CONFLUENCE
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Opening Reception & Meet the Artists
Friday November 1st 7pm November 1st, 2024 - January 11th, 2025 The Art Gallery of Algoma (AGA) is proud and excited to present the exhibition Confluence opening on Nov. 1, 2024, at 7 p.m. The participating Artists/Storytellers are Noel (Skip) Jones (Anishinaabe Elder), Barbara Nolan (Ojibwa elder and Nishnaabemwinlanguage immersion teacher), Sister Mary Jo Radey (Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph), and Adriano Di Cerbo ( Lead artist for Confluence and Lead Teacher for the Arts at St. Mary's College, Huron Superior District Catholic School Board) This exhibition presents a unique collaboration between various local artists/partners to explore the worldviews of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Drawing on motifs related to natural resources, the exhibition looks at the importance of the land and water and our interconnectedness with the Earth and each other. Through the exhibition’s sculptural installation, collective narrative and personal storytelling, the artists are examining the past, cultivating a deeper awareness of our shared histories while looking toward a more respectful and inclusive future. The title of the exhibition, Confluence, or “a merging of two rivers” suggests a perpetual flow towards transformation. This project will reach wide audiences as it relates to the environment and demographics of Algoma and to universal issues that touch us all. For all inquiries, please contact Jasmina Jovanovic, Executive Director/Chief Curator, Art Gallery of Algoma, at [email protected] or at 705-297-3769. |
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Cobalt: A Mining Town and the Canadian Imagination
Franklin Carmichael, A Northern Silver Mine, 1930, oil on canvas, 101.5 x 121.2cm, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, 1979.9
Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid
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May 29 to October 12, 2024
Cobalt, Ontario—some 500 kilometres north of Toronto—was established in 1904 following the discovery of rich silver, cobalt, ore, and nickel deposits. At peak production in 1911, Cobalt provided approximately one eighth of the world’s silver. In its heyday, the story of Cobalt was known around the world, and the town attracted miners, scientists, scholars, and of course, artists. This exhibition showcases the work of the artists who visited and documented Cobalt and its silver mines between the First and Second World Wars, after much of the natural resource deposits were depleted. Among them was a rising generation of Canadian modern painters which included Yvonne McKague Housser, Bess Larkin Housser Harris, Isabel McLaughlin, Frederick Banting, A.Y. Jackson, and Franklin Carmichael. These artists created works that depicted Canada as a new, modern industrial nation in step with the future—a contrast to the better-known works from this period that picture Canada as untouched wilderness. While some artists conjured Cobalt as a heroic bastion of industry and enterprise, others focused on the town’s grit and dishevelment. This exhibition and its accompanying publication will explore both sides of this dynamic relationship and shine new light on the settler relationship with the natural landscape. Organized and circulated by McMichael Canadian Art Collection Curated by Dr. Catharine Mastin |
Love of Canadian Wilderness
J.E.H. MacDonald (1873-1932), Sketch for The Solemn Land, C. 1919, Oil on Board. Collection of the Art Gallery of Algoma. Gift of the Great Lakes Power Corporation
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May 3 to October 12, 2024
Love of Canadian Wilderness features artwork by the Group of Seven from the Art Gallery of Algoma's permanent collection. The Group of Seven in Canadian art history remains the most recognizable art group for over a century. One of their favourite places to paint and visit was Algoma and the shores of Lake Superior. This rugged landscape, mostly wild and untouched, remains to this day an inspiration to many contemporary artists. The way in which the Group of Seven artists depicted Canadian landscape is still the image instilled in people’s minds when they think about Canada. It is a perception of stunning natural beauty, adventure in the wilderness, solitude, and admiration of nature. Algoma is a huge part of it. |
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Seven: Algoma University Thesis Exhibition
April 11 - 27, 2024 On display in Gallery 1 is Seven: Algoma University Thesis Exhibition featuring artwork by the following artists: GOLDIE BARZAN MONET LEPAGE KEITH NADJIWON NIKITA TJ PETT RISHI SHARMA STARR WEMIGWANS The public opening reception will be held on Thursday April 18th, 2024 at 7pm. |
Place Reimagined
Michael Mancuso (Canadian, b 1960) Carnival of Venice, 1984. Acrylic on Canvas. Collection of the Art Gallery of Algoma. Gift of Dr. Robert G. Martin.
SCHOOL PROGRAMMING This exhibition is currently available as a Virtual Education Program. The virtual program includes an interactive 360 tour of the exhibition, reflect & respond worksheets and an art project video. For more information email us at [email protected] |
January - March 27, 2024
Place Reimagined uses artwork from the permanent collection to pose the question “What defines a place?” This exhibition combines realistic and abstract paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, and mixed-media artworks together to highlight the many ways to interpret different places. The artworks featured in Place Reimagined cannot necessarily be categorized as part of the landscape tradition. Instead, these pieces collectively show how artists represented in the gallery’s permanent collection have been boldly experimenting with colour, line and shape for decades. Their artworks here present their thought-provoking and creative interpretations of what exactly a place is or could be thought of as. |
Members' Exhibition: Dreams & Desires
First Place Award: Cherie Ahvenniemi, My Imagination, Acrylic.
SCHOOL PROGRAMMING This exhibition is currently available as a Virtual Education Program. The virtual program includes an interactive 360 tour of the exhibition, reflect & respond worksheets and an art project video. For more information email us at [email protected] |
November 15, 2023 - January 6, 2024 The AGA Members’ Exhibition provides an opportunity for our very talented members to submit artwork to be displayed at the Gallery based on a theme; this exhibition’s theme is “Dreams & Desires”. Artists were invited to explore their inner world and share their dreams and desires with us. It is a wide-open theme that can result in a realistic subject, or it can be completely surreal. We hoped that this theme would be an inspiration for every artist to create something that is personal and meaningful to them, and they truly did! We are proud to present another interesting and inspiring exhibition of AGA Members of all ages who have amazing talent and abilities. We have over 80 unique works of art on display in Gallery 1. Alongside their artwork, most of the artists have submitted writeups explaining their process, story or inspiration. Many artists also participated in creating a short video speaking about their artwork. These can be viewed by scanning the QR Code beneath the labels. The opening reception and awards presentation was held on Wednesday November 15 at 7pm and we are pleased to announce the winners: 1st Place- Cherie Ahvenniemi - Artwork “My Imagination” 2nd Place- Teri Paquette - Artwork “TTC BUS #27” 3rd Place- Carson Merriefield - Artwork “Into the Woods” Honourable Mentions: Vernon Skyhawk - Artwork “North Star” Cathi Baber- Artwork “Thank God for Girlfriends” Tammy Fiegehen - Artwork “Dare to Dream” Kathy Godfrey - Artwork “Guardian of Hope” Eila Kuisma - Artwork “Isolation” Lia Munroe - Artwork “Visions of Space” David Baldwin - Artwork “Superior Dreamscape” We invited our Members’ Exhibition: Dreams & Desires artists to talk about their works on video. We are pleased to present 16 artist videos at the link below.
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Patterns & Parallels
The Great Imperative to Survive
"Protected" An endangered Whooping Crane adult stretches its wing as it stands with its young colt on the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, along the edge of the Texas shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
SCHOOL PROGRAMMING This exhibition is currently available as a Virtual Education Program. The virtual program includes an interactive 360 tour of the exhibition, reflect & respond worksheets and an art project video. For more information email us at [email protected] |
July 13 - October 28, 2023
This summer there will be an exhibition of photographs by Dr. Roberta Bondar: Patterns & Parallels: The Great Imperative to Survive. Patterns & Parallels: The Great Imperative to Survive is a timely exhibition that highlights the great distances and habitats needed by three endangered or threatened international migratory birds that are now facing the challenge of climate change—the Lesser Flamingo, the Whooping Crane and the Piping Plover. This initiative was inspired by the natural phenomena of avian migration coupled with Dr. Bondar’s lifelong passion for flight and her unique perspective of planet Earth gained on her pioneering international space mission in 1992. The exhibition consists of 30-35 large, dramatic colour ChromaLuxe metal (edge to edge) prints of Dr. Bondar ‘s aerial and surface images, plus selected NASA space images. The prints have a rear metal mounting back to give the print a floating-off-the-wall feel that mimics flight of both bird and astronaut. Videos accompanying the exhibition allow us to see and experience bird behaviours first-hand, from chick to adult along their migration routes. The backstory videos of a Canadian icon at work in the field inspire us as we understand the importance of examining and minimizing our impact on planet Earth. |
First Sign of Spring: Inuit Prints from the Collections 1959-1970
Premier signe du printemps: Estampes inuites des collections 1959-1970
PITSEOLAK ASHOONA. Birds, Beast and Caribou, 1968.
