Here’s an A-to-T listing of all the ongoing and upcoming visual art shows in the region this month, from Cobourg to Peterborough to Lindsay to Warkworth.
Art Gallery of Northumberland – Mike Smalley
The Art Gallery of Northumberland (AGN) presents “Going Solo” by Mike Smalley, opening Thursday, May 5th from 6 to 9 p.m. in Cobourg.
The exhibition contains Smalley’s newest paintings and works on paper from private collections, curated by Shelagh Stewart (Professor Emeritus, Ryerson University).
Smalley spent 40 years in the advertising industry before taking a fine arts degree at York University in 2003. Since then, he has immersed himself in abstraction and the results have received critical acclaim.
There’ll be an artist talk on Friday, May 6th from 10 to 11 a.m., and the exhibition continues until Sunday, July 10th.
The AGN has two locations. The Cobourg location (55 King St. W.) is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Port Hope location (8 Queen St.) is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit www.artgalleryofnorthumberland.com.
Art Gallery of Peterborough – Arthur Shilling, Rebecca Padgett, Wayne Eardley
The Art Gallery of Peterborough offers free admission, barrier-free access and a Gallery Shop at 250 Crescent Street in downtown Peterborough. Parking is available in the Del Crary lot. For more information, call 705-743-9179 or visit agp.on.ca.
Artspace – 50/50
50/50, Artspace’s annual fundraising event, is happening on Friday, May 6th at 8 p.m. featuring live entertainment by Chester Babcock and DJ Billy the K.
The artwork is up now and on display until the event, when ticket holders will walk away with something from the walls — in the random order in which their tickets are drawn. Always an exciting event, the 50/50 has been running almost since Artspace began, and it splits proceeds between the centre and the artists donating their work.
This year’s 50/50 show features work from 36 different artists: Anne Cavanagh, Carolyn Code, Brad Copping, Philip Croteau, Rachel Crummey, Peer Christensen, Joel Davenport, Laura Findlay, Gwyneth Fischer, Corin Ford Forrester, Brett Gabel, Sarah Gibeault, Christy Haldane, Margaret Hamilton, George John Horton, Angela Hennessey, Julia Huynh, Andrew Ihamaki, John Marris, Eduardo Mateo-Carrasco, Holly McClellan, Victoria Mohr-Blakeney, Brian Nichols, Rob Niezen, Cathy Ogrondnik, Rebecca Padgett, Brian Rideout, Laura Simon, Pete Smith, Amber Helene Müller St. Thomas, Shannon Taylor, Josie Van Ryan, Davey Warren, Nancy Westaway, Danny Woodrow, and Holly Young.
Artspace is located at 378 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough and offers barrier-free access (to all but Gallery 2, formerly known as the Mudroom) and free admission during regular open hours: Tuesday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the municipal lot on Hunter Street between Aylmer and George. For more information, call 705-748-3883 or visit artspace-arc.org.
Art School of Peterborough and LAUNCH Gallery
The Art School of Peterborough’s Spring Term starts this month, but it’s not too late to join in on classes on painting, drawing, pottery jewellery, mixed media, manga, photography, printmaking, fused glass, stop motion animation, and more!
You can also check out work by various local artists currerntly on display at the LAUNCH gallery at the school: Anne Cavanagh, Brianna Gosselin, David Baker, Don Rankin, Elizabeth Dell, Gail West, Karen Hjort-Jensen, Lisa Martini-Dunk, Lucya Almeida, Maia Heissler, Pam Buckler, Rob Niezen, Sandy MacFarlane, Stephen Snider, and Jenni Johnston.
The Art School of Peterborough and Launch Gallery is located at 174A Charlotte Street, a half block west of the intersection of George and Charlotte Streets. The Tunnel Arcade can also be accessed from the Simcoe street entrance to the Charlotte Mews. Metered parking is available on Charlotte Street, and in the Pay-As-You-Go lot off Simcoe Street. The school is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday. Visit www.artschoolptbo.org for more information.
Christensen Fine Art – Ann Renouf
Christensen Fine Art presents “Trinity Lake,” a solo exhibition of recent works by Anne Renouf. Just in time for the summer season, the work explores the familiar canoe routes of the artist’s journeys on Trinity Lake through mixed-media on wood and canvas.
Renouf has been an active member of the Peterborough arts community since the 1970s. In addition to her prolific painting schedule, she’s also an inspiring teacher, both at the Art Gallery of Peterborough and at her Indian River studio.
“Trinity Lake” opens with an artist’s reception on Thursday May 5th, from 6 to 9 p.m. and continues until Saturday, June 4th.
