Welcome to the Ottawa Art Gallery.  As a public art gallery, the OAG is a space for reflection and respectful dialogue. We believe that art plays an important role in addressing and helping us to better understand the complex, global challenges of our time. To that end, we prioritize care in all we do and we condemn all forms of hate.

OTTAWA ART GALLERY IS SITUATED ON TRADITIONAL ANISHINĀBE AKI.Odāwā ojichigan-wābandahidiwigamig ate Anishinābe-akìng egā wìkād kā pagidinigādegOttawa Art Gallery is situated on Traditional Anishinābe Akìx

Photo: Simone Dicosta

Plan your visit

The Ottawa Art Gallery is home to the Art and Artists of the Ottawa-Gatineau region; where you can experience the collections, exhibits and events that link us, and where connection happens between Art and City. Ottawa, YOUR ART IS HERE.

Admission to the OAG is always FREE.

LEED 2022 Bilingual SILVER

The Ottawa Art Gallery is LEED® Certified®, LEED® Silver®. The LEED® certification trademark is licensed in Canada to the Canada Green Building Council® and is used with permission.

Grotto showcases a selection of artworks generously donated by Bill Staubi to the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) in 2024. This exhibition pays homage to Staubi’s unwavering support for queer artists and his deep-rooted commitment to Ottawa’s vibrant contemporary art scene. 

In celebration of our 50th Anniversary, the CCF/FCMA is thrilled to present a collective exhibition of fine crafts at the Ottawa Art Gallery.

The Ottawa Art Gallery, Giant Tiger and Kids Help Phone are collaborating for Anti-Bullying Day 2025. In the spring of 2024, we ran two t-shirt design workshops for youth artists led by illustrator and comic-book artist Andy Akangah. Participants learned how to develop a design concept and digitize hand-drawn work for clothing.

Dialogue between contemporary and historical art can provide us with new ways to consider the past. Here, South-Asian Canadian artist Rachel Kalpana JAMES' immersive contemporary installation highlights a moment of East-West interaction in the early 20th century.

This work delves into the beauty of flowers and their Fibonacci connections, as well as cosmic fascination and intertwining Earth and lunar rhythms.

The Firestone Collection of Canadian Art is a significant art collection that spans the modern period and includes work from a wide range of Canadian art styles, geographical regions, and periods. The two largest themes represented in the collection are landscape and abstraction.

Come to the Jackson Café to discover two large murals, featuring the digital artwork of Eric Chan (aka eepmon).

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Yesterday, OAG Chief Curator @rebeccabasciano and Artist @chun_hua_catherine_dong presented at Costume Balls: The Symposium at the @museemccordstewart in Montreal.

Using the recent Ottawa Art Gallery exhibition Through the Ground Glass: Reframing William James Topley as a focal point, ...they explored how historical narratives can be reimagined through contemporary art. The presentation was moderated by Cynthia Cooper, Head, Collections and Research Curator, Dress, Fashion and Textiles at The McCord Stewart Museum.

📸 From left to right: Chun Hua Catherine Dong, Rebecca Basciano and Cynthia Cooper.

SAVE THE DATE ✅ and get ready to Paint the Town Pink 💖 on May 29, 2025 at the OAG GIVE TO GET ART AUCTION! 🎉🥂 Don’t miss the art event of the season! 🎟️ Tickets on sale March 27 at 👉 OAGGAO.CA

#PaintTheTownPINK #GiveToGetArt

DATE À RETENIR ✅ : le 29 ...mai on déroule le tapis rose 💖 pour l’encan DONNEZ-VOUS À L’ART de la GAO ! 🎉🥂 C’est LE rendez-vous artistique de la saison ! 🎟 Achetez vos billets dès le 27 mars, 👉 OAGGAO.CA

📸 Photos : @melodyphotography and Clara Zamith

#ondérouleletapisrose #donnezvousalart

Stop by the OAG during March Break! 😍✨ Admission is always FREE. 👉 Check out What’s On at OAGGAO.ca

To celebrate International Women’s Day, OAG is featuring the work of Ottawa-based artist Anna Williams @anna.williams.projects from our collection. Working in printmaking, sculpture, and installation, Williams' artistic practice explores issues of identity, womanhood, and power structures in... contemporary society.

In her work Leda and the Swan (2017), pictured here, she reimagines this classical Greek myth by casting a confident Leda in bronze, holding Zeus, the white swan, powerless by her side. Set on a base of reclaimed local wood with an antique prospector’s ax slung over her shoulder, the heroine is given agency: placed in a position of strength, Leda is recast as the author of her own fate.

OAG also recently acquired another of William’s sculpture works: Eve’s Rib (2022), which is now on view in the exhibition Grotto: The Bill Staubi Collection in the 4th floor gallery.

