Robert McLaughlin Gallery facts for kids
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| Established | 1967 |
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| Location | Oshawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Type | Art museum |
| Nearest parking | on site; free after 6 PM |
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is a public art gallery located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. It is the biggest public art gallery in the Regional Municipality of Durham, where Oshawa is located. The gallery holds a large collection of Canadian contemporary and modern artworks.
The building was designed by the famous Canadian architect Arthur Erickson. The gallery's collection mostly focuses on art by a group called Painters Eleven. This group was started in Oshawa, in the studio of one of its members, Alexandra Luke.
How the Gallery Started
In Oshawa, a designer named William Caldwell brought together a group of artists. Their goal was to open a commercial art space on Simcoe Street North. Soon after, Ewart McLaughlin and his wife, Alexandra Luke, offered their help. Alexandra Luke was a member of the Painters Eleven group.
They gave money and a large collection of artworks. This support helped to create a public art gallery for the city. The gallery was named after Ewart's grandfather, Robert McLaughlin. He was the founder of the McLaughlin Carriage Company.
What Art is in the Collection?
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery has a Permanent Collection of over 4,500 artworks. The gallery works to collect, protect, and show the best of Canada's art history. It has many Canadian paintings, sculptures, and prints.
The gallery also keeps important records about Painters Eleven. It has the largest collection of artworks by Painters Eleven in Canada.
Focus on Abstract Art
The gallery's interest in abstract art is linked to Alexandra Luke from Oshawa. She was an artist who studied with Hans Hofmann in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Alexandra Luke strongly supported abstract art.
She organized an art show in Ontario that featured only abstract Canadian art. This show opened in Oshawa at Adelaide House in October 1952. It was special because it was the first time a Canadian exhibition of abstract painting was put together on a national scale and focused only on this type of art.
