Art In Ottawa

Elaf Selim at Constitution Square
2026-02-15 - 2026-04-13 | Constitution Square, 350 Albert St, Ottawa, ON, K1R 1A4, Canada
Elaf Selim is a fine artist known for luminous, romantic paintings that explore femininity, stillness, and emotional refuge. A Canadian-Egyptian artist raised in Kuwait, her work is shaped by a life lived across cultures, landscapes, and visual traditions. From an early age, she was encouraged toward imagination and creative expression, laying the foundation for a lifelong devotion to art.
Her painting practice is informed by training in classical oil painting and modern mixed-media techniques, resulting in dreamlike works that balance structure with intuition. Rooted in Contemporary Romanticism, Selim creates contemplative paintings of feminine figures, gardens, and delicate symbols. Her work offers a counterpoint to a culture of speed and anxiety by privileging slowness, intimacy, and light.
Selim’s imagery is immediately recognizable: feminine figures, gardens, and symbolic elements inhabiting a gentle, luminous world just beyond waking. Working intuitively, she draws from dreams, memory, meditation, and nature. Her process includes layered oils, fluid mark-making, and hand-printed collage papers created from botanical materials gathered in her garden, resulting in works that glow with depth and subtle texture.
She creates in her home studio surrounded by gardens, with the intention that her paintings become sanctuaries; offering collectors moments of rest, intimacy, and calm within a fast-paced world. Her work is represented by galleries, exhibited in juried and curated shows, and held in private collections, resonating with collectors drawn to quiet beauty, emotional presence, and romantic stillness.

Intersections
2026-02-16 - 2026-03-29 | Art Hub (127 Bridge St.), 127 Bridge Street, Carleton Place, ON, K7C 2V6, Canada
Stop in between February 15 and March 29, 2026 to see the show, Intersections.The Art Hub cooperative gallery is staffed by the artists themselves and you can stop in any time to meet them and get to know their work!Open 10-5 daily, 7 days a week, at 127 Bridge St., Carleton Place, ON

OBSIDIAN
2026-02-20 19:00 - 23:30 (America/Toronto) | The Urban Centre, 70 Bongard Ave, Nepean, ON, K2E 7Z9, Canada
OBSIDIAN is a FORM event — a curated art experience by Public Display Agency that blends design, dialogue, and discovery. This one-night showcase unites visual artists, designers, and makers in an immersive, gallery-style setting at The Urban Centre. OBSIDIAN invites guests to slow down, engage, and experience art in a new way. Admission is RSVP-based and pay-what-you-want, making it accessible while supporting artists directly. We believe art helps people find meaning, belonging, and community. Through events like OBSIDIAN, Public Display Agency brings artists and audiences together to feel seen, supported, and part of something bigger.

“Rostros: Faces And Voices Of Women Artists In The Outaouais Region” by Taimi Tovar
2026-02-26 - 2026-03-15 | Galerie Old Chelsea, 783 Route 105, Chelsea, QC, J9B 1P1, Canada
February 26 to March 15, 2026 – Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5 pm
Vernissage: Saturday, February 28, 2 to 4 pm
For International Women’s Day, Galerie Old Chelsea is proud to present a photographic and documentary exhibition by Taimi Tovar. This initiative celebrates the presence of women in the arts, whether they are painters, musicians, architects, researchers, or cultural builders.
Born out of a shared desire to highlight the female creators who shape our cultural landscape, this exhibition is much more than a series of portraits. It is an intimate encounter with fourteen committed female artists from diverse backgrounds who share a passion for creation and expression. Through their perspectives, their stories, and their varied disciplines, these artists embody resilience, audacity, and feminine creative power.
This exhibition goes beyond simply taking portraits. It is also a series of interviews highlighting women artists from the Outaouais region. Through a series of portraits, Tovar explored the strength and growth of these exceptional women artists, each contributing in a unique way to the cultural richness of our community. It is a project that highlights women who embody inspiration through their role as artists.

