Tom Thomson Art Gallery
840 1st Ave West N4K 4K4 Owen Sound, ON, Canada

Happy Valentine’s Day! We hope you have a lovely day Image Credit: Aganetha Dyck detail from ‘Gossip from sizes 8 46’ sculpture 1976-1981, shrunken woolen sweater (red), with accompanying wooden base with velcro fastening. Gift of Peter Dyck, 2003.

It’s #GlobalMovieDay! We miss our movie people and hosting Gallery Night at the Movies We can’t wait until it’s safe to gather at the movies again. Until then, what have you been watching? New releases? Old favourites? Let us know in the comments below!

Today at 4pm! Join the Lunar New Year Celebrations!

Thanks to local photographer and friend of the Gallery Willy Waterton for sharing these photos and reflection with us. "On our way to ski yesterday two specks on the middle of Boat Lake caused us to pull a U-turn. Out came the binoculars and guess what we were looking at? Two gorgeous coyotes in prime condition sauntering across the ice. And just as we were pulling away, Audrey spotted a pair of otters coming out of a hole in the ice. All this before 9am. It got me thinking a...bout George McLean, an internationally renowned wildlife artist, who at long last was given the Order of Ontario this January. George doesn't suffer fools lightly and ruffled more than one provincial politician with his outspoken views on land development in Grey County, so no one was more surprised than George himself to receive this honour. I made this photo of my friend George, in his studio last year, just one of many I've taken of him over the past 40 years. -Willy Waterton Check out the article on Rrampt: https://www.rrampt.com/artists-in-their-studio-george-mclea Image Credit: Photos by Willy Waterton

Happy #YearoftheOx! Learn more about Lunar New Year here: https://chinesenewyear.net/ Image Credit: W.E. Atkinson (1862 -1926) Plowing a Field, watercolour on paper, gift of an anonymous donor, 1989

For all you movie lovers out there...

Looking for a way to support The TOM this holiday season? We've got the answer for you! Pass the Cup for The TOM this holiday season and you'll receive a charitable tax receipt and a limited edition mug! With every sip you'll know you've helped support your public art gallery. Mugs are available in the Gallery Shop or online at www.owensound.ca/passthecup

The weather outside is frightful, but the art is so delightful Visit the gallery today and be transported to sunny scenes like this by AY Jackson! Member's don't forget today is a Member's Shopping Day! You get 20% off your purchase! ... Image Credit: AY Jackson, Algoma, around 1919, oil on wood panel. Gift of Miss Florence Clement, partial Gallery purchase with additional funds from Wintario Matching Funds Grant, the Laidlaw Foundation, Mrs. E.K. Dawson and Dr. H.W. Vaughan, 1979. Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

Don't miss out on viewing our contemporary exhibitions before it's too late! Last day to view these exhibitions is Saturday October 17! Pictured: 'Steve Driscoll: I closed my eyes but the light was still there' and 'Emily Kewageshig: Mooshknemgog Bmaadziwin / Full Circle', photos by Willy Waterton.

Another entry in Rrampt’s Artists in their Studio series! Check it out!

From all of us at the Gallery, happy Thanksgiving! We hope you have a safe and restful holiday! Image Credit: Tom Thomson, Soft Maple in Autumn, 1914, oil on plywood. Gift of Louise (Thomson) Henry, sister of Tom Thomson, 1967. Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

The Gallery is open from 12-4pm today! Come visit our exhibitions and take a browse through the Gallery Shop! Members, don't forget today is the first day of Members' Shopping!

Repost from @tomthomsonartgallery using @RepostRegramApp - "Mooshknemgog Bmaadziwin: Full Circle" is up at the gallery until October 17th, 2020. If you haven't already made it out you still have a few more weeks! My work will be featured in the upcoming "Grouping of Seven" fundraising auction that will run from Nov. 7th - 20th, 2020. Keep an eye on The Toms updates for more details. I hope you all enjoyed the content I shared today, for more information on my pract...ice or to inquire about my work please visit my Facebook page "Emily Kewageshig - Artist" or my website Emily-Kewageshig.com Baamaapi (until later) See more

#AskACurator: What is your favourite piece in the gallery, and why?

Repost from @tomthomsonartgallery using @RepostRegramApp - Out of all of the works I have displayed at The Tom, this is definitely the one that is most special to me. It depicts the relationship I have with my son, who inspires me everyday. I created art constantly before he was born, but I never saw value in sharing my work until after he came into my life. Being a parent is a big part of who I am, I know that stepping into this new role opened my eyes to a world I didn't se...e before. What this has taught me is to stop and take in every second of life, appreciate the beauty in all of the little things I hope you can all see that in my work "My Sunrise, and My Sunset" (2020) Acrylic on Canvas, 30 x 40 inches #EmilyKewageshig See more

#AskACurator another great question! What is your favourite work in the Gallerys Collection? Heres Collection Curator Davids answer:

A great guide to Gallery Landscapes from Ontario Travel Net! Check it out!

