Margaret Rodgers is an artist, writer and curator. She was founder of The IRIS Group, taught at Durham and Centennial Colleges, and was Director/Curator at VAC Clarington. She is the author of Locating Alexandra (Toronto: ECW, 1995) about Painters Eleven artist Alexandra Luke, and is published in various journals. In 2015/16 she curated Crossing Borders, an exhibition exchange between BluSeed Studios, Saranac Lake NY and VAC Clarington. In 2017-18 she was Guest Curator for The Robert McLaughlin Gallery exhibition Legacies: Luke, McLaughlin, Donovan and MacGregor. She is an active member of The Women's Art Association of Canada and the Writers' Union of Canada.
On Paper 2024 at Grimsby Public Art Gallery
accepted these two pieces for their juried show. Alas I can't get them there in time so I have withdrawn them.
WOOHOO!!
Images from this show are published in Hole In The Head no. 5 issue 3 .
a
HOLE IN THE
HEAD re:VIEW
quarterly journal of art, photography, & poetry
a
HOLE IN THE
HEAD re:VIEW
quarterly journal of art, photography, & poetry
Misses, Lasses, & Sheilas
Reception: Saturday, May 25, 1 – 4 pm
Solar printing is a seasonal exercise during those months when direct sunlight pours into the skylight in my attic studio. My practice is to print various images on heritage linens, embroidered with phenomenal skill predominantly by women. One can imagine the hours of quiet solitude with needlework a respite from housework, or a defense against boredom. A ladylike pastime. Thinking about this delicate work and reviewing my bank of 2023 solar prints, I decided to make the show an entirely gendered affair. From my recent cache, I have pulled out a decidedly girlish collection. Source images for manipulated negatives include family pictures and my drawings and photographs.
Reception: Saturday, May 25, 1 – 4 pm
Solar printing is a seasonal exercise during those months when direct sunlight pours into the skylight in my attic studio. My practice is to print various images on heritage linens, embroidered with phenomenal skill predominantly by women. One can imagine the hours of quiet solitude with needlework a respite from housework, or a defense against boredom. A ladylike pastime. Thinking about this delicate work and reviewing my bank of 2023 solar prints, I decided to make the show an entirely gendered affair. From my recent cache, I have pulled out a decidedly girlish collection. Source images for manipulated negatives include family pictures and my drawings and photographs.
Click images for purchase info
woohoo!
FEELING LUCKY
to see my final chapter from MAPLE PARK published in
Horseshoe Literary Magazine
and still
November 9, 7 - 8 P.M
Alexandra Luke: Life and Art
Lecture by Margaret Rodgers
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa
In celebration of International Women's Day, author Margaret Rodgers read from "Maple Park" - a coming-of-age chronicle about her life in a 1950s subdivision. Artwork and original photographs will accompany the reading.
This event is made possible due to the financial assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts through The Writers’ Union of Canada.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Central Library - Meeting Room 1
This event is made possible due to the financial assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts through The Writers’ Union of Canada.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Central Library - Meeting Room 1
Professional Artist Award June 2022
The Oshawa Culture Counts Professional Artist Award recipient is Oshawa artist Margaret Rodgers. The award recognizes an established artist of any arts discipline who has demonstrated creativity, originality, professional maturity and artistic leadership in the community.
has awarded me a Professional Development grant for my Maple Park Series. I am pleased to be working with Ruth Walker who is helping me realize the manuscript.
Three Maples
Neath the spreading maple tree was the theme song for our hut at camp
Spreading across the back yard are three from neighbours’ yards
All are invaders, weed trees that have been forbidden, even banned in some places
but they prevail. The Norway Maple, once a municipal darling because it was hardy, fast growing, disease resistant, easy. Now they’re everywhere, leather umbrellas that cool on impossible July days, stain the sidewalks, but, unlike their cousins, do not die back to gorgeous red come October. The other two are Manitoba Maples--spreaders, invaders, monster weeds that migrate over fences into our sky space. Light blocked on both sides, when
each spring
flowering
plants
light
hungry
push
their leaves
and stems
through
earth
to race
the maples
Full of leafy optimism, they are. But the trees win. Tiny flower buds fall off, starved for light.
Maples
not gardens
prevail
.
READ ONLINE
Sunshine Review ISSUE 3
Ironing Out the Pandemic,
and Wonder
