Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Ontario Society of Artists!

2022 marks the Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) – Canada’s oldest continuously operating professional art society, founded in 1872.

The OSA’s fascinating history is tied to both art education and provincial galleries, including the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD U), the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), and the Government of Ontario Art Collection.

In celebration of this milestone, Society members donated their artworks to the Government of Ontario Art Collection. This addition of 28 contemporary artworks with diverse styles and subject matter complements the almost 200 works by both historical and contemporary Society artists already in the Collection.

To celebrate this anniversary year, explore the following resources and links:

• For information on anniversary calls for artists, exhibitions, and publications, visit the Ontario Society of Artists’ website.

• Learn about the Ontario Society of Artists through the Archives of Ontario:

• Updated online exhibit on The Ontario Society of Artists and the Government of Ontario Art Collection

• Photographs of artists affiliated with the Ontario Society of Artists on Wikimedia Commons

• Photographs of artists affiliated with the Ontario Society of Artists on Wikimedia Commons

• F 1066-1 Files on C.W. Jefferys

• F 1140 Ontario Society of Artists fonds

• F 2154 Cleeve Horne fonds

• F 4603 Ian Trowell fonds

For more information about donations to the Government of Ontario Art Collection, please visit our donations page. The Ontario Society of Artists continues to welcome new members.  

Banner image above features (at left) the Ontario Society of Artists’ historical logo, and (at right) the logo designed by member Pat Dumas-Hudecki to celebrate the 150th anniversary. The translucent colours represent many diverse talents coming together, and the overlapping letters emphasize the Society’s connections and collaborations.