Art In Ottawa

Rachel Kalpana JAMES Bright Oriental Star
2024-09-21 - 2025-06-08 | Ottawa Art Gallery, 50 Mackenzie King Bridge, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6E2, Canada
Dialogue between contemporary and historical art offers fresh perspectives on the past, and in this exhibition, South-Asian Canadian artist Rachel Kalpana James creates an immersive installation that illuminates a pivotal moment of East-West interaction in the early 20th century. Her work centers on Rabindranath Tagore’s 1929 visit to Canada. A renowned Indian poet and philosopher, Tagore’s ideas on spirituality and nature resonated deeply with audiences worldwide. While the impact of his visit on Canadian artists, particularly members of the Group of Seven such as Lawren S. Harris and Frederick Varley, has been largely overlooked, James’ installation offers a space to reconsider this overlooked influence.
Through a dynamic interplay of media, James pairs stylized footage of foliage with text from Tagore’s poetry and newspaper clippings documenting his Canadian visit. The pulsating words on screen, evocative of a heartbeat or a newsreel, create a sense of urgency and immediacy. Distorted images of iconic Canadian landscapes—reminiscent of Group of Seven works—subtly challenge the established artistic narrative. Projected onto a chalked background, the installation navigates the space between documentary and imagination, blurring the boundaries between history and fiction. By inviting viewers to question how history is shaped and perceived, James’ work encourages a critical re-examination of the complex relationship between colonial and national narratives in Canadian art.

Stories My Father Couldn’t Tell Me: Jeff Thomas Origin
2024-10-19 - 2025-03-16 | Ottawa Art Gallery, 50 Mackenzie King Bridge, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6E2, Canada
This exhibition delves into the critical and creative practices of Jeff Thomas, an Urban-Iroquois photographer, curator, activist, and cultural theorist. Through his work, we explore how Thomas’ artistic process—highlighted by artist proofs, archival materials, and a new series titled Dream Panels—reflects his authorship of his lived experience on this land. His work resists government designations and engages in activism and reflection, asserting Indigenous presence and sovereignty.
Since 1980, Thomas has challenged the exclusion of Indigenous histories, experiences, and sovereignties in urban environments, particularly in his hometown of Buffalo, NY. His early works, including street photography and portraits of his son, Bear, marked the beginning of his efforts to map the erasures and continuities of Indigenous knowledge. By recontextualizing archival images by colonial photographers like Edward S. Curtis and William James Topley, Thomas crafted complex narratives that countered historical misrepresentations.
The breadth of Thomas’ oeuvre reflects his expansive curiosity and the deep connections he sees between place and time. In Dream Panels, he revisits four decades of art-making, focusing on themes that have remained central to his practice: Indigenous masculinity, disability, fatherhood, and the intricate relationships between land, ancestors, and family. These panels underscore how these concerns have shaped his ongoing, rigorous exploration of identity and community.
This exhibition is part of a unique partnership between the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) and the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG), committed to supporting the agency, self-determination, and cultural sovereignty of Indigenous artists, cultural producers, and communities.

Arteast Promenade - Winter Harmony
2024-12-20 - 2025-02-25 | Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Blvd, Orléans, ON, K1E 0A1, Canada
Promenade Arteast is a permanent gallery space located on the lower level of the Shenkman Arts Centre.

Spaghetti Chorus
2024-12-30 - 2025-03-30 | National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9N4, Canada
Visitors are invited to speak into one of two microphones suspended at the ends of a long, glowing thread. As voices travel through shafts of color, they transform into a fusion of music and light, creating unique melodic moments.
Designed specifically for the National Gallery of Canada’s iconic Scotiabank Great Hall, Spaghetti Chorus is a new installment in Daily tous les jours’ Hello series. This series explores the music and harmonics of human speech through poetic messaging systems. In a world increasingly dominated by screens, Spaghetti Chorus uses the human voice to forge musical connections, inviting a deeper bond beyond words.

Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction
2025-01-01 - 2025-03-02 | National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9N4, Canada
In the 20th century, textiles were often regarded as secondary—viewed as applied art, women’s work, or domestic craft. Woven Histories challenges these hierarchies by highlighting the vital role textiles have played in shaping fine art, particularly in the realm of abstraction. The exhibition brings together over 130 works by more than 45 artists from diverse backgrounds and generations, offering a rich exploration of weaving and related techniques within modernism, one of the 20th century’s defining art movements.
Visitors will encounter a range of textile techniques, including weaving, knitting, netting, knotting, and felting, while learning about the diverse motivations that have driven artists from Anni Albers to Rosemarie Trockel and Jeffrey Gibson (Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians/Cherokee Nation). Some artists use textiles to promote social change; others address pressing political issues. For many, textiles serve as both subject and material to critique or reinvigorate abstraction’s formal language, challenging its patriarchal history and gendered identity.
Woven Histories traces the often-overlooked thread of art history, uncovering the work of creators who have been marginalized due to their gender, race, or class.
The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in collaboration with the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

The Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts 2024
2025-01-02 - 2025-03-23 | National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9N4, Canada
Founded in 1999, the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts (GGArts) honor the exceptional careers of Canadian artists. Administered by the Canada Council for the Arts, these prestigious awards recognize the achievements of artists, curators, and craftspeople who contribute to Canada’s dynamic visual and media arts community.
Each year, up to eight awards are presented: six for artistic achievement, one for excellence in fine crafts (the Saidye Bronfman Award), and one for significant contributions to contemporary visual arts, media arts, or fine crafts.
To celebrate this year’s honorees, the winners will showcase their work throughout the National Gallery’s contemporary and historical collections. From immersive installations in public spaces to interventions that challenge existing narratives within the permanent collection, the eight laureates present a fresh, thought-provoking perspective on the art of today.
This exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Canada in collaboration with the Canada Council for the Arts.

2024 Sobey Art Award Exhibition
2025-01-02 - 2025-04-06 | National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9N4, Canada
In partnership with the Sobey Art Foundation, the National Gallery of Canada is proud to present the works of six artists from across the country, each shortlisted for the 2024 Sobey Art Award.
The dynamic practices of these artists offer profound insights into themes of place, identity, community, and belonging. Taqralik Partridge (Inuk, Scottish) creates an installation that reflects the intergenerational significance of caribou for Inuit and Arctic Indigenous peoples, using an amautik (child-carrying garment) and video. Judy Chartrand (Cree) uses mixed media to challenge colonial narratives, racism, and stereotypes. Métis filmmaker Rhayne Vermette crafts poetic, multi-layered stories centered on family, home, distance, and identity. June Clark’s multidisciplinary approach explores the intersections of personal and family histories, memory, and identity. Nico Williams (Anishinaabe) reimagines everyday objects through collaborative beadwork sculptures, drawing on rich intergenerational practices. Mathieu Léger examines his Acadian heritage in a global context, exploring how ancestry shapes present experiences through physical actions.
A special complimentary publication featuring the six finalists will be available to all on-site visitors.
This exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Canada in collaboration with the Sobey Art Foundation.

Gathered Leaves: Discoveries from the Drawings Vault
2025-01-02 - 2025-04-13 | National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9N4, Canada
A Collection Over a Century in the Making
Explore Canada’s premier collection of international drawings and experience never-before-seen artworks pulled directly from the vault. Established in 1921, the National Gallery of Canada’s Department of Prints and Drawings is the first of its kind in the country, with a renowned and constantly growing collection of historical drawings spanning the 15th to the 20th centuries. Featuring works in every medium—from graphite and ink to pastel and watercolour—this extraordinary collection offers a rare chance to view pieces by celebrated artists such as Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Théodore Géricault, Gustav Klimt, Edvard Munch, Wassily Kandinsky, and many more. Among these are newly acquired works and lesser-known but historically significant drawings that are typically kept out of public view for conservation reasons. The diverse selection includes preparatory studies for paintings, explorations of history and mythology, portraits, landscapes, abstract experiments, and poignant reflections on the human condition.

