Memory, identity and resilience: Check out the spring exhibitions at The Image Centre
Come see Montreal photographer Clara Gutsche’s five decades of work documenting urban landscapes and intimate portraits. “Les Sœurs Clarisses, Valleyfield, 1991” is part of the exhibition. Courtesy of Clara Gutsche.
The Image Centre at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) is switching things up again this spring with a fresh lineup of free exhibitions starting May 7. If you haven't visited the gallery in a while, now's a good time to drop by.
The gallery will also be hosting a public reception to launch the season on May 7, 6 - 8 p.m. The event is free and no registration is required. Light refreshments and a cash bar will be available.
The centrepiece this spring in the main gallery is Scotiabank Photography Award: Clara Gutsche (external link) , featuring work from the Montréal photographer who's been capturing urban spaces and portraits since the 1970s. She has documented urban life across Canada, the U.S. and Western Europe—from parkscapes and shop windows to industrial ruins. Her staged portraits—set in convents, schools and family homes—explore identity, relationships and the passage of time. Spanning both black-and-white and colour photography, Gutsche’s images challenge documentary traditions, blending observation with deliberate composition.
Gutsche will also be at the IMC to give a free talk on May 8 at 7 p.m. Registration is required (external link) .
Explore the other upcoming shows at the IMC this season:
Alanis Obomsawin: Filmstrips. Educational Shorts from the NFB (1972/1975) (external link)
Legendary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin's early educational filmstrips document Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices while challenging colonial narratives. Alanis Obomsawin, Snowshoes, single channel video (still), 1972. © National Film Board of Canada
This exhibition features rarely seen educational shorts from the legendary filmmaker's early career.
Before becoming one of Canada's most important documentary voices, Obomsawin created these filmstrips for the National Film Board to bring Indigenous perspectives into classrooms.
Shot among the Líl'wat Nation in B.C. and the Atikamekw Nation in Quebec, these works quietly challenged colonial narratives while documenting traditional practices like canoe building and basket weaving.
Caroline Monnet: Creatura Dada (external link)
Blending Dada-inspired techniques with Indigenous perspectives, Caroline Monnet's Creatura Dada celebrates the strength and resilience of francophone Indigenous women. Caroline Monnet, Creatura Dada, single-channel video (still), 2016. Courtesy of the artist.
On the Salah J. Bachir New Media Wall, don't miss "Creatura Dada," where artist Caroline Monnet brings together six francophone Indigenous women—including legendary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin and Monnet herself—around a dining table.
Drawing from her dual Anishinaabe and French heritage, Monnet celebrates Indigenous resilience and womanhood. Taking cues from the early 20th century Dada movement, the film rejects conventional storytelling in favour of montage and assemblage. The exhibition is a testament to Monnet's unique ability to bridge cultural worlds through her multidisciplinary practice.
Something Old, Something New: The Wedding Photography Collection of Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash (external link)
This decade-spanning collection of wedding photographs reveals how this deeply personal genre reflects changing social norms and photographic techniques. Unidentified photographer, [Bride and groom], ca. 1985, dye diffusion transfer print (Polaroid). The Wedding Photography Collection of Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash, The Image Centre.
In the Student Gallery May 7 - June 7, "Something Old, Something New" explores wedding photography through a collection recently donated by Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash. Curated by TMU graduate students, this exhibition examines how these personal images have evolved across different eras and photographic techniques. The exhibition offers insights into changing customs and social attitudes through one of life's most photographed rituals.
Rebecca Wood: On Being Despised (external link)
Rebecca Wood pairs her grandmother's wartime photographs with Virginia Woolf's gardens to explore healing and transformation during times of crisis. Rebecca Wood, Book of Gynandromorphs, 2025. Inkjet on fabric. 72”x100.”
Following in the Student Gallery from June 18 - August 2, Rebecca Wood's On Being Despised layers her grandmother's wartime photographs with contemporary images of garden spaces connected to Virginia Woolf. Both women lived through bombing campaigns south of London, and Wood uses this connection to explore themes of war, gender and creative transformation. Through collage, she invites viewers to reflect on healing during times of crisis.
All exhibitions are free and open to the public.
For more information, or to learn more about the daily drop-in tours, visit The Image Centre website (external link) .