Toronto Island Art.org

On View -

Hook & Lino

Kathleen Doody

October 1 - November 2, 2026

"In Hook & Lino, I attempt to capture some of the natural world of my life on the Island, presented through two different lenses. The clarity of linocuts and the warm texture of hooked wool allow me to explore how different media carry memory. Stepping back, for a bit, from the functional forms of my previous work—the pebble mosaics, lanterns, and quilts—I am looking more closely at the landscapes around me. Through these pieces, I invite you to notice a hidden viewpoint, or to find a familiar memory of your own."

Toronto Island-based, Kathleen Doody is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice bridges the worlds of functional craft and visual storytelling. Rooted in a deep appreciation for the landscapes around her, she likes to experiment with different mediums to translate the textures and memories of the natural world. Her work can be viewed on Instagram @kathleenonwards and at kathleendoodydesign.com

Opening Reception October 1st, 7-9pm.

Past Exhibitions -

QUIET SHIFTS

Textiles by Luisa Milan

September 3 - September 27th

Luisa’s work explores the subtle shifts of the seasons, capturing the infinite variety of colours and textures found on water, sky, earth, and in the flora and fauna.

Using freehand machine embroidery, Luisa strives to re-create those moments of awe.

ON A WINTER'S NIGHT

Joanna Kidd

August 6 - August 30, 2026

A series of 18 photographs by Island artist Joanna Kidd that explore Toronto Island by night in winter.

NEW INSPIRATION

Nancy Moore

July 2 - August 2

Nancy Moore, a longtime Wards Island resident and member of the Fake Arts School at Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts, credits her gift of AGO painting classes as a pivotal moment in her artistic journey. Since then, she’s created a substantial body of work and participated in over ten group shows. This marks her third solo exhibition.

Sailing is a passion of Nancy’s. She’s captivated by the hull’s shape, the vibrant colours, and the exhilarating motion of a boat slicing through the water. This love inspires the majority of her work.

Finding Footing: A group exhibition in honour of the life and love of Ula

June 4th - June 28th, 2026

This group exhibition brings together a collective of diverse artists to honour the memory and lasting spirit of a talented, engaging girl who loved life and art. Through this artistic showcase, we continue the meaningful footing of moving through our collective grief, keeping Ula’s memory alive while fostering awareness, dialogue and healing.

www.longliveula.com

The Lookouts

Alastair Dickson

May 7 - May 31, 2026

This is an exhibit of new work by celebrated Toronto Island artist Alastair Dickson as he continues his exploration of the interconnected nature of colour and offbeat humour in sculptural format.

Please join us for the opening of THE LOOKOUTS this Thursday, May 7, from 7 - 9pm at the Riviera. Hors’doeurves will be provided by the Riviera Restaurant, courtesy of the Riviera Gallery Fund.

Island Artists Group Exhibition

April 2,2026

This show is a collection of works by Toronto Island artists. The Island Community is bursting with creative talent, with mediums ranging from drawing and painting, photography, digital composites and collage.

The Riviera Staff Group Exhibition

October 2 - December 21, 2025

This show is a collection of works created by the hard-working people who keep the Riviera flowing, and who support all the other openings the rest of the year. This is the first time ever that we’ve had a group exhibit of artwork in the Riviera, by the Riviera!

The artists include: Alex, Alexandra Chernoff, C. Duquette, Jeremy, Nathifa Roberts, Nigel King, Rielle Ritchie, Ruby Duquette and Tash Bartlett. The exhibition includes photography, painting and mixed media and continues to Sunday, December 21.

Employee of the Month by Alex

Artist: Ruby Duquette

Artist: C. Duquette

Aritst: Tash Bartlett

Artist: Rielle Ritchie

Artist: Nathifa Roberts

Artist: Alexandra Chernoff

Artist: Nigel King

Artist: Jeremy

TEXTURES by Barry Lipton

September 4 - 28, 2025

We look, but do we see?

I have been a photographer since I was ten and have amassed over 40,000 images, both digital and analog. I love to get close to a subject and to magnify detail, to be in the moment, to try and understand and really see the image I have captured.

Untitled #1, Barry Lipton

Untitled #3, Barry Lipton

WOMEN AND FLOWERS IN BLOOM by Rosemary Parson

August 7 - 31, 2025

Rosemary’s art is a reflection of her life experiences. Her unique perspective is evident in her work characterized by bold colours and intricate details using oil, cold wax and acrylics. Women and Flowers in Bloom is an exhibition of paintings created in 2024 and 2025.

Rosemary Parson, Babes in the Woods, 2024

Rosemary Parson, White Poppy, 2025

Rosemary Parson, Field of Daisies, 2025

Rosemary Parson, Beach Day, 2025

HOUSEBOAT NEIGHBOURS by Buffy Jeffs

This exhibit celebrates the vibrant and unique houseboats of the Toronto Island Marina in a collection of watercolour and ink paintings. The show will run from July 3 - August 4th, 2025

Born in London, England, Buffy studied fine art before working in film, theatre and visual merchandising. Her childhood love of houseboats (and a search on Kijiji) led her to Toronto Island Marina during the pandemic, where she and her family lovingly restored a crumbling little houseboat.

