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| West wall with Reinhard Reitzenstein, River/Tree Bench, 2002 |
Information
About Us
Mission, Origins and Structure of
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
When The Robert McLaughlin Gallery was founded in 1967 the mandate stressed collection, preservation, and conservation of fine art, particularly Canadian, as well as exhibition of collection and interpretation through educational programming. The Gallery’s founders ensured that The Gallery’s resources be available for research, and that the Gallery’s mission serve the educational, intellectual, and aesthetic needs of the community both locally and nationally. In the early years the mandate was strengthened by focusing on contemporary visual art within the context of Canadian modern art, especially Painters Eleven.
The Gallery accomplishes its mission through exhibitions, educational outreach, and community programming. We tell the continuing story of Canadian art and provide challenging art experiences, formal and informal, through exhibitions and education for all ages. We strive to actively engage the community in the wider possibilities of meaning and enjoyment in art.
The Gallery grew from the inspired response of Oshawa designer William Caldwell to an exhibition of work by local artists. He organized the artists to establish a gallery in a commercial space on Simcoe Street North. Shortly thereafter Ewart McLaughlin and his wife Margaret (painter Alexandra Luke) offered major financial support and works from her collection toward the establishment of an expanded public art gallery for the City. Luke was an important artist linked to the beginnings of abstract painting in Canada and a founding member of Painters Eleven. The Gallery was incorporated with the name of Robert, founder of the McLaughlin Carriage Company, grandfather of Ewart, and father of Col. R. S. (Sam) McLaughlin (General Motors of Canada). Although a very successful businessman, Robert had a lifelong enthusiasm for art and was a devoted amateur painter. His granddaughter Isabel was a significant Canadian artist and a great friend of the Gallery. She was a founding member of the Canadian Group of Painters and an inspiration to many other artists. Although The Gallery has national and provincial reach in its collection and programming, its beginnings are rooted in the aspirations of local artists and it has maintained a commitment to the regional artistic community.
The Gallery is independently incorporated, governed by an elected Board of Trustees, operating with professional staff and volunteers in a City-owned facility designed by Canadian architect Arthur Erickson. Support is provided by a mixture of sources including the City of Oshawa, the Ontario Arts Council, The Canada Council for the Arts, Department of Canadian Heritage-Museum Assistance Program, and the RMG Volunteer Committee.