Twenty Twenty-Five! Another year lies ahead for the great city of Oshawa. Another year to explore, gather, mix, and share experiences and stories with friends, family, visitors, and neighbours. What better way than through art and art making?
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG), located in the Civic Centre at the newly named Debwewin Mikkan, will kickstart a weekly Friday gathering on January 10 with The Neighbours Art Hive in association with the LivingRoom Community Art Studio. The gathering will continue each Friday until February 14.
The LivingRoom Community Art Studio opened its free art drop-in centre in 2014. The LivingRoom was a space where people could walk in and use the art supplies and materials to make whatever they wanted. The studio became a vital part of its neighbourhood but closed over the pandemic, pivoting to a mobile studio in a converted 2009 Chevy short bus. The bus can be seen at most of the city’s cultural community events and is an attraction all unto itself.
People are invited to attend the free Neighbours Art Hive from noon until 3:30 p.m. to make art and connect with the community. Art Hives are safe, accessible spaces that enable people of all ages to participate in free public relaxation. In an Art Hive, traditional hierarchies, processes, and ways of being can be deconstructed and reimagined in playful, personal, and compassionate ways.
Volunteers from the Living Room will be on-site to facilitate and provide guidance. Coffee, tea, and snacks will be provided, and the artwork can be taken home or displayed. Outside these events, the art gallery welcomes people to use the art materials during regular hours.
Along with collaborating with the LivingRoom Community Art Studio, the RMG is also offering, on Sunday, January 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the first monthly OPG Sunday of the new year. This month’s theme is ‘Be BOLD’ and is inspired by the bright, bold colours in the current exhibition ‘Resistance’ and ‘GO BIG,’ both drawn from the Permanent Collection. These bright splashes are the perfect antidote to winter’s monochromatic palette. Beyond the fun Sunday activity, immersion in the exhibitions is a fun way to beat the seasonal blahs.
“Make Art. Feel Better” is the theme for an Expressive Arts Workshop presented with PeaceLove and the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences on Thursday, January 30, at 7 p.m. This workshop on collage-making focuses on how art promotes mental well-being. The workshop will start with a tour of the Jack Bush exhibit ‘Breakthrough.’
‘Christina Leslie: Likkle Acts’ is another exhibition currently on display at the RMG, and on Thursday, January 16, at 7 p.m., curator Hannah Keating will host a walk-through of the exhibit. Christina Leslie, of West Indian heritage, is based in nearby Pickering. Much of her photographic practice deals with issues of immigration, race, and identity. The walk and talk with Hannah is free. Later in February, Christina Leslie will be in the gallery to share her view and vision with Keating, spotlighting Leslie’s innovative approach to the photographic arts.
Oshawa is a maker city, always creating something. To mark the new year, why not start with making something yourself? Make art and feel better in Oshawa in 2025.
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