Repost from @tomthomsonartgallery using @RepostRegramApp - Anyone who has visited the gallery since the opening of my show would have saw this work as they were walking into the gallery. It is the biggest painting I have done to date, and is very special to me It depicts my version of the Anishinaabe creation story that I have learned over the years. In brief, Anishinaabeg believe that after Creator first placed us here on earth we fell out of touch with our original te...achings and ways of being. To correct our behaviour he cleansed the earth with a flood, with only one survivor: Nanabush, a teacher sent to us from the Creator. A few small animals also survived the flood. There was only water, with no land left. Nanabush had an idea to swim to the bottom to get a handful of dirt so he could create new land. He couldn't do this, he wasn't strong enough to get to the bottom because it was so dark and deep. The loon, the turtle, the beaver, the marten, & the fisher all tried but couldn't complete this task. Finally, the muskrat decided he would try. The other animals didn't believe he could do it, but he did it anyways. He dove deep into the water, and after a long period of time the other animals noticed his body floating to the surface. The grabbed him, and saw that he was clutching onto dirt in his paw. He had run out of air and lost his life while getting this piece of earth. The other animals mourned and celebrated what the muskrat had done. He sacrificed his own life, so that life on earth could begin again. Nanabush took the dirt and placed it onto the turtles back. The great wind blew from all four directions and the earth on the turtles back began to grow bigger and bigger until it formed an island on the water. The turtle endured the weight of the land and ultimately sacrificed his own life so that the rest of creation could exist too. The island that sits in the water is what we know as "North America" today. In this work you can see seven people, to represent the seven generations and also the seven grandfather teachings. My people originate from the stars, we are star people. This is why there are no faces on the figures - only stars. We emerge from the Eastern sky, and our spirits travel to the Western sky when our time on earth is over. This knowledge is all interconnected. This painting is what inspired the name of my exhibition "Mooshknemgog Bmaadziwin", life always comes back around Full Circle. There is no beginning and no end to the knowledge we carry, our existence as Ojibwe people is never ending. My hope is that the oral traditions that we carry will continue to live on visually through my artwork. Title: Mooshknemogog Bmaadziwin (Full Circle) Artist: Emily Kewageshig Medium: Acrylic on a round wood panel Size: 48 x 48 inches Year: 2020 #MooshknemgogBmaadziwin #EmilyKewageshig #TomThomsonArtGallery #IndigenousArt #CreationStory 27m1 likeReply

Make sure you stay tuned to our Instagram today as Emily takes over! Repost from @tomthomsonartgallery using @RepostRegramApp - Aanii, hello. My name is Emily Kewageshig and I will be taking over the Tom Thomson Art Gallery's Instagram for the day! A little bit about me: I am a 22 year old Ojibwe artist from Saugeen First Nation #29. My artistic practice focuses primarily on painting, in both acrylic & oil paint. My work really has no limitations, I experiment freque...ntly with materials sourced from the land such as birch bark, live edge wood, and deer rawhide. On my days off from painting you can find me creating beadwork or quillwork - traditional methods of making that I have reclaimed. The paintings I create are to honour my ancestors, myself, my family, and the future generations that have yet to come. Tune into upcoming posts & instagram stories throughout the rest of day to see insight into my process. I will also be sharing the inspiration and stories behind some of my works that are currently on display in my exhibition at The Tom, "Mooshknemogog Bmaadziwin: Full Circle" #EmilyKewageshig #MooshknemgogBmaadziwin #TomThomsonArtGallery See more

Don't forget to tune into our Instagram tomorrow as Emily Kewageshig takes over our account for the day!!

#AskACurator Keep sending us your questions! Well answer as many as we can!

A little music for your Thursday from the Georgian Bay Symphony

Its #AskACurator Day! Our first question of the day comes from Marie who asks our Curator of Collections David "what is your favourite Tom Thomson piece in the gallery?" Check out the video below for Davids answer!

This week's #ObjectoftheWeek is Shipyard #16, Qili Port, Zhejiang Province, China by Edward Burtynsky. What do you think the story is behind this photograph? Image Credit: Edward Burtynsky, Shipyard#16, Qili Port, Zhejiang Province, China, 2004, digital chromogenic colour print on paper (ed. 5/9). Gift of the Artist, 2008. Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

Thank you to all who joined us for Yoga at the Gallery tonight! Next class is September 22 @ 5:30, join us!

