Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery

08/27/2026

08/18/2026

Mark Stebbins "The Lingering Instant"
April 17 - August 30, 2026

Mark Stebbins Art

08/12/2026

Artwork requires a lot of special care, from how its unpacked, stored, installed, repacked, transported and everything in between. One way JNAAG works towards collection conservation is with the actual environment the art is stored in, and the mechanisms used to maintain the perfect conditions.

Before the gallery moved into its current location, which has an advanced building automation system, gallery staff used a drum hygrothermograph to record relative humidity and temperature.

Swiss physicist and geologist, Horace Bénédict de Saussure, refined the drum hygrothermograph design in 1783 to use stretched human hair as its sensor. Human hair was used because its hygroscopic (able to absorb moisture from the air) and its length changes with humidity.

The apparatus works by the human hair shortening or lengthening depending on the humidity, which moves a lever that charts the levels on a rotating drum.

Relative Humidity (RH) and temperature are critical for art galleries because fluctuations in either can cause irreversible, physical damage to artwork.

Some art galleries continue to use drum hygrothermographs today, but here at JNAAG we have fully transitioned to digital hygrothermographs, which capture and record humidity in a software program called a Building Automation System.

You can read more hygrothermographs on the AGO - Art Gallery of Ontario website: https://loom.ly/RY7jPqs

08/11/2026

Let's learn a little bit about the art technique "chiaroscuro".

The word comes from the Italian words for clear/light (chiaro) and dark (scuro). Historically, it is most famous in oil paintings by masters like Caravaggio and Rembrandt to create dramatic, high-contrast scenes.

This contrast allows artists to bring the illusion of three-dimensional objects to life in their work, like you see here.

The chiaroscuro technique actually originated in the Renaissance era of art (1350 - 1620), but is most popularly associated with the following Baroque era (1600 - 1750).

Do you have a favourite painting that uses chiaroscuro? Let us know in the comments below!

Image: Lowrie Lyle Warrener, “Untitled,” date unknown; watercolour on paper. From the collection of the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery.

08/10/2026

The participants of the Teen Photo Contest and their families showed up and showed out for our Frist Friday exhibition opening of "Focus: Black & White". It was a joy to see so many proud faces in attendance, marking a record breaking year for the contest. Congratulations to everyone who has pieces on display and we look forward to seeing where your passion and talent for photography takes you next!

08/06/2026

Together Apart | Under One Roof
April 17 - August 30, 2026

08/03/2026

Ever wonder how master watercolorists get such effortless looking paintings? A lot of it starts before the brush even touches the paper!

Welcome to the world of the underdrawing, the secret skeleton of watercolor art!

Historically, watercolor was used to "tint" precise ink and pencil drawings, but today, it’s a brilliant dance between structured graphite and fluid, unpredictable paint.

If you look closely at this painting in our collection, you can see the underdrawing that artist Walter Tolles used in this untitled watercolour on paper.

08/01/2026

Check out what's on at in August! https://loom.ly/LHzVKns

07/31/2026

🚨New Family Saturday Activity🚨

Join us every Saturday afternoon in August to explore texture and colour colliding. Discover, create, and get curious with a new activity each month inspired by our current exhibitions.

To find upcoming Family Saturday dates, please visit: https://loom.ly/ovWrUFs