridays is free!
7pm. Cash bar. Follow #RMGFridays
Friday 9 January: Funky Fusion*
Kick off 2015 with a fusion of acoustic-pop
and funky-jazz. Performances by Rhyme
Jaws and Good Ghost. Celebrate the
grand opening of Gallery A, and opening
of Running On Empty. Enjoy tea tasting
provided by Honey & Tea Co.
Congratulations to all finalists in the RMG Exposed 2014 Juried Photography Contest.
The event was a huge success and the support of our guests, sponsors, donors,
photographers, volunteers and partners has raised funds that will support education
programs in the coming year. Thank you to all who participated.
Local duo Darling and the Fox at RMG Fridays October.
ARTiculate! Durham Catholic District
School Board Exhibition
The annual student exhibition returns with
works from students from the Durham
Friday 6 February: 4th Anniversary Bash! Catholic District School Board. Join us in
Celebrate our 4th anniversary with co-hosts celebrating the work of young artists at the
opening reception on Thursday 30 April.
The Honourable Mayor John Henry, Dr.
7-9pm. The exhibition runs until May 17.
Tim McTiernan of UOIT, Don Lovisa of
Durham College, and Leo Groarke of Trent
University. The night is jam-packed with
Members’ Bring-a-Friend Event
Grey Lands, Wayne Petti’s return to his
alt-country roots and Sad Boys Glee Club. Members are invited to bring-a-friend on
Also opening, Closeups: Margaret Rodgers.
Sunday 26 April from 2-4pm. Members and
Friday 6 March: Evolving Form
Engage with your senses! Both Graham
Nicholas and Ryan Carr will take us on
an acoustic journey. We also celebrate
Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form. Create an
abstract artwork and tour the collection.
Friday 10 April: Emerging Superstars*
Bring-a-Friend to share in the fun!
Performances by pop singer/songwriter
Scott Helman, the 2014 nominee for the
CBC Music Rising Star award and smartpop, love-rockers So Young. Also opening
Speak Up! Youth Art Exhibition.
* Note Special Date
The RMG is grateful to the Ontario
Trillium Foundation for their
generous support of RMG Fridays
programming.
An agency of the Government of Ontario.
1
Contact Norah O’Donnell to register
at [email protected]
This event is supported by the Ontario
Trillium Foundation.
[email protected] or 905.576.3000 x103
Events (continued)
Workshops for Artists (continued)
Gallery A is a new professional exhibition
space that provides accessible opportunities
for artist-driven initiates. We encourage a
wide range of project proposals including
solo, group and curated exhibitions, artist
and community collaborations, special
events, film screenings, symposiums, and
community art projects.
1 December, 2014 – 1 February 2015
Gallery A & Art Lab: Pete Smith, artist
residency
Sunday 19 April, 1 - 3pm
Opening Reception: Durham College Fine
Arts Graduate Thesis Exhibition
4 February – 1 March, 2015
Gallery A: Ruth Greenlaw
Art Lab: Toni Hamel, artist residency
Workshops for Artists
Free. Registration required.
Thursday 30 April - Saturday 2 May
By appointment during Gallery hours
Artwork Documentation Station
Over the course of three days, artists may
document their artwork in an environment
designed for effective, professional
documentation. RMG staff will be on hand
with the appropriate lighting, hanging and
photographic equipment. Artists may bring
their own camera, or alternately a 10GB
USB memory stick to transfer images onto.
Maximum of five artworks, no larger than
7ft x 7ft. Wall-mounted works only.
The Art Lab is a program held in
conjunction with Gallery A – it is a free
residency studio program aimed at
encouraging a wide diversity of artists to
experiment with new ideas, make dramatic
departures from work they have done in
the past, share ideas with peers and be
inspired. Artists in residence work in the
Art Lab Artist Studio and occasionally they
take over Gallery A for larger projects and
installations.
Information Session:
Thursday 26 February, 7 – 8 pm
3
Application Deadline:
Sunday 15 March. Projects will take place
from September 2015 to February 2016.
Application form found at www.rmg.on.ca
3 March -29 March, 2015
Gallery A & Art Lab: Toni Hamel, artist
residency
31 March– 12 April, 2015
Gallery A: Speak Up! Youth Art Exhibition
14 April – 28 April, 2015
Gallery A: Durham College Fine Arts
Graduate Thesis Exhibition
Events
Sunday 1 February, 1 - 3pm
Talk and Tour with Artist, Pete Smith and
Senior Curator, Linda Jansma
RMG Fridays: 6 February, 7-10pm
Opening reception: Ruth Greenlaw
Sunday 22 February, 1-3pm
Talk and Tour with artists Ruth Greenlaw
and Margaret Rodgers
Sunday 29 March, 1 - 3pm
Talk and Tour with Artist Toni Hamel
and Running on Empty Curator
Heather Nicol
Register online - spaces are limited.