Florence Victor Fairy Tales and Other Stories
2026-02-26 - 2026-03-17 | Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, 293 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7E5, Canada
Everyone’s life is worth telling. We all have a story whose chapters address various subjects: fears, doubts, moral dilemmas, obstacles, but also encounters, friendship and love. In fairy tales, the perilous forest journey allows the main character to mature, enriched by trials and life lessons, and by the friendships forged along the way (see B. Bettelheim, The Use of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, 1976). In my personal narrative, the cities of New York and Berlin become, in turn, this forest, a place of passage and learning.
This is the premise of this exhibition.

Where Water Meets Land: Mary Gourlay
2026-02-26 - 2026-04-05 | Arbor Gallery, 103 High St., Vankleek Hill, ON, K0B 1R0, Canada
Mary Gourlay’s work emerges from an emotional and physical immersion in the natural world, responding to the power, fragility, and temporality of landscape. Exploring remote environments by canoe, kayak, and on foot, Gourlay creates sketches, small paintings, and photographs that capture fleeting moments of encounter. These fragmentary records form the basis for larger studio works that distill her lived experience of nature into richly expressive paintings. Since settling in Canada in 1992, her work has been shaped by the landscapes of the Canadian Shield, the south shore of the St. Lawrence near Rimouski, and the Pacific coastline of Vancouver Island.

Rise: Sinclair A. Maloney
2026-02-26 - 2026-04-05 | Arbor Gallery, 103 High St., Vankleek Hill, ON, K0B 1R0, Canada
Sinclair A. Maloney presents: Rise – a focused selection of landscape and seascape paintings. With a professional background in photography spanning 15 years, his work is informed by a strong sense of composition and a keen observational eye.
Influenced by 19th-century painters such as Corot and Courbet, and often compared to Turner for his atmospheric sensibility, Maloney’s paintings balance precision and mood, offering carefully observed scenes infused with subtle light, depth, and movement.

Florence Victor Fairy Tales and Other Stories - Vernissage
2026-02-26 17:00 - 20:00 | Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, 293 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7E5, Canada

Where Water Meets Land - Vernissage
2026-02-28 13:00 - 15:00 | Arbor Gallery, 103 High St., Vankleek Hill, ON, K0B 1R0, Canada

Rise: Vernissage
2026-02-28 13:00 - 15:00 | Arbor Gallery, 103 High St., Vankleek Hill, ON, K0B 1R0, Canada

Rostros - Vernissage
2026-02-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Galerie Old Chelsea, 783 Route 105, Chelsea, QC, J9B 1P1, Canada
Vernissage: Saturday, February 28, 2 to 4 pm
For International Women’s Day, Galerie Old Chelsea is proud to present a photographic and documentary exhibition by Taimi Tovar. This initiative celebrates the presence of women in the arts, whether they are painters, musicians, architects, researchers, or cultural builders.
Born out of a shared desire to highlight the female creators who shape our cultural landscape, this exhibition is much more than a series of portraits. It is an intimate encounter with fourteen committed female artists from diverse backgrounds who share a passion for creation and expression. Through their perspectives, their stories, and their varied disciplines, these artists embody resilience, audacity, and feminine creative power.
This exhibition goes beyond simply taking portraits. It is also a series of interviews highlighting women artists from the Outaouais region. Through a series of portraits, Tovar explored the strength and growth of these exceptional women artists, each contributing in a unique way to the cultural richness of our community. It is a project that highlights women who embody inspiration through their role as artists.

Art Battle, March 5 2026
2026-03-05 19:00 - 23:30 | Overflow Brewing Company, 2477 Kaladar Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1V 8B9, Canada
3 rounds of action
📅 March 5 @ 7:00 PM
📍 Overflow Brewing – 2477 Kaladar Ave, Ottawa
🎟️ GET TICKETS

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 the Ottawa art scene.
Art Battle Ottawa is an all-ages event.

Joy Kardish | Simplicity in a Turbulent World
2026-03-07 - 2026-03-21 | Wall Space Gallery, 1090 Bank St, Ottawa, ON, K1S 3X5, Canada
Exhibition Dates: March 7 – 21
Vernissage: Saturday, March 7 from 3 – 5 pm
Wall Space Gallery is proud to present Simplicity in a Turbulent World, a solo exhibition by Ottawa-based photographer Joy Kardish, in celebration of International Women’s Month. The exhibition considers the quiet, sustaining moments often overlooked in the midst of unrest. In this body of work, Kardish turns toward the textures of stillness, the subtle play of light and surface, and the small spaces where presence settles into form. Working through historic analog processes, she creates images that favor deliberation over immediacy and material depth over spectacle.
Across the exhibition, Kardish’s use of cyanotype, gelatin silver, and lith printing reflects a commitment to process as a form of discipline. They are structured, measured, and materially grounded. In a time marked by volatility and distraction, Simplicity in a Turbulent World proposes a steadier visual language, one rooted in light, shadow, and the enduring physicality of the photographic print.

