On view at the Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg from August 31 – October 30, 2021
Exhibition link

Co-curated by Ruth Jones and Sam Mogelonsky, this exhibition features 79 artworks from 39 Canadian artists, as a gift to the AGN and to the public. As a collector and supporter of the arts from an early age, Ronnie Kaplansky provides us with a glimpse into the collector’s process with his discerning eye and enthusiastic spirit coming together in a collection displaying the wonder of a life spent fixed on art’s endless horizon. Nearly sixty years of accumulation driven by an emotional and aesthetic response to each work, Kaplansky presents a unique dialogue between artists and viewer.

The catalogue for this exhibition was inspired by a notebook. Since the works in the exhibition were on the smaller side, we embraced the size and made a more intimate book that requires the reader to more closely engage with each work. In “thinking small” (the final book is 5″ x 7″) we were able to afford more pages, with 140 in total, thereby allowing works to have single spreads and more breathing room. The design of the catalogue follows the exhibition groupings as one moves around the gallery space and includes essays by each curator. Within the book the colours draw on the lead image’s blue tones (a painting by Kaplansky) as well as the light yellow wall that was in the living room of the collector’s home. Printed by Sonic Print Canada.

The design of the exhibition followed the branding set by the catalogue and uses the soft sky blue as reference point. A bold quote by the collector sets the stage as the viewer walks into the room. The viewer walks around the room and encounters groupings of works based on themes, artists and colours to create a narrative around the collection. A short film featuring an interview with collector Ronnie Kaplansky and gallery director Olinda Casimiro accompanies the exhibition.