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Past Exhibitions
The highlight of the year at OMAH is the current exhibition entitled “The Hidden Shilling.”
August 9 to October 29, 2011
This show brings to the public eye an impressive body of work that has for much of its lifebeen hidden from view – not covered up and locked away, but in private collections throughoutOntario. That in essence has kept it “hidden” from the viewing public and now provides freshimagery for appreciative eyes to feast upon.Arthur Shilling, of Ojibway heritage, was born April 19th, 1941, on theRama Reserve near Orillia, Ontario, into a family of 13 children.
While in his teens in Toronto he received a scholarship at the Ontario College
of Art, but attended only a few classes, preferring to find his own
way. That way was distinctly different from the traditional First Nations
art forms. He chose instead to explore the First Nations experience
in the life around him, particularly in the faces of his people. His
self taught expressionist style is very distinctive, using bold, strong
strokes of vibrant colour to set off the varying expressions of his subjects
and unique, infrequent landscapes. His works evoke strong
emotion. Arthur Shilling’s breath was his brush and colour was his
spirit; through this he lives with us still. Join us in August 2011 to
get to know this man better and see why he remains our region’s most influential artist in generations and continues to grow in international acclaim.
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A Legacy Of Many Dimensions: Dr. James Angus
An Exhibition for an Educator, Historian, Rotarian, Arctic Collector
June 28th to August 6th;
Opening Reception June 29th , 5:30 to 8:00 pm, with Patricia Angus
THE EDUCATOR: A display of items that led to the publication of his last book, “School Room” – Growing up in Big Chute, to Dean of Education at Lakehead University, starting the first native program.
THE HISTORIAN: Photos and artefacts from all the historical work Angus did including the Trent-Severn Waterway and the Coldwater Mill.
THE ROTARIAN: Club President, Rotary historian leading international projects and the history of Rotary in Canada “Under the Northern Lights”
THE ARCTIC COLLECTOR: Angus’ outstanding collection of Arctica, including ancient Inuit artefacts and his world-class group of miniature carvings.
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17th Annual High School Art Exhibition
April 12 to May 14, 2011
Opening Reception: Thursday April 14 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Each year OMAH partners with the four Orillia high schools to present the best of art from senior students. Exciting, innovative, and experimental art projects that are recommended by the art instructors at each school are exhibited in a “real art gallery”.
Large groups of parents and friends of the exhibitors come to view these emerging new talents. As a visitor to this exhibition, you never know what artistic experience you will have until you get here! |
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International Women's Day Art Show
March 1 - April 9, 2011
The International Women's Day Art Show will be celebrating its 15th year in a new location - The Orillia Museum of Art and History. The exhibit has had a vibrant history since its inception in 1997 at Tiffin's Creative Centre. In 2003-2004, it was held under the auspices of OMAH at its temporary location during renovations - The Coach House. Zephyr Gallery has provided the venue for the exhibit since that time.
 The primary goals of the show have been to honour and celebrate women's creative expression, as well as to provide an inclusive opportunity and venue for women's artwork. Any female artist, high school age or older is encouraged to participate. The enthusiastic participation of dozens of women artists over the years has ensured dynamic and stimulating exhibits, exploring a variety of media. Each year the show has a theme: the theme for this year's exhibit is “HARMONY”. Artwork is always accompanied by a brief “story”, which adds a rich dimension to each piece and the exhibit as a whole. A highlight of the show is the Artist's Forum, in which participating artists come together to share their artwork in a fun and supportive environment.
Tours of the exhibit by art classes from high school to postsecondary will be available. The exhibit runs from March 1st - April 9th. To participate, story submission deadline is February 6, 2011.
For more information contact: womensartshow@hotmail.ca
Sponsored By:
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Fully Exposed 2: Celebrating the Nude Art Form
January 11 to March 5, 2011
 The Orillia Museum of Art and History is pleased to once again host an exhibition exploring the nude form, featuring work by some of our talented local artists. Each piece will be chosen by OMAH’s Art Committee to represent a variety of mediums and styles.
To submit an entry for consideration, please complete the form linked below and deliver it along with the piece to OMAH between December 9 and 11. Entries arriving after December 11 will not be accepted. Please note that there is an administration fee of $20 per entry.
Download Entry Form
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Tony Bianco: A Portrait of Canada
November 9 to January 8
Opening Reception: Thursday November 18 from 7 to 9 p.m.
 Imagine a walk across the entire country, in paintings and in words. This unique exhibition invites you to explore the magnificence of Canada’s National Parks through the eyes of an accomplished painter.
Locally based artist Tony Bianco has traveled the country for a decade, documenting his experience in paint. The result is a new collection of Canadian art as moving and beautiful as the country itself. We are fortunate at OMAH to be exhibiting these works by Tony Bianco, one of Canada’s most eminent artists.
Additionally, exclusive to OMAH, a selection of works by Tony Bianco will be for sale on our community art wall. Don’t miss this opportunity to purchase the perfect Christmas gift for yourself or a loved one.
Sponsored by:
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Uncommon Threads:
Recent Works from the Huronia Handweavers
August 31 to October 30
For the past 33 years, the Huronia Handweavers have pursued the hallmarks of their guild throughout history: the goals of education, creative development, and public awareness of their craft. Members range in experience from novice to master weaver status, and come from all parts of Simcoe County. This is their first show at OMAH, and it showcases a broad range of talent and inspiration from this talented group.
