Art Gallery of Peterborough

05/30/2026

It is with sadness that we join the chorus of voices celebrating the life and work of Peer Christensen. ❤️

Peer was an incredible force in the arts community since relocating here in the 80s. Through exhibitions here at the AGP, at Christensen Fine Art, in numerous Kawartha Autumn Studio Tours, and in three publications, his work has, and will continue to resonate, bringing joy and wonder, reminding us to look a little closer at our surroundings and notice the beauty in the industrial, the calm in the sky, and the joy in the light.

Celebrate the life of Peer Christensen, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Comstock-Kaye Life Celebration Centre.

05/29/2026

💌 Join us on Thursday, June 4 for Letter Readings from the Archives | Elizabeth Thompson Advises an evening of live performances drawn from the letters featured in JoEllen Brydon's exhibition.

Brought to life by incredible voice talent from the area and beyond, including Brad Brackenridge, Phil Oakley, Susan Newman, Rob Fortin, John Hoffman, Susan Spicer, Laurel Paluck and Leslie Ashton as the voice of Elizabeth Thompson, these letters are at times hilarious, vulnerable, brash, difficult, or sweet.

Developed in part through a residency at Trent Radio, the project pulls from a time before comment sections and online forums, when people turned to newspaper advice columns to ask the questions they couldn't ask anywhere else.

Refreshments to follow

Details:
📅 Thursday, June 4 from 7:00 - 9:00 PM
🎟️ $15 | Ages 18+ (mature themes)
‼️ Limited seating. Pre-registration advised.

Learn more and register at: https://agp.on.ca/event/elizabeth-thompson-advises-letter-readings-from-the-archives/

Photos by Zach Ward, We Design Group

Public Energy

05/28/2026

Thanks so much to Edward Hilton who invited us to speak about "Communicating with Split" from our recent exhibition, "Cole Swanson | Lithic Life," at the 2026 Teeny Tiny Summit on inspiring community through arts.

What a day at the Burleigh Falls Inn!

Pictured: Cole Swanson, Fynn Leitch, Edward Hilton, William Kingfisher (left to right).

05/26/2026

Now Accepting Applications: Youth Volunteer Program!

Looking for a meaningful way for your teen to earn community service hours this summer? ☀️The AGP is inviting youth ages 14 to 17 to join our volunteer team as Studio Attendants, supporting our Summer Art Camps. Youth volunteers work alongside professional artists and staff in a creative, hands-on environment while gaining experience in teamwork, responsibility, and studio support.

This is a great opportunity for teens to complete their required volunteer hours while building confidence and engaging with the arts community!

The deadline to apply is Sunday, June 14, 2026.

For more information, visit our website at: agp.on.ca/connect/volunteer/

05/24/2026

Before comment sections and online forums, people turned to newspaper advice columns to ask the questions they couldn't ask anywhere else. 💌

Join us on June 4 for Letter Readings from the Archives | Elizabeth Thompson Advises an evening of live performances drawn from the real letters and responses featured in JoEllen Brydon Art's exhibition. Developed in part through a residency at Trent Radio, the project brings these personal histories to life through voice, performance, and conversation.

Featuring live readings by incredible voice talent from the area and beyond, the evening will conclude with a Q&A panel discussion.

Details:
📅 Thursday, June 4 from 7:00 - 9:00 PM
🎟️ $15 | Ages 18+
‼️ Limited seating. Pre-registration required.

Learn more and register at: https://agp.on.ca/event/elizabeth-thompson-advises-letter-readings-from-the-archives/

Photos by Zach Ward, We Design Group

05/22/2026

"Whether old master or contemporary, all of the works of art I most admire seem to have one thing in common -- an `after image' ...something about the painting that lingers in the mind and makes one want to come back to it." - Tony Urquhart

Happy Friday! Today we're sharing the work of Tony Urquhart from the AGP

Canadian artist Tony Urquhart worked across painting, sculpture, and assemblage over a career spanning more than six decades. His work frequently referenced architecture, landscape, memory, and rural structures, often through heavily textured surfaces and constructed forms.

These sculptural relief works reflect Urquhart’s longstanding interest in built environments and material surfaces. Their weathered textures and architectural forms create objects that feel both familiar and quietly enigmatic.

Born in Niagara Falls, ON, Urquhart was also a major advocate for artists' rights in Canada and a co-founder of CARFAC. He was named to the Order of Canada in 1995 and received a Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2009.

This work is currently on view as part of the exhibition, "House and Home: works from the Permanent Collection,” until June 28, 2026

📷Tony Urquhart, Five Dark Houses #1-5, 1991, oil and lacquer over durabond. Gift of the artist Tony Urquhart, 1993. Collection of the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

05/22/2026

Watch creativity bloom 🌸

Our next Art Start session, Art Start: Blooming Sculptures, invites young artists to experiment with shape, colour, and texture while creating their own imaginative floral-inspired sculptures in the studio.

Led by artist and educator Lesley Givens, this playful studio session encourages young artists to experiment, build confidence, and explore creativity through hands-on making

Saturday, May 30 from 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Fee: $35 | ages 4-6
Instructor: Lesley Givens
All materials included

Learn more and register at: https://agp.on.ca/learn/programs/art-start/

05/21/2026

This is your sign to spend an afternoon looking at art instead of your phone. We've got three exhibitions for you to explore 👇

➡️ JoEllen Brydon | Elizabeth Thompson Advises
Paintings, archives, and real advice column letters come together in an exploration of the stories that people tell, to others and themselves.

➡️ All About ART
Returning this spring as an exhibition, featuring work by invited artists in support of the gallery's exhibitions and programs.

➡️ House and Home: works from the Permanent Collection
This exhibition brings together works from the Collection that reflect memory, comfort, and the people and places we return to.

We're open Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm.
Free Admission.

For more information about each exhibition, visit our website at: agp.on.ca/whats-on

05/15/2026

Stop by for a visit this long weekend and explore our current exhibitions! ☀️

➡️ JoEllen Brydon | Elizabeth Thompson Advises
Paintings, archives, and real advice column letters come together in an exploration of the stories that people tell, to others and themselves.

➡️ All About ART
Returning this spring as an exhibition, featuring work by invited artists in support of the gallery's exhibitions and programs.

➡️ House and Home: works from the Permanent Collection
This exhibition brings together works from the Collection that reflect memory, comfort, and the people and places we return to.

We're open Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm. Free Admission.

For more information about each exhibition, visit our website at: agp.on.ca/whats-on