Iryna Merkulova | Peripheral Surfaces
2026-03-07 - 2026-03-21 | Wall Space Gallery, 1090 Bank St, Ottawa, ON, K1S 3X5, Canada
Exhibition Dates: March 7 – 21
Vernissage: Saturday, March 7 from 3 – 5 pm, artist talk @ 3:45 pm
Wall Space Gallery is excited to present Peripheral Surfaces, a solo exhibition by Montreal-based artist Iryna Merkulova, in celebration of International Women’s Month. In this series, Merkulova treats the storefront window not as a transparent boundary but as a charged surface where desire, access, and distance collide. Her paintings do not present the city as coherent or navigable. Instead, they concentrate on glass, signage, glare, and artificial light, the very elements that structure how we look and what we are permitted to see.
Born in Kyiv and based in Montreal, Merkulova approaches urban space from a position shaped by movement and relocation. Reflection becomes more than a visual device. It becomes a condition of inhabiting the city without fully claiming it. Commercial surfaces dominate the field of vision, flattening architecture into image and transforming interiors into spectacle.
Across Peripheral Surfaces, the city emerges as layered, seductive, and unstable. Glass does not clarify but multiplies, and signage does not simply advertise but structures perception. Merkulova’s brushwork reinforces this instability, allowing forms to flicker between solidity and dissolution. These paintings locate urban life at the edge of visibility, where belonging is provisional and space is experienced through surface.

Art Lending of Ottawa Art Show
2026-03-07 10:00 - 16:00 | Jim Durrell Recreation Centre, 1265 Walkley Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1V 6P9, Canada
Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 10 am to 4 pm at the Jim Durrell Recreation Centre,1265 Walkley Road, Ottawa, Ontario

Art Show Free Admission

Free Parking & Wheelchair Access

Gift certificates are available at each art show for future art purchases or rentals.

No sales tax

Door prizes available to be won
Art by over forty local juried artists includes affordable oils, acrylics, watercolours, mixed media, encaustics, ink, pastels, photography, printmaking, and mosaics.

Joy Kardish | Iryna Merkulova - Vernissage
2026-03-07 15:00 - 17:00 | Wall Space Gallery, 1090 Bank St, Ottawa, ON, K1S 3X5, Canada
Artist Joy Kardish explores the essence of stillness –the purest and most irreducible quality of the photo-image. Inspired by the enduring prints of early masters like Alfred Stieglitz, Kardish blends painstaking historic photography techniques such as cyanotype, with contemporary media to create works that seem to transcend the flow of time and cut through its ephemeral distractions.
Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and currently based in Montreal, Iryna Merkulova is a visual artist whose creative journey finds inspiration in the intricate social processes of the modern world, especially within urban environments. Holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts (with Distinction) from Concordia University, Merkulova’s artistic exploration spans painting, drawing, and mixed media. She has participated in numerous exhibitions across Canada, receiving generous support from the Canada Council for the Arts and various cultural public organizations.

The 6th Annual International Art and Found Day
2026-03-12 | ON
The concept of Art and Found was created 7 years ago by Toronto artist Courtney Senior. Before she found her footing in the world of selling art, Courtney decided to find loving homes for her work by giving it away for free. She would package up her original artworks and leave them around different neighbourhoods in Toronto for people to find. Each artwork came with a note on the outside that read “Hello, I’m an original abstract painting in need of a loving home. FREE ART #ArtandFound.”
With the hashtag and personalized note on the inside, dozens of residents have contacted Courtney over the years sharing their excitement and gratitude for their new piece of artwork. Realizing the impact this had on the community and the keen interest of fellow artists to join in this initiative, Art and Found Day was born.
Want to participate? More info here: https://artandfoundday.com/