Saturday 10 January, 1 - 3pm
Drawing Workshop with Ron Shuebrook
Ron Shuebrook will lead a workshop about
the use of memories as a catalyst for art,
while also considering aesthetic forms
and expressive processes. Participants will
explore a variety of graphic media such
as graphite, charcoal, or ink, based on
their interests. All materials provided but
students are welcome to bring their own
tools and materials if they prefer.
Registration required. $25 Members/ $35
Non-Members / Free for adults registered in
Winter/Spring 2015 art classes
Sunday 15 February, 1 - 3pm
Grant Writing and Funding
Opportunities for Artists
Zhe Gu, Visual Arts Officer at the Ontario
Arts Council (OAC) will lead this workshop
aimed at professional Visual artists and
Fine Craft artists. The workshop will cover
the types of grants available, the selection
process and how to prepare an effective
application. Please bring any applications in
progress, your artist statement, or previous
grant text.
Free. Registration required.
Symposium
Sunday 7 March, 10am – 4pm
Abstraction in Canada: The Legacy of
Jock Macdonald
See P3 for more details.
Lunch and refreshments included.
$20 / $15 students / Free for RMG Members
Gallery A programming is made possible
through generous support of the
an Ontario government agency
un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
4
1. Best Photojournalism/Documentary:
Farhana Haque, Caught in a Web (a young fisherman repairing his net)
2. Best Youth:
Alessandra Cirelli, Untitled
3. Best Landscape/Nature/Architecture:
Leif Petersen, The Road Through
4. Community Choice Award:
Marie Heintzman, Bison Ridge 02
5. Best Conceptual/Non-Representational:
Laura Crowell, Audrey Moment
Imagine your event
in our inspired space
Contact Cheryl-Ann today!
On View
Grand Opening:
RMG Fridays on Friday 9 January, 7 pm
Youth Volunteer Leaders Symposium
Youth volunteer leaders are invited
to a symposium on Thursday 14 May
that will explore youth volunteerism in
Durham Region. Including a keynote
speaker, learning opportunities, panel
discussions and networking. We encourage
all youth volunteers, coordinators, and
administrators to register now to get
involved! Spaces Limited.
Gallery A and the Art Lab
Get Involved!
their guest will receive a 20% discount in
the RMG Shop, enjoy refreshments, and
listen to Senior Curator, Linda Jansma’s
Evolving Form research journey.
Un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario.
Photo courtesy Johanna Nichola Photography.
2
Artist in Residence Pete Smith
STAY WARM WITH
a new favourite
Staff Profile
5
Sam Mogelonsky is the
RMG’s new Communications
and Social Media Coordinator.
She has a BFAH from
Queen’s University and an
MFA from Central Saint
Martin’s College of Art and Design, London, UK.
Stop by and welcome Sam to the RMG team!
RMG: What were you up to before the RMG?
Sam: Before coming to the RMG I was working
for a boutique marketing agency, managing
the design studio. I was responsible for a
range of tasks, but mainly overseeing website
production. I am also an artist, so I was
preparing for a solo exhibition at Katzman
Contemporary in Toronto, which happened
during my first week working at the RMG.
RMG: What drew you to the museum sector?
Sam: I had volunteered and worked for
galleries before and during the time I was
working in the agency world and I was keen
to enter the museum sector again. I exhibited
at the RMG in 2013 in Making Methods,
and loved the experience, so when I saw the
position posted, I was quick to apply!
RMG: What is your favourite museum?
Sam: That’s a hard one! The Whitechapel Gallery
in East London is one of my favourite galleries.
The architecture incorporates both the original
library structure and the new galleries in an
innovative way. The gallery itself features a mix
of contemporary, community and collectionsbased exhibitions. It’s also the perfect size to
walk around without feeling museum-overload!
RMG: What is your first memory of art?
Sam: My grandfather was an art writer, graphic
designer and a member of the Montreal art
community in the 1960’s. As a result, his
farmhouse in Dunvegan, Ontario, was full of art
given to the family from friends. As a designer
himself, he also had the best office full of
colored pencils and pens. I used to sit with him
and draw while he wrote.
RMG: What is the one thing you most want to
share with people about the RMG?
Sam: What has surprised me about working at
the RMG is the amazing number of programs
offered here that are all so different and free!
From the RMG Fridays series to the exhibition
programming, there seems to always be
something new I need to tweet about! As
well, the team behind these events is truly
phenomenal (and I’m so happy to be a part of it!)
Mother’s Day Volunteer
Brunch @ the RMG
Sunday, 10 May
Seating 1: 10:30am
Seating 2: 12:30pm
Reservations required.
[email protected]
Learn more at an Orientation:
Thursday 15 January @ 6pm
Thursday 19 February @ 6pm
Thursday 19 March @ 6pm
Thursday 16 April @ 6pm
Registration required.
Contact Norah at [email protected]