Winter 2018 Modern + Beyond
A publication of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
Modern + Beyond | Winter 2018 | Page 1
Betwixt & Between: An Untold Tom Thomson Story January 27 - April 15
A multi-faceted, fully immersive, interactive exhibition designed to tie the story of Tom Thomson to the First Nations people of the Bruce Peninsula. The mystery-style drama will include historical information, artworks including 20 original works by Tom Thomson, artifacts and fictional components. See page 7 for more information. Tom Thomson (Canadian 1877-1917) April in Algonquin Park (detail) 1917 oil on wood panel 21.5 x 26.6 Collection the Tom Page 2cm | Modern + Beyondof | Winter 2018 Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound Ontario, gift of George Thomson, brother of Tom Thomson, 1967
season overview exhibitions Andil Gosine: All the Flowers | Jan 13-Mar 18 Grant Cole: The Parade of Life | Jan 20-Apr 22 Betwixt & Between: The Untold Story of Tom Thomson | Jan 27-Apr 15 Identity/Identify | on through June 24
artist talks Andil Gosine: All the Flowers | Jan 27 Jeff Mann: HUNDERTWASSER MEETS OSHAWA | Jan 28 Pete Smith: Can I Kick It? | Feb 11
classes for kids Art Tots: Petite Painters | Tuesdays, Jan 16-Mar 6 Artspiration | Saturdays, Jan 20 -Mar 10 Art Away from Home-School | Tuesdays, Jan 16 -Mar 6 Art Without Borders | T hursdays, Jan 18 -Feb 22 P.A. Day Camps | Friday, Jan 19 & Friday, Apr 27 March Break Camp | Mar 12-16
classes for adults Collectors & Curators | Thursdays, Feb 8-Mar 15 Landscapes, Eh? | Saturday & Sunday, Feb 24-Feb 25 Art Away from Home-School | Tuesdays, Jan 16 -Mar 6
The RMG is proud to acknowledge the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. We are situated on the Traditional Territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation which includes Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi.
Cover: Andil Gosine, Coolie Colours (detail), 2017
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message from Donna This season we invite you to join us as we delve into notions of home. Andil Gosine: All the Flowers looks to the place and people of Oshawa who impacted his life path in complicated ways. Betwixt & Between looks to the land, its owners and inhabitants, rewriting the iconic Canadian story of Tom Thomson to include Indigenous perspective and influence. Oshawa-based artist Grant Cole’s exhibition The Parade of Life turns to historic images from our Thomas Bouckley Collection, which provides an expansive visual history of Oshawa. We All Have Something Called Home, an exhibition in partnership with Durham Black Educators’ Network will look at the expansive meaning of home through the storytelling capacity of objects. And excitedly, we’re looking for submissions to the #feelslikehome exhibition, a crowdsourced, collective, curated exhibition that explores and expands of the images, spaces, motifs and aesthetics of home. See you at the gallery! Donna Raetsen-Kemp, CEO, the RMG
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Image: Newtom Home, 1880. The Thomas Bouckley Collection.
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Andil Gosine: All the Flowers January 13-March 18 Artist talk: January 27 at 2pm
Andil Gosine moved to Oshawa, from Trinidad, at the age of 14. His formative teen years in the city are revisited in these works, in which he both shares his personal desires and vulnerabilities, and exposes the enduring impact of struggles he and his family experienced. Told as an “autobiography in flora,� the exhibition bookends re-imagined archival materials from his experiences in Oshawa and is organized chronologically with works about the prelude to, and enduring aftermath of his teenagehood. Gosine uses the Ixora flower as a key icon throughout. Indigenous to India and other parts of Asia, the flower was brought by his indentured labour ancestors to Trinidad, where it is now ubiquitous. Through this exhibition, Gosine brings them to Canada as an offering to the place and people of Oshawa, who impacted his life path in complicated ways.