Follow along this Saturday October 10 as Emily Kewageshig takes over the TOM’s Instagram account! She’ll be sharing insights into her exhibition, work, process, and much more!

Discover The Group of Seven at the Gallery in our 100th Anniversary Exhibition The View from Here.

Our contemporary exhibitions 'Emily Kewageshig: Mooshknemgog Bmaadziwin / Full Circle', and 'Steve Driscoll: I closed my eyes but the light was still there' close October 17th. Be sure to visit the gallery to view these exhibitions before it's too late!

Keep sending us your questions for #askacurator! Heres some suggested questions if youre not sure what to ask!

Yoga at the Gallery begins tonight at 5:30! We have space for a few drop-ins to this class send us a message to register! More info: Yoga at the Gallery

September 16 is #ASKACURATOR Day! Send us your questions and well answer as many as we can on the 16th!

Imagine experiencing a soothing gentle yoga class under the lights of our current exhibition I closed my eyes but the light was still there...ahhh so relaxing. We have room in Tuesdays yoga class for a few drop-in participants! Join us! More info: Yoga at the Gallery

Dont forget to register for Yoga at the Gallery! Our first class is Tuesday night at 5:30! These classes are a new way to experience art at The TOM and we cant wait to share them with you! You can register online via this link: https://cityofowensound.perfectmind.com/Store/Product , over the phone, or in person at the Gallery.

Only a couple more days to get your tickets for yoga at the Gallery! You dont want to miss this unique opportunity to engage with the exhibitions at The TOM!

TIFF starts this weekend! Are you watching any films from home via their digital cinema?

Join us for Yoga at the Gallery! A series of 5 classes lead by certified yoga instructor Tanya Grace! Classes will be for all levels and take place in current Gallery exhibition Steve Driscoll: I closed my eyes but the light was still there Register via: https://cityofowensound.perfectmind.com/Store/Product , over the phone (519-376-1932),... in person at the Gallery, or via email [email protected] Registration per class is $30/$25 members, or register for all 5 classes at $140/$125 members. Space is limited register today! Please bring along your own mat! COVID-19 restrictions require masks to be worn while inside the Gallery and maintaining physical distancing at all times. Contact the Gallery for more information: P: 519-376-1932 x.223 E: [email protected]

This weeks #ObjectoftheWeek is Above the Trees in the Selkirks by Frederick Bell-Smith. Image Credit: Frederick Bell-Smith, Above the Trees in the Selkirks, around 1915, water colour on paper. Donated in memory of Dr. and Mrs. D. C. MacGregor by their nieces and nephews: Miss Marion Harvey, Mr. & Mrs. Joe Crowther, Mr. & Mrs. Wm Clark, Mr. & Mrs. Wm McGregor, 1967. Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

Were hosting a series of yoga classes with local instructor Tanya Grace starting September 15! Classes will take place in the Gallery under the soft lights of Steve Driscolls exhibition I closed my eyes but the light was still there Pre-Registration for each class is required. Please register over the phone (519-376-1932) or in person at the Gallery.... Registration per class is $30/$25 members, or register for all 5 classes at $140/$125 members

We went paddling on the Moon River with family. Our son, Mike, had gone down the river in the dark in an adventure race. He wanted to see it in the daytime. Spe...ctacular. It was exciting to locate the place that Arthur Lismer sat in 1930 when he sketched "Brink of the Falls-Moon River". You may need to click on the photos to see them completely. See more

Heres this weeks art prompts! Wed love to see your creations! If you share them online dont forget to tag the Gallery!

Dont miss our Group of Seven anniversary exhibition The View from Here! On now at The TOM!

Featured Work on View: Regeneration, Emily Kewageshig Kewageshig was surrounded by hunters growing up. Her dad raised her and her siblings to hunt and trap animals as a food source. The deer that they would hunt in the fall would provide a secure source of food throughout the long winter months. When a deers life is taken during a hunt, tobacco is put down to show respect for the animal. For that reason, the artist has painted tobacco plants in the background. The shadow of the deers body signifies how the animal becomes one with the land after their life is over. The land regenerates the deer into new life. It is recreated over and over again. Image Credit: Emily Kewageshig, Regeneration, acrylic on canvas, 2020.