Buffy lives in Parkdale but can be found drinking tea and painting watercolours aboard The Puffin, on summer afternoons.

Buffy Jeffs, Houseboat #1

Buffy Jeffs, Houseboat #2

Buffy Jeffs, Houseboat #3

Buffy Jeffs, Houseboat #4

HOME by Lori Dell

June 5 - June 29, 2025

The artworks in this exhibition celebrate the character of Toronto Island homes and community.

Lori Dell, Untitled #1, 2025, Ink and acrylic paintings on 8" x 8" wood panel

Lori Dell, Untitled #5, 2025, Ink and acrylic paintings on 8" x 8" wood panel

RECENT WORK

Kate Shepherd

May 1 - June 1, 2025

This exhibition is a collection of watercolour studies inspired by Toronto Island and the skies and water of beautiful Lake Ontario. These paintings were made over the course of winter 2024 and 2025 from Kate’s shared studio space at Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts and were inspired by her daily walks to the studio on “Art” days.

Kate Shepherd, Watercolour, 2025

SMALL PAINTINGS

Barbara Klunder

November 7 - December 15, 2024

The exhibition SMALL PAINTINGS is a collection of small works, mostly in oil, created by the artist in 2024. The subject matter is inspired by nature that surrounds Barbara’s Toronto Island home. SMALL PAINTINGS includes textile work in the form of fabric purses stitched and embroidered to compliment some of the paintings.

Untitled Snail, Barbara Klunder, oil on canvas, 2024

Untitled Bird, Barbara Klunder, oil on canvas, 2024

BRUTAL SCRUFFS

New sculpture by Alastair Dickson

October 3 - November 3, 2024

An exhibition of formal, abstract 3D compositions, often using the human figure or face as a reference. The artist’s approach is guided by materials he has in his studio, collected and contributed over the the years, and is exploratory and intuitive in nature. The lack of a planned outcome leads to spontaneity, and a sense of adventure, and humour, in the process.

Brutal Scruffs, Alastair Dickson

H 15.5 W 19 D 3.5”

Friar Funk, Alastair Dickson

H: 9.25 W: 7.25 D: 3

VIBRANT RESILIENCY

by the ‘Artists of the Point’

September 5th - September 29

This is the first of a series of events that celebrate the 25th Anniversary of theGibraltar Point Centre for the Arts. Gibraltar Point is known internationally for hosting artists so they can take advantage of the facility’s quiet and natural setting to focus on their practices and projects through short-term residencies and long-term studio rentals.

This exhibit will feature a broad selection of artists who have been inspired by working on the Toronto Island, as well as the history of the centre’s transition from the original Island School - saved from the bulldozer by dedicated Islanders - to the cultural hub it is today.

Exhibiting Artists Include:

Alastair Dickson, April Hickox, Frank Meyer, Jerry Englar, Jim Belisle, Kate Shepherd, Laura Shepherd, Leida Englar, Louie Mangialardi, Mary Anderson, Maurice Vellekoop, Mitchell Fenton, Pat Jeffries and Susan Roy.

Hors d’oeuvres will be provided by the Riviera Restaurant, courtesy of the Riviera Gallery fund.

Gibraltar Point will also be hosting an 25th Anniversary Party at the centre on September 21st from 3 - 7pm. All are invited.

Jagna Kalina Zaborska

After The Dance

August 1 - September 2, 2024

After the Dance by Jagna Kalina Zaborska includes images created from carved lino blocks combined with acrylics and pastels of the Ward’s Island Association clubhouse. The clubhouse and the cafe were very important to the artist and her husband during their ten years living on Ward’s and on their boat. The artist produced the images to evoke the happy feeling of wandering home late at night after an island event. The exhibition also includes watercolour inks on paper titled Happy, Sunny that depict small corners on the Island in the days just before the pandemic.

Jagna Kalina Zaborska

Happy, Sunny, Watercolour and Ink on Paper

The Fake Art School

"Still Fakin' It"

July 4 - July 28, 2024

“The Fake Art School started as a joke and we still are. Humour and laughter are a vital part of our making stuff. Three of our principles are support, encouragement and humour. One of our mottos is “hang with the gigglers.” The administration, faculty and students are ourselves. To say the Fake Art School is rigid is too loose! We are completely uncertain of any requirements of creativity, talent or skills. The School began as an outdoor plein air group and the number of artists involved has grown over the years.” Selected text from the Fake Art School exhibition statement by artist, Jim Belisle, 2024.

