Do You Love Me? Curated by Kim Fullerton.
Do You Love Me? explores the human-animal relationship in contemporary art with a focus on companion animals, otherwise known as pets. The relationships humans have with pets serve complex private and social functions in our culture. The artworks look at pets as status symbols, as symbols of our alienation from nature, and as human surrogates, soulmates who help to dispel loneliness and are beneficial to our health. We believe our pets love us unconditionally while providing us with an object upon which to lavish our love.

Hello My Name is Tom. Curated by Michelle Le Chien.
Tom Thomson's captivating images have inspired many artists in Canada and around the world. In this exhibition we delve into the influence of the artist and his works still felt today. Surrounded by the fascinating work of TOM and his contemporaries, visitors can listen to podcasts comprised of interviews with curators, artists and patrons alike, explaining why they are still inspired by TOM and how they were first introduced to Tom Thomson. Accompanied by a multi-media feature on our Facebook fan page and on Twitter, visitors will be encouraged to share stories and showcase their works all inspired by TOM.

George McLean: The Living Landscape.
Presenting Sponsor: TD.
Curated by Virginia Eichhorn, Tom Thomson Art Gallery, and Dr. Adam Harris, National Museum of Wildlife Art (Wyoming).
George McLean has painted the landscape and animals around his home in Grey County for over 30 years. This exhibition surveys the artist's painting career, drawing in major works from private and public collections across Canada and the United States. The artist has documented many of the natural denizens of the boreal forest, both mammals and birds. Paintings are in a range of sizes, but many depict the animal as life-size – some preparatory works and drawings will also be included to give audiences a sense of the artist's process.
In its analysis of McLean's practice, this exhibition focuses on McLean's prowess as an accomplished draughtsman and painter of the landscape. Although all of his paintings include an animal or bird, the artist takes great care to faithfully depict the dramatic light, colour and atmosphere of these wooded escarpment sites, not far from the shores of Georgian Bay. Working in an opaque casein, akin to gouache, on prepped masonite boards, the artist builds painted surfaces that are both complex and evocative in their treatment. Often depictions of flora and fauna are so finely worked it is difficult to see the evidence of the artist's hand in the application. Through his careful study, the artist is able to capture the atmospheric beauty of all the seasons in Grey County, from the misty early spring snows to the clarity of the dense early spring woods to the golden heat of high summer meadows.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a major publication consisting of almost 100 colour reproductions and essays by Eichhorn, Harris, Tom Smart from the McMichael Collection of Canadian Art, and by the artist, George McLean. The curatorial texts included in the accompanying publication give McLean's work its due attention and context in terms of contemporary Canadian painting. The book deepens the discourse around McLean's practice, setting him apart from his wildlife art contemporaries as a painter of note.
In this time of heightened concern about the natural world threatened by pollution and climate change, McLean's work conveys a subtle advocacy for people to reconsider how their activities impact on other creatures that share the landscape. McLean paints the animals and birds in their natural habitats, in scenes of action and drama that are a far cry from the “still life” type of painting one expects from his colleagues.
George McLean: The Living Landcape has been organized and circulated by the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound and will tour Canada and the USA through 2012.

Craft Practical Symposium. Presented by the Ontario Crafts Council and the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Craft Practical is a one-day workshop series offering artists and craftspeople the opportunity to explore, interact, inform and be informed in regards to the contemporary craft world.

Community Curators Select. Deadline for pariticaption: Fri 10 Sep 2010.
Have you ever wondered what it is like to wear the white gloves, examine or handle artworks from a collection of over 2000 pieces, select work to be part of an exhibition for a public audience? Does the idea of being a curator appeal to you, even if it is only one time? Community Curators Select is a unique opportunity to become part of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery's curatorial team and help choose works from the Permanent Collection to be exhibited in the Thomson Room, Oct 15, 2010 - Jan 9, 2011. For $100, you can participate in the special selection session on Sept 30th and make your personal choice of a work from the collection. At the exclusive exhibition preview on Oct 15th, you have the chance to converse with other participating curators over refreshments about your interest in art. All funds raised through Community Curators Select will be directed to our Collections Management Fund, which allows for the conservation, restoration and preservation of works in the collection. A tax receipt for the donation portion of the $100 fee will be issued. To become a participant in the Community Curators Select, contact the Gallery at 519 376 1932 before Fri 10 Sep 2010.
The Tom Thomson Art Gallery gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Don Johnston, North Point Investment Solutions, Inc. for helping to make this event possible.

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