Organization of Kingston Women Artists - OKWA

03/26/2026

JUST 1.5 MORE days to catch our “Flight” group exhibition featuring multiple artists from our Organization of Kingston Women Artists. It is a wonderful and fascinating show, if we do say so ourselves! Throughout the run of the show, we held artist talks and an exciting opening reception. Both events had great attendance and engagement!

Again, we extend our gratitude to our curator, Heather Savage. Here are some of Heather’s words from our opening reception, in thanking the artists who shared at our artist talks:

“… one of our (St. Lawrence College fine arts program) students reflected on how valuable it was to hear professional artists speak candidly about inspiration and decision-making, about technical struggles, and how they worked through them, and about how things do not always go as planned. She spoke about the encouragement that comes from seeing ongoing learning in real time: artists taking risks with traditional media, being open about challenges and engaging in constructive dialogue when an audience question sparked idea exchange. She also noted how powerful it was to hear an artist to speak about a mentorship experience and the role it played and developing her process”

This is such a clear reminder of the importance of sharing ideas and experiences, of art education, art programs in higher education, community artist organizations and the fundamental roles that art and creativity play in our society. Let’s not forget it!

03/12/2026

An exciting group show coming up featuring 2 of our OKWA artists in the newly updated Works gallery in Kingston! You won’t want to miss it…

Every two weeks, four artists — Patti Groome, Michèle LaRose, Bob Young, and Michael Flahault — gather to share new work and the quiet discipline of critique. The setting is informal: canvases leaned against walls, the scent of paint in the air, talk that begins softly and deepens with trust.

Each artist brings a distinct vision shaped by years of practice beyond the studio. Patti’s paintings move through layered colour, form, and emotion. Michele’s abstractions open into atmosphere and rhythm. Bob works with precision and restraint, contrasting squares and rectangles against trees and leaves. Michael paints from memory, where image and feeling intersect.

No theme binds them, and no style dominates. Their meetings are less about agreement than exploration — a space where abstraction, still life, and recollection meet without boundary. The conversation is honest and searching; they question what painting can still say, and how it continues to change them.

Through this ongoing exchange, they form a quiet fellowship. The work evolves, the dialogue endures — four artists in conversation, sustained by the act of seeing and by the courage to keep showing what they find.

Frameworks is pleased to be sharing the work of the collective again this year, following their successful exhibition ‘Connections’ hosted in October 2024.

Join us for the opening reception on March 14th from 5-8pm at Kingston Frameworks (673 Innovation Drive) to meet the artists, see their new pieces and enjoy light refreshments. The show is open from March 9th until the 31st.

03/07/2026

The OKWA Exhibition “Flight” is hanging and will have its opening exhibition today, Saturday, March 7 from 1 to 3 PM!
Here are some pictures from our artist talks last week. Stay tuned for more footage! Very interesting and engaging talks, indeed!
This show is accessible and free and will be hanging until March 27. Hope you have a chance to enjoy it in person. Thank you to all the artists for participating and helping to organize . Also thanks to Heather Savage, for curating and installing the exhibition and for hosting these wonderful events!

02/16/2026

We spy some artists at the For the Love of Minis show…including some pieces still left by






if you’ve run out of things to do on Family Day, the show is open till 4:00– and super fun. So much to see at the !!

02/06/2026

Our next OKWA Artist Talk is next Tuesday, February 10th at the . This event is open to the public, so if you feel like getting out for some good conversation, interesting insights and good pub food, please join us! The talk will begin at 6:30 PM. Come early if you would like to eat or grab a drink. Here is a description of the topic for this talk:

The Collective Sessions

Critique sessions can strike terror into the heart of artists. But this need not be so! We are a group of four artists who have been meeting bi-weekly since early 2024. We have had one exhibition together so far with another planned for March 2026. In this presentation, we will tell you about our approach, which involves in-depth critique and lively debate about our work in progress. Although we have quite different styles and methods of working, we have found common ground that supports each of us along our art journey. If you are seeking art comradeship and meaningful feedback to help advance your work, hearing about our experience may provide you with a way forward. Each artist will give a short presentation on what they get out of these sessions and show a few samples of their work. We will then open the floor to discussion.

Speakers: Michael Flahault + Patti Groome + Michèle LaRose + Bob Young

🖼️=Smoky Sky
24”x24”
Bob Young

02/04/2026

Some of our talented OKWA members will be taking part in the “For the Love of Minis” show at the Tett Centre. Feb. 13 -16, 2026. Show is in person and online. With 80 artists in total, there’s sure to be something you 💗 !!!

01/20/2026

Never a bad idea to keep up with what is happening in your community!

Want to keep up with City Council but can’t make it to meetings, whether in person or virtual? Tune into Council Catch-up with Mayor Paterson every Wednesday...

01/15/2026

The Organization of Kingston Women Artists is excited to announce that “Flight” will be opening February 2nd 2026 at the Marianne van Silfhout Gallery at the St. Lawrence College Brockville campus.
This show has been in the works for some time and features pieces from over 30 of our artists working in many different visual arts media.
Please join us for an in-person reception on March 7th 1-3pm.
More details and gallery hours at the link in bio.
Show runs until March 27.
Hope to see you there!

1. Poster image: Sylvat Aziz
2.
3.
4. .studio
5.
6.
7.
8. Julie Withrow

Other participating artists:


Martine Bresson
Wendy Cain

derby011



Maya Jagger

Sue Lyon

Lise Melhorn-Boe

Nancy Paul

vanasperensculpture


Linda Williams

11/23/2025

Happening today! Open studio to see the work of artist .milne.984
Nov. 23, 1-4 pm
Another lovely art activity on a Sunday after in Kingston!

11/17/2025

Come join us for Michelle Reid’s artist talk at the Grad Club, 6:30 on Tuesday November 18th. She will be talking about
being invited to the Silk Road: International Artists’ Rendezvous in China. It’s sure to be an interesting and inspiring story.

11/16/2025

It’s that time of year again for -Organization of Kingston Women Artists, to get together for our Annual General Meeting. This will be held over Zoom on
Monday, November 17, 7 PM EST.
if you did not get the Zoom link for the meeting by email, please send us a message and we will send it to you directly. Hope you can join us for all —or even part of the meeting. It’s a chance to say hi and recap some of the shows and happenings from the last year. Also you can learn what else the board has been up to and talk about what’s ahead in 2026. See you there!