Exhibiting Artists: Jim Belisle, Cheryl de Gras, Leida Englar, Mary-Ann Haney, Brad Harley, Merle Harley, Gaye Jackson, Jamie Ly, Frank Meyer, Eliza Moore, Nancy Moore, Susan Roy, Kate Shepherd, Laura Shepherd, Claire Tallarico

Anthea Baxter-Page

Passages

June 6 - June 30, 2024

Through a selection of images from her numerous travels in India, Anthea Baxter-Page explores how the cohesion of this complex society is revealed through its impact on the architecture. Every fort, palace, archway and corridor is seeped in the history of human experience spanning thousands of years.

www.antheabaxterpage.com

@antheabaxterpageart

Pigeon Informal, Udaipur, 2012,

Anthea Baxter-Page,

Fine Art Pigment Print on Hahnemuhle William Turner,

30" x 20"

Dahl, Udaipur, 2018,

Anthea Baxter-Page,

Fine Art Pigment Print on Hahnemuhle William Turner,

30" x 20"

Brad Harley + Merle Harley

Poetical Science

May 2 - June 2, 2024

Poetical Science (a term stolen from 17th Century mathematician Ada Lovelace), is a series of paintings by Brad Harley and Merle Harley. The works are created independently, but follow the same parameters – using found dictionary pages as a base, layered with watercolour, drawing and collage media, to create visual poems.

Untitled, Merle Harley, 2024, watercolour, pencil, collage on found dictionary pages, 11" x 14"

Untitled, Brad Harley, 2024, watercolour, pencil, collage on found dictionary pages, 11" x 14"

Toronto Island Artists Group Exhibition

Island Connections

March 8 - April 28

The Toronto Island Community has nurtured generations of creative talent over the years.
This Spring, we invited artists from all levels of creative practice to exhibit their work in an open call group exhibition.

The show runs March 8 to April 28.

Alastair Dickson
Alex Chouinard
Anthea Baxter-Page
Baye Hunter
Brad Harley
Carol Bigwood
Cheryl DeGras
Chris Thompson
Claire Tallarico
Claudette Abrams
Colin Brodie
David Pitcher

Dwight Chalmers
Eliza Moore
Faye Jordan
Frank Meyer
Gail Read
Jane Hayes
Jeyda Deyna
Joanna Kidd
Kate Shepherd
Kathleen Doody
Ken de Haas
Laura Shepherd

Leida Englar
Linda Rosenbaum
Lisa Parra
Lori Dell
Luisa Milan
Lynn Purves
Mai Aru
Merle Harley
Mitch Fenton
Nancy Moore
Paige Brodie
Pat Jeffries

Peter Dewdney
Peter Freeman
Philip Chatterton
Robin Christmas
Rosemary Parson
Sandy Krzyzanowski
Susan Baker
Susan Roy
Tanya Golden
Tristan Hamburgh
Yael Freudmann

Gaye Jackson

Shoreline

November 3 - December 3, 2023

Gaye Jackson’s work is about environmental history, geology, and land use. Shoreline comprises images from three bodies of work including a project based on the artist’s archive of wire fragments found at Leslie Spit; a documentation of Enwave’s Deep Lake Water Cooling System at Gibraltar Point, Toronto island; and shoreline observations while at a studio at Gibraltar Point Art Centre.

www.gayejackson.com

@gayejackson8

Shore #5, Gaye Jackson, Archival Digital Print, 2022

Luisa Milan

New Work

October 5 - October 29

Textile artist Luisa Milan explores the patterns of plants and water through freehand machine embroidery. The magnification of circles and curves that appear on water and the shapes of flora are interchangeable and provide an endless source of delight and wonder for the viewer.

Image #1 from New Work, 2023, Luisa Milan

Joanna Kidd

Saints of the Sandbar

September 7 - October 1

With Saints of the Sandbar, Joanna Kidd has created a miscellany of carved wooden saints to protect residents and visitors to Toronto Island. The exhibition is rooted in the rich history of the Island and includes the Patron Saints of mariners, rum runners, swimmers, paddlers and ice skaters. There are twelve saints in all, each carrying the symbols of his or her trade, and each standing in a distinctive surround. Ready to protect, preserve and please.

Saint Valiente, the Patron Saint of Ferry Captains and Ferry Passengers, 2021

Joanna Kidd

Linda Rosenbaum and Susan Roy

Colour*full

August 2 - September 6

The exhibit features beautifully hand-painted black & white photographs by Linda Rosenbaum and intricately sculpted Paper Works by Susan Roy. Colour and texture is the thread that connect the work.

Untitled, Linda Rosenbaum

California #5, Susan Roy

Nancy Moore:

New Perspectives

July 6 - July 30

Nancy Moore’s exhibition New Perspectives is a collection of oil paintings that focus on landscape, still life and the nautical world.

Nancy Moore, Allusion, 2023

Oil on Canvas, 10" x 10"

Rosemary Parson:

Retrospective Exhibition

June 1 - July 2, 2023

Rosemary Parson's exhibition is a retrospective of her paintings from the mid 1970's to present day.

Rosemary works with various mediums including gouache and acrylics. Her paintings, characterized by bold colour and intricate detail, often elicit an emotional response.

Rosemary Parson, Girl in Red Dress, 2023

Cold Wax and Oil Collage, 29" x 25"

Paige Brodie: Washed

May 4 - May 28, 2023

Paige's work is a celebration of colour and the freedom of abstract through oil paint and layers of washes. Bright ombre patterns on long vertical canvas sometimes mimic a dreamy horizon viewed through a window.

Paige Brodie, Washed Series 4, 2023

Oil and Wash on Canvas, 20" x 8"

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