Stonecut on Japanese paper |Gravure de pierre sur papier Japonais. LUMAC Collection, Art Gallery of Sudbury | Galerie d'art de Sudbury SCHOOL PROGRAMMING This exhibition is currently available as a Virtual Education Program. The virtual program includes an interactive 360 tour of the exhibition, reflect & respond worksheets and an art project video. For more information email us at [email protected] |
March 31 to June 28
First Sign of Spring features 60 prints by 27 artists including Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Lucy Qinnuayuak, Kananginak Pootoogook, and Helen Kalvak. Scenes of daily life from Kinngait (Cape Dorset) and Ulukhaqtuuq (Holman Island), as well as representations of spirits, dreams, and images of transformation are depicted. After recognizing the talent of Inuit craftsmen, James Houston introduced the printmaking techniques of Japan to Kinngait in the late 1950s, which lead to the formation of the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative in 1959. Inspired by the works produced in Kinngait, Father Henri Tardy, OMI, assisted in establishing the Holman Island Cooperative in 1961. For over 60 years Inuit artists from the communities of Kinngait and Ulukhaqtuuq have been designing, printing, and selling original works of art. The exhibition was produced by the Art Gallery of Sudbury | Galerie d’art de Sudbury with generous funding from the Government of Canada. Premier signe du printemps présente 60 gravures par 27 artistes, dont Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Lucy Qinnuayuak, Kananginak Pootoogook, et Helen Kalvak. On y trouve des scènes de la vie quotidienne de Kinngait (Cape Dorset) et d'Ulukhaqtuuq (Holman Island), ainsi que des représentations d'esprits, de rêves et d'images de transformation. Après avoir reconnu le talent des artisans inuits, James Houston a introduit les techniques de gravure du Japon à Kinngait à la fin des années 1950, ce qui a mené à la formation de la West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative en 1959. Inspiré par les œuvres produites à Kinngait, le père Henri Tardy, OMI, a aidé à établir la Holman Island Cooperative en 1961. Depuis plus de 60 ans, les artistes inuits des communautés de Kinngait et d'Ulukhaqtuuq conçoivent, impriment et vendent des œuvres d'art originales. L'exposition a été produite par la Galerie d'art de Sudbury | Galerie d'art de Sudbury grâce à un généreux financement du gouvernement du Canada. |
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Members Exhibition - Taking Chances
First Place Award: Carol Holmberg, Face Off, Oil on Masonite Board
Winner of People's Choice Award: Tammy Fiegehen, The Wind & Waves, Acrylic and Dremel on Plywood
SCHOOL PROGRAMMING This exhibition is available as a Virtual Education Program which includes an interactive 360 tour of the exhibition, reflect & respond worksheets and an art project video. For more information email us at [email protected] |
February 16 to March 18, 2023
The AGA is very proud of its many talented members. Every year the AGA provides an opportunity for our members to showcase their artwork and celebrate their achievements. Over the centuries artists have been exploring new ways of expression so we asked our members to try something new and different from their usual art practice. It could have been something they never thought about, something that always intrigued them or just curiosity about how it would feel to venture into unfamiliar territory. We hoped to ignite some new interest and discover some new talents amongst our members. And we were not disappointed! We have over 80 unique works of art on display in Gallery 1, done by our talented members of all ages. We are always thrilled to see what they create, and how it relates to the theme. This year’s theme Taking Chances opened new horizons for many; we saw artists venture out of their comfort zone to try many new ways of expressing their creativity! New mediums, techniques, themes, and compositions. Alongside their artwork, most of the artists have submitted writeups explaining their process, story or inspiration. The opening reception and awards presentation was held on Thursday February 16 at 7pm and we are pleased to announce the winners: 1st Place- Carol Holmberg- Artwork “Face Off!” 2nd Place- Josie Jones- Artwork “Reflections” 3rd Place- Riley Greco- Artwork “Elements” Honourable Mentions: Rob Amadio- Artwork “Grab Life by the Horns” Penny Gabor- Artwork “A Winter’s Eden” Lucia Laford- Artwork “Grime” Nancy Norman- Artwork “Old Bugger” Gerri Proulx- Artwork “Les Belles Fleurs” Zoey Wood- Salomon- Artwork “Coming Home” Algoma Art Society Award for the Most Innovative Art In Memory of Nancy Caldwell: Tammy Fiegehen- Artwork “The Wind & Waves” View video of exhibition here |
Art Society of Algoma's 75th Anniversary Exhibition
Eddie Kosiba (1934-2012) Winter Steel Plant, 2009, Oil. On loan from Ken Hagerman.
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January 6 to February 4, 2023
This exhibition consists of art by the current and past Algoma Art Society members and also artwork in the AGA’s permanent collection by the Algoma Art Society past members as well as a selection of the artwork donated to the AGA by the Algoma Art Society over the years. Algoma Art Society (AAS) was the first formal art group founded in Sault Ste. Marie. In 1948 a group of artists and art enthusiasts formed this art club, which was the beginning of its now 75 years of activities in the Sault. It is our great pleasure to host this exhibition, marking such an important anniversary of the AAS as well as the growth of the art in the community. Over the years both art organizations AAS and AGA continued to foster art and talent found in our community. View exhibition video |
Gathering in Honour, Maawnjiding wii-Gchi-inenjigeng
John Laford (1954-2021), 8 and Final Fire, 2021, acrylic on canvas. Collection of the Laford family.
SCHOOL PROGRAMMING This exhibition is available as a Virtual Education Program which includes an interactive 360 tour of the exhibition, reflect & respond worksheets and an art project video. For more information email us at [email protected] |
September 8 to December 10, 2022
Exhibition Gathering in Honour/Maawnjiding wii-Gchi-inenjigeng was presented to celebrate and honour the Woodland school of art as part of the Indigenous culture which is an important and integral part of our society. Artworks in this exhibition included those by local artists, the late John Laford and his daughter Lucia, most which have never been shown before. Also included were works by Norval Morrisseau, Jackson Beardy and more from the AGA's permanent collection. |
Harold Town (Canadian, 1924-1990), Untitled, 1957. Mixed media collage. Collection of the Art Gallery of Algoma. Gift of the Estate of Harold Town.
MacDonald, J.E.H. (British Canadian, 1873-1932)
The Humber Flats, 1912. Oil on pressed board. Collection of the Art Gallery of Algoma. Acquired with funds from the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Communication and Wintario.
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Recent Acquisitions (2017-2021) and Group of Seven: Everlasting Inspiration
July 16 to August 31, 2022
The Art Gallery of Algoma is very fortunate to have an extensive and significant permanent collection. Since the first painting, which was acquired in 1977, the AGA's permanent collection has grown to over 5,000 artworks today. The main focus of the collection is Canadian art. A number of well-known and famous artists are represented in the collection. This selection presented some recent acquisitions between 2017 and 2021. In the last several years, despite the challenges due to the pandemic, the collecting did not stop. That is a very encouraging sign for the AGA! This exhibition did not include all artworks acquired during this time, but it is a testament that the collection continues to grow, and art will be preserved and shared with future generations. In this presentation, we included the following artists: Franklin Carmichael, Erla Glesby, Ron Gorsline, Michael Mancuso, Zoltan Szabo, Michael Forster, John Laford, John Meredith, Harold Town, George Paginton, George Raab, Ashleigh Moorehouse, Leonard Hutchinson, Ken Danby, Ghitta Caiserman-Roth and Thomas Chatfield. Accompanying this exhibition, the AGA presented Group of Seven: Everlasting Inspiration, a selection of artwork by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries as well as artists who have found inspiration in their work over the years. Algoma, being one of the favourite painting spots for the Group, remains a place of contemplation, inspiration, and creativity for many artists to this day. |
Jon Sasaki, Microbes Swabbed From a Palette Used by Arthur Lismer, 2020, archival print . 91.44 x 91.44 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Clint Roenisch Gallery.
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Jon Sasaki: HomageApril, 2022
The Art Gallery of Algoma was proud to present the exhibition Jon Sasaki: Homage organized and toured by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. This exhibition consisted of large-scale photographs depicting petri dishes blooming with microbial cultures derived from the palettes and studio tools used by members of the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson; historic objects held in the archives of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Homage is an example of how a contemporary Canadian artist chose to pay tribute to the iconic Group of Seven, artists who are considered founders of Canadian art. Sasaki started his art career as a painter inspired by the Group of Seven and in this body of work he continues his engagement through an intervention with these studio objects, examining both his relationship to these iconic artists and contemporary ideas concerning nature.
Members Preview, an in-person event, was held on Thursday, April 28, 2022, at 7:00PM. Artist Jon Sasaki was in attendance. On Friday, April 29th, from 5:00PM to 7:00PM a Meet the Artist event was opened to the public. |
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Winter Festival of Art: I Share My Love of...
March, 2022 The Winter Festival of Art is an annual member exhibition where we celebrate the artistic talent of our members. This year as we celebrate our 9th Winter Festival of Art we invited artists to submit work to the theme I Share My Love of...
