The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Ontario is launching its summer exhibition season on June 13, 2026, featuring five new displays that highlight both established and emerging artistic talent. The season opener includes three major solo shows by artists Stephen Andrews, Oliver Husain, and Austin Henderson.
The gallery, which serves as the largest public art institution in the Regional Municipality of Durham, will host a free public event to mark the start of the season. Visitors can attend curator remarks starting at 1:30 p.m., followed by guided tours led by the artists. Refreshments will be provided for those attending the event.
To assist visitors traveling from Toronto, a complimentary shuttle bus will be available from OCAD University, located at 100 McCaul St. The bus will depart Toronto at 11:45 a.m. and return from the gallery at 4:00 p.m.
The new exhibitions explore a variety of themes. Stephen Andrews, a Governor General’s Award-winning artist, presents a show titled The sum of the parts, which runs until November 1, 2026. The display features a significant gallery acquisition of 125 drawings that examine media coverage of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Additionally, Oliver Husain provides an immersive experience with his exhibition titled I ♥ Snail, which uses video installation to look at the history of IMAX cinema. Meanwhile, Austin Henderson, the RBC emerging artist in residence, will display new works that investigate queer history and the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada through his own family history. His residency exhibition is set to run until August 9, 2026.
Founded in 1967, the gallery is housed in an Arthur Erickson-designed building in the city’s civic centre. It maintains a permanent collection of over 4,500 works and is recognized for holding the largest collection of pieces by the Painters Eleven group in Canada.
