This year’s theme invites artists to explore the concept of travel or daydreaming in connection with the Canadian landscape. Running concurrently with John Gould: Travels of the Body and Mind, this year’s exhibition encourages artists to reflect on how physical or imaginative journeys shape their experience of place, space, and memory.

Created in honour of Group of Seven member Franklin Carmichael — a native of Orillia known for capturing Northern Ontario landscapes in watercolour — Tradition Transformed continues to build on Carmichael’s legacy while celebrating the diversity of artistic interpretation through contemporary media. Artists are invited to submit works in all mediums, including but not limited to drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and media arts.

Submission Details:

• Entry Fee: $40 + HST per submission (up to 3 submissions per artist, 1 image per entry)

• Deadline to Submit: Friday, August 22, 2025

• Jury Results Announced: Final week of September 2025

Prizes:

• Jurors’ Prize – $1,500

• Kevin J. Batchelor Emerging Artist Award – $1,000

This year marks the 10th year of this award, which has been graciously funded by the Batchelor family upon the passing of arts advocate Kevin J. Batchelor in 2015. Batchelor was a local music teacher and artist.

• NEW: Philip Jackman Photography Prize – $500

This year marks the inaugural year of this award, which has been graciously funded by the Jackman family.  Philip was a photographer, graphic designer and editor  for The Globe and Mail.  Philip passed away in 2022.

• Norma Duggan Award – $250

This award is given annually to an artist which exemplifies a uniqueness of artistic vision and creative approach to a landscape executed with excellence. Norma Duggan was a watercolour artist who loved painting the Ontario landscape.

2025 Jurors:

• Carol-Ann Ryan – Visual arts professional and former Public Art Coordinator for the City of Barrie, with past roles at AGO, MOCA Toronto, MacLaren Art Centre, and more.

• Erin Vincent – Acclaimed Toronto-based artist with exhibitions across Canada, the U.S., and the U.K., represented by Christie Contemporary and other leading galleries.

Submission guidelines and the online form are available on OMAH’s website: https://www.orilliamuseum.org/exhibitions/call-for-submissions/

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The event takes place on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and offers something for all ages. Families and children are especially encouraged to attend, with interactive activities designed to engage younger guests in the world of art.

“This reception marks an exciting milestone as we introduce the Green Room Gallery as a new public space for art in our community,” said Mayor Don McIsaac. “We’re proud to launch this gallery with ‘Orillia Landscapes,’ which celebrates the creativity and talent of our local artists. I encourage everyone to come out and experience this new space and the excellent works it holds.”

The City of Orillia’s Public Art Committee is now curating the Green Room Gallery to provide a fresh and dynamic space for local artists to showcase their work. The inaugural “Orillia Landscapes” exhibition invites visitors to explore the diverse and vibrant artistic interpretations of the city’s natural and urban scenery.

Featuring 23 works of art by 18 artists from Orillia and beyond, the exhibition offers a captivating collection of perspectives. From shimmering depictions of the region’s waters to imaginative renditions of Orillia’s iconic landmarks, this showcase connects viewers to the beauty and character of the area in meaningful and inspiring ways. The exhibition is on display at both the Green Room Gallery and the Stack Gallery at the Orillia Recreation Centre (255 West St. S.), with unique pieces at each facility (see attached listing).

Guests at the reception can look forward to engaging activities, including an art scavenger hunt where participants will uncover hidden details within the exhibited pieces, and a creative art station for children to draw and share their favourite Orillia-inspired landscapes. Light refreshments, including hot chocolate, will be served.

The Orillia Public Art Committee is a partnership between the City of Orillia and OMAH that oversees the City’s public art program, including the Stack Gallery and the new Green Room Gallery. The Committee is dedicated to supporting the arts and enriching the community through innovative and inclusive public art initiatives.

For more information about the exhibition, visit OrilliaMuseum.org/APPC.