Artist were invited to share their love of a person, place, experience, art technique - almost anything. We all had to reexamine our priorities, desires, what matters to us the most, where we would like to see our life go and how we would like to do it. As we are isolated a lot, we have the opportunity to listen to our inner voice and follow it. |
Peterson, Peter (Canadian).
Lake Superior, 1979.
Porcelain.
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Unexpected Treasures
December, 2021 The selection of artwork from the permanent collection in the Unexpected Treasures is featuring pieces that have not been on display frequently. Some of these works are unusual in their nature either as different shape, use of materials, origin, or simply not expected to be found in the permanent collection of the AGA. It shows a glimpse of the diversity of this great collection! A virtual tour and a series of art demos will be available for the Unexpected Treasures exhibition. The virtual tour and demos will begin on January 19th at 6:30PM. The cost to participate will be $10. Registration is required to participate in Art Gallery of Algoma Unexpected Treasures virtual tours and demos. To register please email us! We will get in touch with you right away and make arrangements for registration. |
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Franklin Carmichael: An Artists Process
September 10th, 2021 The exhibition was produced by the Art Gallery of Sudbury | Galerie d’art de Sudbury with generous access by members of Franklin Carmichael’s family, the Estate of Franklin Carmichael, and funding from the Government of Canada through Canadian Heritage. The AGA is the only other venue this exhibition will be presented at. The exhibition features 37 artworks mostly from the estate of Franklin Carmichael. Most of these works have not been exhibited before. The works of art in the exhibition are of outstanding significance by their close association with a person, Canadian artist Franklin Carmichael (1890-1945), and a group of artists, the Group of Seven (1920-1932), who were hugely influential for Canadian art in the early 20th century. The original members of the Group of Seven were Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Franz Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald and F.H. Varley and Franklin Carmichael,. Tom Thomson was a peer and a leading influence but died in 1917 before the Group was formed. Franklin Carmichael (1890-1945) was the youngest founding member of the Group of Seven. Franklin Carmichael was born in Orillia, Ontario. By 1911 he was working in Toronto, for the commercial art firm, Grip Limited, which served as a catalyst for his introduction to artists who would become members of the Group of Seven. In addition to his association with the Group of Seven, Franklin Carmichael held memberships in numerous art societies, including the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (founding member, 1925; president, 1932-1934), Canadian Group of Painters (founding member, 1933), and Ontario Society of Artists (president, 1937- 1940). In 1932, he became head of the Graphic Design and Commercial Art Department at the Ontario College of Art, Toronto, where he was a distinguished teacher until his death in 1945. He was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy in 1935 and became a full academician in 1938. Due to COVID -19 restrictions and to help with managing the pandemic the AGA is not hosting an opening reception. |
Harold Town (Canadian, 1924-1990).
Snap #48, 1973.
Oil and lucite on canvas.
60 x 60 inches.
Collection of the Art Gallery of Algoma;
Gift of The Harold Town Estate.
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A Passion for Collecting
July 28th, 2021 Art is result of a drive, determination, and passion which artists must pursue. Ability to create art in its many forms is a gift; artists must follow their feelings and convey their message to the world using visual tools. Art is personal and subjective; people are drawn to art based on their emotional response to the artists’ message. Art defines us as humans, it defines cultures and gives us identity. Through art we share experiences and stories of the past and present. Art in public collections such as the permanent collection at the AGA, is accessible to all. Public art galleries or museums have a responsibility to care for their collections, preserve them for future generations, make the art accessible to the public and use it as educational material to foster creativity. The AGA is an extremely fortunate art organization to house over 5,000 artworks by Canadian and international artists. Some of the most recognized and famous Canadian artists are represented in this collection:
In this exhibition we present a tiny percentage of the entire permanent collection including one of the most recent donations acquired in December of 2020 of several artworks by the important member of Painters Eleven group Harold Town and another well-known, important Canadian artist John Meredith. The staff and the Board of the AGA are proud of the permanent collection; the care and preservation of the collection for future generations is one of the core responsibilities of the AGA. This passion for collecting never stops. The permanent collection will continue to grow and be loved by the AGA staff and visitors for many years to come.
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Winter Festival of Art 2021: Finding Joy
March, 2021 There is no doubt that 2020 was a hard, strange, and very unexpected year. It was filled with bad news, stressful events, fear, uncertainty, and many other negative emotions. Our lives and daily routines have changed drastically. It is still uncertain how the future looks. People around the globe are looking forward to the end of 2020 with a hope that 2021 will bring better things. Through it all art, has remained a safe sanctuary for many. Art galleries and museums around the world, like the AGA, are struggling, but continue to present new and exciting exhibitions - live and online. Adjusting daily to something new and different is today’s norm. Considering the current situation, the theme for the Eighth Annual Winter Festival of Art is Finding Joy. The exhibition title is self-explanatory. Joy is what we all need, at this time. We invite you, our Members, to submit an artwork that you enjoyed making and that brings a smile to your face. A piece, that you will always cherish as a fond reminder of an event, person, or situation. The possibilities are endless. It simply has to be the most joyful work that you have ever done! We want our visitors to come to the exhibition space and feel that their everyday stress and pressures of the realities they are currently facing are melting away. The intent is that they leave the exhibition feeling uplifted and with a smile on their face. Art has the ability to provide feelings of peacefulness, contemplation, and calmness. Every moment in which we find joy these days is to be celebrated. What better way than through art! |
Libby Hague (Canadian, 1950)
Neon/Molecular Noise - Parking Garage, 1981.
Lithograph; Silkscreen and Spray Paint on Paper.
75.1 x 105.6.
Collection of the Art Gallery of Algoma;
Gift of Mr. Leslie Butcher.
Ron Bolt (Canadian, 1938)
Thunder at the Edge, 1985.
75.56 x 106.17.
Collection of the Art Gallery of Algoma.
Wayne Eastcott (Canadian, 1943)
Elizabeth 6 State II, 1986.
42.2 x 95.5.
Collection of the Art Gallery of Algoma.
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The Art of Printmaking
December 2nd 2020 This exhibition is presenting a very small selection of a vast print collection at the AGA. Apart from a few prints that have been included in various exhibitions, the majority have not been shown for many years. This is just scratching the surface of the AGA’s beautiful and significant print collection.
Some printmaking techniques have been known for centuries. The earliest examples of prints were made in the Far East over a millennium ago. Printmaking as an art form dating back many years and many artists ventured into printmaking. Some of these artists include world masters such as Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya, Audobon, Degas, Picasso, Matisse, and Miró – to mentions just a few. Over the centuries different techniques of printmaking were developed and have been mastered such as woodcut, linoleum cut, metal relief prints, engraving, etching, aquatint, mezzotint, lithography, silkscreen or serigraphs. The main difference between painting/drawing and prints is that prints can be made in multiple originals with the exception of a monoprint which cannot be reproduced. In this exhibition we have a representation of lithograph, monotype, silkscreen, etching, woodcut, intaglio, photolithography. Artists in the exhibition include the following: Dan Christensen, Susan Farquhar, Gordon Ryener, Christopher Broadhurst, Ron Bolt, Libby Hague, Arnold Shives, William Ronald, Tom Dean, Jean Bridge, Stanley Lewis, Ching-Jang Yao, Adele Duck, Kim Adams, Wayne Eastcott, Paul Fournier, José Bedia, and Chrysanne Stathacos. |
Wrapped in Culture
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Photography by: Rosalie Favell.
Photography by: Sara Cuthbertson.
Photography by: Rosalie Favell.
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Wrapped in Culture
September 17th – November 14th 2020 The Art Gallery of Algoma is thrilled to present, Wrapped in Culture, a travelling exhibition from the Ottawa Art Gallery. This was a collaborative project that brought together ten Indigenous artists from Australia and Canada. Working over the course of three weeks in November 2017, the artists created contemporary versions of an Australian Aboriginal possum skin cloak and a Blackfoot buffalo robe: two culturally distinct, yet similar, artistic traditions that historically held both sacred and practical purposes. The goal of this project was to encourage an inter-cultural sharing of material history to produce a work reflective of Indigenous traditions, cultures, and communities both past and present.
A series of photographs of the robe and cloak serve to bring them to life, demonstrating that these artworks are transformed when they cease to be static objects. Traditionally, the iconography on buffalo robes and possum-skin cloaks told a story about the owner or wearer’s life. The imagery on the contemporary robe and cloak is a narrative of ten artists from different nations and generations coming together. This project was made possible through the Canada Council for the Arts New Chapter and partnerships with the City of Ottawa and Carleton University Art Gallery. CURATOR
Wahsontiio Cross LEAD ARTIST Rosalie Favell ARTISTS Barry Ace (Anishinaabe [Odawa]), Kerri Clarke (Boon Wurrung), Maree Clarke (Mutti Mutti, Yorta Yorta, Boon Wurrung), Rosalie Favell (Métis), Mitch Mahoney (Boon Wurrung, Barkindji), Molly Mahoney (Boon Wurrung, Barkindji), Wade Mahoney (Barkindji), Meryl McMaster (Cree), Adrian Stimson (Siksika [Blackfoot]), Vicki West (trawlwoolway) To learn more about Wrapped In Culture and the artists, please visit wrappedinculture.ca |
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.This is one of the 200 exceptional projects funded through the Canada Council for the Arts’ New Chapter program. With this $35M investment, the Council supports the creation and sharing of the arts in communities across Canada.
