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, often called the RMG, is a public art gallery located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. It's the biggest public art gallery in the Regional Municipality of Durham. The gallery has a large collection of Canadian modern and contemporary artwork.
The building was designed by a famous Canadian architect named Arthur Erickson. A special part of the gallery's collection focuses on art by a group called Painters Eleven. This group started in Oshawa, in the studio of one of its members, Alexandra Luke.
Contents
Discovering the Gallery's History
How the Gallery Started
The idea for the gallery began with William Caldwell, an Oshawa designer. He brought together a group of artists to open a commercial art space. Soon after, Ewart McLaughlin and his wife, Alexandra Luke, offered to help. Alexandra Luke was a well-known artist and a member of the Painters Eleven group.
They gave money and many artworks to help create a public gallery for the city. The gallery was named after Ewart's grandfather, Robert McLaughlin. He was the founder of the McLaughlin Carriage Company. The gallery officially opened in 1967.
Exploring the Art Collection
What Art You Can See
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery has a huge collection of over 4,500 artworks. The gallery works to collect, protect, and show some of the best art from Canada. You can see many Canadian paintings, sculptures, and prints there.
Focus on Painters Eleven
The gallery also has important records and the largest collection of artworks by Painters Eleven in Canada. This group of artists was very important for abstract art in Canada.
Alexandra Luke's Influence
The gallery's interest in abstract art is strongly connected to Alexandra Luke. She was an artist from Oshawa who studied with Hans Hofmann in the United States. Alexandra Luke loved abstract art.
She helped organize the first Canadian exhibition of only abstract paintings. This show opened in Oshawa in October 1952. It was a very special event because it was the first time such a large collection of abstract Canadian art was shown together.
