Art In Ottawa

Crystal Beshara & Shelley Freeman at Arbor Gallery
2025-07-31 - 2025-08-24 | Arbor Gallery, 103 High St., Vankleek Hill, ON, K0B 1R0, Canada
Crystal Beshara is an award-winning realist painter from Ontario whose work is inspired by her rural upbringing. Working in watercolour, gouache, and oil, she blends fine detail with expressive strokes to explore themes of nature and rural life. An experienced educator and international exhibitor, Crystal also leads painting workshops across North America and Europe.
Shelley Freeman’s artwork explores the hidden, enclosed spaces of nature — caves, rock formations, abandoned mines, and underwater plant life — highlighting depth, texture, and the play between light and dark. Inspired by travels, hiking, and caving, she creates richly layered oil paintings using resins, plaster, and other materials, often over several months. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in public and private collections across Canada, the U.S., and beyond.

Art on the Land
2025-07-31 - 2025-08-24 | Arbor Gallery, 103 High St., Vankleek Hill, ON, K0B 1R0, Canada
“Art on the Land” celebrates our agricultural landscape and its people. This community exhibition features artworks by farming families, along with functional objects transformed into art by skilled makers. It also includes representations of local agriculture from those inspired by its beauty. Over 30 pieces have been generously loaned by local individuals and institutions, honouring our region’s agricultural heritage.

Settling down - Feeling Nature’s Breath by Catherine Veilleux - Vernissage
2025-07-07 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Toronto) | Galerie Old Chelsea, 783 Route 105, Chelsea, QC, J9B 1P1, Canada
Vernissage: Saturday July 5, 2025 from 1 to 3 pm
Galerie Old Chelsea is delighted to present the wonderful intimate nature photographs of Catherine Veilleux, who presented her magnificent exhibition “Entre-deux” two years ago.
As Veilleux tells us, “After ‘Entre-deux’, which has guided my gaze over the last few years, I’m now presenting images in which one settles down – not by fleeing the tumult, but by embracing it. Anchoring oneself in instability is a fluid dance, and my photographs, imbued with minimalism, reflect this inner journey: they invite us to relax, to breathe, to gently connect with nature’.
Typically composed of two colours, sometimes just one, and largely immersed in blur, her images leave room for the essential, for sensation rather than definition. Mounted on wooden panels and protected by a natural finish, they offer themselves without barriers, without glass, to provide a direct, intimate – almost tactile – presence to the viewer.
At a time of ever-increasing visual noise and constant urgency, Settling Down offers something rare: a quiet, open invitation to linger in complexity and find calm there. An exhibition not to be missed.

Art Battle, July 4
2025-07-04 19:00 - 22:00 | Overflow Brewing Company, 2477 Kaladar Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1V 8B9, Canada
Regular season event winners and All-Stars from Ottawa return for their chance to become the 2025 Ottawa City Champion and head to the Canadian National Championships in Toronto on July 24th!
Be part of the decision-making process and vote for the ultimate winner. And don’t miss your chance to own a piece of the action with the silent auction of all original works!
Why attend and bring a friend?
✨ Live Artistic Showdown – Witness the thrill as artists race against the clock to create stunning artworks.
✨ Interactive Voting – Be part of the action; your vote crowns the champion.
✨ Art Auction – Bid on your favourite pieces created during the event.
✨ Community Spirit – Immerse yourself in the vibrancy of Ottawa art scene.
This is an All Ages event.

Settling down - Feeling Nature’s Breath by Catherine Veilleux
2025-07-03 - 2025-07-20 | Galerie Old Chelsea, 783 Route 105, Chelsea, QC, J9B 1P1, Canada
From July 3 to 20, 2025 – Wednesday to Saturday from noon to 6 pm and Sunday from noon to 5 pm
Vernissage: Saturday July 5, 2025 from 1 to 3 pm
Galerie Old Chelsea is delighted to present the wonderful intimate nature photographs of Catherine Veilleux, who presented her magnificent exhibition “Entre-deux” two years ago.
As Veilleux tells us, “After ‘Entre-deux’, which has guided my gaze over the last few years, I’m now presenting images in which one settles down – not by fleeing the tumult, but by embracing it. Anchoring oneself in instability is a fluid dance, and my photographs, imbued with minimalism, reflect this inner journey: they invite us to relax, to breathe, to gently connect with nature’.
Typically composed of two colours, sometimes just one, and largely immersed in blur, her images leave room for the essential, for sensation rather than definition. Mounted on wooden panels and protected by a natural finish, they offer themselves without barriers, without glass, to provide a direct, intimate – almost tactile – presence to the viewer.
At a time of ever-increasing visual noise and constant urgency, Settling Down offers something rare: a quiet, open invitation to linger in complexity and find calm there. An exhibition not to be missed.