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Celebrating 45 Years of the AGA
July 24, 2020 Celebrating 45 Years of the AGA — a selection of art from the permanent collection. Over the 45 years the AGA has accomplished much; one of these accomplishments is a large and significant permanent collection of over 5,000 pieces.
The AGA was incorporated in July 1975. It was a great effort and hard work of the group of volunteers led by a tireless, dedicated and determined lady Elsie Savoie. She was instrumental is starting the art gallery in the Sault. Her efforts have paid off as today the AGA is a successful public art gallery that promotes art and artists and serves audiences in Algoma and beyond. In addition to a special thank you to Mrs. Elsie Savoie the AGA would like to thank all volunteers and staff over the 45 years who contributed to the success of the gallery and made it what it is today. We would also like to thank all of our Members for their ongoing support, and all artists and art lovers who support us in many ways. Another anniversary is coming in early September – 40 years since the official opening of this building! It was an important event for the community and a big celebration! We are fortunate to have many records and photos from the days of the opening and all events that were part of it. Two artists attended the opening and were part of ribbon cutting ceremony: A.J. Casson, later member of the Group of Seven and Ken Danby! Celebrating 45 Years of the AGA presents a small cross-section of the art that is held in the AGA's vaults. The exhibition includes the very first painting acquired in 1976 as well as recent donations from 2019. |
Celebrate 45 years with us
Ron Bolt
(Canadian, 1938) Wave Image #2: A Coldness at Noon, 1974 Acrylic on Canvas 96.52" x 81.28" Early aquisition. Collection of the Art Gallery of Algoma; Acquired with funds from the Moore Memorial Fund and Wintario. |
Ghitta Caiserman-Roth
(Canadian, 1923-2005) Bedscape #1, 1976 Acrylic; Collage on Linen 127" x 152.4" First aquisition. Collection of the Art Gallery of Algoma; Acquired with funds from the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and Wintario. |
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Thank you
to all volunteers and staff over the 45 years who contributed to the success of the gallery and made it what it is today. Thank you to all of our Members for your ongoing support, and all artists and art lovers who support us in many ways.
Best In Show
Theresa Baic Lake Superior Misty Passage |
Winter Festival of Art 2020
February 2020 Opening Reception & Award Ceremony: Friday, February 7th, 2020 Exhibition Closing Event: March 21st, 5pm -6pm Theme: Memories Our memories are precious and cherished. Either good or bad, our memories are deeply embodied in our brains and in our hearts. We talk about them frequently with friends and family, with people we share them with and sometimes even with strangers. Some are never shared with others. Those have such deep meaning and impact on us that sharing them would evoke emotions hard to handle. These experiences and memories shape us to become who we are today. The process of gathering memories and evolving through new experiences never ends for as long as we live. We continue to grow and change as the time goes by. We used to keep photo albums and write diaries to preserve memories. In today’s digital world memories are saved on the Internet and some immediately shared with millions of people. Does that change the meaning of a memory and how we value our most intimate experiences? For this Winter Festival we would like to invite you to share your most extraordinary memory. Tell us through your artwork about a particular event or a person that you think about again and again. Share with us that precious moment in time that you will never forget. Through the use of colour, texture, line, shape, composition, the use of light – all principals of art making - create a memory that will be different than what is posted on the Internet. Make it more personal and important by creating an art piece about it. Opening reception and award ceremony will be held on Friday February 7, 2020. All mediums will be accepted. This is Members’ exhibition so valid membership will be a requirement to enter the exhibition. We accept one artwork from each participant, as we want to give equal opportunity for everyone. Download the entry form from here! Entry form submission deadline: Saturday, January 18th, 2020 Artwork drop off dates: January 23rd, 24th and 25th, 2020 Artwork pickup dates: March 23rd 10am - 3pm and 24th 10am - 5pm, 2020 |
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Straight Line
Abstract paintings from AGA Permanent Collection November 1, 2019 - January 25, 2020 Eva Koller Davis (Canadian 19225-2018)
Colour Chords, n.d. Acrylic on Canvas |
Wander Into the World of Norval Morrisseau
October 4 - October 26, 2019
Admission:
$12 for Adult, $8 for Senior and Student, Children under 12 and AGA Members are free.
Art Gallery of Algoma in partnership with the Algoma Fall Festival is presenting a unique opportunity to view paintings of Norval Morrisseau in additional dimensions. Visitors will be immersed in large scale animated projections of Morrisseau's paintings that depict world of nature, spirits, shamans and animals.
October 4 - October 26, 2019
Admission:
$12 for Adult, $8 for Senior and Student, Children under 12 and AGA Members are free.
Art Gallery of Algoma in partnership with the Algoma Fall Festival is presenting a unique opportunity to view paintings of Norval Morrisseau in additional dimensions. Visitors will be immersed in large scale animated projections of Morrisseau's paintings that depict world of nature, spirits, shamans and animals.
William Armstrong (Irish Canadian 1822-1914)
Sault Ste. Marie - 1866 1905 Watercolour on Paper On long-term loan to the Art Gallery of Algoma from the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Hamilton Collection |
Survey of the Collection
June 1 - September 14, 2019 Survey of the Collection presents a cross section of approximately 5,000 artworks in the permanent collection of the AGA. This collection is large and extensive in nature, so the survey includes many different artists and artforms. Some of the oldest pieces are beautiful 19th century watercolours by William Armstrong which are great evidence of how this area looked like at the time when he was passing through. The exhibition continues with other beautiful landscapes of Algoma and beyond such as artworks by the Group of Seven artists. Important segment of the collection and the exhibition is Indigenous art including historical and contemporary examples. Canadian and international abstract art from the second half of the 20th century has a strong representation in the collection and is part of this exhibition. |
People's Choice Award 2019 - The Flower Shop
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Art in Bloom
March 30 - May 18, 2019 Event: April 26, 2019 at 6pm $55 for AGA Members or $70 for Non Members, and Tax Receipt for $30 Art in Bloom has been a popular event at many art galleries and museums across North America for many years. The AGA will be presenting this exhibition and event for the fourth time. It grew in popularity in our community and fast became an appropriate event to mark and celebrate the arrival of spring. The artworks for this exhibition were selected from our permanent collection based on the use of colour and shapes, some more obvious, some challenging, some more inspiring choices – all to be an inspiration for floral creations. |
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Thank you all for the florists, artists, and supporters!
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The Flower Shop
Pino's Get Fresh Floral Tamar's Trends Floral Shop Flowers with Flair Mann Florist Ulrike Schneider - Bayview Pottery |
Donna Mercier - CSC
Sally Gibson Rihkee Strapp New North Greenhouses Creative Nest Sweet Greetings |
Soo Mill
Sault Ste. Marie Golf Club Karen Nisbet Rasoi Indian Kitchen Jade Wellness |
Nancy Sachro, Heat, Quilt
Best In Show 2019 |
Winter Festival of Art 2019
February 8 - March 16, 2019 Theme: Symbolism of Colour Pick up dates: Monday, March 18 10am - 5pm & Tuesday, March 19 9am - 5pm Opening Reception: Friday, February 8, 2019 at 7pm Colour, a key element of design, fashion, decorating, marketing, psychology, art therapy and much more, is clearly a significant component of art creation as well. Artists always used colour to express not just what they observe in their surroundings but also to express their feelings, provoke an emotional reaction in a viewer, or simply create an esthetically pleasing composition. Effect and language of colour influences our everyday life on many levels. It s a tool to express desires, intentions, it provoke reactions and influences our decision making – sometimes in an obvious way and sometimes in a very subtle way. Nature provides great inspiration for the use of colour. Each season definitely has its colour scheme. Our long northern winters are perfect time to explore colour in its many shades. |
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Northern Sensibility ~ Embrace It All
AGA Permanent Collection | November 28, 2018 - January 26, 2019 This exhibition is a survey of various artists, styles and mediums from the AGA’s permanent collection such as paintings, drawings, watercolours, wood carvings, wall hangings, and sculptures. These images guide us through the winter experience in the Canadian north and then into spring and summer.