Included in the show are intricate hand-woven scarves, table runners, clothing, blankets, wall hangings and much more. We invite you to see for yourself these beautiful locally handcrafted works of art. A truly inspired collection! The opening reception will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday September 9.
For more information please contact the museum at 705 326 2159. We are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Tony Madden & Allure Eclectic Boutique
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All-Ontario Open Juried Art Show
Showing from June 5 to August 28, 2010
At the Orillia Museum of Art & History
Opening Reception: June 5, 2010, 7-9pm
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The Times They Are a Changin’
By, A. Christina Tari |
The All-Ontario Open Juried Art Show will open on June 5 and run through to August 28, 2010 with submissions spanning from Mississauga to Hamilton and from Elliot Lake to Orillia that make it a truly Ontario-wide competition.
The theme of this year’s show is Landscape. Works in this exhibition encompass a range of interpretations of the theme including both rural and urban scenes, high realism and abstraction. They are as diverse and exciting as the land itself.
Thirty seven pieces were chosen to be a part of this exhibition. There are three prizes beginning with the top Juror’s Choice Award of $2,000 and the Honourable Mention of $500, sponsored by Lakehead University both of which will be announced at the opening. There is also a People’s Choice Award for $300 sponsored by Jack and Maddy’s A Kid’s Store which will be announced at the end of the exhibition after all votes have been counted.
For more information please contact: Katie Calcaterra, Program Director at 326-2159 or programs@orilliamuseum.org |
Setting the Stage: 40 Years of Playing Around
Mariposa Arts Theatre Foundation: Community Theatre in Orillia
March 5 to April 17, 2010
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 11th from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
 This celebratory exhibit showcases the props, backdrops, posters and costumes from Mariposa Arts Theatre’s productions over the last 40 years. Don’t miss this colourful and fun look at one of Orillia’s great cultural groups. This exhibit will fill both our community wall and the main gallery.
Meet the members of the Mariposa Arts Theatre at the exhibit opening on Thursday, March 11, 2010 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Orillia Museum of Art & History.
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Treasures From Our 2009 Collection
January 26 – February 27, 2010
Opening reception: Thursday, February 4, 2010
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
 The Orillia Museum of Art and History is celebrating our many new art and artifacts, that were acquired throughout 2009. Every year individuals donate wonderful pieces or provide the resources for the Museum to acquire special pieces. All of the artifacts represent Orillia’s past and help us tell the communities story. This unique exhibit showcases an eclectic collection of art and artifacts, including 11 Youdan Stanton paintings (collected with the assistance of Bruce Stanton, M.P. and Don Ross of Manticore Books), the Nancy Brown Ryan collection of OTACO toys, a 400 year old painting by Franz Van Mieris and an early 1900”s RCMP buffalo hide coat. |
The Twelve Days of Christmas
November 26 – January 15, 2010
OMAH is celebrating Christmas by displaying an art exhibit on our community art wall made up of images inspired by the lyrics from the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” This show is an exhibition as well as a fundraiser for OMAH.
Visitors will be able to enjoy this holiday classic and view beautiful art throughout the month of December. Come out and purchase a piece to support OMAH and a local artist |
Cartoons: The Art of Humour
Featuring works by: Isaac Bickerstaff, Bob Kain & Duncan Macpherson
November 10 – January 8, 2010
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 14, 2009, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The Orillia Museum of Art & HistoryOMAH is thrilled to announce that we will be showing a Cartoon exhibit featuring three well known and diverse cartoonists from the region including, Isaac Bickerstaff, Bob Kain and Duncan Macpherson. Their combined works look at cartoons for adults and children. Macpherson and Evans focus on caricatures from federal to local politicians and celebrities, while Kain offers up cartoons for the children in us all.
Visitors to the gallery will have the opportunity to express their inner cartoonist by creating an OMAH mascot using materials provided in OMAH’s gallery. Mascots will be displayed during the exhibit for everyone to enjoy. Our favourite mascot cartoonist will receive a membership from OMAH as a thank you. |
The Passengers
SW Austin and Will McGarvey
September 1 to October 3, 2009
Opening Reception: September 12, 2009
7:30 to 10:00 p.m.
 The Passengers is an exhibit of new artworks by Steve Austin and Will McGarvey on display at the Orillia Museum of Art & History from September 1 – October 3rd 2009. This two person show will present a selection of recent works by two long time friends and artists.
The Passengers has become the title connecting the very different work by these two Orillia born artists. The Passengers is a metaphor for the journey through life of each of us. While we control our lives to a certain extent there is often a sense that we are like passengers travelling on the vehicle of life. We put forth the notion that we are together on some larger vehicle like a bus or plane and look out the windows at the scenes around us. Whether we are looking at different things out the window or we are painting the same scene, the results are different and unique. Each artist brings diverse histories to the game of creation; how we see, how we paint, what we read, what we listen to are but a few of the factors that influence output. While we are the best of friends we are more of a collective of artists who share ideals than a group of two connected by style.
We have a greater connection than two strangers seated near each other on a plane; we have painted together for over twenty years. We share a sense that art is about exploration and change and push to continually evolve our works. If you get comfortable with a sellable style of work then it is time to move on.
Throughout our friendship we have shared studios and enjoyed the creative process of collaboration. This is kind of like two different genres of musicians creating a fusion of style. We enjoy the process and seeing where it will go and the challenge of making the piece work. There promises to be an interesting hybrid of painting displayed as part of this show.
