By Candice O’Grady
The brown and beige wooden house that stands at 173 Preston St. has undergone radical changes in the last few months.
But the only visible difference from the street is a simple sign on the front door that reads Galleria 173.
Ottawa artist Jana Charron gutted the first floor of her two-storey home to make space for a gallery of contemporary Canadian art.
At the end of January, Charron and fellow local artist Judith Eglington opened Galleria 173, which currently focuses on Ontario artists.
“I felt there was a need for a gallery because there are lots of artists in the area who are not getting exposure,” Charron says. “We want the gallery to have a presence in the city for everybody, for both artists and collectors.”
Linking art lovers to new art by making it both available and affordable is another goal for the two women.
“We are trying to put mature and excellent work into the hands . . . and into the homes of the people of the city,” Eglington says.
Showcasing local art is essential according to Senator Mac Harb who spoke at the opening. He says art provides colour and makes an area livable.
“Art is imperative in a community,” he says. “ A community without art is like a bird without wings.”
The merchants of Little Italy, who donated food and wine for the unveiling, are also supportive of the gallery.
Lori Mellor, executive director of the Preston Street Business Improvement Association, says business owners want the gallery to succeed.
“The vision we all have for Preston Street really expands on the Italian tradition of patronizing the arts,” she says. “Art is such an important part of community because without it a city is a dull place to live. It provides a moment of beauty, or makes you stop and think, it takes you out of the everyday concerns of living.”
A painting by Gordon Wallace hangs opposite the doorway into the gallery. It shows the soft hills of Lebreton Flats before construction for the War Museum began. Eglington said that much of his work is rooted in Ottawa landscapes.
“His work is a culmination of imagination but all based on the local scene,” she says.
Across from a large window that faces Preston Street, a narrative quilt by Paula Mitas Zoubek hangs on the back wall. It tells the story of a first generation Canadian bride at a cultural crossroad between Canada and her Eastern European roots.
Eglington and Charron chose these pieces, along with the rest of the exhibition, after attending art shows, visiting studios and posting an online call for submissions.
They already have ideas for their next show, scheduled to open in April, which will likely feature only two artists to give each more space.
Creating space for gallery-goers as well as artists is important to Eglington, who believes that viewing art can be life-changing.
“We want to make original art . . . available because it could totally change a person’s way of thinking,” she says. “A whole world view can be changed by images. Life without art is a wasteland.”
The inaugural show is running until the end of March. It features the work of 10 Ontario artists, many of them from Ottawa.