Dear Michael,

I am writing to invite you to the 146th OSA Open Juried Exhibition Opening Reception on March 28th from 6-8 pm. As we do every year, we will have a brief General Meeting in the gallery at 8pm following the Opening. All members are invited to stay for this meeting. There is some street parking and there is a parking lot on the south side of St Joseph St..
The 146th OSA Open Juried Exhibition, which runs from March 27th to April 26th at the John B. Aird Gallery, is an important exhibition because of how it happens and because of who it showcases.
For 146 years now, each year a small group of dedicated volunteers has stepped forward to make this event possible, putting their own work to one side and managing what has become an increasingly popular and incredibly work-intensive event. I would like to congratulate and thank Pat Dumas-Hudecki (Chair), Lisa Murzin, Frances Patella and Dominique Prévost for banding together and stepping forward last year and promising to bring us the 146th event of this kind for the OSA. They all knew it was a big job and yet they cheerfully jumped in and worked together to make it happen. That is the kind of intrepid spirit that has made the OSA and our member artists the powerful force that we are today. We thank these four strong women for their courage, persistence and their dedication. 
Who does this exhibition showcase? This is a competitive exhibition with an entry fee and not everyone likes that, but this show raises money for the OSA and is interesting in who it brings to the table. Firstly, our jurors: Odon Wagner (Odon Wagner Gallery), David Liss (MOCA) and Diana Bennett (OSA Vice President and Past President) – three significant figures in the art scene of Canada today – all stepped forward to review the huge number of submissions and thereby shape this exhibition which is a sharply focused, and stringently limited snapshot of art in Canada today.
This exhibition is open to submissions from across Canada and well over 500 pieces of art were submitted! Only 36 works were juried in and the selection was meant to present excellence while also pointing to a range of artistic creativity – a difficult task for sure.
We are very proud to announce that the late Tony Vander Voet, a beloved Past President, is the recipient of the 2019 Eleanor Besen award. One of his pieces is in the show and Susan McCrae, his wife and also a beloved OSA member, will be there to receive the award.
As we do every year, this year again we will be presenting the Ethel Raicus Award. This award singles out a Central Tech High School student showing significant artistic promise. 
This year thirteen artists juried into this show are OSA members and we will hopefully have the opportunity to meet many of the other twenty-three non-member artists also featured. All of these different artists’ works hanging together creates a intriguing snapshot of Canadian art today. This is just a brief moment in the time span of these artistic careers. We can see them today but the question of where they go from here remains to be answered.
Sincerely,
Clare Ross
OSA President