The Orillia Museum of Art and History is opening its doors to three new exhibitions. Together they offer a thoughtful mix of contemporary art, local history, and personal storytelling. From bold modern interpretations to nostalgic artifacts and historic portraiture, the latest shows invite visitors to slow down, look closer, and see familiar ideas from new angles.
Running concurrently at OMAH’s Peter Street location, the exhibitions highlight how art and objects shape identity, reflect community values, and preserve the stories we carry forward.
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Celebrating women’s voices through art
Now in its 29th year, the Annual International Women’s Day Art Show remains a cornerstone exhibition for OMAH. This long-running juried show celebrates the creative work of women artists while recognizing International Women’s Day through diverse artistic expression.
This year’s theme, Viewpoint, challenged artists to reflect on perspective, interpretation, and personal experience. One hundred artists responded using a wide range of media, including:
- painting
- photography
- sculpture
- textile
- fibre arts
- drawing
- mixed media
The result is an exhibit that feels varied, layered, and deeply personal, offering visitors many ways to connect with the work on display.
Toys that shaped childhood in Orillia
Made in Orillia: The Toys That Built Childhood turns attention to the city’s manufacturing past and the role locally made toys played in shaping mid-20th-century childhood. Drawing from OMAH’s collection, the exhibition features items produced by Orillia companies such as Tudhope Specialties Limited (later OTACO) and Lloyd Baby Carriages.
Pressed-steel trucks, toy ovens, and doll carriages may feel nostalgic at first glance. But the exhibition goes deeper, exploring what these objects reveal about the era in which they were made. Ideas around gender roles, family life, and consumer culture are woven throughout, inviting visitors to consider how toys both reflect and influence the world children grow up in.
Meeting the faces of the past
FACE to FACE: Portraits from OMAH’s Permanent Collection offers a quieter but equally compelling experience. Featuring painted portraits from the museum’s historical and art collections, the exhibit explores how people have chosen to present themselves over time.
Through posture, clothing, expression, and artistic style, the portraits reveal shifting ideas about identity, status, and self-image. The exhibit encourages visitors to look beyond the surface. To consider the stories behind the faces that have become part of Orillia’s visual history.
Something for every kind of museum visitor
“Together, these three exhibitions reflect OMAH’s commitment to celebrating creativity, amplifying diverse voices, and connecting art with community history,” said Executive Director, Ninette Gyorody. “Whether visitors are interested in contemporary art, local culture, or historical portraiture, there is something in these exhibitions for everyone.
The exhibitions are on view at the Orillia Museum of Art and History, located at 30 Peter Street South. Admission is $5 per person, with free entry for museum members and visitors under 25. Additional public programs and special events tied to the exhibitions will be announced throughout the season.
For anyone looking to engage with art that feels both personal and rooted in local history, OMAH’s newest exhibitions offer plenty to explore.