SW Austin
Graduate of the Ontario Collage of Art & Design
SW Austin continues to push his abstract acrylic paintings to new depths. He most recently stated “my concern is really about the paint” and the way his materials are pushed is evident in this body of new work. The current work has created a strong statement of the process of building his paintings. The colours are muted and powerful created by building up layers of paint to provide a dense heavy surface on his canvas.
Many of the canvases have a surface so thick that it can best be described as a protective hide of paint. On this hide he places a “scape” of some design which becomes neither landscape or still life but an undefined object to ponder. These paintings are about contrast. A wash of stain beside a mass of colour: red and green, dark and light, object and abstract. Understanding one means reviewing the other.
Will McGarvey
Graduate - Bachelor of Fine Art, York University
Will McGarvey’s work in this show is a selection of recent oil paintings from his American Dream series. This group of paintings pushes the narrative style that has been prevalent in much of his work. He has always been intrigued by the United States; not only is it our closest neighbour but it is the empire of the modern world. Being next door to a giant provides you with a strong sense of their culture, the geography and the people.
As a nation there have been some great accomplishments in industry, the arts and modernization. As a maturing empire they have only relatively recent history to build on and this is guided by a strong willed and patriotic people. The selection of paintings for this show will include some of his cityscapes and irony scented social commentary of the siren that is America.
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ODAC & OMAH 4th Annual All-Ontario
Open Juried Art Show
Showing from July 2 to August 8, 2009
At the Orillia Museum of Art & History
Opening Reception: July 11, 2009, 7-9pm
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Easter Sunday by Kristy Gordon
Winner in the Contemporary Category 2008 |
Orillia’s Fourth Annual Open Juried Art Exhibition, a partnership between the Orillia District Arts Council and the Orillia Museum of Art and History, will open on July 2 and run through to August 8, 2009 with submissions that make it a truly Ontario-wide competition. By the exhibition entry deadline, 55 artists had submitted a total of 142 entries, of which 27 were chosen for the show.
This year's theme was transformation, and the jurors agreed that choosing the winners was difficult due to the consistently high quality of the work. Nevertheless, they were confident that the works chosen are representative of the best that was submitted for consideration. A Juror's Choice Award and two Awards of Merit (as chosen by the jurors) will be presented at the opening on July 11, 2009 from 7 to 9pm. Ballots for a People's Choice Award will be available for the duration of the exhibition, and the award winner will be announced soon after.
Made Possible by our Sponsors:
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OMAH’s 10th Anniversary:
A Decade of Collaboration
 The Orillia Museum of Art & History is celebrating its 10th Anniversary as an art and history museum with a 12” x 12” Art Show inspired by historic images from our collection.
OMAH invites artists from around Orillia and area to submit pieces to be a part of this unique exhibit on a first come first serve basis. OMAH can accept up to 50 pieces in total.
This show is an exhibition as well as a fundraiser for OMAH who has been supporting Art and History in Orillia for the last ten years.
This exhibition will be on display from August 11 – August 29, 2009 which includes the evening of the Starry Night downtown Gallery & Studio Tour.
View: Inspirational Images 12” x 12” Show
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Memories of My Mother
April 21st to June 29th 2009
 The Orillia Museum of Art and History is proud to be showing “Memories of My Mother”, a collection of eye-catching pieces of hand-hooked rugs. Each piece is so individual and personal; often the artist has used fabrics, fibres, and other embellishments that are connected to the person depicted or paid tribute to in their work.
The driving force behind this exhibition, Sybil Mercer of Southampton, ON is not only a talented rug hooker but has also inspired many to take up the art form. Her only daughter, Barb Mercer Nonnewitz, also has pieces featured in this exhibition.
The pieces in “Memories of My Mother” will leave you with an appreciation of all the emotion that went into each detail. |
A Brush with Art
The Group of Seven
March 24 to April 18
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| Grain Elevators, A.Y. Jackson |
The Orillia Museum of Art and History is currently showing pieces from Canada's most well-known group of artists. The exhibit is on the Community Art Wall from March 24 to April 18, and features the best of the museum's own collection.
The Group of Seven formed in 1920 with Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Frank Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald, and Frederick Varley. Throughout the years, other artists came and left the group, including A.J. Casson, Edwin Holgate, and L.L. Fitzgerald.
When the group first showed their works to the public, they were met with mixed criticism. Painting the Canadian landscape was not seen as an interesting subject, and the group's style was unlike any other at the time. Their simple yet bold brush strokes were such a contrast to the intricate details in a typical landscape painting of their day. The group's pieces heavily convey their influence by impressionist painting of the 19th century. It took some time before people started to appreciate the Group of Seven's work, but now they have come to be known as one of the nation's greatest influence on modern Canadian art. |
Fully Exposed: Celebrating the Nude Form
Showing from January 6 – February 14, 2009
 The Orillia Museum of Art and History is hosting an exhibition exploring the nude form, by some of our talented local artists. These pieces were chosen by OMAH’s Art Committee and represent a variety of mediums and styles.
From the “Venus of Willendorf” and the caves of Lascaux, to Michelangelo’s “David”, to Picasso’s “Les Desmoiselles d’Avignon” the human form has loomed large in the work of many artists. The artists of the twenty first century are no different as they explore the unclothed figure in all manner of media and materials.
