Winter 2023 Exhibitions at the Orillia Museum of Art & History

Reception: Saturday, February 4, 1-3 p.m.

Amanta Scott, Medusa’s Rage — Impressions of Autumn Peltier. Encaustic on canvas on birch panel, 36″x36″, 2019-2021.

Amanta Scott
Eyeing Medusa

January 21 – April 15, 2023
The Mulcahy Family Gallery
Workshop: Saturday April 1, Mixed Media Portraits with Amanta Scott

Eyeing Medusa celebrates visionary women of all ages, orientations, cultures and walks of life making a difference in our world today. Each painting’s title and story parallels a legendary heroine with a contemporary woman. By fusing the past with the present, I invite viewers to look at women in a new light and consider these artworks as a means to illuminate and address urgent social issues such the global increase in racist and sexual assaults on women; LGBTQ2S+ and people of colour; the undermining of women’s rights; and our looming environmental crisis. – Amanta Scott

About the Artist

Through encaustic paintings, interactive sculptures, audio/video installations and workshops, Amanta Scott addresses urgent contemporary social issues. Core to her practice is connecting with art and communities, inspiring people of diverse cultures and ages to engage with art, share stories, and consider how art relates to their lives.

Amanta Scott has exhibited and performed in art galleries, museums, concert venues and festivals throughout Asia, North America and Europe including: National Gallery of Canada; Yilan Performing Arts Center, Taiwan; Singapore International Arts Festival; Canadian Embassy in Tokyo; Edmonton Art Gallery; Royal Ontario Museum; Art Gallery of Ontario; Art Gallery of Algoma; Thunder Bay Art Gallery; Art Gallery of Peterborough; MacLaren Art Centre; The Robert McLaughlin Gallery; Justina M. Barnicke Gallery; Miles Nadal Gallery; and Nuit Blanche Toronto.

Eyeing OMAH’s Collection

January 21 – April 15, 2023
The Mariposa Gallery

In response to Eyeing Medusa, Eyeing OMAH’s Collection features portraits of women from OMAH’s permanent collection curated by Tanya Cunnington.

Victoria Ward, The burner. Acrylic on wood, 15.5″x16″, 2020.

Gary Blundell and Victoria Ward
Burner Herzog

January 28 – April 15, 2023
Upper Level Gallery
Workshop: Saturday March 25, Gouache Landscapes with Gary Blundell

Burner Herzog is part of an ongoing body of work in which we hope to innovate the landscape genre and push our idea that wilderness as a thing of the mind; that our relationship to the landscape is as much myth as it is temporal. This is in contrast to the widely held belief that wilderness is a place to visit that casts a spell on us and takes us away from our daily life. The title of our show is an homage to the filmmaker Werner Herzog who has inspired us over the years to make work about our beautiful, complex planet and our place on it. – Gary and Victoria

About the Artists

Gary Blundell was born in London, England and immigrated to Canada in 1962. He is a geologist with a science degree from the University of Waterloo. Gary is a recipient of many grants including the Chalmers Fellowship Arts award from the Ontario Arts Council. He has exhibited across Canada and England. He was recently artist-in-residence with Parks Canada on the east coast, and has also been artist-in-residence at the Art House in Yorkshire England, the Straumur Arts Commune in Iceland and the Norfolk Arts Centre in Simcoe Ontario.

Victoria Ward is a rural Ontario based writer and painter. She was a playwright in the 1990s in Toronto and worked with many major theatre companies. She has had over forty exhibitions throughout Canada and in the UK since 2000 when she decided to become a visual artist. Victoria also writes including essays for catalogues, reviews, and content for cultural websites.

Christine Mack, Hypnotique. Archival Pigment Print, 24″x30″, 2019.

Christine Mack and David Hill
Beyond the Fence

February 4 – June 3, 2023
Lounge Gallery

Beyond the Fence acknowledges change from one state to another within our gardens.

Christine Mack revels in the colour and life found in gardens as they grow and change through the seasons. Her images allude to the marvel of how gardens change over time. Christine enjoys alternative photo-based processes that blur the distinction between photography and painting.

David Hill focuses on decay. His assemblages are constructed with found or forgotten objects, each with their own attached memory for the artist. He hopes that within their new arrangement these artworks will challenge the viewer to create their own stories.

About the Artists

Christine Mack studied photography at York University and Humber College while also studying drawing and painting at the Ontario College of Art. She has exhibited her photography in a number of galleries throughout Toronto and Ontario, and is also an educator, teaching photography classes and workshops.

David Hill’s photo career has taken him on an interesting meander through the world of portraits, products, places and ultimately personal artwork. Led strongly by a desire to be creative and original, his artistic practice has expanded in recent times to include assemblage.

They have been exhibiting together since the mid 1980’s.

For information/Media Contact: Tanya Cunnington, Arts Programming Coordinator
705 326–2159 x109 | artscoordinator@orilliamuseum.org

Orillia Museum of Art & History
30 Peter St. S.
Orillia, ON L3V 5A9
orilliamuseum.org
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The Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH) is a hub of culture and heritage located in the heart of Orillia’s Arts District. OMAH offers a range of research possibilities and interpretive programs complemented by a body of rich and engaging exhibitions. The historical clock tower of the Sir Samuel Steele Memorial Building is a beacon for our location.

The Orillia Museum of Art & History respectfully acknowledges our presence on the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg which includes the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Pottawatomi nations, collectively known as the Three Fires Confederacy. We respect and observe the long and enduring presence of Indigenous Peoples – First Nations, Metis and Inuit – on this land. Their teachings and stewardship, culture and way of life have shaped our City’s unique identity.

Museum hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm and Thursdays until 7 pm | Suggested Admission is $5

The museum is fully accessible.

Acknowledgements

The Orillia Museum of Art & History gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of its members, donors, sponsors, partners, the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Orillia.