Pierre Debain: The Journey of a Dedicated Artist - Vernissage
2025-06-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Espace Pierre-Debain, 120 Principale St, Gatineau, QC, J9H 3M3, Canada
The exhibition Pierre Debain: The Journey of a Dedicated Artist, curated by Kali Kim, Lindsay Sabourin, and Philippe Bourdau, will be on view at Espace Pierre-Debain from June 18 to August 17, 2025.
Celebrating a milestone, L’Imagier traces its roots back to 1975, when it began as a vibrant community space for friends, family, and rising artistic talents. Fifty years later, curator Simon Debain revisits this rich history in a two-part exhibition—presented simultaneously at Espace Pierre-Debain and the L’Imagier Exhibition Center.
Following the municipal merger, the newly formed City of Gatineau undertook the renovation of the former courthouse—a heritage building located in the Aylmer sector—and transformed it into a cultural center. It established its craft gallery within this space, which will carry the name Espace Pierre-Debain, in tribute to the artist who, together with his partner Yvette Bond, has profoundly shaped the cultural landscape of the region since their arrival.
Espace Pierre-Debain offers visitors a unique opportunity to delve into the creative world of Pierre Debain through a curated selection of works that highlight the richness of his mediums and artistic practice.
The second part of the exhibition will be presented at L’Imagier in the fall of 2025. This continuation will revisit the center’s origins, celebrate its artistic and community impact, and showcase the unique space that Pierre and Yvette Debain envisioned and brought to life.
Further details will be available soon at limagier.qc.ca.

Focus Series
2025-06-18 - 2026-06-01 | National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9N4, Canada
The Focus Series is an ongoing partnership between Library and Archives Canada and the National Gallery of Canada, building on the rich collections of both institutions.
Focus on the Métis — A103 Corridor and A103a
A special collaboration that examines how early images of the Métis are often misidentified or not referenced at all. A careful look at details in historical art and photographs reveals that the Métis are often “hiding in plain sight.”
Pictorialism — A104a
The predominant aesthetic in photography throughout the first half of the twentieth century was pictorialism.
Work is art/Art is work — A109a
This installation examines the various ways artists responded to the critical issues of the Depression era.
Points of View: Photography in the North — A111a
Documentary photographer Pamela Harris recorded community life in Taloyoak, Nunavut (then Spence Bay, NWT) for three months in 1972 and 1973 (published as Another Way of Being). Her photographs appear both casual and staged, the resulting photographic sessions respectfully engaging two cultures and important considerations such as the agency and self-representation of Inuit.

Erica Rutherford: Her Lives and Works
2025-06-18 - 2025-10-13 | National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9N4, Canada
This exhibition surveys the fascinating and multifaceted career of Erica Rutherford (b. Edinburgh, 1923 – d. Charlottetown, 2008), whose work explores themes of persona and gender, home and landscape, and whose life was shaped by the search for identity and community.
The show includes over 100 works, accompanied by memorabilia and photographs that support the stories told by the work itself. Erica Rutherford was the first Prince Edward Island artist to be featured at the prestigious La Biennale di Venezia. The 60th edition of the international art exhibition, on view from April to November 2024, showcased five paintings by Rutherford.
Curated by Pan Wendt. Organized by Confederation Centre Art Gallery in collaboration with the National Gallery of Canada.