Wasyl (William) Kurelek (1927 1977) Father Kirleys Story, 1976 Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Gift of an anonymous donor, 1979 This painting is from The Irish in Canada Series. It was chosen by the Acquisition Committee and the donors from three paintings sent to the Gallery by the Isaacs Gallery in Toronto. ... The inspiration for this painting came from Kevin Kirleys boyhood memory of geese flying around the farm yard drunk on fermented corn juice dripping from the silo. In his Memoirs, the Basilian priest describes the steam driven thrashing machine chopping the corn and blowing it through pipes up into the silo. The corn juices soon began to run down through the cracks in the planking. In the days that followed the pigs were drawn to the puddles, and the cows tried to turn aside to drink as they were driven through the yard. William Kurelek paintings often depict the everyday life of farming communities on the prairies. Born in near Whitford Alberta to Ukrainian farm parents, he was a child of the Depression. He graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1949. He attended the Ontario College of Art for a year followed by travel to Mexico to see the murals of Diego Rivera. In 1952, he journeyed to England, where he painted and supported himself by framing pictures. During this time he experienced an emotional breakdown, but treatment and conversion to Roman Catholicism (he had been an atheist) started him in a new direction. His devout religious beliefs gave him a purpose, and he began to paint to glorify God. He returned to Canada in 1959, and sought work at the Isaacs Gallery in Toronto. His one man show there in 1960 started him on the road to success on the Canadian art scene.

This weeks #ObjectoftheWeek is Rocky Pool, Fishkill Mountains, New York by Doris Heutis Speirs Born in Toronto, Doris Heustis Speirs was a painter, collector, ornithologist, and poet. An art enthusiast, Speirs began a painting rental system, approaching Group of Seven members and asking them to lend their paintings for the project. She became good friends with members Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson and J.E.H. MacDonald, who encouraged her in her own art practice. Their influenc...e can be seen in her bold use of colour and design. Though there were no women in the Group of Seven, Speirs regularly exhibited with them and continued to exhibit with the Canadian Group of Painters. Not only was Speirs a talented artist in her own right, she continually encouraged and supported fellow artists, collecting art and spreading the word about the Group of Seven wherever she went. During a trip to New York, Speirs became acquainted with Georgia OKeeffe who sold her a small painting, making Speirs the first Canadian to own an OKeeffe. She encouraged many young artists in their craft, including Robert Bateman. Though she had no formal role in the Canadian art scene, her influence was significant. Image Credit: DORIS HEUSTIS SPEIRS (1894-1989), Rocky Pool, Fishkill Mountains, New York, 1931. Oil on canvas. Gift of Dr. and Mrs. J. Murray Speirs, 1981. Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

Another great entry from Rrampts Artists in their Studio series! Check it out below!

Our 4th installment of Artist Talk to You is now live! View via the link below! Link: https://youtu.be/MAK71pzROkw

Happy September 1! Its hard to believe the fall weather will soon be upon us again! To celebrate the beginning of the month were sharing this local scene from our collection by artist Henry Kuyvenhoven titled Study of Greens, Leith Image Credit: Henry Kuyvenhoven, Study of Greens, Leith, 1958. Oil on masonite. Gift of the artist to the Grey County Historical and Art Society, 1962. Transferred to the Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, 1967.

Have you picked up your copy of Escape to Grey Bruce yet? Be sure to keep your eyes open for some Gallery content on page 28! You can read Escape to Grey Bruce online via the link below or pick up your copy at the Gallery! Link: https://issuu.com/escapetogreybruce/docs/2020escape_lr

A great article from our friends at the AGO - Art Gallery of Ontario sharing insight into their processes for conserving Tom Thomsons West Wind. Read via the link below!

Episode 3 of our online series Artist Talk to You is now live! This online series brings artist talks to you! In this episode, artist Steve Driscoll talks about the process of creating his back-lit lightbox works featured in his exhibition I closed my eyes but the light was still there, which is on view until October 17, 2020. Watch now via the link below!

Have you picked up your copy of the Owen Sounder yet? When you do keep your eyes open for an article by our Director and Cheif Curator Aidan Ware! Link to an online version of the magazine below! https://theowensounder.ca/iss/TheOwenSounder_vol2-no01.pdf

Way Back Wednesday - 50 years ago in June 1970, the Gallery celebrated having at least one artwork by each of the Group of Seven in its collection, with the donation of this Lawren Harris painting from the Estate of Douglas Duncan. It can be seen in our current Group of Seven exhibition "The View from Here"

Its #nationaldogday! Wed be absolutely barking (get it?) if we didnt take the opportunity to share this lovely pup from our Collection! Image Credit: Jeremy Smith, Woman and Dog, 1987, serigraph (ed. #1/57). Gift of Mira Godard, 2007. Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

This weeks #ObjectoftheWeek is Red Landscape Wheel - title unknown (Iceburg Arch) by John Abrams. Much of Abrams work deals with land, history and memory. Being colour blind, he may have a slight advantage to focus the viewers attention by using minimal colour and muted tones. How does this work make you feel? ... How does the artists use of colour effect the way you experience the work? Image Credit: John Abrams, Red Landscape Wheel - title unknown (Iceburg Arch), 2002, oil on masonite. Gift of the Artist, 2013. Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.