Orillia Public Library has refreshed its Mezzanine Gallery through the 2025 Artful Makeover fundraiser, using repairs, fresh paint and a redesigned layout to feature key works from its permanent collection<\/p>\n
NEWS RELEASE
\nORILLIA PUBLIC LIBRARY
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\nA fresh look at some of Orillia Public Library\u2019s most treasured artworks is giving visitors a new opportunity to discover the stories behind the collection.<\/p>\n
The Library\u2019s 2025 Artful Makeover Fundraiser has brought new life to its Mezzanine Gallery, with repairs, fresh paint and a redesigned layout that puts several significant works of art in the spotlight. The project has also brought one major piece out of long-term storage and moved two others from less accessible spaces, allowing more members of the community to experience them.<\/p>\n
Among the newly featured works is Totem Pole with Indian Surmount, created by Anishinaabe artist Arthur Shilling when he was just 19 years old. Purchased by the Library in 1960, the totem was previously displayed in the Family Department alongside its companion piece, Totem Pole with Thunderbird Surmount.<\/p>\n
As part of the makeover, the Library consulted with the Shilling family about moving one of the totems to the Mezzanine Gallery, where it can be seen by a wider audience and incorporated into educational art tours. The second totem remains in the Family Department, where it continues to introduce children to Shilling\u2019s work and his passion for inspiring young artists.<\/p>\n
At the family\u2019s encouragement, Mark Douglas, Elder and Knowledge Keeper from Chippewas of Rama First Nation, performed an awakening ceremony before the relocation, honouring the cultural practice of letting the spirits of the poles know they are safe and being moved with care.<\/p>\n
The makeover also reunites two works by one of Orillia\u2019s most celebrated artists. The Library is home to two paintings by internationally renowned artist Franklin Carmichael, a founding member of the Group of Seven who was born in Orillia.<\/p>\n
His piece A Northern Village has long been one of the most popular and frequently sought-out works in the Library\u2019s collection. His second piece, La Cloche Mountains, is a delicate watercolor that was previously displayed in the Local History Room.<\/p>\n
Now displayed together in the Mezzanine Gallery, the two paintings offer visitors a chance to see a broader range of Carmichael\u2019s work, including his use of different mediums and techniques.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the most striking addition is Kateri Tekakwitha (Lily of the Mohawks), a plaster relief by acclaimed Canadian sculptor Elizabeth Wyn Wood. Born on Cedar Island, Wyn Wood was a modernist pioneer, educator, founding member of the Sculptors Society of Canada and an advocate for what would become the Canada Arts Council.<\/p>\n
The work depicts Kateri Tekakwitha, the 17th-century Mohawk woman whose faith and resilience led to her canonization in 2012 as the first Indigenous North American saint. Longtime Orillia residents may remember the sculpture from the Library\u2019s former Carnegie building, making its return to prominence a particularly meaningful one.<\/p>\n
The Artful Makeover is about more than giving a gallery wall a fresh coat of paint. It represents a renewed commitment to preserving and sharing Orillia\u2019s artistic heritage, while recognizing the artists, families and cultural knowledge keepers who have helped shape the Library\u2019s collection.<\/p>\n
New signage is being developed, along with an updated self-guided art tour. The Library is also inviting the community to discover the collection in person during Culture Days 2026.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Sept. 24, Melissa Robertson will lead a guided tour of notable artworks from the Library\u2019s permanent art collection at 2 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. Both tours are open to everyone, with participants asked to meet in the Library Lobby and through the Library website<\/a>.\u00a0It\u2019s an opportunity to see the Library\u2019s collection with fresh eyes and to learn more about the artists, stories and cultural history represented on its walls.<\/p>\n The Library is grateful to the Browne\/Taylor family, including the five granddaughters whose dedication to preserving the legacy of Elizabeth Wyn Wood and Emanuel Hahn has helped make the project possible, as well as to the community members whose generosity continues to ensure that Orillia\u2019s artistic heritage can be preserved, explored and enjoyed by generations to come.<\/p>\n **************************<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Orillia Public Library has refreshed its Mezzanine Gallery through the 2025 Artful Makeover fundraiser, using repairs, fresh paint…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":629727,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[307,304,305,306,308,93,61,60,267343],"class_list":["post-629726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-orillia-public-library"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/629726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=629726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/629726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/629727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=629726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=629726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=629726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}