Depicting the Arctic, Quebec, Northern Ontario, Algoma and the snow-covered streets of Sault Ste. Marie, these artworks showcase moments of life in the north, from children playing in the snow by Myrtle Harrison, skaters by Ken Danby to dark winter nights and stunning moons by Sybil Goldstein, as well as the whiteness of fresh snow covered hills and trees by Zoltan Szabo, hunting by Inuit people and their connection to the animals; All could be summarized in the title of a painting by Jean Hay – Enough of Ice and Snow?, a painting from her Arctic series. Bursts of colour in the Norval Morrisseau’s painting Wild Flowers, shimmering splendor of water in the painting by Ken Danby, birds and flowers depicted in the paintings by Will Ogilvie, Frances-Anne Johnston, Molly Lamb Bobak, Franklin Carmichael, to name just a few, will replace the somber qualities of the winter imagery. Enjoy the moments of life in the north seen through the eyes of the artists displayed in this exhibition. |
Algoma Discovered
Celebration of 100th Anniversary of the First Painting Trip to Algoma by the Group of Seven
Group of Seven Exhibition
October 4 - November 10, 2018
Celebration of 100th Anniversary of the First Painting Trip to Algoma by the Group of Seven
Group of Seven Exhibition
October 4 - November 10, 2018
Art in Bloom 2018
March 10 - September 22, 2018
Art in Bloom has been a popular event at many art galleries and museums across North America for many years. The AGA is presenting this exhibition and event for the third time. It grew in popularity in our community and became an appropriate event to mark and celebrate the arrival of spring. We hope to see even more participants this year.
The artworks for this exhibition were selected from Gallery’s permanent collection based on the use of colour and shapes, some more obvious, some challenging, some more inspiring choices – all to be an inspiration for floral creations. Local florists, artists and enthusiasts are invited to create a floral arrangement in response to a painting of their choice in the exhibition.
There will be a dinner event on April 27th at 6 PM. Please join us for the event and vote for the arrangement you think is the best. The winner will receive a People’s Choice Trophy at the event.
This year the dinner will be delicious Indian cuisine prepared by Neeta Marwah the owner of Rasoi the Indian Kitchen – a newly opened restaurant on Queen Street in the downtown area. Neeta’s support of the Gallery over the years is greatly appreciated. Her delicious food was always a great hit at several previous events hosted by the AGA so we know that it will be again a fabulous display of colour, smells and taste!
March 10 - September 22, 2018
Art in Bloom has been a popular event at many art galleries and museums across North America for many years. The AGA is presenting this exhibition and event for the third time. It grew in popularity in our community and became an appropriate event to mark and celebrate the arrival of spring. We hope to see even more participants this year.
The artworks for this exhibition were selected from Gallery’s permanent collection based on the use of colour and shapes, some more obvious, some challenging, some more inspiring choices – all to be an inspiration for floral creations. Local florists, artists and enthusiasts are invited to create a floral arrangement in response to a painting of their choice in the exhibition.
There will be a dinner event on April 27th at 6 PM. Please join us for the event and vote for the arrangement you think is the best. The winner will receive a People’s Choice Trophy at the event.
This year the dinner will be delicious Indian cuisine prepared by Neeta Marwah the owner of Rasoi the Indian Kitchen – a newly opened restaurant on Queen Street in the downtown area. Neeta’s support of the Gallery over the years is greatly appreciated. Her delicious food was always a great hit at several previous events hosted by the AGA so we know that it will be again a fabulous display of colour, smells and taste!
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Thank you to all of our artists, sponsors and supporters; Soo Mill Rasoi, The Indian Kitchen Algoma Conservatory of Music Flowers For you Flowers By Routledge's Florist Metro Flower Shop The Flower Shop Pino's Get Fresh Floral Tamar's Trends Floral Shop Flowers with Flair Mann Florist |
Bayview Pottery
Donna Mercier, CSC Karin Doleske Sally Gibson Rihkee Strapp New North Greenhouses Creative Nest Stork +Bundle Jade Yoga Headliness Hair and Day Spa Northern Superior Brewing Co. Girl Guides |
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Winter Festival of Art 2018
Theme: Light & Shadow Opening Reception: Friday, February 2, 2018 The Art Gallery of Algoma is inviting all artists and aspiring artists in Algoma and beyond to participate in the fifth Annual Winter Festival of Art! This year the exhibition is called Light & Shadow. Light is what we need and strive for in all aspects of our lives. However, light always comes with a shadow – sometimes it is factual and sometimes it is metaphorical. Either way one always follows the other. This makes our days richer, more challenging, more beautiful … and many other things – depending on how we see it. We invite artists to explore many appearances of light and shadow in their artwork; through nature and in their lives. Winter is perfect time to think about light and shadow – days are short, the light becomes more precious and cherished. Long dark nights are extended shadows that conceal our surroundings. In the daylight shadows are fully visible on the shimmering white snow; winter light creates colourful shadows, more so than at any other time of the year. This call to artists is open to all ages and all mediums. The light and shadow can be expressed either as a theme of an artwork, or in a technique used; it can be factual or metaphorical component of the artwork. As every year this exhibition will be juried and the Best in Show will be announced at the opening reception on Friday February 2nd, 2018 at 7 pm. The Art Gallery of Algoma is excited to see submissions of 2018! |
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Splendor of Thread & Fabric
December 16, 2017 to January 20, 2018 Opening Reception: Friday, December 15, 2017 at 7pm ► Catherine Hornstein, Where’s kit? |
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Light in the Land ~ the Nature of Canada
By Dr. Roberta Bondar In partnership with The Roberta Bondar Foundation and The Algoma Fall Festival October 5 to December 6, 2017 |
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Celebrate Canada ~ Celebrate Art
from the permanent collection June 9, 2017 - September 29, 2017 Opening Reception: Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 7pm |
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Art in Bloom 2017
March 18 – May 29, 2017
Opening Night: Friday, April 28 at 5:30pm
March 18 – May 29, 2017
Opening Night: Friday, April 28 at 5:30pm
“The Art Gallery of Algoma would like to thank all sponsors and participants for the Art in Bloom 2017.”
- Prime Cuts
- Beauty Bar
- Benjamin Moore
- New North Greenhouses
- Sweet Greetings
- Duty Free Shop
- Metro
- Tamar’s Flower Trends
- Flowers for You
- Flowers by Routledge’s Florist
- Rihkee Strapp
- Donna Mercier
- Neeta Marwah
- Hilda Odam
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Winter Festival of Art 2017
Time to be Inspired...
Exhibition dates: February 3 to March 4, 2017
Opening reception: Friday February 3 at 7pm
Time to be Inspired...
Exhibition dates: February 3 to March 4, 2017
Opening reception: Friday February 3 at 7pm
Winter is the time of darkness and introspective that enables us - or forces us - to be more inspired and creative. The exhibition is a reflection of our northern community which is also in a process of change on many levels from economic to demographic and everything in-between. Art is a reflection of every community so this Festival is an opportunity to express multiple levels of the richness in the community and celebrate the potential we have to move forward through artistic and creative expression. The artwork in this exhibition can express any aspect of a society that is a personal reflection of the place we call home. Art is always a creative force looking forward and instigating the change. Be Inspired! This year the Winter Festival will be during Bon Soo Winter Carnival. Another reason to celebrate and have fun!
Celebrate art ~ an important component of every community!
Celebrate art ~ an important component of every community!
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Embodiment: 30 Years of Ceramic Sculpture
by Susan Low-Beer October 6, 2016 – January 21, 2017 Opening Reception: October 6, 2016 at 7pm Embodiment is a 30-year retrospective of ceramic sculpture by Governor General’s Award-winning artist Susan Low-Beer. The exhibition draws major work from several series of sculptures documenting the artists’ ongoing engagement with the clay body and how it sits in space. |
From table-top assemblages, to the totemic stackings of Still Dances, to planar suspension of Mutable Selves, to the architecturally engaged Rocksbreath series, the artist has pushed the medium of clay into a diversity of manifestations. There is a meditative, spiritual quality to Low-Beer’s human figures that are often genderless and unclothed, but marked by ornate patterns that reference diverse cultures. Many of the figures are composed of fragments of other figures, other bodies, amalgamated into a new whole. The show culminates with a new installation of figures that are suspended, defying gravity, finally free of weight and restriction. The body is a vessel for the spirit and the breath; Low-Beer presents works that prompt a heightened awareness of humanity and a shared perspective on this mortal coil.
Co-curated by Jasmina Jovanovic of the Art Gallery of Algoma and Stuart Reid, this exhibition brings together seminal works by Low-Beer borrowed from private and public collections across Canada. The show provides context for major works included in the Art Gallery of Algoma collection. Embodiment will tour in Canada and will be accompanied by a forthcoming publication in both languages documenting this important body of work. This project is generously funded through Department of Canadian Heritage, Museum Assistance Program.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Nous reconnaissons l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada.
Co-curated by Jasmina Jovanovic of the Art Gallery of Algoma and Stuart Reid, this exhibition brings together seminal works by Low-Beer borrowed from private and public collections across Canada. The show provides context for major works included in the Art Gallery of Algoma collection. Embodiment will tour in Canada and will be accompanied by a forthcoming publication in both languages documenting this important body of work. This project is generously funded through Department of Canadian Heritage, Museum Assistance Program.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Nous reconnaissons l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada.
