August 17, 2022
As Canada’s longest continuing art society since 1872, the Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) is celebrating 150 years with a special members’ exhibition at the Orillia Museum of Art and History. On view now through September 2022, Conversations focuses on the theme and the anniversary yearbook title, Breath. Heart. Spirit.; it features newly created artworks by a group of OSA artists challenged to “interrogate, transform, reformulate, and relate to works by other historic OSA artists”. The group was invited to research, reflect and reimagine works of OSA members in relation to their own practice, each artist finding inspiration from the past as the basis for their new creation.
“Conversations require breath, heart, and spirit. The heart listens, the spirit learns, and breath supports life. Ideas pass from artist to artist, permeating culture and vice versa. We share and learn,” says Janet Read, OSA Chair: Conversations. “Connections abound through time between our current artist members and the rich legacy of the past. Some members are second generation OSA, while others are students of past notable artists and teachers.”
Want to learn more about the OSA, artists and their legacy? Check out their anniversary publication, Breath. Heart. Spirit. The OSA 150 Years, on sale now at shopAGO. Interested in seeing more works from the 150th anniversary exhibition Conversations? Browse through the online catalog here.