In the final analysis, the truly good piece of figurative art must go beyond the medium, the question of its beauty, the ugliness or fidelity. The good work engages the viewer, challenges him or her to be an active participant, to enter into an intimate conversation, to assess and interpret the emotion and thought aroused by the figure. Ultimately, the image touches something deeper, taking the viewer a bit further in the process of understanding our human condition.
Sponsored By:
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Mother and Son
Works by Bettina Harvie and Peter Harvie a.k.a. Jimmy Three Whales
Community Art Wall
February 11th to March 21st 2009
 The Orillia Museum of Art and History is presenting an exhibition devoted to two generations of local artists: Bettina Harvie and her son, Peter Harvie. Presented on the Museum’s community art wall are two very different forms of media, from the ancient skill of mask carving to the modern art of oil painting.
Bettina Harvie, an accomplished Modern painter, was a resident of the Orillia and Barrie area since her arrival in Canada in 1918. Although she never fully received the recognition she deserved, she had amazing technical skills that were unmatched by her male peers. Her only son, Peter,  shares his mother’s desire for artistic expression, but communicates it through a much different outlet. As an adolescent, he started with painting aboriginal forms on canoe paddles, but soon became interested in carving masks. Most of his influences come from the Haida and Ojibway cultures, although his work contains elements from Canada to Africa and all the way to the Aymara aboriginals in Bolivia, South America.
The exhibition showcases over twenty of Peter’s most distinguished masks and an assortment of Bettina’s finest oil paintings from the Museum’s own collection.
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15th Annual Orillia High School Art Exhibition
March 31st to April 18th 2009
Opening reception: Thursday April 2, 2009
4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
The Orillia Museum of Art and History is celebrating the 15th Annual Orillia High School Art Exhibition. Every year senior students from Orillia’s four high schools submit pieces to be exhibited in our main gallery. This unique exhibit showcases the up and coming talent of Orillia’s artists. The works on display combine thought provoking pieces, youthful imagination, creativity and skill in an exuberant exhibition of various styles and media. |
Layers, Stratums and Tiers
Works by Jennifer Lawton
February 18 – March 28, 2009
 Each person's brain is on an overload to the stimulus of life happening around them. The camera can turn a moment into a split second of layers - almost like forcing you to stop and recognize the many assaulting thoughts and images in the stratums that usually only register on the subconscious level.
As an artist, I use photographic manipulation and oil paint to divide and emphasize the reflections and multiple images that are juxtaposed as the many layers of our lives. In this way, the viewer will actually stop and reflect on things they normally do not register as they speed past the moment.
My images are based on photographs I have taken, manipulated on the computer, enlarged to extreme size and then painted with oils. In the layers of the images are the layers of our mind; in the layers of the materials are the layers of my interpretation. |
Celebrating Photography: Works of the Orillia and District Camera Club
December 2, 2008 to January 5, 2009
The Orillia & District Camera Club (ODCC) in Orillia, Ontario, Canada is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting photography and imaging and creating an environment for photographers to learn from each other.
The Orillia Museum of Art & History is pleased to have the opportunity to showcase the work of these local photographers. With the possibilities provided by a wide range of mediums and subject matter in photography, it is no surprise that it continues to grow in popularity, and this exhibition will be sure to have something for everybody.
The exhibition will run from December 2, 2008 until January 5, 2009, with an official opening reception on December 5, 2008 from 7-9pm.
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I Dreamed I was in Picasso’s Shoes
September 30 to November 29, 2008
 Starting on September 30, Teodoro Dragonieri will bring his imaginative way of discovering the history of modern painting to OMAH.
Inspired by paint droppings on his shoes while working at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Dragonieri began to think about the styles of other artists – notably Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Vincent Van Gogh, and Paul Cezanne – and how he might apply their styles and most identifiable works to a common object – the lowly shoe.
In this exhibition, commonplace shoes are transformed to represent the art of 56 great artists whose work influenced the development of 20th century art. The works will be displayed from September 30 to November 29 with a brief interlude from October 31 to November 8 for the Festival of Banners Exhibition, Gala and Silent Auction.
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Festival of Banners Exhibition
October 31 to November 1, 2008
Gala and Silent Auction
November 1, 2008
 From May to October of 2008, the heart of Orillia has been decorated with 175 beautiful, vibrant, one-of-a-kind banners. The theme of this year’s festival was “Memories of Mariposa”, and Orillia’s downtown was transformed into an outdoor art gallery.
From October 31 to November 1, 2008, the banners will be on display at the Orillia Museum of Art & History.
A Silent Auction and Gala will be held on November 1 in order to raise funds for next year’s Festival. Don’t miss your opportunity to buy an original piece of art from your community!
Please note that this year’s Festival of Banners souvenir guide will also be available for purchase at OMAH with all proceeds going to next year’s Festival.
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Jack Reid C.S.P.W.C.
A Retrospective
August 6 to September 27, 2008
Jack Reid is a Canadian artist and a member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC) whose career spans six decades. Reid's work can be found in major galleries and private and corporate collections, including at Windsor Castle in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's personal collection.
Reid started out as a graphic artist and has taught workshops, demonstrations and foreign tours worldwide since 1971, passing his knowledge on to over 25,000 students. His passion for the renowned techniques he teaches is infectious and invigorating.
In 1992, the federal government awarded him the Commemorative Medal for his contribution to Canadian art and was chosen Arts Person of the Year in his hometown of Brampton. He has exhibited in London, England with the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, and he is a lifetime member of Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, Visual Arts Brampton and the CSPWC.
Jack's latest group exhibition, "Treasures" at the Aird Gallery, showcased ten CSPWC life members including Doris McCarthy.
