Curriculum Vitae
RICHARD MONGIAT
http://ccca.concordia.ca/artists/artist_info.html?languagePref=en&link_id=5233&artist=Richard+Mongiat
Professional Summary
Richard Mongiat has been exhibiting his paintings and assemblages in public, commercial and artist collective galleries across Canada since 1984. Mongiat has curated an exhibition at the Doris McCarthy Gallery/University of Toronto as well as founding the Collectives From*A*Pit and Loop Gallery. Mongiat has initiated and assisted fellow artists on community art projects throughout his neighbourhood.
Projects
Producer/Director - Collective City 2012-present
Producing and directing (with David Sylvestre) a series of digital documentary films titled Collective City. This is an online video history of Toronto Artist Collective/Initiative exhibitions and Galleries from 1988-present. 10 films have been completed so far with more to come. Each short film represents the exhibitions of a collective/initiative working outside of the established art system at the time and shaping the Toronto art scene as we know it today. The films will be housed on The Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art website (ccca.concordia.ca) and OCAD University.
Curator - Doris McCarthy Gallery Feburary, 2012
University of Toronto, Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4
Invited by The Doris McCarthy Gallery to create The "C" Word - a look at the role of craft in contemporary art – an exhibition of 18 artists working in paint, print, sculpture and installation. Also produced a accompanying video for the exhibition with interviews of each of the artists discussing the role that "craft" plays in their practice. In addition, Produced a catalogue of the exhibition, providing an essay and commissioned two additional essays from the artist Shelley Adler and the writer/Canadian Art editor Richard Rhodes.
Nuit Blanche Legacy Project Mural 2011
Wallace Ave. Pedestrian Bridge, Toronto, On.
Commissioned by the City of Toronto to paint a "legacy" mural on the base of the foot bridge to commemorate his Nuit Blanche project of the previous year.
Rail of Light - Nuit Blanche Independent Project 2010
Wallace Ave. Pedestrian Bridge, Toronto, On.
Working with a local community group and local artists to create 4 large chandeliers on a pedestrian foot bridge in his west Toronto neighbourhood. Using only Christmas lights, the chandeliers could be witnessed for miles up and down the tracks. The project was to alert and inform the nearby residents of the government’s plan to drastically increase diesel train traffic on local neighbourhood rail lines and to promote the benefits of electrification instead.
The Underpass Project - Parts 1 & 2. 2008-2009
Culture Works, Bloor St. & Lansdowne Ave. Toronto, On.
Painted two 400ft. murals on both the north and south sides of the underpass along Bloor St. West in Toronto. These murals were an experiment in using the whole architectural space of the underpass with special sensitivity to its surfaces. The idea was to create a walkway of visually quiet contemplation (using only black, white and grey) to counterbalance the noisy thoroughfare at it's side.
See My Friends - Book project 2010-2011
Created a series of 20 full body portraits of the fellow artists (painters, writers, set designers, curators) working around him. These portraits were done on brown craft paper in charcoal and measured 2 ½ ft. wide by 5 ft. high. Designed and printed a limited edition book of the portraits. In an essay accompanying the drawings, Mongiat discusses the idea of how we see – or don’t see - ourselves and the people around us.
Loop Gallery 2000
1273 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, M6J 1X8
Founded artist collective gallery Loop in 2000 (with Catherine Beaudette). The idea behind the origins of Loop was to give artists control over their careers, artistic output and direction of the gallery. All the artists were involved in every aspect of the running of the gallery. Exhibitions could help artists find commercial representation or allow artists to exhibit work that may not have any commercial appeal. Loop, now entering its 15th year has garnered many reviews and much critical attention with the many accomplished artists exhibiting in its space.
Artist/Curator - From*A*Pit Artist's Collective 1994-1997
Founded the artists collective From*A*Pit (with David Sylvestre and Krys Verral) which corralled 17 painters for it's inaugural exhibition “True to Form” at the Dufferin Mall (Toronto, On.) in 1995. Transforming a four thousand square foot vacated Imperial Bank of Commerce into a professional gallery, "True to Form" had over 3000 visitors view the exhibition. In 1997 Mongiat co-curated “Pop-eye” (9 Painters and a Magazine) at College Park (Toronto, On.). This exhibition consisted of an exhibition of paintings (by the 9 invited artists) and a magazine (put together and printed by us). The collective asked each artist to contribute to this magazine, using any means desired, to describe their creative processes.