Andil Gosine, Apu, Roi des Fleurs (detail), 2017 Page 6 | Modern + Beyond | Winter 2018
Photo of Tom Thomson’s Shack on Severn Street in Toronto, taken c. 1915
Betwixt & Between: An Untold Tom Thomson Story Curated by Virginia Eichhorn, Tom Thomson Art Gallery
January 27-April 15
Lead artists Joel Richardson, Germinio Pio Politi, and Nyle Johnston, build upon what we know about Tom Thomson, investigating the contradictions and mysteries, in order to produce this project. There are some incontrovertible facts about Tom Thomson, yet many aspects of his life remain within the realm of conjecture and supposition. The heart of the project lies in the (85% authentic) story of an imagined friendship between Thomson and George Nadjiwon, a young man from Cape Croker reserve. The time period that is covered in the exhibition includes key dates in Canadian history and looks at issues including the treatment of Indigenous peoples, women’s rights, independence and ideas around nationhood. Modern + Beyond | Winter 2018 | Page 7
Grant Cole, Hat Lady, 2017
Grant Cole: The Parade of Life Curated by Sonya Jones, Associate Curator
January 27-April 15
Oshawa based artist, Grant Cole is drawn to the formality of everyday life depicted in the Thomas Bouckley Collection of historical photographs. While looking through a modern lens, his work, inspired by the photographs, focuses on the sense of pride and purpose he sees in the poses and subjects. He is interested less in the context of the historical photographs and more in its original intent. Photography at the turn of the 20th century was a privileged pastime and was mostly for documentation purposes. Cole also sees a desire for order in controlling how history is presented. The intent of documentation and social appearances he sees in the images is reflected in the subjects he focuses on. By only depicting minimal details of the original image and reframing the narrative, Cole is himself claiming order by simplifying life as he sees it. Page 8 | Modern + Beyond | Winter 2018
#feelslikehome What does home mean to you? Home can be many things – a feeling, place, person – whatever the case, there’s no place like home. Hashtag us with #feelslikehome, and share a picture of what home means to you. Your picture could be chosen to be included in a community co-curated exhibition project that illustrates how home and a sense of community can be one and the same.
@theRMG @rmgoshawa
rmg.on.ca/feelslikehome Modern + Beyond | Winter 2018 | Page 9
Gallery A and Art Lab Gallery A and Art Lab are designed to serve the arts community as a professional development opportunity for artists and curators. Programs provide a platform to individuals and communities wishing to present and discuss
artwork, share ideas, collaborate, find encouragement and boost inspiration. They are artistdriven, self-guided and flexible. Supported by:
Our Story: A journey through three different perspectives of life here on Turtle Island Organized by Joan Saldanha Art Lab / Gallery A December 7, 2017-January 7, 2018
Process documentation, Joan Saldanha
We All Have Something Called Home In partnership with the Durham Black Educators Network Gallery A: January 13-February 4, Reception: February 2, 7-10pm HUNDERTWASSER MEETS OSHAWA Jeff Mann - Artist in residence Art Lab: January 24–March 4 Artist talk: January 28, 1-3pm Reception: February 2, 7-10pm
Jeff Mann, Runover-Overrun
Can I Kick It? Lyla Rye, Anda Kubis, John Kissick, Jessica Thompson, James Olley, FASTWÜRMS, Paulette Phillips Curated by Pete Smith Gallery A: February 8-March 4 Reception: March 2, 7-10pm Decolonize My Love Leyla Jeyte and Soko Negash Curated by Safia Siad Gallery A/Art Lab: March 15–April 7 Reception: April 6, 7-10pm
James Olley, Meet the Flintstones Page 10 | Modern + Beyond | Winter 2018
Durham College - Fine Art Thesis Exhibition Gallery A/Art Lab: April 19-May 5 Reception: May 4, 7-10pm
public programming for kids
Art Tots: Petite Painters (ages 2-4)
Tuesdays, January 16 - March 6, 10:15-11am $6 per morning | members free. Registration required per week. Get your hands messy in this colourful and creative class! Your child will explore an array of fine art materials where no mess is too big, and no toddler too small. Paint with brushes, feathers, or fingers; use luscious textures for printmaking – anything goes! Kids & parents will have the chance to socialize in a safe, friendly, and fun environment. *Must be accompanied by an adult.