Jack has authored two books and now lives in Orillia.
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Fourteenth Annual High School Student Exhibition
May 6 to 25, 2007
Opening reception: Thursday, May 8, 6:30 to 8:30p.m.
 Wherever there is a medium (be it pencil, paint, wire or clay), there will be creative people making art. The Orillia Student Show is always interesting, sometimes wacky and well worth a visit. As in the past, the student show deals with issues relevant to young artists. The works on display combine thought, youthful imagination, creativity and skill in an exuberant exhibition of various styles and media. |
Symbols of Canada: The Paintings and Quilts of Ada Bruce Torrance
March 5 to May 3, 2008
Opening reception: Saturday, March 8, 1 to 3p.m.
Curator's Talk: Saturday, April 12, 1p.m. Free for members, regular museum admission for non-members
 Born on August 28, 1903, Ada Mildred Bruce was raised on a farm in Dufferin County, in central Ontario. Determined to pursue a career as an artist, she attended Toronto’s Ontario College of Art from 1922 to 1926, where she received instruction from Frederick Varley, Arthur Lismer and JEH MacDonald - three Group of Seven members who all had a background in commercial design.
In the 1930s, the Northern Vocational School opened in Toronto and Torrance joined its art department. This allowed her to spend her summer holidays travelling and painting in Labrador, Gaspé, Cape Breton and Europe.
 Torrance took an active interest in the Canadian art scene and showed her cross-Canada landscapes in provincial exhibitions, meeting other artists and keeping abreast of current trends. In 1945, she moved to Orillia where she became an active member of Orillia’s art scene. A charter member of the Simcoe County Arts and Crafts Association, she adapted iconography from her painting background, and designed many quilts symbolic of Canadian environment and life. Quilts based on award-winning designs were used for exhibition at quilt fairs across the country.
Torrance died in 1982. This exhibition is a retrospective of her work in paint and design, and a celebration of the voice she gave to rural women through her designs in a period of realization of Canadian identity.
| Generously sponsored by |
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ArtsVest is a program run by Business for the Arts with funding provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Ontario Ministry of Culture and the Department of Canadian Heritage. |
For more on Ada Torrance, please click here:
http://theartofadatorrance.com |
Peter Stranks: Decisive Moments
January 10 to March 1, 2008
Opening reception: Saturday, January 19, 7 to 10p.m.
Artist’s talk: Thursday, January 24, 7p.m.
 Similar in style to photographer Elliott Erwitt, Peter Stranks’ work aims to capture moments of life that speak to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Where Erwitt celebrates quirky humanity and is best known for candid shots of ironic and absurd situations within everyday settings, Stranks seeks to capture those moments in time that one remembers as defining experiences. These experiences are universally humanistic, yet singularly individual in their power to shape our memories and consciousness and inform our personalities - the centrifugal force of swinging from your parents’ hands, running with your siblings in an open space, taking a self-portrait with a famous symbol.
Most of Stranks’ work honours the original film medium which he realizes is “going the way of the dodo.” Recognizing the irony of working with 24 x 26mm film in an increasingly digital and photoshopped world, Stranks very carefully prepares his shots so that what is initially captured remains the resultant image. By refusing the option of cropping, the integrity of the medium is retained. He then hyper-presents the film medium by blowing the resulting image up to 24 x 26 inches, retaining the original, true proportions in a larger dimension. Some images have given way to digital, in which case the 16 x 9 hard drive format is also presented full frame as 32 x 18 inches.
Combining illustrative works with the written word, Stranks pulls from personal memory and experience to craft stories illustrated by his images. Universally recognizable as expressions of family interaction and coming-of-age experiences, the stories retain an honesty of experience that is heightened by each one’s visual element.
Stranks is an Toronto-based photographer, writer and teacher living with his family in Orillia. He holds a BAA in photography from Ryerson University. He travels widely as a part of film units for Hollywood and Canadian movies, television, editorial and adverstising clients. His works are certified archival paladium prints which retain their integrity (will not fade) for nearly 1000 years under optimum conditions, or carbon based K8 digitial inks certified archival for up to 300 years.
| Generously sponsored by |
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ArtsVest is a program run by Business for the Arts with funding provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Ontario Ministry of Culture and the Department of Canadian Heritage. |
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Iroquois Beadwork
A traveling exhibition from the Royal Ontario Museum
October 30, 2007 to January 5, 2008
Members' reception: Saturday, November 3, 1 to 3p.m.
See century old Iroquois beadworks and learn how the art still flourishes today.
The Iroquois peoples were quick to adapt European-made cloth and glass beads to artistic traditions that they had been developing for centuries. If they allowed beads to displace the porcupine quills and mollusk shells that they had previously used to decorate clothing and other objects, it was because beads permitted them to pursue their conceptual and aesthetic goals all the more effectively - for they retained the same imagery that they had always used, imagery that represented their cosmology, values, and legends. Indeed, beadworkers have played a vital role in preserving Iroquois beliefs over the centuries.
To compliment this exhibition, OMAH will collect samples of locally produced Ojibway beadworks to illustrate the difference in imagery between these two important Ontario First Nations cultures. The Orillia Museum of Art and History invites Mnjikaning Nation beadworkers to contact the museum in order to lend material for this exciting focus on beading as an art medium. |
Festival of Banners Gala and Banner Auction
Saturday, October 27, 7 to 8:30p.m.
