As the nation’s capital, Ottawa is home to some of Canada’s most prominent galleries and museums. In the past, this national focus has made it challenging and frustrating for developing local artists to find a place to express their talents or display their work. A quick look at the history of local art reveals why local artists might not feel supported. But as the level of creativity in Ottawa is rising, so is the support from the City.
Ottawa is not lagging in supporting the arts – it’s leading.
In 1982, the Council for the Arts in Ottawa was founded to support local artists. Ottawa artists gathered together again in the late 1980s when they lobbied for support for a municipal gallery. As a result, the Ottawa Art Gallery was founded in 1988.
However, just 15 years later, the OAG began to outgrow its space and again needed support for a new location.
Recently, both funding and opportunities have increased. The recent approval for the $100-million investment for the Arts Court, which houses 26 Ottawa arts organizations, is proof of that.
This project will redevelop the Arts Court as well as expand the Ottawa Art Gallery. While the approval for the project has been in the process for years, the funding was bumped up to $42 million from the city and $60 million from the private sector – a sharp increase from the original $34 million reported in 2013.
The Ottawa Society for Arts and Sciences hosted a panel discussion on Oct. 9 to discuss whether or not Ottawa is doing enough to promote artistic change. The concern was that the city is hindering creativity and expression instead of aiding it.
One of the panelists, Lilly Koltun, is an emerging Ottawa artist as well as the former director general of the National Portrait Gallery of Canada. She says Ottawa is aiding its local artists.
According to Koltun, local art is supported in both expected and unexpected places in the city, such as the two galleries in city hall.
Unique to Ottawa among cities in Canada, city hall has two galleries that showcase local art.
Koltun said while it is common for young artists to start their own galleries, such as Gallery 66, Central Art Garage and PDA Projects, it is unusual to have galleries in government buildings.
Another unique way Ottawa supports local artists is with the OAG’s art rental and sales, which gives emerging artists a chance to gain exposure in a reputable gallery collection.
Frequent opportunities also arise in the city for artists to get involved in. One example is the Ottawa Art Expo – an annual event designed to promote and sell work from local artists, which will start on Oct. 25.
Ottawa is also a leading city when it comes to encouraging diversity in arts. Inside Out’s LGBT Film Festival is being held Oct. 23-26 and Ottawa is one of only two locations for the festival in Canada.
Ottawa’s events calendar is always dotted with festivals, showcases and workshops that aid local artists in launching careers in the arts. It is these opportunities and the investments being made in the arts community, combined with the local talent that give Ottawa such a vibrant arts scene and make it a leader in arts.