NEW! Artspiration
Saturdays, January 20 -March 10 10am-12pm (ages 8-12) | 1-3pm (ages 5-7) $100 members | $120 non-members Their imagination is kept ignited with our exhibitions and there is nothing more real and beautiful for us! Our endeavour is to help our kids express it in a way they can be proud of using fine art materials. This class nurtures their social experience and love for art, makes real life connections and prepares them for further exploration that comes next.
Art Away from Home-School (ages 5-10)
Tuesdays, January 16 -March 6, 10:15-11:15am $60 members | $70 non-members Join us for this re-invented course, which is truly inspired by our exhibitions and some very BIG ideas in the world around us. We use a multi-dimensional approach that allows for individuality and imaginative problem solving with quality fine art materials.
NEW! Art Without Borders (ages 8-12)
Thursdays, January 18 -Feb 22, 4-5:30pm $55 members | $65 non-members Come and explore how artists tell stories through the quirky mix of art, music & movement. We’ll take a deep dive into our world-class exhibitions and talk about how some of the paintings relate to our lives. We will “set the scene” of epic, imaginative narratives and turn them into multi-media 2D and 3D artworks using every material available to us!
P.A. Day Camps (ages 5-10)
Friday, January 19 & Friday, April 27, 9am-4pm $55 members | $65 non-members School’s out, the Gallery is in! During this full day, we play, we make, and we use drama to explore and enjoy our gallery. It’s social, busy and you will make beautiful art to boot! Modern + Beyond | Winter 2018 | Page 11
public programming March Break Day Camps (ages 5-10)
March 12-March 16, 9am-4pm $180 members | $195 non-members Kids are out of school and looking for exciting new adventures to have! This is where we come in: our camp is truly a win-win situation… The kids get to have fun and make a mess, and you don’t have to clean it up! With lots of game playing and breaks built in, they’re sure to sleep well at night after exciting days at the RMG.
for adults
Collectors & Curators
Thursdays, February 8-March 15, 7-8:30pm $100 members | $130 non-members What is a curator? What do they do, and how? This is an opportunity for you to learn, hands-on! Go behind the scenes, hand pick art from our permanent collection, and curate an exhibition. See your choices on our walls. It’s a rare beast this one, so register today!
Landscapes, Eh? Acrylic Painting with Cathy Mills
Saturday, February 24, TIME and Sunday, February 25 TIME $85 members | $100 non-members Inspired by the spectacular work on our walls by Tom Thomson in Betwixt & Between. Find your inner landscape artist with this acrylic painting course, beginners welcome. All materials included.
Exhibition Tour - Betwixt & Between: The Untold Tom Thomson Story
Guided tour of the exhibition. Learn about treaties and the fictional tale of Tom Thomson and George Nadjiwon. Family friendly. Dates to be announced on the website.
Membership Appreciation Event Tom Thomson - The Canadian Icon Sunday, April 15, 2pm
Join the RMG membership family as our expert panel explores and reflects on the life of this intriguing artist and the diverse and curious narratives he still inspires 100 years after his death.
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More youth and adult classes starting April! Please check our website www.rmg.on.ca
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Jan 14 Feb 11 Feb 19* Mar 11 April 8
Drop-In | 2nd Sunday of the Month* | FREE
Families of all kinds and sizes are invited to explore exciting exhibitions, art materials and fun hands-on activities together! Discover things to do throughout the RMG, follow your imagination and experiment with new ideas and projects.