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Living Spirit Indigenous Art
from AGA Permanent Collection and by Local First Nation Artists
July 7, 2016 - September 25, 2016
Artists in the exhibition:
This exhibition is presenting artwork from the gallery’s permanent collection, as well as art by contemporary Indigenous artists currently living and practising in the area. The idea of the exhibition is to show that some of the same issues artists have been dealing with for the last several decades are still current and present today and that the spirit of Aboriginal culture is alive and integral part of this region.
Until the 1960s, the prevailing opinion was that Indigenous art depicted a dying culture, dealt with old legends, was not contemporary or relevant to current issues and therefore was seen as belonging to the ethnographic field rather than the art field. Most discussions surrounding Indigenous art was a question of whether it was actual art or craft, and whether it should therefore be presented in mainstream art galleries.
Indigenous art in Canada started to be recognized as art in the 1960s and 1970s. At that time, Canada was also facing political changes: in 1960, Aboriginal Canadians got the right to vote and became equal within the Canadian political system.
There were several exhibitions in the 1960s and 1970s that made an impact and placed the art on a different level:
Expo 67 saw ten Indigenous artists participating as a way of recognizing their contribution to the Canadian cultural scene.
In 1967, the Vancouver Art Gallery presented the exhibition “Arts of the Raven: masterworks by the Northwest Coast Indian art; for celebration of the 100 Anniversary of Canadian Confederation.”
In 1972, the Winnipeg Art Gallery presented the exhibition “Treaty Numbers 23, 287 and 1171: Three Indian Painters of the Prairies”. The exhibition was of several Indigenous artists, which was a huge step in recognizing their art as part of mainstream art in Canada. Winnipeg was, and still is, an important city for the development of Indigenous art.
Following the Winnipeg exhibition, a group of Indigenous artists formed the Indian Group of Seven or “Professional Native Indian Artists Association” in 1973. The name Indian Group of Seven has a symbolic meaning in reference to Canadian art.
The artists in the Group included:
The group opened a gallery in Winnipeg in order to have better control of making and marketing their art. This was a hugely important time in the development of and for the future of Indigenous art in Canada.
At this time, during the 1960s and 1970s, the Woodland School was being born. This is a very pictographic style of painting and is full of symbolic meaning, which is part of the fabric of the culture. It includes spirits, heroes, animals and natural elements. It remains alive and is practised to this day – a contemporary example of this style in the exhibition is painting by John Laford, a local artist, born on Manitoulin Island, currently living and practicing in Sault Ste. Marie. Two other wonderful examples of Woodland School in this exhibition are by Jackson Beardy and Norval Morrisseau.
Since the 1970s, art has changed and a new generation of artists emerged on the Canadian art scene practising various techniques and styles. There are several examples of their work in this exhibition.
from AGA Permanent Collection and by Local First Nation Artists
July 7, 2016 - September 25, 2016
Artists in the exhibition:
- Audrey Bateson, local artist
- Russell Raven, local artist
- Jackson Beardy, permanent collection
- John Laford, local artist – work is from the permanent collection
- Shirley Horn, local artist
- Rosalie Favell, permanent collection
- Dayna Rainville, local artist
- Norval Morrisseau, permanent collection
- Carl Beam, permanent collection
- Isabell Souliere, local artist
- Rita Letendre, permanent collection
This exhibition is presenting artwork from the gallery’s permanent collection, as well as art by contemporary Indigenous artists currently living and practising in the area. The idea of the exhibition is to show that some of the same issues artists have been dealing with for the last several decades are still current and present today and that the spirit of Aboriginal culture is alive and integral part of this region.
Until the 1960s, the prevailing opinion was that Indigenous art depicted a dying culture, dealt with old legends, was not contemporary or relevant to current issues and therefore was seen as belonging to the ethnographic field rather than the art field. Most discussions surrounding Indigenous art was a question of whether it was actual art or craft, and whether it should therefore be presented in mainstream art galleries.
Indigenous art in Canada started to be recognized as art in the 1960s and 1970s. At that time, Canada was also facing political changes: in 1960, Aboriginal Canadians got the right to vote and became equal within the Canadian political system.
There were several exhibitions in the 1960s and 1970s that made an impact and placed the art on a different level:
Expo 67 saw ten Indigenous artists participating as a way of recognizing their contribution to the Canadian cultural scene.
In 1967, the Vancouver Art Gallery presented the exhibition “Arts of the Raven: masterworks by the Northwest Coast Indian art; for celebration of the 100 Anniversary of Canadian Confederation.”
In 1972, the Winnipeg Art Gallery presented the exhibition “Treaty Numbers 23, 287 and 1171: Three Indian Painters of the Prairies”. The exhibition was of several Indigenous artists, which was a huge step in recognizing their art as part of mainstream art in Canada. Winnipeg was, and still is, an important city for the development of Indigenous art.
Following the Winnipeg exhibition, a group of Indigenous artists formed the Indian Group of Seven or “Professional Native Indian Artists Association” in 1973. The name Indian Group of Seven has a symbolic meaning in reference to Canadian art.
The artists in the Group included:
- Daphne Odjig, the unofficial head of the group
- Norval Morrisseau
- Jackson Beardy
- Alex Janvier
- Carl Ray
- Eddy Cobiness
- Joseph Sanchez
The group opened a gallery in Winnipeg in order to have better control of making and marketing their art. This was a hugely important time in the development of and for the future of Indigenous art in Canada.
At this time, during the 1960s and 1970s, the Woodland School was being born. This is a very pictographic style of painting and is full of symbolic meaning, which is part of the fabric of the culture. It includes spirits, heroes, animals and natural elements. It remains alive and is practised to this day – a contemporary example of this style in the exhibition is painting by John Laford, a local artist, born on Manitoulin Island, currently living and practicing in Sault Ste. Marie. Two other wonderful examples of Woodland School in this exhibition are by Jackson Beardy and Norval Morrisseau.
Since the 1970s, art has changed and a new generation of artists emerged on the Canadian art scene practising various techniques and styles. There are several examples of their work in this exhibition.
Art in Bloom 2016
Opening April 23, 2016
With this event the Art Gallery of Algoma (AGA) is celebrating the arrival of spring and honouring Earth Day. The AGA is presenting this event for the first time hoping that it will become an annual event.
Art in Bloom is a popular event at many art galleries and museum across North America. It has been presented annually for many years. The event will involves display of art works from our beautiful and significant permanent collection and display of floral arrangements created by local florists and enthusiasts in response to a particular painting in the exhibition. The artwork for this exhibition was selected based on the use of colour and shapes, some more obvious, some challenging or more inspiring choices s inspiration for floral creations.
Opening April 23, 2016
With this event the Art Gallery of Algoma (AGA) is celebrating the arrival of spring and honouring Earth Day. The AGA is presenting this event for the first time hoping that it will become an annual event.
Art in Bloom is a popular event at many art galleries and museum across North America. It has been presented annually for many years. The event will involves display of art works from our beautiful and significant permanent collection and display of floral arrangements created by local florists and enthusiasts in response to a particular painting in the exhibition. The artwork for this exhibition was selected based on the use of colour and shapes, some more obvious, some challenging or more inspiring choices s inspiration for floral creations.
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The Art Gallery of Algoma would like to thank all participants and supporters of the Art in Bloom 2016:
Our sincere gratitude for their tireless effort to make this event a success goes to Co-Chairs of the event and members of the AGA Board Neeta Marwah and Hilda Odom.
The GAA appreciates contribution from the AGA staff that made the exhibition and the event possible.
This event and floral displays are celebrating talent in our community. The AGA will continue to support and inspire our community and provide opportunities for creative and artistic expressions in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma.
Once again, thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the very first Art in Bloom in Sault Ste. Marie. Enjoy the colours and fragrances of beautiful floral arrangements and beautiful paintings from the AGA collection.
We look forward to hosting the exhibition and the event next spring.
- Susan Richards
- Trevor Fielder
- New North Greenhouses
- Flowers by Routledge’s Florist
- Flowers Direct
- Tamar’s Trends Flower Shop
- Flowers with Flair
- Metro Flower Shop
- Donna Mercier
- Megumi Matsumoto & Isabelle Michaud
- Rome’s
- Neeta Marwah
- Hilda Odom
Our sincere gratitude for their tireless effort to make this event a success goes to Co-Chairs of the event and members of the AGA Board Neeta Marwah and Hilda Odom.
The GAA appreciates contribution from the AGA staff that made the exhibition and the event possible.
This event and floral displays are celebrating talent in our community. The AGA will continue to support and inspire our community and provide opportunities for creative and artistic expressions in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma.
Once again, thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the very first Art in Bloom in Sault Ste. Marie. Enjoy the colours and fragrances of beautiful floral arrangements and beautiful paintings from the AGA collection.
We look forward to hosting the exhibition and the event next spring.
