Winter 2025 Exhibitions at the MacLaren Art Centre

On Friday, February 7, 6:30 – 9:00 pm, the MacLaren Art Centre unveils its Winter Season of exhibitions. All are welcome to attend. Remarks begin at 7:00 pm. Admission is free, registration encouraged.

Images (left to right): Harold Klunder, Lethbridge #36, watercolour on paper, 41 x 61 cm. Collection of the MacLaren Art Centre. Gift of John F. (Jack) Petch, 2003; Will Gorlitz, Water Won’t Think, 1986, oil on canvas, 152.4 x 114.3 cm. Collection of the MacLaren Art Centre. Gift of Ms. Barbara Stringer, 1998; Ashante Blackwood, Rejuvenation, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 20″ x 23″. Artwork courtesy of the artist; Photo of Lyn Carter and Carl Taçon assembling Grace Note. Photo: Rikki Lovejoy.

Will Gorlitz: No Easy Distances

January 17 – March 16, 2025
Gallery 3
Artist Talk: Wednesday, March 5, 12:00 – 1:00 pm. Free, registration encouraged

No Easy Distances features paintings from the MacLaren’s Permanent Collection, made by senior Canadian artist Will Gorlitz between 1984 and 1987. Addressing environmental conversations that started decades ago, these works remain strikingly relevant today. Through poignant imagery—like uprooted trees, fragmented skies, and uncanny landscapes—Gorlitz explores humanity’s complex relationship with nature.

Harold Klunder: In Fluid Motion

February 7 – March 16, 2025
Janice Laking Gallery

In Fluid Motion celebrates Harold Klunder’s unique fluency with watercolour, featuring twenty-five works from the MacLaren Art Centre’s Permanent Collection that weave fluid gestures and vibrant hues into shifting symbols and hidden forms. Each composition pulses with a sense of exploration, where washes and staccato marks conjure shifting symbols and narratives.

Canvas for Change: Black Youth Art Celebration

January 20 – February 23, 2025
The Carnegie Room
Organized by Making Change in partnership with the MacLaren Art Centre

Canvas for Change: Black Youth Art Celebration showcases artwork created through the Canvas for Change program, which engaged Simcoe County high school students who identify as Black, Caribbean, African, Black Canadian, African American, or of mixed-race descent. In a series of workshops guided by Toronto-based artist mentor Ashante Blackwood, participants explored methods of conceptualization and storytelling to share their unique perspectives and narratives through visual art. The exhibition highlights the accomplishments of these aspiring young artists, fostering dialogue and drawing attention to the vibrant culture and artistic talents of Simcoe County’s youth.

Participating youth artists include: Nmesoma Ajulu, Riley Alliman, Janiyah Owusu-Ansah, Alayna Ffrench, Ariela Gordon-John, Yazmine Kamara, David Moseri, Willow Peart, Favour Quezada, Gracie Senkoro, and Jay Thomas.

Grateful thanks to Ashante Blackwood, the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic School Board, and the Simcoe County District School Board. Much appreciation is also extended to Alectra Utilities for making this program possible, in acknowledgement of Black History Month.

Grace Note: a work in progress
Lyn Carter & Carl Taçon

November 20, 2024 – March 2, 2025
Molson Gallery

This exhibition offers an intimate view of the years-long creative and technical processes taken on by Lyn Carter & Carl Taçon to create Grace Note, the MacLaren Art Centre’s newest permanent sculpture on view in the main lobby. Included in the show are to-scale maquettes of the MacLaren’s clerestory and loading dock, a replica scaffolding structure, engineering schematics, and material samples that show the qualities of the finished artwork. Photographs taken of the artists’ shared studio capture the labour-intensive fabrication process, revealing the experimentation and problem-solving integral to realizing the sculpture. Grace Note: a work in progress helps us trace the journey of the monumental artwork, and invites us to consider the often hidden labour and ingenuity that underpin works of public art.

About the MacLaren Art Centre:

The MacLaren Art Centre is the major public art gallery in Central Ontario serving the residents of Barrie, the County of Simcoe, and the surrounding area. The Gallery has a significant permanent collection of contemporary Canadian art and presents a year-round programme of exhibitions, education activities, and special events.

The MacLaren is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabek, which include the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Pottawatomi Nations, collectively known as the Three Fires Confederacy. The local bands consist of the Chippewa Tri-Council, who are made up of Beausoleil First Nation, Georgina Island First Nation, and Rama First Nation. We would also like to acknowledge the Wendat Nation (Huron) who occupied these lands prior to the middle of the 17th century.

As a registered charity, the MacLaren relies on public and private support for its operations and programs. The MacLaren gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of its Members, Patrons, Donors, Sponsors, Partners, the City of Barrie, the Ontario Arts Council, the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Canada Council for the Arts, and Canadian Heritage.

MacLaren Art Centre
37 Mulcaster Street
Barrie, ON, L4M 3M2
T: 705-721-9696
www.maclarenart.com

Gallery Hours
Mondays: Closed
Tuesday to Sunday: 10 am – 4 pm
Wheelchair accessible