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    Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, The Columbus Centre (901 Lawrence Avenue West, Toronto)
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Fostering and promoting the Visual Arts

throughout Ontario since 1872.

OSA Annual Open Juried Exhibition


The Unquiet North

We looked for work that speaks to the present moment—whether through defiance or reflection, resistance or resilience. Some have honoured the past, others challenged the future, but all carried the energy of a North that refuses to be still.  From bold statements to quiet tensions, we invited artists across all mediums to capture the raw, unfiltered spirit of a country in motion.

Le Nord Agité
 
Nous recherchons des œuvres qui parlent du moment présent, que ce soit par la défiance ou la réflexion, la résistance ou la résilience. Certaines honoreront le passé, d'autres défieront l'avenir, mais tous doivent porter l'énergie d'un Nord qui refuse l'immobilité. Des déclarations audacieuses aux tensions apaisées, nous invitons des artistes de toute horizons à saisir l'esprit brut et sans filtre d'un pays en mouvement.

Award Winners

We are looking for work that speaks to the present moment—whether through defiance or reflection, resistance or resilience. Some will honor the past, others will challenge the future, but all must carry the energy of a North that refuses to be still. From bold statements to quiet tensions, we invite artists across all mediums to capture the raw, unfiltered spirit of a country in motion.

Now is the time. Now is the place. What will you say?

 
Best in Show
Adam Strange
Putin's Razor
Digital Photomontage printed on archival paper
18 x 14 SOLD

 
Honourable Mention
Wendy Mitchell
Strong and Free
Pencil on Drafting Film
12 x 12
$1300.00
 
Honourable Mention
Cher Pruys
Grit Goddess
Acrylic on 300LB Hot Press
9 x 6.6
$6000.00
 
Above Ground Award
Kim Beavis Sanderson
Stink Soup
Mixed Media, Digital Illustration with Augmented Reality Animation
14 x 18 x 2
$250.00
 
 Japanese Paper Place Award
Pat Hertzberg
Fragile Planet
Fibre / Mixed-Media
32 x 38 x 1
$2400.00
 Life Member Award
Marth Davis
Our Canadian Wildlife is NFS
18 x 22 x 1.5
$400.00
 

Life Member Award

Lori Ryerson

Against All Odds

Photography, inkjet on metal

30x40

$1500.00 



A message from our President:

Dear members and artists submitting to the 151st Ontario Society of Artists Annual Open Juried Exhibition 2025 entitled “The Unquiet Nord”, “Le Nord le Agité “,

The OSA thanks you for your interest in our call for artists, which has once again become a successful exhibition with more than 195 applications. It is a great pleasure for us to have your support and the sponsors for the project. (The Japanese Paper Place and Above Ground Art Supplies)

This year, 40 works of high artistic quality were chosen, which were also the best examples of the exhibition's theme. Your response is invaluable to us. It is also very important to note that this exhibition will be held at the Donna Child Gallery with the intention of seeking the best display of your artwork in the Ontario and GTA markets. The intention of this exhibition is also to powerfully demonstrate the social position of Canadians in the face of international sociopolitical issues.

Please continue to follow our work and join us for the exhibition opening next Saturday, June 21, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM.

César Forero, President

Awards

Awards will be presented at the Opening Reception

Best in Show: $1,000

Life Member’s Award: $1000

Eleanor Besen Award to an OSA member: $1000

Ethel Raicus Student Award to a student from Central Techincal School: $200

Two Honourable Mentions: $200 each 

Additional Awards


The Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) invited all Canadian artists to apply for our 2025 Open Juried Exhibition.

This is an annual exhibition of the OSA with the purpose of promoting the best art that Canada has to offer. The OSA is Ontario’s oldest and longest running Art Society, with a long history of excellence since 1872.

The Exhibition Space:

The Donna Child Fine Art Gallery  

365 Evans Avenue, Suite 101, Toronto, ON M8X 1K2

https://donnachildfineart.com/

A premier Toronto-based art gallery representing a diverse group of Canadian and international painters, sculptors, and photographers. Their expert team specializes in art acquisition, collection management, curation, project management, art installation, placement, insurance valuation, restoration, conservation, and custom framing design.