Into the Woods: Etchings by George Raab
January 28, 2016 - April 30, 2016
Opening reception: January 29, 2016 at 7 pm
Organized by the Art Gallery of Peterborough
This is a retrospective exhibition of well-known Ontario artist George Raab. Raab gained international reputation for his landscape etchings. He has exhibited world-wide in group or solo exhibitions. He lives and works in Millbrook, Ontario.
This exhibition is organized and toured by the Art gallery of Peterborough.
January 28, 2016 - April 30, 2016
Opening reception: January 29, 2016 at 7 pm
Organized by the Art Gallery of Peterborough
This is a retrospective exhibition of well-known Ontario artist George Raab. Raab gained international reputation for his landscape etchings. He has exhibited world-wide in group or solo exhibitions. He lives and works in Millbrook, Ontario.
This exhibition is organized and toured by the Art gallery of Peterborough.
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2015-2016 3rd Winter Festival of Art - Delicious Art
December 17, 2015 to January 16, 2016 Generously sponsored by Nora Ann Harrison and RBC, Business Banking, Sault Ste. Marie The theme for the 2015-2016 Winter Festival of Art at the Art Gallery of Algoma is one that has universal appeal: FOOD. Following last year's theme of Celebrate,we again hope to receive a number of high quality, diverse submissions. This year's show will be on display during the darkest days of winter, through the times when many are celebrating and spending time with family and friends. The Art Gallery of Algoma is inviting you to share what 'food' means to you. A photograph of a plate of steaming pasta, a sculpture created with food, a food-themed quilt -- use your imagination and explore the theme in the most creative way you can. We hope you will bring some colour, texture, and forms that are new and innovative. Our intention is to provide a feast for the eyes during this winter’s Holiday Season! Within a few short years the AGA Winter Festival of Art has become a highly anticipated event in the Algoma artistic community. The Art Gallery of Algoma welcomes submissions from all ages, in all mediums, from all community members in Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding region. |
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Paul Walde – for John Cage
September 3 - December 6, 2015 This exhibition of works by Paul Walde explores various aspects of the work of the influential American composer John Cage (1912-1992). Cage is perhaps most well-known for his ground breaking work 4’33” a music composition with no notes. A pioneer in the use of found objects as instruments, altering conventional instruments (the prepared piano), the use of pre-recorded sounds and noise in music composition and employing chance operations to the act of composing, Cage became incredibly influential to practitioners in many areas of the arts. Walde’s interest in Cage dates back to a 1992 chance meeting of Cage the day he moved to New York and the convergence of his own interest in mycology, landscape and sound. John Cage was also an expert mycologist and was active in re-establishing the New York Mycological Society which is still active to this day.
Interdeterminancy (for John Cage) (2010-2012) is a large scale graphic notation for a music performance comprised of hundreds of mushroom spores collected about an hour north of Los Angeles where Cage was born. Cage, who was an avid mushroom collector, often quipped that music and mushrooms have nothing to do with one another except for the fact that they appear next to each other in the dictionary. Paul Walde was born in London, UK. Paul’s family moved from England to Canada when he was five, when his father, a doctor, took an internship at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. A year later, they relocated to Sault Ste. Marie, where Paul spent his formative years. Following the completion of his BFA at the University of Western Ontario Walde moved to New York City in 1992 to do his master’s at NYU. Walde is currently Chair of the Visual Arts at the University of Victoria, BC. His artwork is exhibited nationally and internationally in a number of solo and group exhibitions. One of the main topics of his art is the relationship between nature and culture. |
Ghitta Caiserman-Roth, Bedscape #1, 1976
Acrylic and collage on canvas Collection of the Art Gallery of Algoma. Acquired in 1977 with funds from the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and Wintario. This was the first artwork acquired by the AGA. |
40 Years of Collecting – AGA Permanent Collection
October 1, 2015 – January 5, 2016 Forty years ago the passion and hard work of a dedicated group of volunteers came to fruition. The Art Gallery of Algoma was incorporated on July 7, 1975 and organized its first show -- "Hours of Warmth," displayed at the Ermatinger Old Stone House. From these humble beginnings would spring a top notch facility and an important international art collection to make the Algoma region proud. One of the most important people behind the AGA is Elsie Savoie who contributed to the formation of the Gallery and its growth for the last four decades.
But the Gallery building as we know it was still a dream in 1977, when the first AGA Director, Donald DeGrow, purchased the inaugural painting for its permanent collection, Bedscape No. 1, a 1976 acrylic and collage on canvas by Ghitta Caiserman-Roth. Displayed then at the gallery's temporary location in the Station Tower Building at the corner of Bay and Elgin Streets, the work would be the first of many important pieces acquired over the following years. |
The AGA's collection houses not only important pieces such as William Armstrong's historical watercolours of the Sault area in the late 19th Century, but more contemporary works by artists including Marcel Barbeau, Joseph Drapell, Paul Fournier, Norval Morrisseau, Jean McEwen, Ray Mead, Tom Hodgson, Barbara Hepworth, David Bierk, Rosalie Favell, Jackson Beardy, Jack Bush, William Ronald, Rita Letendre, John Hartman, Aganetha Dyck, accomplished local artists Ken Danby, Ken MacDougall, Zoltan Szabo, Robert-Ralph Carmichael, and of course works by members of the iconic Group of Seven. AJ Casson, one of the afore mentioned group, actually cut the ribbon of the building at the gallery's present site on East Street in 1980. These artists and more are included in the exhibition 40 Years of Collecting in two exhibition spaces – Main Gallery and Education Gallery.
Roberta Bondar Saskatchewan River Crossing
Banff National Park, AB, 1999 & 2014 Chromira Print, Kodak Professional Ultra Endura paper |
Roberta Bondar and Carole Sabiston:
Dreams & Realities - Human Sensitivity of Place February 14 - May 24, 2015 Roberta Bondar and Carole Sabiston: Dreams & Realities—Human Sensitivity of Place, presented by Dawson & Keenan Insurance, presented the work of these two living and internationally acclaimed artists who, though working in different visual media, both voice concern for the protection of the natural environment, understanding its vulnerabilities while celebrating the beauty and magnificence of place. They each explore the micro and macro of Canada, one through photography, the other through textile assemblage. 
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2nd Annual Winter Festival of the Arts
January 27 – February 4, 2015 The 2nd annual Winter Festival of the Arts showcased the artwork and talent of over 70 artists from our local region. In 2015, the Art Gallery of Algoma celebrates our 40th anniversary and so inspired the theme 'Celebrate'. Lily Kangas
Fireworks, 2015 Fabric art / quilt Best of Show Winner, 2015 |
Cruzalegui (Peru), Patricia Henricy
The Colca Canyon, 2006 Oil on canvas |
Extraordinary Folk
Selections from the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Collection of International Naïve Art November 7, 2014 - January 17, 2015 Organized by the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, this exhibition features 40 paintings drawn from the impressive Tanenbaum collection of over 140 works of naïve art. The collection features paintings by artists from more than 17 countries including Brazil, Argentina, Israel, Russia, Greece, Serbia, Croatia, Spain, Peru and Hungary, among others.
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The Group of Seven
presented by Fall Festival October 2 - October 26, 2014 The Group of Seven show, by Fall Festival, featured original paintings borrowed from local collections and select art institutions.
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Aganetha Dyck
Masked Ball Series – Chess Beework & Honeycomb on Figurine, 2008 Image courtesy of the Michael Gibson Gallery |
Aganetha Dyck & Richard Dyck
Surreal Transformations June 12 - September 14, 2014 Surreal Transformations by Richard Dyck and Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts 2007 recipient, Aganetha Dyck, was a collaborative exhibition. Included were retrospective works by Aganetha Dyck and also 'Hive Scans', images of honeybees working within the darkness of their hives, by Richard Dyck.
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Tom Benner
Tecumseh, 1994-1995 copper, wood and fibreglass with watercolour and linocut prints on paper, 15 fibreglass beavers, canoe with stand, 1 hand-carved and painted wooden paddle, 4 frame watercolour and lino cuts prints, Collection of the artist. |
Tom Benner: Call of the Wild
January 23 - May 31, 2014 Artist Tom Benner’s Call of the Wild was a retrospective exhibition that includes works of Benner’s from an earlier date. These selections of works invite the viewers to explore our relationship to the natural world. Benner's employs a cross-disciplinary approach to his work makes use of drawing, painting, printmaking, installation and sculpture.
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Close to 100 artists showcased their work for this Art Festival with the theme of 'Growth'.
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1st Annual Winter Festival of the Arts
January 10 - January 18th, 2014 The Winter Festival of the Arts Juried Exhibition and Sale was a great success with close to 100 local entries. This one week show and sale attracted many visitors to the Gallery to see the artistic talent this region has to offer.
