| |
|
|
Past Exhibitions
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 |
|
|
 |
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. |
|
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
 |
Marlene Bulas, Spring (detail) |
|
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. |
 |
Juliana Hawke, Autumn (detail) |
|
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 |
|
Bewabon and Travis Shilling: New Works
June 26 to September 3, 2007
Opening reception: Saturday, June 30, 7 to 9p.m .
 |
| 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.
 |
|
| 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. |
|
| Field Series, Ochre by Bewabon Shilling |
|
|
|
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]
|
|
John Ross 2006 Winner - Traditional |
Peter Stranks 2006 Honorable Mention - Contemporary
|
|
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
 |
Detail of Uxbridge Public Library Mural
by John Richmond |
|
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.
|
Gould Cottage at MacDonald Beach
by Pat Pringle, 2006 |
|
|
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.
|
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.
|
The First Annual All-Ontario Open Juried Show
May 24 to June 24, 2006
Opening reception: Saturday, June 3, 1 to 3p.m.
 |
| 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.
|
 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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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. |
|
|