OSA Fine Arts Diploma Alumni Exhibition
2025-01-06 - 2025-02-23 | Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Blvd, Orléans, ON, K1E 0A1, Canada
The Ottawa School of Art, Orléans Campus, is proud to present its Fine Arts Diploma Alumni Exhibition. Join us in January as OSA’s Alumni present recent works from January 6 to February 23, 2025. This group exhibit offers a diverse range of media, techniques, and approaches to art and features work by: Siobhan Arnott, Karen Auger, Anne Bell, Christine Belle-Isle, Sophia Brown, Jojo Cadieux, Martine Chartrand, Pauline Clarkson, Nicholas Edwards, Diane Fletcher-Falvey, Melanie Goguen, Mary Gourlay, Tina Jubinville, Stephany Lay, Patti Lefebvre, Yulia Lisitsyna, Julie Mercantini, Rolande Nadeau, Kate Oakley, Lucie Olsen, Wendy Parlow, Géraldine Petit- Gras, Anne Scanlan, Jordan Seal, Debbie Sleeman, Roger Sutcliffe, Shirley Yik, and Armita Zahedianaraki.
Vernissage: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, January 30, 2025.
Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day

Listen to my ART
2025-01-06 - 2025-03-03 | François Dupuis Recreation Centre, 2263 Portobello Blvd, Ottawa, ON, K4A 0X3, Canada
A small and very nice art show of local artists on the first floor of the recreation center.

Great Expectations
2025-01-08 - 2025-03-02 | Kanata Civic Art Gallery, 2500 Campeau Drive, Kanata, ON, K2K 2W3, Canada
The Kanata Civic Art Gallery is kicking off the new year with our first exhibition, Great Expectations!

We are thrilled to showcase a stunning collection of works and to welcome 8 incredible new artists to our gallery family:
Posy Bennett
Tamara H Campbell
Jane Christie
Mary Lou Devine
Guy-Laval Grenier
Linda Lovell
Veronika McKerrell
Alison Sawatzky

Stop by to experience the talent and creativity our artists bring to the Ottawa art scene!

Colourful Impressions
2025-01-09 - 2025-03-13 | St-Laurent Complex, 525 Coté St, Ottawa, ON, K1K 0Z8, Canada
A small art show by the local artists’ association, Arteast Ottawa. Four professional artists display their beautiful art.

D’OMMA Gallery
2025-01-13 - 2025-03-31 | Nepean Sportsplex, 1701 Woodroffe Ave, Nepean, ON, K2G 1W2, Canada
The artwork displayed at D’OMMA Gallery is unjuried, offering emerging artists the chance to showcase their work alongside more established creators.

New Beginnings
2025-01-15 - 2025-02-26 | Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Blvd, Orléans, ON, K1E 0A1, Canada
Rendezvous Arteast is a newly created exhibition space on the Upper Level of the Shenkman Arts Centre, at B2, the Arts Network Ottawa front office and meeting room. The exhibition space is available to member artists of Arteast Ottawa.
The vernissage and official opening of its first exhibit “New Beginnings” will take place on January 30th, 5-7 pm.
“New Beginnings” showcases the dynamic and diverse talents of twelve artists, each presenting their work in a variety of media that reflect their unique approaches and artistic voices. This diversity of media and artistic practices invites visitors to engage with the works from multiple angles, creating a rich, layered experience that highlights the many ways in which art can communicate, challenge, and inspire.

Alley Views by Stephanie Huckabone
2025-01-16 - 2025-03-13 | Almonte General Hospital & Fairview Manor, 75 Spring Street, Almonte, ON, K0A 1A0, Canada
Fairview Manor is pleased to present Valley Views, Recent Paintings by Stephanie Huckabone
January 16 to March 13, 2025 Fairview Manor Foyer 75 Spring St., Almonte Vernissaae Sat. Jan. 25. 2-4 PM

Home by Fariba Kalantari
2025-01-16 - 2025-03-25 | Atrium Gallery – Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Dr, Ottawa, K2G 0B5, Canada
The unifying theme behind this collection is the sense of home from the viewpoint of an immigrant to Canada. Through these works the viewer is invited to a space the artist has called home for a period of time, before the next move. This exhibit has been supported by grants from the City of Ottawa and Ontario Arts Council.
Fariba Kalantari is a visual artist. She has a PhD from McGill University and has been a research scientist. Her artworks have been consistently exhibited, and she has received multiple grants. Recently her work has been acquired by the Art Bank Collection. She lives in Ottawa and online at www.faribakalantari.com.

