The Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH) is launching two new exhibitions this month. A special reception will be held on Saturday, July 27, from 1 to 3pm, with remarks at 1:30pm.
Pawtraits
July 27 – September 21, 2024
Documented through photographs and objects from OMAH’s permanent collection, discover the bond between Orillians and their pets in the 19th and early 20th century. Learn about the early days of pet keeping, from antiquity to the modern era, and how our furry friends have shaped our lives over the centuries. This exhibition provides a great opportunity to see items from the collection that haven’t been on public view since 2000.
OMAH are working with friends from the OSPCA to help collect much needed items for their furry clients. They are currently in need of:
- Cat and dog toys
- Blankets and towels (new or gently used) ** we cannot use pillows, or pillow cases
- Martingale Collars
- Brooms
- Dustpans
- Paper Towel
- Kitten canned food
- Clay kitty litter (non clumping)
Donations will be accepted throughout the run of the exhibition.
The Process Informs Me, Contemporary Abstract Frescoes by Jeanette Luchese
July 27 – October 19, 2024
Jeanette Luchese’s artwork is full of opposing forces. She has the unique ability to create both stability and movement, areas of intense vibrancy versus areas of quiet and strong hard lines next to softer organic shapes. Her contemporary frescoes (the word fresco comes from the Italian adjective meaning fresh) harken back to her Italian heritage and the traditional Italian painting style of the Renaissance, while pushing forth to be innovative and contemporary. There will be thirty paintings in this exhibition.
ALSO ON VIEW….
Reflections Of Our Roots
Until September 21, 2024
Reflections Of Our Roots, highlights the development of Orillia from 3,000 BCE to today. This exhibition is sponsored by Parklane Landscapes. The opportunity to learn all about the City of Orillia before diving into more nuanced histories will open viewers eyes to this city and the stories within.
Backra Bluid
Until September 14, 2024
Backra Bluid, features 14 large-scale photographs by Brooklyn, New York based photographer, Stacey Tyrell (b.1978) is a photo-based conceptual artist. She was born and raised in Toronto, Canada to parents of Nevisian heritage. Her work explores the interplay of race, heritage, immigration, and identity as it pertains to the Caribbean Diaspora.
For the series Backra Bluid,Stacey Tyrell started experimenting with herself as the model. The title of this series draws from words of both West Indian and Scottish origins. “Backra” is an archaic Caribbean slang of West African origin meaning white master or white person, and “Bluid” is the Scottish word for the blood of men or animals as well as kin. Stacey’s ancestors hail from the West Indies, which was colonised by Europeans after Christopther Columbus arrived in 1492. These Europeans brought African slaves to work alongside enslaved local people to work on the sugar plantations during the Sugar Revolution after 1625. In acknowledging her Scottish, English and Irish ancestors, Stacey is directly addressing slavery and its impact on her family.
They are thrilled to present this exhibition to OMAH’s community, in hopes that it will encourage a conversation about our own stories; who we are, where we came from and where we hope to end up.
Inclusion
The Stack Gallery, Orillia Recreation Centre
Twice a year, the Art in Public Places Committee, managed by OMAH in partnership with the City of Orillia issues calls for art. For its second exhibition in 2024, the committee invited local artists to consider the theme of ‘Inclusion’, and challenged artists to consider what the term means to them through an artistic and creative lens. The notion of “inclusion” is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalised. The works on exhibition ask viewers to critically think about what it means to be inclusive as individuals and in the community. These final works, represent a compilation of artistic interpretations on the theme of inclusion.
Featured artists are:
Gaia Orion
Molly Farquharson
Carolyn Boyd
Enrique Bravo
Francy Forte
Wendy Cooper-Parkinson
OMAH is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 4pm.