Resistant Fibres - Vernissage
2025-06-17 17:00 - 19:00 | Âjagemô art space, 150 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON, K2P 2P8, Canada
Resistant Fibres, curated by Julie Graff, presents 18 textile and fibre works of art from the Canada Council Art Bank collection by artists who use this medium as a powerful tool for protest, resistance, celebration, joy and healing.

Resistant Fibres
2025-06-17 - 2026-05-19 | Âjagemô art space, 150 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON, K2P 2P8, Canada

Pierre Debain: The Journey of a Dedicated Artist
2025-06-17 - 2025-07-18 | Espace Pierre-Debain, 120 Principale St, Gatineau, QC, J9H 3M3, Canada

Threads of Memory Julie Gladstone & Olivia Mae Sinclair - Vernissage
2025-06-14 15:00 - 17:00 | Wall Space Gallery, 1090 Bank St, Ottawa, ON, K1S 3X5, Canada
WALL SPACE GALLERY is pleased to present Threads of Memory, an exhibition featuring the work of Julie Gladstone and Olivia Mae Sinclair. In this powerful and introspective presentation, both artists engage in intimate dialogues with themes of trauma, memory, and transformation. Through their deeply personal practices, they navigate the intersection of inner experience and external reality, examining how time, spirituality, and the physical body inform processes of healing and renewal.
Presented alongside Threads of Memory are new works by Marney McDiarmid, a ceramic artist based in Katarokwi/Kingston. Known for her functional and sculptural ceramics, McDiarmid’s latest pieces will be showcased in the gallery’s window display from June 14 to 28, 2025.

Kohut + Nerbonne
2025-06-14 - 2025-07-01 | Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, 293 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7E5, Canada
Kohut Biography
Peter Kohut was born and raised in Winnipeg, moved to the West Coast (Victoria) to work as a graphic designer for 15 years, and then moved to Ottawa to study for his MFA (completed 2021). His project is an exploration of repetition, process, and time as a way of linking the medium of painting to anchors in shared events. He has exhibited and participated in group shows in Victoria, Vancouver, and Ottawa. His work is part of the collections of the City of Ottawa and University of Ottawa. He is currently living and working in Ottawa, Ontario.
Nerbonne Biography
Originally from the Outaouais, Marc Nerbonne lives and works in Montréal. His works can be found in numerous public, corporate, and private collections.

Threads of Memory Julie Gladstone & Olivia Mae Sinclair
2025-06-14 - 2025-06-28 | Wall Space Gallery, 1090 Bank St, Ottawa, ON, K1S 3X5, Canada

Art In The Park
2025-06-07 - 2025-06-08 | Central Park, 19 Clemow Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1S 2B1, Canada
The Art in the Park Festival, held in Ottawa’s vibrant Glebe neighborhood, caters to all collectors. Whether you’re seeking paintings, sculptures, crafts, or unique items for your home or garden, there’s something special for every taste. As you stroll through the park under the summer sky, you’ll be amazed by the diverse selection on display. Enjoy food vendors, picnic areas, and best of all, free admission!

The Posthumous Destiny of Bodies by Judith Bellavance
2025-06-05 - 2025-08-06 | Galerie Montcalm, 25 Laurier St, Gatineau, Quebec, J8X 3Y9, Canada
In this installation composed of photographs, videos, and objects, Judith Bellavance embraces evocation, suggestion, and poetic resonance to explore themes of disappearance and transformation in the natural world. Like contemporary still lifes, the works that guide this immersive, walk-through experience form a shifting narrative centered on the idea of loss.
Using impermanence as a unifying thread, Bellavance gently translates the process of endings and their quiet resolutions. Yet within this meditation on absence, she offers a subtle invitation to hope—a quiet affirmation in the face of vanishing.