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Seeing Beyond: Robyn Rennie

January 20 – April 13, 2024

In this groundbreaking exhibition, Robyn Rennie, a low vision artist, has created her own fully accessible experience for visitors including large point font/braille labels and descriptive audio for each artwork.  Using texture in her paintings, she has also created a companion piece for each artwork that she encourages viewers to experience through touch.

Robyn has said that, “making art is like writing a story because it makes order out of chaos. It also underscores the importance that recording impressions and events have to our collective experience. We operate within stories in order to understand our world and our place in it. Creative expression allows me to articulate what I experience, as well as provide opportunities to unite with others.”

Robyn Rennie recently relocated to New Brunswick will be returning to Orillia for the reception, but to also work with AMI-tv, a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians who are blind or partially sighted, to create a documentary on the process of her exhibition.

Sybil: Connections Fibre Artists

On view until May 11, 2024

This is an exhibition of contemporary fibre art focussing on Sybil Rampen’s life.  Sybil created the Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre, an art gallery and 1827 house and studio, situated on a 12-acre, 20,000-year old valley in Oakville. Participating artists have chosen some aspect of Sybil they admire, are grateful for, and are inspired by.

Connections Fibre Artists (CFA) are a nationally recognized group of accomplished Canadian fibre artists. The group, formed in 1999, includes members who are published authors and artists, who show both nationally and internationally, facilitate courses and workshops, have won major awards and are regarded as pioneers in the fibre art field. CFA members are juried into the group by invitation.   This exhibition includes work by all twenty-four members:

Al Cote

Ann Sanders

Bethany Garner

Bev White

Chris Kummer

Dianne Gibson

Dwayne Wanner

Elizabeth Litch

Gail Rhynard

Gunnel Hag

Helen Hughes

Jacqueline Venus

Linda Janzen

Maggie Vanderweit

Micaela Fitzsimmons

Mita  Giacomini

Nancy Yule Peace

Pat Hertzberg

Penny Berens

Ralph Beney

Sharron Deacon Begg

Sheila Thompson

Wen Anderson Breedveld

Wendy O Brien

Grant’s Legacy: Capturing Orillia’s History on Film

January 20 – April 20, 2024

OMAH is screening a series of 16mm film footage, mainly of Orillia, from 1928 through to 1964.  Known as Grant’s Films, there are 34 reels of black and white documentary footage showcasing everyday life in Orillia. The reels include scenes of Lake Couchiching and Couchiching Beach Park, a hockey game played on the ice of the lake during Christmas week 1931 and footage of infrastructure enhancements in the downtown area.

This film footage was shot entirely by Jack Grant, a local amateur filmmaker.   Jack and his three siblings grew up in Orillia; the parents, Louis and Daisy had emigrated from England.  Louis was able to provide his family a home in Orillia on Laclie Street and a retreat property on Division Road, Township of Severn. This retreat property was eventually gifted to the Couchiching Conservancy.

ALSO ON VIEW….

There is also an exhibition on view in The Stack Gallery, located in the lobby of the 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 first exhibition in 2024, the committee invited high-school aged youth from Orillia and area to create work that explores the current mindset and beliefs of youth today.  They were encouraged to utilize the term “zeitgeist”, which means the feel or mood of modern times.

A jury of arts professionals reviewed the submissions and made their final selection, inspired by how the students from Orillia Secondary School and Twin Lakes Secondary School have boldly expressed and interpreted their beliefs and feelings through an artistic lens.

To fully appreciate the depth of each piece, OMAH encourages viewers to take a moment to engage with the artists’ statements and read the accompanying labels. These insights provide a valuable context, allowing you to connect with the artist’s intention and the broader narrative behind the artwork.

Featured artists are:

Katie Robinson

Gracie Van Vlaenderen

Olivia Zeng

Selena Hajric

Leons Jones

Madeline Thornton

Paige Hodges

Skylan Deleary

Haeven Hepinstall

OMAH is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 4pm and until 7pm on Thursdays.

