Holding Patterns: the long view
A Look Inside the McIntosh Gallery Collection
Curated by Rachel Deiterding
September 25 — December 6, 2025
Jamie Q, The Possibilities are Endless, 2012, 6-colour screen print. Purchase, Saward Memorial Fund, 2012. Collection of McIntosh Gallery, Western University.
Opening Reception
Thursday, September 25, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Remarks at 5:45 pm
Free | Open to the Public
Holding Patterns: the long view examines the McIntosh Gallery collection through the lens of collection data, the information that is recorded to describe, organize, and preserve knowledge about each artwork. This information underpins everything we know about the collection, framing our understanding of individual artworks and the collection as a whole.
Tracing the pathways laid by the data, the selected artworks present a proportionally accurate overview of the 4,350 artworks in the gallery’s care. They make visible trends in collecting activity, artistic approaches, and how information has been categorized to offer insights into the collection’s purpose and its evolving priorities.
Among the many stories the data tells is a century-long history of collecting, the who, what, when of the collection since its inception in the 1920s. Yet data is not neutral. Equally present are the stories that are missing from the data, the gaps and inconsistencies that leave us with more questions than answers, shaping what we ask next.
This year the gallery began conducting a major collections audit and review. Looking closely at our collections data has positioned this data as both a historical and a future-oriented tool, allowing us to better understand the history of the collection and set priorities for its future. This exhibition invites visitors into this process, sharing some of the discoveries that a data-focused approach has brought to light. The culmination of this work will help guide how we collect, care for, and interpret the collection in the years to come.
Featured artists: Kenojuak Ashevak, Eric Atkinson, Carl Beam, Micheline Beauchemin, Ron Benner, Michael Bidner, Rudolf Bikkers, David Blackwood, Charles John Collings, William Nichol Cresswell, Greg Curnoe, Geraldine Davis, Michael Durham, Brian Fisher, Robert Fones, Annie French, Paddy Gunn O'Brien, Wyn Geleynse, Jamelie Hassan, Thomas Hodgson, Walter Jule, Brian Jones, Antje Laidler, Suzy Lake, Stanley Lewis, Arther Lismer, Stephen Livick, Kenneth Lochhead, Ron Martin, Clark McDougall, Ray Mead, David Milne, Kim Moodie, Shelley Niro, Kim Ondaatje, Gerald Pedros, Jamie Q, Angie Quick, Gillian Saward, Becky Singleton, Gordon Appelbe Smith, Michael Snow, Jamasie Teevee, Ningiukulu Teevee, Colette Urban, Aidan Urquhart, Tony Urquhart, Victor Vasarely, Eddy Weetalukektak, Joyce Wieland, Jeff Willmore, and Tim Whiten.
The Connecting to Collections project is generously supported by Catherine Elliot Shaw.
Related Programming:
Let's Talk Collections: Where Art and Data Intersect | October 16
Thursday, October 16, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
McIntosh Gallery
Get an inside look at the McIntosh Gallery collection in this curator-led exhibition tour of Holding Patterns: the long view.
The tour will explore collections data as a tool for understanding the history of museum and gallery collections. Participants will be immersed in surprising details and puzzling challenges that emerged through the development of this exhibition.
Following the tour, the conversation will transition to an open discussion about the future of the collection.
Free | Open to the public
Mindful Mondays | September 29, October 20, November 17
Monday, September 29, 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm, facilitated by Benjamin Tran
Monday, October 20, 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm, facilitated by Kerri Murphy Phillips
Monday, November 17, 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm, facilitated by Benjamin Tran
McIntosh Gallery
Art inspires calm. Slow down, relax, and reconnect with yourself in this guided mindfulness experience.
Sometimes art can seem intimidating, but there are many different ways in. This session will encourage participants to look deeply, engage multiple senses, and explore new perspectives. Discover the power of art and mindfulness as tools to reduce stress and encourage connection.
Hosted monthly, we invite you to return month after month to experience the many ways that art can support personal wellness.
Free | Open to the public
About the Facilitators:
Benjamin Tran (also known as Benji Nova) (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist and mindfulness teacher from London, Ontario. He is known for his surrealist and experimental contemporary art style, which delves into themes of consciousness and self-discovery. His art is expressed through a variety of media, including mixed-media paintings, murals, pyrography, and photography.