 In October the banners will be taken down, cleaned and hung at the Orillia Museum of Art and History for two days only. The banners will be auctioned off in order to raise funds for next year’s Festival of Banners. |
Orillia Festival of Banners Viewing
Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27
 May to October 150 banners designed and painted by community members - from children to professional artists - will be displayed in downtown Orillia creating a colourful and unique cityscape for the viewing pleasure of local shoppers and tourists alike. |
Belonging – A celebration of place
September 5 to October 24, 2007
Opening reception: Thursday, September 13, 7 to 9:30p.m.
Marlene Bulas Juliana Hawke
Joanna McEwen Prudence Smith
“Earth does not belong to us; we belong to the Earth.”
Chief Seattle 1786 - 1866
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Marlene Bulas, Spring (detail) |
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Scout Valley has been the focus of an ongoing community debate since its sale to the City of Orillia in 1998; this 228 acre site is home to several different eco-systems, species trees and wildlife created some 12,000 years ago with the receding waters of the Glacial Lake Algonquin. Enduring/tenuous, Scout Valley has become a symbolic link to the existing environmental dialogue. |
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Juliana Hawke, Autumn (detail) |
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Four contemporary artists have shaped an ongoing connection to this fragile landscape, giving voice to the shifting relationship we as a community have to the land. In the tradition of Canadian landscape painting, artists Joanna McEwen, Juliana Hawke, Marlene Bulas and Prudence Smith have examined the nuances of the cultural and restorative role that Scout Valley plays in our vision of a balanced community. Judith Gibson-Vick, curator |
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Bewabon and Travis Shilling: New Works
June 26 to September 3, 2007
Opening reception: Saturday, June 30, 7 to 9p.m .
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| Eliza by Travis Shilling |
The Orillia Museum of Art and History is honoured to host brothers, Bewabon and Travis Shilling, Chippewa artists from the Mnjikaning Nation, Rama.
Bewabon, 30, is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design and the recipient of several prestigious awards, including The Sid and Lila Snache Memorial Award and The
National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation Award. Travis, 28, is a playwright, photographer and documentary film maker. Both have exhibited across Canada and internationally.
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| Looking for somewhere to eat in Orillia? Maria's Restaurant at 83 Mississaga St. W. has a privately-owned collection of Shilling paintings on concurrent display! Four blocks from the museum, OMAH staff recommends the great food and relaxing atmosphere of Maria's. It's a wonderful place for lunch or dinner. |
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| Field Series, Ochre by Bewabon Shilling |
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Second Annual All-Ontario Open Juried Art Show
May 30 to June 23, 2007
Opening reception Saturday, June 2, 2007, 1 to 3p.m.
[Download: Entry Information and Important Dates Brochure]
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John Ross 2006 Winner - Traditional |
Peter Stranks 2006 Honorable Mention - Contemporary
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Thirteenth Annual High School Student Exhibition
May 8 to 27, 2007
Opening reception: Thursday, May 10, 6:30 to 8:30p.m.
 Wherever there is a medium (be it pencil, paint, wire or clay), there will be creative people making art. The Orillia Student Show is always interesting, sometimes wacky and well worth a visit. As in the past, the student show deals with issues relevant to young artists. The works on display combine thought, youthful imagination, creativity and skill in an exuberant exhibition of various styles and media. |
Glenn Gould's Musical North
April 3 to May 5, 2007
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Detail of Uxbridge Public Library Mural
by John Richmond |
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This multi-media exhibition explores the relationship of Canada's premier pianist to the Lake Simcoe area and is held in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Gould's birth. The exhibition includes Gould-inspired art, audio-visual, photography, and artifacts from his early life and the Gould cottage outside of Uptergrove.
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Gould Cottage at MacDonald Beach
by Pat Pringle, 2006 |
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Gifts and New Acquisitions, 2005 - 2006
March 13 to March 31, 2007
Opening reception Saturday, March 17, 2007, 1 to 3p.m.
Gift, noun - something given voluntarily without payment in return.
Acquisition, noun - something acquired; an addition.
This exhibition will display recent donations to OMAH. Each item will be
identified and OMAH's future plans for each piece will be explained. This
exhibition will give insight into the process of a museum's collection
development policies and explore the museological differences between a"gift" and an "acquisition" |
Image and Word: The Work of Michael Coughlin and Jennie Clark
January 30 to March 10, 2007
Joanna McEwen, Guest Curator
Opening reception Thursday, February 1, 2007, 7 to 9p.m.
 The inclusion of words as an integral part of visual artwork has been common for well over a century.... In this exhibition, two contemporary regional artists use text in different ways for very different creative purposes. Jennie Clark and Michael Coughlin's works challenge, amuse, evoke pause and thought.
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From My Kayak: Photography by Ingrid Saaliste
December 5, 2006 to January 29, 2007
Opening reception Saturday, December 9, 2 to 4p.m.
 A graduate of the New York Institute of Photography, Ingrid Saaliste's spectacular scenes of Georgian Bay have won numerous awards in juried fine art shows and corporate competitions. Her photographs hang in private, government and corporate collections internationally. From My Kayak investigates a perspective from the water in which rocks, pines and water plants of the Georgian Bay and Muskoka regions are the primary focus. "The beauty of the area is seen differently from the kayak that I call my other home in the summer months." Saaliste's images are archival, taken with a digital SLR camera and are printed on special water colour paper using pigment inks (giclées). They are then matted and framed using current conservation techniques and released as limited edition prints only. |
 Sitting Pretty: The History of the Toilet
October 9 to December 4, 2006
A traveling exhibit from Guelph Museums
No one can deny that the toilet is an exceedingly important feature of our lives. Yet how many people know its history? Sitting Pretty explores the mighty toilet through interactive components that show its development from the very first chamber pot to the outhouse to the invention of the toilet itself. Learn about the evolution of toilet paper, hear humorous outhouse stories, find out what a close stool is see how a toilet works!