Our Jurors:

Melissa La Porte

Melissa La Porte has been the Executive Director/Curator at the Temiskaming Art Gallery since 2017 and is a founding member of the Yes We Can curatorial collective. She holds a Master’s degree in Comparative Literatures and the Arts from Brock University and a Master’s degree in Art and Visual Culture from Guelph University. She is passionate about innovative, inclusive art projects that are accessible to everyone, while pushing the boundaries of the status quo. She is a firm believer that art makes the world a better place.

Virginia M. Eichhorn

Virginia M. Eichhorn has over 30 years of experience in the visual arts. A professor at Georgian College (Barrie Campus), she specializes in post-graduate museum and gallery studies. She holds a degree in Art History from Queen’s University and pursued further studies at the University of Toronto.  

As an independent curator, she has focused on ecological and non-traditional exhibition spaces, presenting exhibitions at prestigious venues, including the XII Biennale of Art in Portugal. She has collaborated with renowned artists such as Judy Chicago, Maria Hupfield, and Tim Whiten, curating for institutions like the Royal Ontario Museum.  

In addition to curating, she has written numerous catalogue essays and contributed articles to prominent Canadian magazines, including *Canadian Art*, as well as international publications such as *Ceramics Monthly*. Her writing has also been featured by institutions like the National Gallery of Canada and the MacKenzie Art Gallery.  

Her artistic practice explores feminist narratives through both traditional and non-traditional media. Critic Robert Reid describes her curatorial approach as bridging fine art and craft, challenging convention and elitism.

Cesar Forero,
artist, architect & performer.
President of the Ontario Society of Artists

Forero is a Colombian/Canadian, BIPOC and member of the LGTBQIA2S+ artist with background in architecture, sculpture, painting, and public performance. He is currently the president of the Ontario Society of Artists. He is a member and exhibition coordinator of the International Academy of Ceramist AIC/IAC. He holds an MA from the Minnesota State University and MFA from the University of Waterloo, Ontario. His artworks and performances are shown worldwide, stand in public and private collections and has been nationally and internationally awarded. His practice emphasizes on social humanitarian and environmental issues. He is fluent in English, Spanish, French and German. As a hobby, Forero cultivates a passion for bonsai.

His artistic practice has focused on the protection of our society rights and the wellbeing of our planet, which go hand to hand. A big portion of his artwork is dedicated on creating opportunities to present the artwork nationally and around the globe for himself and his colleagues. He is an exhibition leader and facilitator at several national and international art organizations.


Curators' Remarks
 
In making the selections for this project, the jury felt that it was important to select the artworks that best exemplified the theme -that of the Unquiet North and all that means. Unfortunately, there were some works of high artistic merit which did not address the theme, so they could not be included in the final selection.
 
Given the current state of the world, the idea of the “unquiet north” provides an opportunity for artists to address our current political situation – especially, in regards to our southern neighbour – and to look at what motivates us and what values we, as Canadians, cherish in regards to territorial, human, social, and cultural concerns. We are witnesses everyday to social injustice, the loss of human rights, social disregard for minorities, and many other aggressions that we do not want to see become the norm in our culture. As Louise Bourgeois stated: “Art is not about art. Art is about life.” The artworks selected make this belief clear. 
 
This exhibition is a showcase of the artistic direction of contemporary Canadian art. A strong social commitment and respect for the geographical characteristics of our country are constant inspirations for the works. Flora, fauna, and the endless desire to understand their preservation and respect become the center of inspiration, as well as our diverse landscapes. This exhibition presents a wide variety of materials and techniques, from photography, short videos, painting, sculpture, textiles, mixed media, and experimental works.
 
Evaluating a large number of artwork is challenging. The works that were selected stood out for how they interpreted and responded to the theme. The artwork selected as the best of the exhibition stood out for its well articulated and presented political commentar. It embodies the feeling of living in what is now a surreal world, plagued with implicit violence and previously unheard of threats to our way of life. It is our belief that truly being the Unquiet North will hopefully help restore some balance to this world.
 
Curators:
Virginia Eichhorn
Melisa La Porte
Cesar Forero


The Ontario Society of Artists would like to thank our sponsors for their support:



Other Terms and Conditions

The decision of the jury is final.

By submitting to this exhibition, you agreed to allow reproduction of your digital files for educational, publicity and archival purposes, unless we were informed otherwise in writing.

You also gave the OSA permission to communicate with you via e-mail about this and future events.

For additional information or questions, please contact:

Marlene Kawalez:  marleneak777@gmail.com

or Kelly Borgers: fuzzybeastphotography@gmail.com




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