April 2026 saw a public meeting take place in one of the rooms on the second floor of the Victoria Park Armoury here in Lindsay. The meeting in question was organized to solicit feedback as the City of Kawartha Lakes develops its 2030-2040 Cultural Master Plan. As one of the consultants presenting his firm’s findings at this meeting remarked: “There seems to be a lot of siloing happening, and maybe we all need to collaborate a bit more.”

Samantha Jones is a visual artist and curator based in Kawartha Lakes, where she lives with her partner Bruce, daughter Mattea, and their two dogs, Sunny and Benny.

Based in Southern Ontario, Jess Spagnolo is a Canadian artist and graphic designer whose multidisciplinary practice includes murals, illustration, and digital design.

This exhibition prompted me to reflect deeply on how I wanted to communicate my message through art. Through these posters, I sought to explore the power of voice, and the role communication plays in creating more equitable and inclusive communities.

This series of posters responds to the withdrawal of a female candidate from a municipal political race after experiencing harassment. Drawing on the visual language of protest graphics, it uses bold typography and symbolic imagery to explore gender, power, public service, and civic participation.

For this series, I drew inspiration from traditional quilt patterns – an enduring symbol of creativity, connection, and community. Quilting has long brought women together to share stories, skills, and support, creating spaces where voices could be heard and relationships could flourish.

For this series, I struggled to find a style that felt right. While my work in oils could have easily suited the theme, the timeline pushed me to explore other approaches that could be completed and printed on schedule. After several unsuccessful attempts, I created the first piece, Silence Is Not Neutral.

For my posters I wanted the statements to stand out using bold cut out letters combined with line drawings of flowers and greenery. I often use floral and nature elements to my artwork and in these pieces, I feel the illustrations represent femininity, strength and resilience.

Talking with people who were involved with getting The Lindsay Gallery up and running half a century ago affords us a unique opportunity to understand what was going on during those first few months and years of operations.

In this episode, we speak with Kawartha Lakes artist Rhonda Laursen about her journey of self-directed learning and artistic growth. Working from her waterfront studio, Rhonda draws inspiration from the ever-changing landscape around her— from the movement of the lake to the play of shadow on snow.

Thank you for being an important part of the Kawartha Art Gallery community. Your continued support plays a vital role in helping us foster creativity, learning, and connection throughout the City of Kawartha Lakes. Because of members like you, the Gallery remains a vibrant and inclusive space for artistic expression.

In this episode, artist Dorothea Weise reflects on her 40-year career, from her early work in graphic design in Germany and Toronto to her evolution into a full-time painter. Working across watercolour, acrylic, silk, and paper etching, her art is held in private collections around the world.

One of the most important documents in the Kawartha Art Gallery’s archives is a handwritten address given by co-founder Joyce Enslin (1930-2022) at a meeting of the Lindsay Rotary Club in the spring of 1976. The Lindsay Gallery – as it was then called – had opened on April 24 of that year, and while much had been done, the Gallery was still very much a work in progress.

If you've ever stood in front of a painting of a quiet Ontario village, with white clapboard churches, birch trees catching afternoon light, and a sky impossibly still, you may have been looking at the world through A.J. Casson's eyes.

The Kawartha Art Gallery is proud to announce the launch of The Artist  Index, a new digital initiative dedicated to preserving the work and stories of artists from across the region. 

1981 saw the Canadarm installed on the International Space Station, gas stations switch from imperial to metric measurements, and the legacy of Terry Fox live on through a run organized in his honour. Locally, the Town of Lindsay was gearing up for its 125th anniversary the following year, the railway line running along the middle of Victoria Avenue was abandoned after more than a century of use, and The Lindsay Gallery hired Maureen Bell as its third director.

Kawartha Art Gallery is proud to announce its second concert as part of the 2025/26 series, the Young Musicians Showcase. The event takes place Wednesday, April 15 at 7pm at Celebrations Lindsay (35 Lindsay Street North, Lindsay, Ontario), and will feature young musicians from four local schools. Tickets are only $10, available in advance and at the door.

This week on Kawartha Unframed, join us for a roundtable conversation with artists Anders Widjedal, Brian Oliver, Chuck Burns, and Wayne Medford as they reflect on their artistic careers and the life lessons gathered along the way.

Not long ago, my colleague Ruth Kelly-Koebel oversaw the installation of an exhibit at Kindred Coffee Bar, a short walk from the Kawartha Art Gallery. This exhibit, which is titled Authenticity, is a collection of artworks prepared by the talented students enrolled in I.E. Weldon Secondary School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) visual arts programme.

Kawartha Art Gallery is currently seeking volunteers to join a Palette Partners Installation Team to assist with the hanging and installation of artworks at local businesses.

This opportunity is open to current members who are interested in supporting the Palette Partners program through hands-on installation work.