Solitude
2025-01-28 - 2025-02-16 | Foyer Gallery, 1701 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K2G1W2, Canada
Presented at the Foyer Gallery, the “Solitude” exhibition showcases gallery artists’ work in a diverse range of mediums, each piece offering a personal interpretation of solitude. From quiet landscapes to intimate figures, the artists capture moments of stillness, vulnerability, and the profound beauty found in moments of solitude. Whether evoking a sense of peace or tension, “Solitude” prompts reflection on the ways we relate to ourselves and the world around us in the quiet spaces we inhabit.

Heavy silence by the Suzanne FerlandL
2025-01-29 - 2025-03-30 | Espace Pierre-Debain, 120 Principale St, Gatineau, QC, J9H 3M3, Canada
The exhibition Lourd silence by artist Suzanne Ferland will be on display at Espace Pierre-Debain from January 29 to March 30, 2025.
Lourd silence brings together a variety of installations that blend sculpture, printmaking, drawing, sewing, and collage with the more ethereal element of a floor projection. The materials—bronze, paper, and wax—interact in a quiet, contemplative atmosphere, reflecting the stillness that can mask deeper, hidden violence. The exhibition addresses the issue of violence endured by women in silence, from childhood onwards, often occurring behind closed doors.
We warmly invite you to join us for the opening reception on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Espace Pierre-Debain, located at the Centre culturel du Vieux-Aylmer, 120 Rue Principale, Gatineau. We look forward to seeing you there.

From Her Hands by Carole Ince
2025-02-05 - 2025-03-03 | Eugène-Racette Art Gallery, 6600 Carrière St, Orléans, ON, K1C 1J4, Canada
The exhibition From Her Hands pays tribute to women and the essential roles they play in creating a generous, loving, and hopeful world. Using the universal symbol of the hand, the paintings celebrate women of all ages, genders, cultures, and abilities.
The works explore the everyday lives of women, showcasing a range of gestures—from professional tasks to mundane, repetitive, affectionate, or intimate actions. Some gestures are automatic, others precise, but all reveal deeply personal, caring experiences. Viewers are invited to reflect on the often-overlooked importance of our hands, which are central to our life stories.
Displayed in a simple, minimalist linear arrangement, the paintings encourage a close, intimate viewing experience, highlighting the equality of all the women depicted.

Maryline Lemaitre at Galerie St. Laurent Hill
2025-02-06 - 2025-02-25 | Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, 293 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7E5, Canada

Envol by Alix Parisien
2025-02-06 - 2025-02-26 | Galerie Old Chelsea, 783 Route 105, Chelsea, QC, J9B 1P1, Canada
February 6 to 26, 2025 Wednesday to Sunday noon to 5 pm
Vernissage: Saturday, February 8, 1-4 pm
Galerie Old Chelsea is delighted to host a second exhibition by Alix Parisien, an Outaouais artist who paints in a primitive style. Bold, exuberant, fresh, pared-down shapes, are words that describe her art well. Says Alix “When you are a bit different, you have to find other ways to realize your potential and achieve your goals. I am a young woman with Down syndrome. I don’t like to talk about that, but you have to know this.”
Alix’s journey was not easy. She would have liked to study art at the college or at the university level, but she was not accepted. So she followed her own path. She participated in art camps at the National Art Gallery to develop her artistic talent. She also took courses with the City of Gatineau and with professional artists.
“I like to paint animals, the river, water, but especially birds, they are free” Alix tells us. “Climate change worries me a lot, so I paint my Nature. My first solo exhibition was five years ago at Galerie Old Chelsea. It was fun to meet all kinds of people. It encourages me to continue. I also participated in a group exhibition at the Maison de la Culture de Gatineau and a solo exhibition at the EspaceCulturel in Cantley”.
“I like to paint, I need to paint and I paint every day. I have a slightly naive style but not quite. I think it’s an original style. I find that it is reminiscent of Aboriginal or Scandinavian art with all the bright colours that I use. Maybe it’s a Down syndrome style, it’s my little extra chromosome that makes my art unique.”