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50 Years of Mariposa Arts Theatre

Sept. 23, 2023 – Jan. 6, 2024

In 2020, Mariposa Arts Theatre (MAT) celebrated its 50th anniversary. This exhibition celebrates the history organisation’s history and the people who have made it all possible over the years. On display will be costumes, props, playbills, and more from past productions. We’re even including a small stage as an interactive element.  Susan Canfield, director of MAT, said “MAT is honoured and excited to present 53 years of memories to our faithful and loyal audiences and the cast and crews of our over 200 productions. Film Night has provided over 20 years of Canadian, award-winning, and international films through TIFF. This is also an excellent opportunity for new audiences to have a front row centre seat to Orillia’s theatrical legacy.”

Home Sweet Home  

September 9, 2023 – Jan 6, 2024

This is local artist Jennifer Zardo’s first solo exhibition at OMAH, featuring prints, paintings, drawings and sculpture focused on the importance of a place to call home.  Her work is made up of complex narratives expressed as biomorphic images between humans and nature.  The artist often uses diverse processes and mediums to coexist within a single artwork to support this notion of togetherness. Jennifer received her Fine Arts-Advanced Diploma from the School of Design and Visual Art at Georgian College, Barrie, ON in 1996 and has been exhibiting both locally and internationally ever since.

One of Jennifer’s instructors at Georgian College, Ted Fullerton said, “One of the great pleasures and privileges having had the opportunity to teach in a post-secondary art institution and to have engaged with aspiring student artists that have evolved artistically and professionally is to experience their artistic endeavours and to see and know them now as a peer.

Jennifer Zardo is such an artist. As a student she was committed to expressing her own creative voice with passion, enthusiasm and endless energy. The creative process was and still is a defining factor in the realization of her unique visual expression. It is with great pride that my and Jennifer’s work is being exhibited at OMAH as overlapping exhibitions. It does not get any better than this as a previous post secondary art educator.”

Tanya Cunnington, OMAH’s Arts Programming Coordinator used to facilitate life drawing classes at OMAH, which Jennifer attended. Tanya said, “I always admired that she would arrive with huge pieces of paper to draw on, and really utilise the whole pad from corner to corner.  Now, as a curator, I am so pleased to see that she is exhibiting artworks that display the same exuberance and ambition.”

A Collection-Inspired Exhibition: A Close up on Carmichael 

September 23, 2023  – January 6, 2024

This museum collection inspired exhibition is all about Orillia-born Group of Seven member Franklin Carmichael. This exhibit coincides with OMAH’s upcoming Tradition Transformed exhibition (October 14, 2023- January 13, 2024), our annual juried landscape exhibition which is itself inspired by his artistic legacy. This exhibition will feature artefacts from Carmichael’s life, including the easel he worked on to paint some of his incredible art. Join us for A Close up on Carmichael to see a small selection of art (original and reproductions) and objects to learn more about this artist’s life.

The thematic, collections inspired exhibitions enable OMAH to showcase art and artefacts donated by members of the community.

OMAH’s programming coordinators design and develop programs that complement the exhibitions.  Coming up this fall, there will be a theatre class inspired by 50 Years of Mariposa Arts Theatre. Throughout September we will launch details about our programs.  Details and registration information will be found on our website at orilliamuseum.org

OMAH is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 4pm and until 7pm on Thursdays.

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The new exhibitions are:

The International Women’s Day Art Show – Reimagine

The exhibition’s main goal is to encourage women to express themselves artistically in a themed group show which is not juried and inclusive of all abilities, experiences and orientations.  The spirit of the exhibition is one of affirmation and cooperation.

Juliana Hawke, one of the organizers for the exhibition, said “I am so inspired by the enthusiasm and support that this show receives from the art community! Even though this exhibit is in its 26th year, it remains fresh and exciting for us as organizers to put together. Meeting new artists and reacquainting ourselves with long time participants is one of the joys of working with this show. This year over 130 artists from across Ontario, eastern Canada and Ukraine are presenting their art expressed through a variety of media and stories through this unique and diverse exhibit.”