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Group of Seven Awkward Moments
(Nickel Belt Trailer Park), digital photograph, 2008 |
Diana Thorneycroft – Group of Seven Awkward Moments
September 19, 2013 - January 4, 2014 Diana Thorneycroft has cleverly created a series of photographs that deconstruct myths about the Canadian landscape as a pristine and uninhabited terrain, a view that is commonly depicted in the historical paintings of the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. Thorneycroft uses well-known paintings of Canadian artists like Franklin Carmichael, Emily Carr, A.J. Casson, Lawren S. Harris and Tom Thomson as a backdrop in her photographs that depict mischievous and at times darkly humorous scenes that are made playful by the artist’s use of small figurines, dolls and kitsch-like objects caught in strange and awkward moments.
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Odin’s Story
Brazilian Soapstone, 76.5 x 45.0 x 45.0 cm Collection of Torshan Inc. |
Abraham Anghik Ruben – Arctic Journeys, Ancient Memories
June 5th - September 15th, 2013 Arctic Journeys Ancient Memories featured some 20 masterfully carved sculptures in bone, stone, ivory and bronze from private and public collections. This exhibition offered the opportunity to view what has been one of the Smithsonian’s most successful exhibitions to-date attracting over 500,000 visitors.
Click here to read a poem by Hans Richard Devos that was inspired by this exhibition. |
Roberta Bondar, Polar Bear Spring, 20 x 20 inches
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Men and Nature
February 28th - May 26th, 2013 Men and Nature is a group exhibition that addresses changes in nature and the speed with which these changes have accelerated due to human development. The exhibition looks at two factors that have reshaped the natural environment these are natural forces, which have been shaping the environment for thousands of years, and climate change that has been expedited by human development.
Featured artists are: Dr. Roberta Bondar, Gary Blundell, Victoria Ward, Dougal Bichan, Dr. Kathy Browning and emerging talent, Jeff McKersie. |
John Laford, Life of the Sault Rapids
1980, acrylic on canvas Gift of Mrs. Elsie Jarrett Photo credit: Callie Heppner |
100 Years of Art in the Sault – Imagining Sault Ste. Marie
Curated by Michael Burtch December 6th, 2012 - February 17th, 2013 In this 2012 year of centennial celebrations in Sault Ste. Marie, the Art Gallery of Algoma (AGA) is proud to present an exhibition, 100 Years of Art in the Sault, which consists of three components: historical art, contemporary art, and a community art project as part of Celebrate 100! The AGA acknowledges assistance from the Department of Canadian Heritage, Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Legacy Fund, as well as the support from the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Sault Ste. Marie, many community partners, and the countless volunteers who worked to make this exhibition and project possible. The accompanying catalogue is available for sale in the AGA Gallery Shop.
The historical component, Imagining Sault Ste. Marie, curated by Michael Burtch, acknowledges the rich history and cultural fabric of Sault Ste. Marie and includes works from the AGA’s permanent collection as well as works on loan from other institutions, local artists and collectors. |
Robert Indiana, The Freedom Wall
1990, lithograph Gift of Mr. Aaron Milrad |
Kaleidoscope: Facets of Modernism
October 4th - November 25th, 2012 The term “Modernism” describes many artistic movements that emerged in the late 19th century and continued until the 1980s. Modernism marked a time of moving away from tradition and representation to create work focused on the art object and the media involved in its creation. The 20th century was a time of great change – world wars, economic boom and bust, an increasingly pervasive media presence, a shift towards a consumerist society, an altered political landscape, among other things – and artists drew inspiration from these factors to explore their world. Kaleidoscope: Facets of Modernism aims to investigate this fascinating period in visual culture and includes works from the Art Gallery of Algoma’s Permanent Collection as well as works on loan from private collectors. Artists featured in this exhibition include Guido Molinari, Jean McEwen, Marcel Barbeau, Paul Fournier, Jack Bush, Claes Oldenburg, Michael Snow, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselman, Sir Anthony Caro, Jacques Huet, Larry Poons, William Ronald, Harold Town and Joyce Weiland.
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Robert-Ralph Carmichael, Walking Spirits
2002, acrylic on canvas over plywood |
Robert-Ralph Carmichael – Walking Spirits
July 26th - September 23rd, 2012 The Art Gallery of Algoma was proud to host Walking Spirits, an exhibition by established Algoma artist Robert-Ralph Carmichael. Walking Spirits showcased the breadth and scope of Carmichael’s work, inviting the audience into a gallery environment full of symbolscapes and landscape paintings of the local land and beyond.
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Michael Burtch, Buddy and the Turtles
2011-12, mixed media Photo credit: Allison Huot |
Michael Burtch
A Hinterbrane Project: Transient Phases III May 3rd - July 22nd, 2012 My work revolves around the concept of the human body as an extension of consciousness as an extended, infinite field, consciousness as the generative force of all being. The implicit interweaving of mind, matter, spirit, body and consciousness informs existence and permeates our experience of being in the world. Replication, entropy, the mirror image and light as a metaphor for consciousness underscore my visual and my sonic explorations. I am fascinated by the primal aspects of physical gesture as archetypal symbol, simultaneously personal yet universal. In many ways the sculpted bodies are topographical entities, landscapes, blurring the distinction between nature and culture, male and female, self and other. – Michael Burtch
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Mary Anne Barkhouse, Christi Belcourt, Bonnie Devine and Shelley Niro – The Faraway Nearby
Curated by Rosalie Favell March 1st - April 29th, 2012 The title of this exhibition is drawn from the title of a painting by Georgia O'Keeffe. For O'Keeffe "The Faraway Nearby" expressed a deep attachment to the land of New Mexico as well as the longing and displacement she felt when she traveled away from it. In this group exhibition, four well-known and respected Aboriginal women artists - Shelley Niro, Mary Anne Barkhouse, Bonnie Devine and Christi Belcourt - each present a vision of the land from their cultural and personal perspective.
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Andrea Pinheiro & Dan Siney, Full Moon
2011, inkjet print |
Andrea Pinheiro & Dan Siney – Strange Weather
December 15th, 2011 - February 19th, 2012 In this collaborative exhibition, Pinheiro and Siney explore their shared interest in photography’s relationship to reality and the ability of the viewer to engage with the photograph as both object and image. A tension is created between the painted and photographic parts of the image, exposing an act of destruction and creation, chance and intention, irreverence and compassion. Through these imposed material interactions, the artists complicate the images in re-enactment of the multi-layered and complex nature of the experience of seeing.
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Dr. Roberta Bondar, Boreal Blueberries
1999, photograph |
The Roberta Bondar Foundation
Within the Landscape: Art Respecting Life October 12th - December 11th, 2011 Presented by the Roberta Bondar Foundation, Within the Landscape: Art Respecting Life is a traveling exhibition and learning experience on the theme of Biodiversity and Extinction. The exhibition is an opportunity for human reflection and helps people understand the diversity of species that provides ecosystem services; their importance to sustaining human lives; and the natural beauty that is present on our planet. The exhibition's theme and other activities of the Foundation help forge an emotional bond between nature and the individual.
Thank you to donors, friends and supporters including The Roberta Bondar Foundation, Essar Steel Algoma Inc., Algoma Fall Festival and Patricia Bovey Inc. |
William Kurelek, The Collector
1969, oil on board, gift of Mr. Gerard M. Jennings |
On Line
July 21st - October 2nd, 2011 Can a line be so important? - Edward J. Fraughton
Line is mathematically, technologically, philosophically, scientifically and artistically (among other things) relevant to everyday life. Transcending media and time, this selection of works from the AGA's permanent collection explores various applications of line and the appearances it makes within the visual arts. |
Nancy Price, Duplex Dresses
2003, silk organza, linen, boiled wool and silk satin |
Nancy Price – Sartorial Relations
April 2011 The AGA is please to present Sartorial Relations, an exhibition of works by Sault Ste. Marie-born artist Nancy Price. Much of Price's work addresses the notion of fitting, both literally and metaphorically, often with regards to her own fit within various situations. Price describes her position to her work in saying that all crafted objects are an extension of body, including architectural environs such as the home. It is fitting for Nancy to return home to Sault Ste. Marie to present this work. Price hold degrees from OCAD and NSCAD. The recipient of many awards and nominations for her work, she has spent time working and studying in Japan, Italy and in the Stratford Festival wardrobe department. A teacher at the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD), she now resides in Halifax.
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Clockwise from top left: Deb Barban Sparks, Nest Study 6 (detail), 2010, oil on canvas. Tim Harris, BarnLight no. 95, 2010, digital image. Terry Hill, White Pine, 2009, acrylic on canvas. Maria Parrella-Ilaria, Angel, 2010, digital image
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Cycle(s)
2010 Cycle(s) is a collection of work that speaks to the ever-morphing flux of life. Works stemming from the personal experiences of four Algoma artists (Maria Parrella-Ilaria, Tim Harris, Deb Barban Sparks and Terry Hill) confront themes including loss, movement, pattern and transition. The gallery is transformed into a space of meditation and reflection.
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