The Red Trillium Studio Tour
2025-05-31 10:00 - 2025-06-01 16:00 | Red Trillium Studio Tour, Canada
The Red Trillium Studio Tour was started by a group of talented local Artists & Fine Craftspeople, all working alone in their Rural Studios, who wanted to collectively share and bring awareness to the Art & Fine Craft in their community.
When you visit our Artists in their Studios, you are welcomed into their private worlds where they create their honest, authentic and original works.
These are very special places where raw materials are transformed into original creations by the use of learned experiences, specialized tools, practices & techniques (old & new) of Craft & Art.
You will find exceptional Guest Artists at many of the locations, too.
Download your map here: https://www.redtrilliumst.com/map/

Nadia Myre: Waves of Want and Skawennati: Welcome to the Dreamhouse
2025-05-30 - 2025-09-01 | National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9N4, Canada
In Waves of Want, interdisciplinary artist Nadia Myre weaves personal and political narratives around Indigenous identity, both current and historical.
Welcome to the Dreamhouse tells the story of Skawennati’s dynamic artistic trajectory as she envisions Indigenous people in the future.

Waves of Want and Welcome to the Dreamhouse - Vernissage
2025-05-29 17:00 - 20:00 | National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9N4, Canada

Lumen
2025-05-22 19:00 - 23:30 | Overflow Brewing Company, 2477 Kaladar Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1V 8B9, Canada
Join us for our inaugural event in Ottawa! Experience vibrant art displays, live performances, and immersive exhibits showcasing the city’s top visual artists, musicians, dancers, and performers. Join us for unforgettable night of inspiration, connection, and artistic expression!

Migration Stories
2025-05-22 - 2025-08-05 | Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Blvd, Orléans, ON, K1E 0A1, Canada
Six artists present their “stories” of migration, reflecting the vast instinctual or altered journeys of animals and plants, and forced human expulsion or immigration to places of hope and opportunity. The intertwining of these diverse migration stories reveals the growing complexity and urgency of species in motion.
The Migration artists are members of the Ottawa-Gatineau Printmakers Connective. Drawn together by the theme in 2023, they have been exploring the political, economic, and ecological aspects of migration through the creation of 2- and 3-dimensional print-based art in a variety of printmaking techniques and materials.

Anastessia Bettas at Galerie St. Laurent Hill
2025-05-22 - 2025-06-10 | Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, 293 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7E5, Canada

Tulip Tile Painting With Arteast (Tulip Festival)
2025-05-19 12:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-17 12:00 - 14:00 | Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Ottawa, ON, K1S 4N7, Canada
Carole invites adults and children to purchase small blank relief tulip tiles, originally sculpted in clay and cast in plaster. Participants can paint their tiles on-site, bringing them to life with their favorite tulip colors. Paint and brushes provided by Carole.

Urban Perspectives By Maurice Dionne - Vernissage
2025-05-18 13:00 - 16:00 | Foyer Gallery, 1701 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K2G1W2, Canada
In Maurice Dionne’s latest art exhibition, “Urban Perspectives,” he invites viewers to explore the intricate interplay between its built environment and the life that pulses within it. Through a series of captivating cityscapes and streetscapes, Dionne captures not just the architecture and buildings but also the very essence of urban existence—the stories that unfold before us in every corner, every shadow.

Speed Painting With Elena NL and Arteast (Tulip Festival)
2025-05-18 13:00 - 14:30 | Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Ottawa, ON, K1S 4N7, Canada
Elena NL, an Arteast member, will be hosting a live gouache speed-painting demo. Watch as she creates a small painting from scratch in just 15 minutes, and take home the finished piece, beautifully matted. The subjects vary, including landscapes, flowers from life, and fruits based on reference photos.

Plein Air Painting with Arteast and OPAP (Tulip Festival)
2025-05-18 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-17 10:00 - 16:00 | Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Ottawa, ON, K1S 4N7, Canada
In partnership with Arteast, the Ottawa Plein Air Painters group bring their easels and various mediums to paint the tulips “en plein air”. Come and be dazzled by the process artists use to be able to paint on location. Artists welcome art-related questions. The public have the opportunity to vote on their favorite painting. Voting takes place on Sunday, May 18th between 11 am to 2 pm at the Arteast Ottawa boutique while the finished artworks are on display.

Tulips in Watercolor With Arteast (Tulip Festival)
2025-05-17 10:00 - 18:00 | Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Ottawa, ON, K1S 4N7, Canada
Josie and Clarisse invite adults and children to create tulip mini-paintings. Discover and have fun with watercolour, inspired by the beautiful tulips of the festival. Materials provided by Josie and Clarisse.