Display - "Drama and Desire" 2010
The Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M5T 1G4
Painted theatrical flats (designed by artist and set designer Gerard Gauci) to be used for the entrance to the Drama and Desire exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Also responsible for training 2 members of the AGO’s staff in the art of theatrical scene painting.
Art Restoration - Port Hope Ontario 1996
Mongiat (along with artist Bill Chesney) restored the historical murals in the Capital Theatre in Port Hope Ontario. The murals were painted in the 1920’s. Worked with an historical conservationist to repair and replace parts of the mural with special attention paid to preserving its original designs, colouration and paint applications.
Artist Exhibitions
Under The Radar, Group Exhibition, Dupont Rail, Toronto, On. 2020
Collective City film screening, MOCA, Toronto, On. 2019
Ontario Scociety of Artists 146th Annual Juried Exhibition, Aird Gallery, Toronto, On. 2019
Memories Architect, b contemporary gallery, Hamilton On. 2016
Sweet Sixteen, Loop Gallery 16th Anniversary Group Exhibition, Toronto, On. 2016
Drawing 2015: 16th Annual Juried Exhibition Aird Gallery, Toronto, On. 2015
60 Painters, Group Exhibition, Humber College Arts & Media Studios, Toronto, On. 2011. (survey ofToronto painting).
Local Call, Group Exhibition, Telephone Booth Gallery, Toronto, On. 2011
How Things Work Underwater, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2009
Weeds & Wildflowers, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2007
Field Studies, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2006
Richard Mongiat/New Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2005
Abstractions, Group Exhibition, (curated by Flavio Belli) Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, Toronto, On. 2004
Giddy, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2003
Open Sea, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2001
Lips and Ass, Recent Paintings, Hamilton Artists Inc. Hamilton, On. 2000
The Trash Bin of History, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2000
Richard Mongiat/Charles Taylor, Recent Works, Art Gallery of Peel, Brampton, On. 1998
The Mantle Project - Paintings, Chapters Bookstore, Toronto, On. 1998
Determining Silence, Dead Industry Collective, 19 Charlotte St. & The Tree House Gallery, Toronto, On. 1997
Entre Chein Et Loup, Paintings, Annex Art Centre, Toronto, On. 1994
Richard Mongiat/Lanny Shereck, Recent Work, Hammer Gallery, Hamilton, On. 1993
On The Level, Works on Paper, Annex Art Gallery, Toronto, On. 1991
Dwelling, Group Exhibition (curated by Donald Brackett), Neo Faber Gallery, Toronto, On. 1990
Street Talk, An Exhibition of Street Posters, A Space, Toronto, On. 1989
The Assembly Line, Assemblages, The Art Gallery of Northumberland, Coburg, On. 1989
Richard Mongiat, Recent Work, Brampton Public Library and Art Gallery 1988
Recent Work, The Art Gallery of Northumberland, Coburg, On. 1987
Richard Mongiat/Recent Work, Rodman Hall for the Arts, St. Catherines, On. 1987
Richard Mongiat, Recent Work, Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto, On. 1986
CKOC's Arts Hamilton Annual Juried Exhibition, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, On. 1984
Annual Juried Exhibition, Rodman Hall for the Arts, St. Catherines, On. 1984
Graphic Drawing and Print Show, Art Gallery of Brantford (National Touring Exhibition) 1984 -1987
Education
GED: The Special Arts Program, Central Technical School - Toronto, On. 1979-1982
Bibliography
Matt Galloway, Metro Morning, CBC Radio, Toronto's “Other” Art Scene interview Dec. 10, 2014
Miriam Nadar, The “C” Word: Readymades Need Not Apply, March 8, 2012, (See more at: Canadian Art online).