This exhibition is part to the Traveling Exhibition Partnership Project collaborative. Guelph Museums, the creator of this exhibition, gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Mr. Rooter Plumbing and the Department of Canadian Heritage – Museums Assistance Program. |
 Celebrating Photography: Works of the Orillia and District Camera Club
September 7 to October 7, 2006
The Orillia and District Camera Club is a member-based organization dedicated to promoting photography in Orillia and to helping its members develop their photographic talents. The club holds twice monthly meetings, sponsors photographic competitions, workshops, and field trips. This will be the ODCCs first exhibition at OMAH, highlighting its members work and focusing on outstanding contributions for the 2006 year. |
Regarding the Lake:
Paintings, Graphics and Selected Works by Charles Pachter
June 29 – September 4, 2006
Opening reception Thursday, June 29, 7 to 10p.m.
 Often described as a Canadian Andy Warhol, Charles Pachter is one of Canada’s leading contemporary artists and has made an indelible mark on the Canadian art scene. Pachter is a painter, printmaker, sculptor, designer, historian, and lecturer. He was born in Toronto and holds degrees from the University of Toronto, the Sorbonne, and the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He holds an honorary doctorate from Brock University, is a member of the Order of Canada, and a Chevalier of France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His works hang in public and private collections around the world.
 Mr. Pachter lives and works beside historic Grange Park in downtown Toronto in a new residence and studio designed by prominent Canadian architect Steven Teeple. His work is on permanent display at his adjoining Moose Factory Gallery. In the summer he paints in a waterfront studio converted from a former ice storage depot on near Orillia on Lake Simcoe.
More on Charles Pachter can be found at: http://www.cpachter.com.
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The First Annual All-Ontario Open Juried Show
May 24 to June 24, 2006
Opening reception: Saturday, June 3, 1 to 3p.m.
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| Self Portrait by John Ross |
This project, jointly undertaken by the Orillia District Arts Council and OMAH invites artists from across Ontario to take part in a juried competition for prizes in two categories—traditional and contemporary.
For more information and for a full list of prize amounts, please download a brochure here or call 705-329-2333. |
 Celebrating Stitchery: Heritage Handbags and Historical Needlework
April 4 to May 27, 2006
Opening reception: Saturday, April 8, 1 to 4p.m. The Orillia Stitchery Guild, a chapter of the Embroiderers’ Association of Canada (EAC), celebrates their 10th anniversary in 2006 with an exhibition of 40 heritage handbags and purses borrowed from the EAC. Examples of historical-type handwork such as tatting, needle lace, samplers, pulled thread work and other stitchery from the guild will supplement the exhibtion. |
The 12th Annual Orillia High School Art Student Show
May 2 to May 20, 2006
Opening reception: Wednesday, May 3, 6:30 to 8:30p.m.
Juried for the first time in 2006, this exhibition is always a crowd-pleaser. Wherever there is a medium (be it pencil, paint, wire or clay), there will be creative people making art. The Orillia Student Show is always interesting, sometimes wacky and well worth a visit. As in the past, the student show deals with issues relevant to young artists. The works on display combine thought, youthful imagination, creativity and skill in an exuberant exhibition of various styles and media. |
 Sometimes You Have to Wake Up the Frog
by Lise Melhorn Boe
March 13 to April 29, 2006
Opening reception: Tuesday, March 14, 7 to 9p.m.
Using the pop-up book as medium, Melhorn-Boe explores notions of text and the book as art forms while she humorously but pointedly relates the challenges of daily life as it meshes and jars with with notions of equality, gender, domestic roles, expectations and the idea of adopted and projected identities. Using rich stories from her own life, Melhorn-Boe brings together themes of cultural myths and familial narratives and explores fairy tales with an eye for their gendered and cultural politics.
Melhorn-Boe asks “What is normal and what is monstrous?” with regard to fairy tales and family quests through references to clothing, choices, independence and love. Through the works, the artist explores the familiar forms of tales in unfamiliar ways to highlight the archetypes, dynamics and tensions in family fables and coming-of-age stories. |
 Reflections….Still Life and Landscape
by Dave Beckett
February 14 to March 11, 2006
Opening reception: Saturday, February 18, 1 to 4p.m.
Primarily working in pastel, Dave Beckett’s award-winning paintings and fine art prints are available in galleries across Canada and the United States. Numerous one-person exhibits have given him international recognition and his works have been featured in major art books both in Canada and abroad. He was most recently featured in the International Artist book Work Small, Learn Big. The artist stresses that his work is for the general public and that his goal is to project a certain mood that makes a viewer feel good, stirs emotion and leads one to recognize the beauty that surround us.
Beckett is a member of both the Pastel Society of America and the Pastel Society of Canada. His work is represented in government, corporate and private collections in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. |
Sunshine Sketches of Lake Country
Exhibition and Sale of Works by Tony Bianco and Arnold Nogy
December 3, 2005 to January 30, 2006
Sunday Morning by BiancoOpening reception (artists in attendance) Saturday, December 3, 2005, 10a.m. to 6p.m.
