Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, on Friday (March 15) the Art Gallery of Peterborough announced a lineup of events to be held throughout the year to celebrate the gallery’s founding in 1974.
Those events include a fundraising art sale in April and a 50th anniversary celebration in August, in addition to current and upcoming exhibitions and annual events including the 40th anniversary of the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour in September and the It’s All About ART fundraising auction in October, which will feature a 1970s theme.
“This is a chance for us to recognize and thank our community, our artists, our volunteers, our talented staff and our partners at the City of Peterborough who have been supporting the Art Gallery of Peterborough for 50 years,” said Debby Keating, president of the gallery’s board of directors, in a media release. “The Art Gallery of Peterborough board sees this year as an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the future of the gallery.”
While the Art Gallery of Peterborough was incorporated in 1974, its origins began a year earlier, when representatives from the University Women’s Club of Peterborough and the Women’s Art Association of Peterborough made a presentation to Peterborough city council requesting space in the city be designated for an art gallery. The Committee for an Art Gallery in Peterborough was then formed from members from these organizations as well as others from the community.
Later in 1973, the Peterborough Teachers’ College donated 17 historical European and Canadian paintings to the committee, which would form the beginnings of what would become the gallery’s permanent collection. The college, which was established in 1908 as one of three schools in Ootario for the training of elementary school teachers, closed its doors in 1973.
The donated paintings, which were originally part of a collection established for the Toronto Normal School by Egerton Ryerson in the 1850s, were housed at the Peterborough Centennial Museum & Archives, with exhibitions presented at the Peterborough Public Library.
Still without a permanent building, the Art Gallery of Peterborough was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 1974, with an elected board of directors and a professional director and staff.
In 1977, the gallery established a building committee to study possible sites for a permanent building and recommended the city-owned Foster House property, a historic Georgian residence set in parkland beside Little Lake. After a presentation to city council and further negotiations, the city agreed to donate to the property to the gallery, which renovated the house and opened it to the public in early 1978.
Also in 1977, a volunteer committee of the gallery initiated its first purchase, a painting called “Mountain Summer No. 8” by Vancouver artist Jack Shadbolt, through a fundraiser where they “sold” one square inch of the painting at a time. The funds raised were matched by the Province of Ontario, allowing the gallery to purchase the $6,000 painting.
Immediately after Foster House opened as the new Art Gallery of Peterborough in January 1978, work began to construct a new modern wing for the gallery.
Toronto-based architectural firm Crang & Boake, which had an office in Peterborough, was selected to design the new building. With funds raised by the gallery’s board and volunteers, the new gallery space opened on June 19, 1979.
In 2000, after negotiations between the gallery’s board and the City of Peterborough, city council invited the gallery to become part of the city’s arts, culture, and heritage division, although the board of directors remains the gallery’s elected governing authority.
Today, the Art Gallery of Peterborough’s permanent collection numbers over 1,800 Canadian and international works, including contemporary and historical paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, photographs, and mixed media works.
Artists featured in the permanent collection include Peterborough artist David Bierk, Ronald Bloore, William Brymner, Horatio Walker, A.J. Casson, Arthur Lismer, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Ivan Eyre, Bill Vazan, Paterson Ewen, Allan Mackay, Vickey Marshall, Jim Reid, Daphne Odjig, Carl Beam, Jane Ash Poitras, Michael Robinson, Rebecca Belmore, Kristi Malakoff, Sheila Butler, Nobuo Kubota, Peer Christensen, Gordon Raynor, and more.
“Peterborough is a regional hub for the arts, with the Art Gallery of Peterborough at its foundation,” said Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal at the March 15th event, congratulating all the gallery staff, volunteers, and board members who have contributed to the gallery’s success.
“There are countless artists and arts organizations that have benefited from the work and the presence of the Art Gallery of Peterborough, and our city benefits from the cultural impact that ripples through our community,” Mayor Leal added. “Thank you to the Art Gallery of Peterborough and I look forward to joining you as we mark the gallery’s 50th anniversary this year.”
As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, the gallery is resurrecting its original “retro” logo which will be used for stickers, temporary tattoos, and more.
Below is a list of planned events that will help celebrate the Art Gallery of Peterborough’s 50th anniversary year.
Current exhibition: “seams and strata”
On display until Sunday, March 17th, this juried exhibition for the gallery’s 50th anniversary year invited artists to submit original works of art that resonate with themes of legacy, archives, nostalgia, ghosts, memory, survival, and growth.
“For Posterity” – Works from the Permanent Collection
On display until Sunday, March 24th, this exhibition features works from the gallery’s early acquisitions, reflecting important gifts from key supporters and past exhibitions of the gallery. The works from these early acquisitions chart the path of a nascent and savvy institution, driven primarily by women, dedicated to the creation of something strong and stable that would be a gift to future generations.
Galleria Extravaganza: The Best Sale of the Last (Half) Century
Taking place from April 5 to 7, this weekend event is inspired by a fundraising sale that was hosted annually by the dedicated group of volunteers who supported the Art Gallery of Peterborough through its first decades.
In celebration of the gallery’s 50th anniversary, this sale will offer a collection of artful items donated by members and volunteers. The sale opens from 7 to 9:30 p.m. during the First Friday Peterborough art crawl on April 5, and continues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Prior to the sale, a selection of special items will be available through an online auction beginning on Friday, March 22nd with bidding closing at 9 p.m. on April 5.
Proceeds from the sale will go to the gallery’s acquisition fund from which artwork is purchased for the permanent collection.
Upcoming spring exhibitions by Antoine Mountain and Stan Olthius
This spring, the gallery will present exhibitions by two Peterborough-based artists. “Ets’ehchi’I: Traditional Dene Burial Practices” by Antoine Mountain features 21 paintings that share depictions taken from stories, beliefs, and traditions as an epistemological tool of Dene resurgence. The exhibit opens with a special event from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 23rd and runs from March 30 to June 30.
“Interconnected” by Stan Olthius features large-scale kinetic sculpture with dance performance and sound to explore relationality, duality, and exchange. More details about the exhibition will be announced.
50th Anniversary Celebration
The gallery will host a 50th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, August 20th at the McDonnel Street Community Centre. More details will be announced, but the celebration will include founders and key members of the community who have made significant contributions the gallery and its ongoing successes and, of course, cake.
40th Anniversary Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour
Returning on September 28 and 29, the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour is a two-day event that offers the public a unique opportunity to connect with local artists and makers from Peterborough and the Kawarthas, and to learn about their artistic practice with a behind-the-scenes look into the artist’s studio. The studio tour also includes a preview exhibition at the gallery.
According to gallery director Celeste Scopelites, the 40th anniversary event will include even more opportunities to support emerging artists, improve tour signage, and expand promotion.
It’s All About ART Fundraising Auction
The gallery’s annual fundraising auction will return at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 26th at The Venue in downtown Peterborough. Each year, the event raises funds in support of the gallery’s exhibitions and education programs.
In honour of the gallery’s 50th anniversary, the fundraiser will have a 1970s theme.
“Get ready for bell bottoms, disco music, and some of the best art on offer all year,” says Scopelites.
For more information about the Art Gallery of Peterborough, visit agp.on.ca.