Doris McCarthy Gallery, The “C” Word Exhibition Catalogue, 2012
Scott Sawtell, 60 Painters, Exhibition Catalogue, 2012
Richard Mongiat, See My Friends (a book of drawings), Blurb Books, 2012
The Underpass Project, Bloor Magazine, Issue #1, 2010
Sherry Smithers, Artist profile – Centre of the City Magazine, Sept./Oct. issue, 2008
Leah Sandels, At the Galleries – Why Lansdowne is on the Up and Up, The National Post, June 2008
Gary Michael Dault, Gallery Going, The Globe and Mail, January 2008
Jennifer Febbraro, The Absrtact Form, Corriere Canadese, Feburary 2004
Best Bets, Now magazine, March 2001
Michael Rappaport, Bringing Art to the People, The Varsity,November 1997
John Bentley Mays, Two Shows that Show the Unshowable, The Globe and Mail, September 1995
Virginia MacDonnell, Taking the Institution out of Art, Art Focus, Winter Issue 1995
Donald O'Connor, Mongiat's work examines the fears and frailties behind composed adult facades, The Strastford Beacon Hearld, March 1993
Christopher Hume, Impressive Artist finds his sea legs with boat paintings and witty text, The Toronto Star, August 1991
Kate Taylor, Art About, The Globe and Mail, August 1991
Diedre Hanna, Best Bets, Now Magazine, August 1991
Donald Brackett, Dwelling, Ontario Craft, Spring Issue 1991
Christopher Hume, Artist's without galleries throw Round Up blow out, The Toronto Star, September 1990
Robert Muller, Mongiat adds humor to "profound" work, The Brampton Times, 1988
Jules Xavier, Artist's realism is quite different, Guardian, Feburary 1988
Jules Xavier, For the love of Art, Guardian, Feburary 1988
Christopher Creighton, Humor, energy evident in Mongiat's work, Cobourg Daily Star, September 1987
Grants & Awards
2014 Toronto Arts Council – Media Arts Grant
1997 Ontario Arts Council – Special Projects grant
1995 Metropolitan Toronto – Cultural Presentation grant
1993 Ontario Arts Council – Exhibition Assistance grant
http://ccca.concordia.ca/artists/artist_info.html?languagePref=en&link_id=5233&artist=Richard+Mongiat
Professional Summary
Richard Mongiat has been exhibiting his paintings and assemblages in public, commercial and artist collective galleries across Canada since 1984. Mongiat has curated an exhibition at the Doris McCarthy Gallery/University of Toronto as well as founding the Collectives From*A*Pit and Loop Gallery. Mongiat has initiated and assisted fellow artists on community art projects throughout his neighbourhood.
Projects
Producer/Director - Collective City 2012-present
Producing and directing (with David Sylvestre) a series of digital documentary films titled Collective City. This is an online video history of Toronto Artist Collective/Initiative exhibitions and Galleries from 1988-present. 10 films have been completed so far with more to come. Each short film represents the exhibitions of a collective/initiative working outside of the established art system at the time and shaping the Toronto art scene as we know it today. The films will be housed on The Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art website (ccca.concordia.ca) and OCAD University.
Curator - Doris McCarthy Gallery Feburary, 2012
University of Toronto, Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4
Invited by The Doris McCarthy Gallery to create The "C" Word - a look at the role of craft in contemporary art – an exhibition of 18 artists working in paint, print, sculpture and installation. Also produced a accompanying video for the exhibition with interviews of each of the artists discussing the role that "craft" plays in their practice. In addition, Produced a catalogue of the exhibition, providing an essay and commissioned two additional essays from the artist Shelley Adler and the writer/Canadian Art editor Richard Rhodes.
Nuit Blanche Legacy Project Mural 2011
Wallace Ave. Pedestrian Bridge, Toronto, On.
Commissioned by the City of Toronto to paint a "legacy" mural on the base of the foot bridge to commemorate his Nuit Blanche project of the previous year.
Rail of Light - Nuit Blanche Independent Project 2010
Wallace Ave. Pedestrian Bridge, Toronto, On.
