Tom Thomson Art Gallery Re-Opens April 5 with Three New Exhibitions

Following significant building renovations, the Tom Thomson Art Gallery exhibition spaces will be re-opening to the public on Saturday, April 5.  An Opening Reception will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is free for all to attend.  The reception will unveil three new exhibitions in the TOM, all of which are connected by the theme of context and environments that shape experiences:

Safekeeping
Safekeeping is a community-centered exhibition that highlights the essential roles of stewardship and conservation in both art collection practices and environmental protection. The exhibition, which includes work by Sara Angelucci, Kenojuak Ashevak, Edward Burtynsky, and Tom Thomson, amplifies the voices of children and youth on pressing environmental issues, highlighting the collective responsibility we share in safeguarding the planet for future generations.

Soft Futures
Soft Futures features artists Rihab Essayh (Montreal, QC), Winnie Truong (Toronto, ON), and Ashley Beerdat (Brampton, ON). The exhibition explores mounting anxieties related to climate change, social crises, and disconnection in the digital age, as well as contemplating hopeful new spaces for moving forward, promoting slowing down, softening, and collective healing.

There will be a Panel Discussion with the artists on Saturday, April 5, prior to the Opening Reception at 1 p.m., which is also free to attend.

Nicholas Hornyansky: An Everyday Utility
Hungarian-born artist Nicholas Hornyansky (1896 – 1965) moved to Canada in 1929, where he achieved success by travelling across the country, creating detailed etchings, aquatints, and paintings that offered a poetic impression of Canada through its landscapes, architectural landmarks, and people. This exhibition presents a fresh exploration of his nationalist vision at a time when conversations about Canadian identity are at the forefront.

The TOM facility recently underwent significant building renovations and improvements to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The impact of this project is substantial - ensuring that the TOM’s valuable collection is protected from harmful fluctuations in air temperature and humidity levels and allowing the TOM to continue to borrow significant artworks from other major institutions which require environmental stability reports to loan works out. In preparation for this work, Gallery staff completed a relocation of most of the art collection to temporary storage with the support of a team of volunteers in November and are now currently moving the artworks back into the vault.

Aidan Ware, Director and Chief Curator at the TOM explains, “environment is the space around each one of us, and it’s both immediate and vast, influential and influenced. At its heart, the replacement of our HVAC units was about the environment - creating the conditions that support conservation so that future generations will continue to know and enjoy Tom Thomson and the many other artists’ works that the TOM holds in public trust. It feels like a metaphor for how we might exert a caring influence over other environments for their betterment, whether that’s climate, digital media, or our community and country. All three exhibitions are intertwined with notions of what our context is; the environments that are the spaces between us and the spaces that hold us - physical, social, spiritual, and political - reminding us to look at challenges together and with hope.”

For more information, please contact Aidan Ware, Director and Chief Curator, at 519-376-1932 ext. 5001 or email to aware@tomthomson.org

Quick Facts:

• The TOM will be re-opening with 3 new exhibitions on Saturday, April 5, with a free Opening Reception from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

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