He obtained an M.Sc. in Health & Rehabilitation Sciences from Western University, with a thesis focused on the topic of mindfulness. As a certified facilitator of the Mindfulness Ambassador Program, he uses art and the creative process as a vessel to teach/practice mindfulness. He has taught in many settings and has worked with the London Arts Council to deliver workshops and performances to his community.
Benjamin believes in the transformative power of the creative process and its ability to promote emotional, physical, and spiritual health.
Kerri Murphy Phillips (they/them) is a therapist and movement facilitator passionate about creating spaces where students can slow down, reconnect, and find balance through mindfulness and embodied practices. Their background as a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist, alongside over 800 hours of Yoga and meditation training, informs their holistic approach to wellness. Kerri specializes in using meditation, breathwork, and movement-based practices to support emotional regulation, reduce stress, and cultivate self-awareness.
With experience working with youth and young adults, Kerri understands the unique pressures students face and the importance of spaces for rest and restoration. Their facilitation style emphasizes curiosity, compassion, and presence—inviting participants to explore meditation and movement as tools for grounding, creativity, and self-expression.
Through Mindful Mondays, Kerri hopes to offer practical skills and a nurturing space to pause, recharge, and reconnect.
Into the Vault: Building Collections Management Skills | October 8
Into the Vault: Building Collections Management Skills
Curious about working in museums? Come build knowledge, skills, and confidence to take into your career!
In this series of three FREE interactive professional development workshops, gain hands-on experience working with museum collections. Practice object handling, condition reporting, and cataloguing in Past Perfect. No past experience required!
Condition Reporting
Wednesday, October 8, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
McIntosh Gallery
Have you ever dreamed of getting up close with museum objects? This workshop will guide students through how to conduct a professional condition report. Condition reporting is an essential skill for anyone interested in working in the museum and heritage sector. No past experience required!
Cataloguing and Digital Collections Management Systems
Wednesday, October 22, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
VAC 135 (John Labatt Visual Arts Centre)
This hands-on workshop will teach participants how to use museum-grade digital collections management systems like PastPerfect. Get an introduction to museum data and create your own museum catalogue record. No past experience required!
Object Handling and Collections Q&A
Wednesday, November 19, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
McIntosh Gallery
Join us to learn about best practices for handling a variety of museum objects. Participants will get practical experience handling artworks from the McIntosh Gallery collection and historical objects from other special collections found across the University.
The workshop will be followed by a conversation with Western alumni Rachel Deiterding, Curator of Collections and Special Projects at McIntosh Gallery, and Natalie Scola, PhD Candidate in Art History and Visual Culture, who will answer all your questions about working with museum collections over tea and snacks.
Registration required due to capacity limitations: Click here to register
If possible, we encourage participants to register for all three workshops. The workshops are designed to be experienced in series.
Free | Open to the public
Western University students who attend all three workshops in this series and complete the workshop assignment are eligible to receive credit on their Western Co-Curricular Record. WCCR allows you to showcase your experiences and share your professional skills with future employers.
About the Facilitators:
Rachel Deiterding is a curator, writer, and researcher working as the Curator of Collections and Special Projects at McIntosh Gallery, Western University. She has worked with a variety of collections, including at the Goldfarb Gallery (formerly Art Gallery of York University), the Doris McCarthy Gallery, and the MacLaren Art Centre. She completed her undergraduate work in Art History and Museum Studies at Western University and the University of Leeds. She holds a Master’s of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto, where her research focused on how museum professionals have approached decolonizing in small and medium-sized public art institutions.
Natalie Scola is a PhD Candidate in Art History and Visual Culture at Western University, researching the aesthetic development of 19th-century seed catalogues and the intersection of horticulture, botanical art, and environmentalism. She holds a Master’s in Museum Studies from the University of Toronto, and has worked in a variety of museums, archives and galleries in Ontario. She also teaches Canadian Art at Fanshawe College. When not at school, Natalie spends her time caring for an ever-growing collection of houseplants and visiting lots of museums!
The Connecting to Collections project is generously supported by Catherine Elliot Shaw.