Working with a local community group and local artists to create 4 large chandeliers on a pedestrian foot bridge in his west Toronto neighbourhood. Using only Christmas lights, the chandeliers could be witnessed for miles up and down the tracks. The project was to alert and inform the nearby residents of the government’s plan to drastically increase diesel train traffic on local neighbourhood rail lines and to promote the benefits of electrification instead.
The Underpass Project - Parts 1 & 2. 2008-2009
Culture Works, Bloor St. & Lansdowne Ave. Toronto, On.
Painted two 400ft. murals on both the north and south sides of the underpass along Bloor St. West in Toronto. These murals were an experiment in using the whole architectural space of the underpass with special sensitivity to its surfaces. The idea was to create a walkway of visually quiet contemplation (using only black, white and grey) to counterbalance the noisy thoroughfare at it's side.
See My Friends - Book project 2010-2011
Created a series of 20 full body portraits of the fellow artists (painters, writers, set designers, curators) working around him. These portraits were done on brown craft paper in charcoal and measured 2 ½ ft. wide by 5 ft. high. Designed and printed a limited edition book of the portraits. In an essay accompanying the drawings, Mongiat discusses the idea of how we see – or don’t see - ourselves and the people around us.
Loop Gallery 2000
1273 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, M6J 1X8
Founded artist collective gallery Loop in 2000 (with Catherine Beaudette). The idea behind the origins of Loop was to give artists control over their careers, artistic output and direction of the gallery. All the artists were involved in every aspect of the running of the gallery. Exhibitions could help artists find commercial representation or allow artists to exhibit work that may not have any commercial appeal. Loop, now entering its 15th year has garnered many reviews and much critical attention with the many accomplished artists exhibiting in its space.
Artist/Curator - From*A*Pit Artist's Collective 1994-1997
Founded the artists collective From*A*Pit (with David Sylvestre and Krys Verral) which corralled 17 painters for it's inaugural exhibition “True to Form” at the Dufferin Mall (Toronto, On.) in 1995. Transforming a four thousand square foot vacated Imperial Bank of Commerce into a professional gallery, "True to Form" had over 3000 visitors view the exhibition. In 1997 Mongiat co-curated “Pop-eye” (9 Painters and a Magazine) at College Park (Toronto, On.). This exhibition consisted of an exhibition of paintings (by the 9 invited artists) and a magazine (put together and printed by us). The collective asked each artist to contribute to this magazine, using any means desired, to describe their creative processes.
Display - "Drama and Desire" 2010
The Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M5T 1G4
Painted theatrical flats (designed by artist and set designer Gerard Gauci) to be used for the entrance to the Drama and Desire exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Also responsible for training 2 members of the AGO’s staff in the art of theatrical scene painting.
Art Restoration - Port Hope Ontario 1996
Mongiat (along with artist Bill Chesney) restored the historical murals in the Capital Theatre in Port Hope Ontario. The murals were painted in the 1920’s. Worked with an historical conservationist to repair and replace parts of the mural with special attention paid to preserving its original designs, colouration and paint applications.
Artist Exhibitions
Under The Radar, Group Exhibition, Dupont Rail, Toronto, On. 2020
Collective City film screening, MOCA, Toronto, On. 2019
Ontario Scociety of Artists 146th Annual Juried Exhibition, Aird Gallery, Toronto, On. 2019
