Tom Thomson Art Gallery

05/18/2026

🏛️ Today is International Museum Day! 🎨

Celebrate the incredible museums, galleries, and cultural spaces that help tell the stories of our community. Take some time this month to explore arts, history, and heritage in the Owen Sound area!

📍 Owen Sound River District
• Owen Sound Artists’ Co-Op
• Grey Gallery
• Gallery De Boer-Fine Art
• Marine & Rail Museum

📍 Heritage & History
• Billy Bishop Heritage Museum
• Grey Roots Museum & Archives
• Moreston Heritage Village

Whether you’re visiting for the first time or rediscovering a favourite spot, Museum Month is the perfect reason to explore local culture close to home!

05/16/2026

The Magic of Children in the Arts Annual Exhibition is now on view at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery!
Visit the TOM atrium and studio during gallery hours until May 28 to experience more than 700 vibrant artworks created by local students in Grades 3–6 from six area schools. This inspiring exhibition celebrates the creativity, imagination, and artistic voices of young people across our community.
Led by art instructor Shirra Benson and supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, the gallery has been completely transformed into a joyful and immersive showcase of youth creativity. Every corner is filled with colour, energy, and thoughtful expression.
Congratulations to all of the student artists — your work is remarkable, and this exhibition is sure to leave visitors smiling. ✨

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05/15/2026

🎨 Spots are still available for Camp TOM PD Day Camps! June 5 & 26th!
✨ $60 per day
🕘 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Tom Thomson Art Gallery

From hands-on artmaking to outdoor exploration in Harrison Park, campers will create, explore, and be inspired. Spots are limited —don’t miss out!

👉 Register HERE: https://www.owensound.ca/recreation-culture/arts-and-culture/tom-thomson-art-gallery/education/camp-programs/ :PDDayArtAdventures

Dates: Friday June 5 & June 26, 2026Time: 9:00am to 4:00pmCost: $60/day (HST exempt) Ages: 8-12 Location: Tom Thomson Art Gallery, 840 1st Avenue West, Owen Sound

05/15/2026

Why Museums Matter

Museums play a vital role in strengthening our communities, enriching lives, and supporting the economy across Canada and Ontario.

An overwhelming 93% of Canadians agree that museums help them better understand diverse cultures and communities, highlighting their importance as spaces for learning and connection. 96% say museums contribute to their overall quality of life.

Beyond their cultural impact, museums are also powerful economic drivers. In Ontario alone, museums employ more than 9,000 people and contribute to the province’s $26 billion culture sector. For every dollar invested in museums, there is a $3.70 return on investment.

Arts and culture tourism further amplifies this impact. In Ontario, the average arts and culture trip generates three times more economic activity than a typical trip, demonstrating the far-reaching benefits of investing in cultural experiences.

Sources: Reconsidering Museums (2021), Alberta Museums Association; Value Study of GLAMs in Canada, Report for the Ottawa Declaration Working Group; Ontario Arts and Culture Tourism Profile (2023), Ontario Arts Council.

Ontario Museum Association

05/13/2026

May is Museum Month (Mai, Mois des Musées) is an annual initiative led by the Ontario Museum Association that celebrates the vital contributions of Ontario’s 700+ museums, along with the thousands of staff and volunteers who support them. Timed to align with International Museum Day on May 18, the campaign highlights the important role museums play in communities across the province.

Now in its 26th year, Museum Month is an opportunity to remind communities, stakeholders, and decision-makers that museums, matter!

Ontario Museum Association

05/09/2026

What a full studio for this morning’s artist talk with Liz Zetlin! 🌿✨
Guests were immersed in the world of More Than Human through an incredible presentation of images, poetry, projects, and reflections inspired by the interconnectedness of our environment. Liz spoke beautifully about how the natural world has inspired her since childhood, and how that lifelong relationship with the land continues to shape her work and daily life today. From gardens and pollinators to sound, seasonality, and observation, her talk offered a deeply personal and moving look into the ideas behind the exhibition.
Filmed over the course of a year in her garden, More Than Human invites viewers into a living ecosystem where shifting light, layered soundscapes, and monumental projections transform the “small” details of nature into vital presences within a shared world. From frost to bloom to autumn stillness, the work reminds us that we are not separate from nature, but deeply embedded within it. 🍃🦋
Thank you to everyone who joined us for such a thoughtful and inspiring morning. And if you haven’t experienced More Than Human yet — this is your sign. Come spend time with this remarkable exhibition. 💛

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05/06/2026

05/06/2026

Step into a living, breathing artwork 🌿

Join us this Saturday, May 9th from 11 AM–12 PM in the TOM Studio for an inspiring artist talk with Liz Zetlin, exploring her immersive four-channel video installation More Than Human.

Filmed over the course of a year in her own garden, this captivating work invites you to experience the shifting rhythms of the seasons—where frost softens into spring, blossoms swell into summer abundance, and autumn returns us to stillness. Through layered projections and sound, the garden transforms into a vibrant, interconnected ecosystem alive with movement, energy, and relationship.

Drawing on the idea of the “more-than-human,” Liz’s work challenges us to see beyond a human-centered view of the world. Plants hum with electrical life, pollinators move with intention, and even the smallest leaf or moth takes on a powerful presence. It’s an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and reconnect with the living systems we are part of.

Liz Zetlin—environmental artist, poet, and Owen Sound’s inaugural Poet Laureate—will share insights into her creative process, her passion for ecological connection, and how art can inspire environmental awareness and action.

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✨ Free to attend
📍 TOM Studio
🗓 Saturday, May 9
⏰ 11 AM–12 PM

Come curious. Leave connected.

05/04/2026

🎨 Spots are still available for Camp TOM PD Day Camps! June 5 & 26th!

Looking for a creative, active, and inspiring way for your kids to spend their upcoming PD Days? Join us at the TOM for our Summer Art Adventures PD Day Camps—designed to spark imagination and get kids excited for summer break!

✨ $60 per day
🕘 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Tom Thomson Art Gallery

From hands-on artmaking to outdoor exploration to Harrison Park, campers will create, explore, and be inspired in a fun, supportive environment led by the TOM’s education and engagement team!

Spots are limited and filling quickly—don’t miss out!

👉 Register now and give your child a PD Day full of creativity and adventure.