Lori Richards | Seedbed
2025-02-08 - 2025-02-22 | Wall Space Gallery, 1090 Bank St, Ottawa, ON, K1S 3X5, Canada
Wall Space Gallery is proud to present a new body of works by painter Lori Richards. Within this series Richards’ explores dream-imagery and metaphor, working from her own recorded memories of her sleep-scapes. Prose written by Suzanne Biro will accompany Richards’ works.

Drew Mosley | Biophilia
2025-02-08 - 2025-02-22 | Wall Space Gallery, 1090 Bank St, Ottawa, ON, K1S 3X5, Canada
Wall Space Gallery is proud to present the latest solo exhibition by Drew Mosley. Mosley’s canvases question the balances between humanity and nature as we experience the drive for hyper-consumerism and a disconnect from the natural world.

Hints of Spring
2025-02-12 - 2025-03-23 | Art Hub Gallery, 50 Bennett St, Carleton Place, ON, K7C 4J9, Canada
A new art show by talented artists from the Ottawa region. Come and enjoy the warm atmosphere and affordable art.

Art Battle - Feb 14, 2025
2025-02-14 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Toronto) | Overflow Brewing Company, 2477 Kaladar Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1V 8B9, Canada
Ottawa, let’s light it up! You’re in for a wild ride as incredible artists battle it out in three rounds of fast and furious competition! Paint will fly, creativity will ignite, and the best part? YOU get to decide who comes out on top!
After the action, take your pick from the stunning artwork in our live auction and bring home a piece of the night! It’s all about community, creation, and that next-level artistic energy.
Don’t miss the buzz! The artists are confirmed and the excitement is real! Be there or hear about it later—see you at the show!

Valerie Ryan at Galerie St. Laurent Hill
2025-02-27 - 2025-03-18 | Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, 293 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7E5, Canada

Valerie Ryan Drawing with the Brush
2025-02-27 - 2025-03-18 | Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, 293 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7E5, Canada
Ryan Artist Statement
Reviewing my old sketchbooks, I discovered a comment made by one of my teacher’s that I had an energetic hand! That comment made me laugh and encouraged me to continue working outdoors exploring the landscape. Outside, the strokes seem to both describe the form and give it colour. Outlines disappear. The brushwork is loose and almost abstract, yet it still has integrity and describe the forms. It is a balancing act that at times can be difficult out in the elements. I have been working smaller outdoors. The smaller paintings are a good aid to working larger in the studio. In the early dark months of winter, flowers have been the subject of choice.
Ryan Bio
Valerie Ryan completed a B.F.A (Queen’s University) and a M.F.A. (University of Saskatchewan). She attended many Emma Lake Artists workshops through the 1980’s. It was there that she felt free to paint outdoors and explore loose brushwork and colour. A practice she has continued for over 40 years. She taught at the National Gallery of Canada and the Ottawa School of Art. Her paintings are in many corporate and private collections.

New Opportunities
2025-02-27 - 2025-05-13 | Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Blvd, Orléans, ON, K1E 0A1, Canada
An art show of local artists from the Arteast Ottawa association.

Valerie Ryan Drawing with the Brush - Vernissage
2025-02-27 17:00 - 20:00 | Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, 293 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7E5, Canada

From Her Hands - Vernissage
2025-02-27 18:00 - 19:30 | Eugène-Racette Art Gallery, 6600 Carrière St, Orléans, ON, K1C 1J4, Canada