E MONTH* | 7-10PM
OF TH ON THE FIRST FRIDAY
LIVE MUSIC DANCE PERFORMANCES FILM SCREENINGS LOCAL FOOD VENDORS EXHIBITION TOURS ARTIST TALKS & MORE pr 6ite. A | s r 2 bar on a M h 2 | E! Cas b E e | F s is FR 5 y JanG Frida RM
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Elsa Jayne performs at RMG Fridays: Origins which celebrated Indigenous artists and musicans. RMG Fridays are possible through the generous support of AWCCU Financial
Image courtesy of Empty Cup Media. Modern + Beyond | Winter 2018 | Page 15
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“I am proud to serve on the Board of Directors of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery because it is such an important part of our community. The Gallery is committed to fulfilling cultural needs and is a reflection of our diverse community where everyone is welcome to contribute and participate.� Shashi Bhatia, Board of Directors, the RMG
Your Support Matters! Become a Member
Members of the RMG receive discounts on all classes, selected items at the RMG Shop as well as invitations to members only events.
Make a Donation
Your generosity supports arts education and community events. Donations of over $20 will receive
a charitable tax receipt. Your donation will help ensure the sustainability of the RMG for generations to come. Support us in person, online or contact Elsy Gould, Membership Co-ordinator at 905.576.3000 ext 101 or egould@rmg.on.ca, to join or donate today! Modern + Beyond | Winter 2018 | Page 17
Staff & Board Chief Executive Officer Donna Raetsen-Kemp Executive Kevin Dougherty, Chair Cheryl Blackman, Vice Chair Vince Bulbrook, Treasurer Gerard O’Neill, Secretary Directors Shashi Bhatia Shaun Downey Carrie Grimley Denis O’Connell Nick Swerdfeger Councillor Bob Chapman
where did you get that
?
Exhibitions & Collections Senior Curator Linda Jansma Associate Curator Sonya Jones Preparator Jason Dankel
the rmg shop
Administration & Communications Manager of Finance & Administration Roanna Green Protection Services Manager Stephen Dick Manager of Community & Volunteer Development Carla Sinclair Communications & Digital Media Lead Lucas Cabral Visitor Services & Membership Co-ordinator Elsy Gould Development Manager Melanie Brooks Event Co-ordinator & Venue Rentals Cheryl-Ann Zamulinski Learning & Engagement Manager of Learning & Engagement Saira Knowles Family Learning Lead Jennifer Welch
Contact Cheryl-Ann at czamulinski@rmg.on.ca or call 905.576.3000 Page 18 | Modern + Beyond | Winter 2018
Photo courtesy of Hour Glass Imaging.
Your event in our inspired space
RMG Fridays. Photo by Lucy Villeneuve.
Connect With Us!
72 Queen Street, Civic Centre Oshawa, Ontario L1H3Z3 905.576.3000 | rmg.on.ca
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Gallery Hours Monday-Friday: 10am-5pm Thursday: 10am-9pm Saturday: 10am-4pm Sunday: 12pm-4pm Parking Available
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The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
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The RMG is wheelchair accessible and manual wheelchairs are available. ASL and sign language interpretation may be available upon request. Simcoe
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Large Print, Tactile Tours & Audio Description are available upon request.
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is generously assisted by the City of Oshawa, the Ontario Arts Council, the, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Department of Canadian Heritage, Museums Assistance Program and AWCCU Financial. Additional support is provided by the volunteers of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, individual members and donors, and local businesses and corporations.
All dates, exhibitions and events are subject to change. Please visit rmg.on.ca for the most up to date information or call 905.576.3000. Copyright 2017. Printed by KKP Pickering. Modern + Beyond | Winter 2018 | Page 19
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A special thank you to Presenting Sponsor RBC Dominion Securities, Mendum Wealth Management, and RBC Commercial Financial Services.
A big thank you to everyone who supported RMG Exposed this year. The event was a massive success having raised nearly $30,000 and will make meaningful learning experiences possible for kids, families, and groups who face obstacles accessing art.
THANK YOU!