Elizabeth Wyn Wood

This exhibition comprises several drawings, sculpture and personal items from both from the Browne family, Wood’s grandchildren, and OMAH’s permanent collection.  Whether capturing the land through drawing or sculpting her impressions of the land in tin or marble, Elizabeth Wyn Wood innovated her own modernist style.  From the landscape drawings featured in this exhibition, she pushed the boundaries of contemporary sculpture, solidifying her place as one of Canada’s most prominent artists during her time and into the present.  Through her remarkable body of work, teaching, and arts advocacy, Elizabeth Wyn Wood left her mark both locally and throughout Canada.  One of Wood’s granddaughters, Sylvie Browne said “Elizabeth Wyn Wood began her career as a nationally renowned sculptor on the shores of Lake Couchiching. It means so much to my family to have this new exhibit devoted to her exquisite sketches of the Canadian Shield, many never before seen by the public, launched in her hometown.”

Homage Donald Stuart

Homage by Donald Stuart is a collection of 40 framed neckpieces created as a celebration and tribute to Canadian women throughout the ages and across the country in a wide range of professions and contributions to our society – mothers and artists; businesswomen and philanthropists; actors and athletes; inventors and scientists.  Stuart has always been fascinated with history and historical figures. He wanted to celebrate women’s contributions to the story of Canada and his research enabled him to share the stories of many whom do not have the recognition that he thinks they should.   He said, “I am honoured and pleased to have Homage return to OMAH, back to Simcoe County where the concept was first realized in my studio. Everywhere Homage has been shown across Canada, the reception has always been so very positive. From Whitehorse to Halifax, visitors are intrigued by the concept and how the stories of these remarkable women are portrayed by the necklaces. Thank you OMAH!  May your visitors be likewise intrigued with the developments since Homage was last shown here.”

There will be a special reception, with an opportunity to meet some of the exhibiting artists on Saturday, April 29.  The reception runs from 1 to 3pm with remarks at 1:30pm.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 4pm and open late on Thursdays until 7pm.

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The Call invites artists to interpret the theme ‘Momentum’, either through new or existing original works of art. The deadline for submissions is March 20, 2023. The Call is open to everyone; however, preference will be given to local/regional artists.

“Orillia is home to many talented artists and The Stack Gallery at the Orillia Recreation Centre is one way their works can be seen and experienced by everyone in the community,” said Mayor Don McIsaac. “The new Call to Artists for the ‘Momentum’ exhibit is an excellent opportunity to bring together art and active living for all ages and is sure to be inspiring. I encourage everyone to think about submitting.”

The exhibit is being organized in partnership with Age-Friendly Orillia and will open in June.

“Age-Friendly Orillia is a local organization that advocates and supports policies and initiatives that enable people to live an active, independent and meaningful life throughout the ages,” said Catherine Phillips, Chair of the Art in Public Places Committee. “This new exhibit, ‘Momentum’, challenges artists and visitors to think critically and creatively about the benefits of an active lifestyle to aging and one’s overall quality of life.”

Artists of varying disciplines are invited to submit an original work of art provided it can be hung, does not extend more than two inches from the wall, and does not require external power. Works are also not restricted by size. Full submission requirements are available at orillia.ca/publicart or by contacting Jacqueline Surette, Manager of Culture, at 705-325-4530 or jsurette@orillia.ca.

The Stack Gallery is located within the lobby of the Orillia Recreation Centre next to the reception desk. It is managed by the Orillia Museum of Art & History, under the guidance of the Art in Public Places Committee, on behalf of the City of Orillia. The existing exhibit entitled ‘Renewal’ will be on display until May 16, 2023. For more information on The Stack Gallery, visit orillia.ca/publicart.

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