As well as free admission to their fine art showroom, Christensen Fine Art offers professional art services including framing, restoration, art photography and documentation. Located at 432 George Street in downtown Peterborough, the gallery at Christensen Fine Art is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pay parking is available along George Street. For more information, visit www.christensenfineart.com.
Evans Contemporary – Mackenzie Kelly-Frère
“INTERVAL/DURATION”, the installation of recent weavings by Calgary-based artist and academic Mackenzie Kelly-Frère, continues at Evans Contemporary until Saturday, May 14th.
Evans Contemporary is located on the 3rd floor at 129-1/2 Hunter Street West in Peterborough. Open to the public on Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m., viewings can also be made by appointment by contacting the gallery at evanscontemporary@gmail.com.
Gallery in the Attic and The Peterborough Darkroom Project
The photography show has been held over for May, and the next darkroom “Newbie Night” is scheduled for Thursday, May 12th from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. If you’re interested in learning traditional film-based darkroom photography, contact galleryintheattic@gmail.com to register for the monthly introductory class.
GITA offers free admission, and is located up two flights of stairs on the third floor at 140-1/2 Hunter St. W. in Peterborough. Parking is available on either Water or George Street. Open hours are Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.galleryintheattic.com.
Kawartha Artists’ Gallery & Studio – Best of High School Art Show
There’s an opening reception on Sunday, May 8th from 1 to 4 p.m., and an awards ceremony for the presented works on Thursday, May 26th at 6:30 p.m.
Kawartha Artists’ Gallery & Studio is located at 420 O’Connell Rd. in Peterborough and is open Wednesday to Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. and Thursdays from 1 to 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.kawarthaartists.org.
Kawartha Arts Network – PETALS, Painting with Pixels, Losing the Horizon
“PETALS”, a floral-themed show by members of the Kawartha Arts Network, continues until Saturday, May 7th at Art on Kent in Lindsay.
Following PETALs, there will be two exhibitions opening on Thursday, May 12th: “Painting with Pixels”, an exploration of photo-based techniques by Dave Ford and Anders Widjedal in the main gallery, and “Losing the Horizon”, a presentation of recent work by Aplsey artist Molly Moldovan in the members’ room.
For both shows, which continue until Saturday, June 4th, there’ll be an opening reception on Saturday, May 14th from 1 to 3 p.m
Art on Kent is located at 41 Kent St. W. in downtown Lindsay (on the second floor above A Buy and Sell Shop). The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, or by appointment. For more information, visit www.kawarthaarts.ca
NuWork Gallery – Leitmotif: Inaugural Exhibition
It’s worth the drive to the village of Warkworth to see what Peterborough artists Roz Hermant, Lisa Martini-Dunk, Rob Niezen, Victoria Wallace, and Meg Ward have been up to lately. They’ve formed a group called “Leitmotif:” and they’re on the move, currently exhibiting at Gary Mulcahey’s NuWork Gallery in Northumberland County.
Leitmotif:’s current show “Scape” will runs from Tuesday, May 10th to run Tuesday, May 31st, with an opening reception from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, May 13th.
The titular ‘scapes are the subjective realities of the artists, as expressed through various media, reflection observations of the surrounding world, and their inner selves. Sure to be moody and varied and technically accomplished, the work of the Leitmotif: artists are of consistently high quality — and the weather is perfect for a little art-related road tripping.
The Leitmotif: artists are: photographer and mixed-media artist Roz Hermant; painter, printmaker, scratchboard artist and illustrator Lisa Martini-Dunk; painter and printmaker Rob Niezen; multi-media artist Victoria Wallace; and painter and mixed-media artist Meg Ward. For more information on the collective, visit www.leitmotif-art.com.
NuWork Gallery, located at 28 Main St. in Warkworth, showcases contemporary work by accomplished professional artists. For more information, contact Gary Mulcahey at gmulcahey@gmail.com or 905-373-8705.
The Theatre on King – Drool
Making a special appearance this month in Art on the Street is The Theatre on King (TTOK).
Normally a prolific performance venue, it will soon be transformed a temporary visual art venue for “Drool”, an art show featuring work by emerging young local talents Sebastian Urquhart-Beligan, Ruba Osman, Avery Morris, Jemma Woolidge, Emily Duffey, Anwyn Climenhage, Alana Batten, and Skylar Ough.
An opening reception will be held on Thursday, May 5th at 7 p.m., and the show will be available for public viewing from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 6th and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 7th. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged and some of the work will be for sale.
TTOK is located in Suite 120 at 159 King St. in downtown Peterborough (in the parking lot behind the radio station at George and King).