Memories Architect, b contemporary gallery, Hamilton On. 2016
Sweet Sixteen, Loop Gallery 16th Anniversary Group Exhibition, Toronto, On. 2016
Drawing 2015: 16th Annual Juried Exhibition Aird Gallery, Toronto, On. 2015
60 Painters, Group Exhibition, Humber College Arts & Media Studios, Toronto, On. 2011. (survey ofToronto painting).
Local Call, Group Exhibition, Telephone Booth Gallery, Toronto, On. 2011
How Things Work Underwater, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2009
Weeds & Wildflowers, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2007
Field Studies, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2006
Richard Mongiat/New Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2005
Abstractions, Group Exhibition, (curated by Flavio Belli) Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, Toronto, On. 2004
Giddy, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2003
Open Sea, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2001
Lips and Ass, Recent Paintings, Hamilton Artists Inc. Hamilton, On. 2000
The Trash Bin of History, Paintings, Loop Gallery, Toronto, On. 2000
Richard Mongiat/Charles Taylor, Recent Works, Art Gallery of Peel, Brampton, On. 1998
The Mantle Project - Paintings, Chapters Bookstore, Toronto, On. 1998
Determining Silence, Dead Industry Collective, 19 Charlotte St. & The Tree House Gallery, Toronto, On. 1997
Entre Chein Et Loup, Paintings, Annex Art Centre, Toronto, On. 1994
Richard Mongiat/Lanny Shereck, Recent Work, Hammer Gallery, Hamilton, On. 1993
On The Level, Works on Paper, Annex Art Gallery, Toronto, On. 1991
Dwelling, Group Exhibition (curated by Donald Brackett), Neo Faber Gallery, Toronto, On. 1990
Street Talk, An Exhibition of Street Posters, A Space, Toronto, On. 1989
The Assembly Line, Assemblages, The Art Gallery of Northumberland, Coburg, On. 1989
Richard Mongiat, Recent Work, Brampton Public Library and Art Gallery 1988
Recent Work, The Art Gallery of Northumberland, Coburg, On. 1987
Richard Mongiat/Recent Work, Rodman Hall for the Arts, St. Catherines, On. 1987
Richard Mongiat, Recent Work, Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto, On. 1986
CKOC's Arts Hamilton Annual Juried Exhibition, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, On. 1984
Annual Juried Exhibition, Rodman Hall for the Arts, St. Catherines, On. 1984
Graphic Drawing and Print Show, Art Gallery of Brantford (National Touring Exhibition) 1984 -1987
Education
GED: The Special Arts Program, Central Technical School - Toronto, On. 1979-1982
Bibliography
Matt Galloway, Metro Morning, CBC Radio, Toronto's “Other” Art Scene interview Dec. 10, 2014
Miriam Nadar, The “C” Word: Readymades Need Not Apply, March 8, 2012, (See more at: Canadian Art online).
Doris McCarthy Gallery, The “C” Word Exhibition Catalogue, 2012
Scott Sawtell, 60 Painters, Exhibition Catalogue, 2012
Richard Mongiat, See My Friends (a book of drawings), Blurb Books, 2012
The Underpass Project, Bloor Magazine, Issue #1, 2010
Sherry Smithers, Artist profile – Centre of the City Magazine, Sept./Oct. issue, 2008
Leah Sandels, At the Galleries – Why Lansdowne is on the Up and Up, The National Post, June 2008
Gary Michael Dault, Gallery Going, The Globe and Mail, January 2008
Jennifer Febbraro, The Absrtact Form, Corriere Canadese, Feburary 2004
Best Bets, Now magazine, March 2001
Michael Rappaport, Bringing Art to the People, The Varsity,November 1997
John Bentley Mays, Two Shows that Show the Unshowable, The Globe and Mail, September 1995
Virginia MacDonnell, Taking the Institution out of Art, Art Focus, Winter Issue 1995
Donald O'Connor, Mongiat's work examines the fears and frailties behind composed adult facades, The Strastford Beacon Hearld, March 1993
Christopher Hume, Impressive Artist finds his sea legs with boat paintings and witty text, The Toronto Star, August 1991
Kate Taylor, Art About, The Globe and Mail, August 1991
Diedre Hanna, Best Bets, Now Magazine, August 1991
Donald Brackett, Dwelling, Ontario Craft, Spring Issue 1991
Christopher Hume, Artist's without galleries throw Round Up blow out, The Toronto Star, September 1990
Robert Muller, Mongiat adds humor to "profound" work, The Brampton Times, 1988
Jules Xavier, Artist's realism is quite different, Guardian, Feburary 1988
Jules Xavier, For the love of Art, Guardian, Feburary 1988
Christopher Creighton, Humor, energy evident in Mongiat's work, Cobourg Daily Star, September 1987
Grants & Awards
2014 Toronto Arts Council – Media Arts Grant
1997 Ontario Arts Council – Special Projects grant
1995 Metropolitan Toronto – Cultural Presentation grant
1993 Ontario Arts Council – Exhibition Assistance grant