How It Works

Artists choose one or more artworks – it could be a painting, photograph, drawing, handmade item, music album etc.
Each piece is packaged up safely and clearly marked with the hashtag #ArtandFoundDay2026.
An additional note is on the inside with information about the piece and the artist
Artworks will be dropped off within the artists’ communities on March 12th, 2026.
To share your art drop or your art find use the hashtag #ArtandFoundDay and be sure to tag @ArtandFoundDay

Dinho Bento: Another Cycle
2026-03-12 - 2026-04-21 | Atrium Gallery – Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Dr, Ottawa, K2G 0B5, Canada
Another Cycle presents paintings and mixed-media works exploring the intersection of the human body and nature through surreal atmospheres and organic textures. Dinho Bento reflects on belonging, shelter and transformation, inviting viewers into a poetic dialogue about identity, emotional connection and the cyclical essence of existence.
As a Brazilian artist based in Canada, Dinho Bento merges Minas Gerais Baroque heritage with precise organic observation. He’s an internationally recognized muralist who maintains a research‑driven studio practice. His work examines tensions and harmonies between humanity and nature, creating a dialogue between public art and exhibition space.

Another Cycle: Vernissage
2026-03-12 17:30 - 19:30 | Atrium Gallery – Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Dr, Ottawa, K2G 0B5, Canada

Levelling Up
2026-03-18 - 2026-04-26 | Kanata Civic Art Gallery, 2500 Campeau Drive, Kanata, ON, K2K 2W3, Canada
The Kanata Civic Art Gallery is pleased to present “Levelling Up,” a new exhibition featuring the work of 26 gallery artists.
This vibrant show brings together a wide range of styles, subjects, and mediums, offering visitors an engaging look at the depth and diversity of our artistic community. From painting and photography to mixed media and more, each piece reflects the continued growth and creative evolution of our members.
All artwork is available for purchase, making this a wonderful opportunity to add original, local art to your collection.
We invite you to visit and experience the exhibition in person.
Exhibition Dates
March 18 to April 26, 2026
Location
Kanata Civic Art Gallery
Mlacak Community Centre
2500 Campeau Drive
Kanata, Ontario

Naturally Canada
2026-03-19 - 2026-04-05 | Galerie Old Chelsea, 783 Route 105, Chelsea, QC, J9B 1P1, Canada
“Naturally Canada / Naturellement le Canada” is a dynamic exhibition of mixed media artwork inspired by the vast and diverse nature of Canada.
The collection features works that range from abstract interpretations to detailed representational pieces. Each artwork demonstrates a visible integration of mixed media and/or mixed techniques—combining materials such as paint, collage, texture, found objects, and layered processes to create depth and dimension. Through this diversity of styles and methods, the exhibition reflects not only the richness of Canada’s environment but also the varied artistic voices inspired by it.
“Naturally Canada / Naturellement le Canada” celebrates the beauty, complexity, and spirit of the natural world, inviting viewers to experience Canada’s landscapes through innovative and expressive artistic perspectives.

Naturally Canada - Vernissage
2026-03-21 13:00 - 16:00 | Galerie Old Chelsea, 783 Route 105, Chelsea, QC, J9B 1P1, Canada

Stephanie Moscrip
2026-03-21 14:00 - 17:00 | Art Hub (127 Bridge St.), 127 Bridge Street, Carleton Place, ON, K7C 2V6, Canada
Cheese and Winne vernissage

Lenni Workman - NEW WORK: Vernissage
2026-03-21 14:00 - 17:00 | Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, 293 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7E5, Canada
Lenni Workman – Artist Statement
My work is a Request.
A request to the viewer to look and look again, don’t stop at superficial information.
A request to notice how time and light transform your visual world. Experience that a still-life or a room acts as a sun-dial.
A request to see the alignment of the micro and macro worlds: how much a reflecting jar of water resembles the photographs we see of our galaxy.
A request to see that we humans are part of this complex and fragile natural web of life.
A request to concentrate and dream at the same time. Just for a moment, hang your soul up on a bough with apple blossoms.
A request to marvel at the power of a seed to put out roots and the power of a bud to flower. Allow this observed power to energize your efforts to conserve nature on our planet.
Let the perfection of a moment of light summon the awe and love that it deserves.
Lenni Workman – Biography
Lenni Workman was born in Belleville, Ont., and grew up on a farm just north of there. She studied Art History at Queen’s University, graduated from St. Lawrence College, Kingston, in 1973, and has been exhibiting paintings since then. Recipient of many awards and grants, her works can be found in numerous public, corporate, and private collections throughout North America and Europe.

