Preparations for the first-ever Nuit Blanche Ottawa in September are well underway with the recent appointment of a guest curator.
Unlike the extravagant displays the annual, one-night festival is known for showcasing in larger cities such as Toronto and Montreal, Stefan St-Laurent says he’s focusing more on content that displays the whole breadth of the state of visual arts.
“I’m not a big fan of sensational artworks with nothing to say beyond it being a bold and expensive showcase,” says St-Laurent, former curator at SAW Gallery. “They’re not indicative of what artists are doing today.”
St-Laurent says he’s looking to curate a wide variety of eclectic art – from street-style to more immersive installations and participatory projects that engage the public.
For one whole night, the city will be transformed into a large canvas for art installations and performances that celebrate the talent of contemporary artists.
“My biggest plan is to take over the downtown market multi-level parking lot and have various spaces where artists can exhibit their art,” says St-Laurent.
“These works can be life-affirming, positive, or political – as long as there’s a willingness to change the world.”
The push to have a Nuit Blanche in Ottawa has been an ongoing effort among the local community, with past failed attempts at organizing one attributed to a lack of funding.
This year, an independent arts-group known as Bravo-Est received a $60,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, which funds projects in support of arts and culture. Bravo-Est is part of a province-wide advocacy group for French-speaking artists.
“Bravo-Est is leading this year’s Nuit Blanche in Ottawa and we’ll be featuring works in three clearly defined art districts,” says Ariane Nazroo, project manager at Bravo-Est.
“We’ve based the localizations on the large amount of interest received from art organizations in Byward Market, Hintonburg-Wellington-Westboro, and Bank Street in Centretown.”
It’s not clear which stretch of Bank Street will be included in the event, as talks with the Bank Street BIA are continuing, but Gallery 101 and Wallack’s Gallery have already confirmed their involvement.
“It’ll most likely be the area designated as the gay village of Ottawa,” says Megan Smith, the manager of visual arts at Bravo-Est. “Either way, there’ll be easy access going to and from these three localizations – bus transportation will be free for people to meander through all the art work.”
Organizers of the event say that while this year’s Nuit Blanche is concentrated in clustered areas of the city, they’re hoping to expand their scope in subsequent years.
“We’re starting small this year with not a lot of funding, so hopefully we gain some momentum that builds within the community,” says Smith. “This is the first step in us responding to the great need for Ottawa to finally have this big event come about.”
According to Nazroo, there’s still a need for more government grants and corporate sponsors.
“We’re months away from the event and still applying for grants. With the issue of funding aside, the purpose of Nuit Blanche is to put the visual art scene in your face – it’s gotten to the point where Ottawa needs and deserves it.”
St-Laurent agrees the city’s art and culture scene is on-par with lots of well-known art centres in Canada, although not much work goes into promoting these artists, whether it be financially or through tourism marketing campaigns.
“That’s why it means a lot for us to have our first Nuit Blanche, because for the past 20 to 30 years we haven’t properly recognized the achievements of our visual artists,” says St-Laurent.
Nuit Blanche Ottawa will be held on Sept. 22 and the theme for this year’s event, along with the call for submissions, will be announced in early February. Those interested in learning more about the event or volunteering can check out the official website at www.nuitblancheottawa.ca.