An Ottawa resident is organizing the city’s newest design show at a Centretown gallery to give small manufacturers and artists a place to showcase their talent.
Zanna Sowka, a Carleton University industrial design student, says she is running a two-day event called Made in Ottawa because she is frustrated with limited opportunities for designers – from jewelry makers, t-shirt makers, glass blowers and shirt designers.
“It’s pretty much anything and everything,” says Sowka. “There is so much talent in this city but nobody knows about it. I want to change that.”
The show runs April 21 and 22 at Fall Down Gallery on Bank Street.
While Sowka admits that Carleton taught her how to add artistic edge to designing everyday products, she says the school does not offer as much of a chance to showcase work outside of class.
Now, she’s taking matters into her own hands.
“Last year, we ran a lighting exhibition, but it was just presented to our professors. I thought, ‘Hey! I spent months on designing my light and I want to celebrate it,’ ” she says.
But some artists say Ottawa’s network of designers is not as strong as it should be.
Ruby Hadley, an Ottawa-native working at a design firm in Hong Kong, says she has noticed other cities do a better job of promoting local talent.
“In places like Hong Kong and even Toronto it seems like every week there is some kind of place for designers to show off their stuff and meet new people from other companies,” she says.
Hadley says if Ottawa wants to improve its design culture it’s going to need regular venues for local artists.
Ottawa designers seem excited about their newest opportunity. Fibre and fashion artist Danica Olders says it’s a challenge for local artists to get their name out in this city.
“The showcases in this city feel a little bit exclusive sometimes,” says Olders, who will be showing some of her jewelry and t-shirts at the event.
Olders says she hopes events like these help her meet other artists and inform her of what others are doing within the design scene.
Artists can also sell their products to other manufacturers or people who attend the event. But Sowka says that’s not what it’s about.
“I’m not interested in making money at all. You don’t really know what other artists and designers are doing and now people can share and network in one place,” she says.
Sowka says you have to start small in order to build up Ottawa’s design culture. Still, she says she hopes her show catches on so that future designers and students help make it an annual event.