About Womanhood - Vernissage
2026-03-26 17:30 - 19:30 | Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Blvd, Orléans, ON, K1E 0A1, Canada
March 26 to May 5, 2026
Opening: Thursday, March 26, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
By looking at her role in society as a woman, wife, mother, and artist, Ada Brzeski has created a series of clay sculptures exploring womanhood, addressing the everyday realities and frustrations women face. Through these works, she hopes to foster a deeper understanding among both men and women of these often-overlooked experiences.
Ada Brzeski is a ceramic artist with over twenty years of experience. Largely self‑taught, she continues to refine her practice through courses and workshops. Drawing inspiration from her Polish heritage, she works from a shared studio in Ottawa.
TRINITY ART GALLERY
Shenkman Arts Centre
245 Centrum Boulevard, Lower Level
Free admission. Wheelchair accessible.

Whispers of Change
2026-03-30 - 2026-05-17 | Art Hub Gallery, 50 Bennett St, Carleton Place, ON, K7C 4J9, Canada
A new Art Show at Art Hub Gallery this spring.

Art Battle, April 2, 2026
2026-04-02 19:00 - 23:00 | Overflow Brewing Company, 2477 Kaladar Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1V 8B9, Canada
Step into a world where imagination comes to life! Watch as talented artists transform blank canvases into breathtaking masterpieces in just 20 electrifying minutes per round.
Feel the energy in the air as creativity flows and the crowd cheers them on.
Vote to crown the ultimate champion and take home a piece of the night with the silent auction of all original works.
Art Battle Ottawa is an all-ages event.
Event Details:

Date: April 2
Time: 7:00PM
Location: Ottawa

Pakenham Maple Run Tour
2026-04-04 - 2026-04-05 | Pakenham and surrounding area, Pakenham, ON, Canada
April 4 and 5 2026 from 10am to 4pm daily.
Discover the art and fine craft of local artists and artisans at 7 fascinating tour stops located in and around the charming heritage village of Pakenham
Spring is just around the corner and the sap will soon be running – which means it’s almost time for the annual Pakenham Maple Run Tour of art, fine craft, local food, and heritage. On April 4 and 5th, the 22nd year of this tour returns with exceptional artists and artisans in 7 fascinating tour stops in and around the beautiful village of Pakenham. Experience a huge variety of carefully curated creative expressions, including painting, pottery, pewter, glass, jewellery, photography, weaving, soap-making, blacksmithing, paper arts, woodworking, artisanal food, and so much more. New artists join the Tour each year! Take a drive of discovery along the Tour route, where you can take in spectacular spring scenery en route to experiencing the Tour’s unique locations: heritage buildings, a craft brewery, a cidery, a one-room schoolhouse, and a sugar bush. New this year, a new stop at the Cedarhill Tree Farm has been added.

Lenni Workman - NEW WORK
2026-04-07 | Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, 293 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7E5, Canada

Slip Terrace by Andrew Rucklidge
2026-04-09 - 2026-04-26 | Galerie Old Chelsea, 783 Route 105, Chelsea, QC, J9B 1P1, Canada
April 9 to 26, 2026
Vernissage: Saturday April 11, 1-4 pm
Galerie Old Chelsea is thrilled to present a series of new paintings by Andrew Rucklidge, an internationally recognized artist now living in Chelsea. The exhibition captures the invisible yet deeply familiar forces that shape the earth over time as Rucklidge draws on processes such as erosion, sedimentation, metamorphism, volcanic eruptions, exposed faults, and slipping terraces.
Andrew Rucklidge’s practice is rooted in an exploration of the planet’s internal gestures—subtle, powerful movements translated into paint through a deeply material and process-driven approach. Working with ancient and traditional media including egg tempera, distemper, watercolour, handmade inks, encaustic, and sun-thickened linseed oil, he constructs surfaces that echo the layered complexity of geological formations.