Tony Bianco has been expressing himself as a full-time artist since the age of twenty. In 1990, he began experimenting with plein-air painting - embarking upon a study of working from life, in the landscape, throughout all seasons, striving for honesty and clarity in his style. His work displays a love for life, nature, and for communicating emotion visually.
Tony painting with
SierraHe has designed a number of coins for the Royal Canadian Mint, including the millennium two-dollar coin and the Georgian Bay $20 silver proof coin.
With a home and studio situated on 50 acres of forested land near Orillia, Arnold Nogy has secured himself a place that allows him to retain his childhood interest and appreciation for nature. His main subjects are wildlife, people and landscape.
Evening Swim by NogyContinually experimental, Arnold’s willingness to pursue new discoveries has allowed him to break through to new artistic levels and grow as an artist.
His work is represented in the collections of Magnotta Winery, six designs created for the Royal Canadian Mint, and many other private and corporate collections.
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 Lovin’ heART: A Blind and Silent Art Auction and Soiree Fundraiser with a Heartfelt Twist
Preview and Advance Bidding: February 8 to 10
Silent Auction: Friday, February 10, 7 to 9p.m.
Join OMAH for a fun evening of bidding on artwork with a “lovely” twist. Ranging from sweet to risque, all the artwork in the exhibition will have as its theme, love and all its connotations. Artwork is donated by regional artists – you’ll only find out whose work you get to take home after your purchase! All proceeds from this event will be used to support OMAH’s 2006 exhibition schedule. |
Heritage Quilts of Simcoe County
September 22 to November 27, 2005
 Once a never-ending domestic chore, quilt-making has only recently become a recognized art form. In the 19th century immigrants from Europe and the United States brought with them to Canada the knowledge and styles of their home regions which communicated their social, religious and political beliefs. In pioneer Canada where cloth was expensive and scarce, it was a woman's duty to try to ensure that every person in the house was adequately protected from the harsh winter temperatures. Quilt-making was a necessity, but also provided an important opportunities for women to learn, to socialize and to express their artistic inclinations in a male-dominated world that largely ignored or suppressed women artists. 19 unique heritage quilts of outstanding artistic merit from all over Simcoe County will be on display.
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Passages to Freedom: Secrets of the Underground Railroad
October 3 to November 28, 2005
 A traveling exhibit from the Welland Historical Museum. Travel back to the 1800s to learn about slavery, the escape route called the Underground Railroad and the challenges freedom seekers faced when they finally reached “the Promised Land” of Canada. This traveling exhibit explores the perils of the group experience of over 40,000 Black refugees that entered Canada from the United States, helped by famous “conductors” such as Harriet Tubman, who operated, for a time, from St. Catherines, Ontario.
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Joanna McEwen—Mrs. Tom Morrison (Steps Out)
July 12 to September 10, 2005
 Focusing on a portion of a larger project, this group of paintings relates to one very modest, abandoned Ontario farmhouse. Although there is specificity to the the original site (E 1/2 lot 13, conc. 14, Township of Oro) and actual persons (Mrs. Tom Morrison) the work ultimately addresses universal human issues. Reflecting the strong social patrilocal patterns which were so entrenched in the 19th and early 20th century rural Ontario culture, the work assumes contemporarity as we consider our own cultural patterns. Coupled with select historical artifacts that explore the traditional idea of “women’s work,” Mrs. Tom Morrison (Steps Out) creates a sound contemporary bridge between art and local history, the rural and the urban, the past and the present.
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Joan Hewitt-LeBoeuf
August 3 to October 1, 2005
 Born in Orillia, Joan Hewitt-LeBoeuf is above and beyond a colourist -combining rich, saturated colours in the majority of her works, limiting herself to tonal hues in others. Thirty-four paintings of houses, landscapes and studies from all over Simoce County show what is important to her - heritage architecture, peaceful snowy days, sun dappled yards and forest floors and whimsical clothing on washlines fluttering in a summer breeze. All of the works in Here and There are infused with painterly strokes and rich, inundated colours that evoke life as good and sound, the next warm scene or vista just around the corner.
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In the Spirit of Carmichael: Orillia’s One of Seven
April 27 to July 9, 2005
 Born in Orillia in 1890, Franklin Carmichael is one of Orillia’s most famous native sons and one of Canada’s most significant painters. In addition to his membership in the Group of Seven, Carmichael was also a respected commercial designer, teacher, illustrator, printmaker and founding member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour. Through generous loans from private sources and OMAH’s permanent collection, the paintings, commercial design and personal objects of Carmichael and influences of his contemporaries will be explored. |
Orillia Private Collections
March 1 to April 25, 2005
 Orillians are admirers, collectors, supporters and donors of fine art and historical artifacts. This exhibition showcases some of Orillia’sbest privately held collections from works by The Group of Seven to sculpture by Elizabeth Wyn Wood and Emanuel Hahn, to Inuit art and artifacts. Many thanks to the generous loaners that make this exhibition possible.
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The Eleventh Annual Orillia Student Show
April 30 to May 31, 2005
Wherever there is a medium (be it pencil, paint, wire or clay), there will be creative people making art. The Orillia Student Show is always interesting, sometimes wacky and well worth a visit. As in the past, the student show deals with issues relevant to young artists. The works on display combine thought, youthful imagination, creativity and skill in an exuberant exhibition of various styles and media. |
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