🎨 Leda and the Swan, Anna Williams, 2017, cast bronze, cast resin, paint, antique axe, on reclaimed wood. Collection of the Ottawa Art Gallery: gift of private collection, 2020. Photo: David Barbour

🎨 Eve’s Rib, Anna Williams, 2017,bronze, reclaimed oak, cast resin.Collection of the Ottawa Art Gallery: gift of Bill Staubi, 2024. Photo: Rémi Thériault. www.annawilliams.ca

Pour souligner la Journée internationale des femmes, la GAO désire mettre en valeur le travail d’Anna Williams, une artiste d’Ottawa représentée dand notre collection. Ses estampes, sculptures et installation explorent des questions liées à l'identité, à la condition féminine et aux structures de pouvoir dans la société contemporaine.

Son oeuvre Leda and the Swan [Léda et le cygne], 2017, (image) réinvente ce mythe grec classique en représentant une Leda confiante en bronze, tenant Zeus, le cygne blanc, impuissant à ses côtés. Installée sur une base en bois récupéré, avec une hache de prospection antique à son épaule, l'héroïne est dotée d'une véritable autorité, placée dans une position de force, et reconçue comme l’auteure de son propre destin.

Another sneak peek 👀✨ of the exhibition Grotto: The Bill Staubi @bstaubi Collection, on view beginning this Saturday! 😍 Thank you to exhibition curator Caro Stewart for the staff tour! 💖

Art & Tea at the OAG Recap ☕
Do you want to learn more about @rachelkalpanajames’s installation Bright Oriental Star (2011) now on view in our Firestone Gallery?

This year’s annual Firestone Chat: Converging Visions: Tagore and Group of Seven – In Conversation with artist ...Rachel Kalpana JAMES, Dr. Gillian McCann and OAG Director & CEO Alexandra Badzak – which took place on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at the OAG – dives into more detail on this work. 🎥 You can now watch a recording of this on our YouTube page! 👉 link in bio

Spot Talk: The Work Of Marian Scott 🖼
Learn more about Marian Scott’s practice and her abstract work Untitled (1970) with OAG’s Chief Curator Rebecca Basciano in Visions and Views: Landscape and Abstraction in the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art. Watch 👉 link in bio

Retour sur Art, thé et bonne compagnie ☕
Vous voulez en savoir plus sur l’installation Bright Oriental Star [Lumineuse étoile de l’Orient (2011) de Rachel Kalpana JAMES présentée dans la Salle Firestone ?

La causerie Firestone de cette année, Perspectives communes : Tagore et le Groupe des Sept, une conversation entre Rachel Kalpana JAMES, Dre Gillian McCann et Alexandra Badzak – qui avait lieu dimanche dernier (le 16 février 2025) à la GAO – explore l’œuvre en détail. 🎥 Vous pouvez maintenant regarder l'enregistrement de la discussion sur notre page YouTube ! 👉 Suivez le lien dans notre bio.

Visite éclair : le travail de Marian Scott 🖼
Découvrez l’œuvre abstraite Untitled [Sans titre] (1970) de Marian Scott présentée dans l’exposition À perte de vue. Le paysage et l’abstraction dans la Collection Firestone d’art canadien avec Rebecca Basciano, commissaire en chef de la GAO. Visionnez 👉 suivez le lien dans notre bio.

Sneak peek 👀✨ at install of the new exhibition Grotto: The Bill Staubi @bstaubi Collection! On view beginning March 8th on level 4. 🤩

Meet the guest artist for this year’s March Break Art Camp 🎨 at the OAG! ✨ @rebecca.clouatre.art ✨

Register 👉 link in bio 👀 Registration deadline: Sunday, March 2, 2025

Rebecca Clouâtre is a professional artist based in Ottawa, Canada. In 2015 she received a ...Masters degree in Art History with a concentration in Curatorial Studies. After a brief career in historical research and curatorial work, she is now a full-time artist and mother. In 2020, CBC Arts released a Paper Cuts documentary film about her artistic process. WKP Kennedy Gallery in North Bay, ON hosted Maternal Collections, her first major solo exhibition in Spring 2023. Her work has been exhibited in Canada, the U.S.A. and Australia.

Clouâtre hopes to encourage viewers to contemplate the intricacies of nature and our complex relationships with the environment while exploring themes of human connection, motherhood, and feminism. She is a proud member of @44point4 based in Ottawa. With the intention of bringing attention to environmentalism and forgotten material, much of her imagery is sourced from a variety of paper-based paraphernalia that have been scavenged and repurposed.

L’artiste ✨ Rebecca Clouâtre ✨ offrira un atelier durant notre camp du congé de mars 🎨 !

Inscriptions 👉 suivez le lien dans notre bio 👀 Date limite pour les inscriptions : le dimanche 2 mars 2025

Rebecca Clouâtre est une artiste de collage de papier découpé à la main basée à Ottawa, Canada. En 2015, elle a obtenu une maîtrise en histoire de l’art de l’Université Carleton, avec une concentration en exposition d’art et études curatoriales. Après une brève carrière dans la recherche historique et le travail de commissaire, elle est maintenant artiste et mère à temps plein. En 2020, CBC Arts a sorti un film documentaire Paper Cuts sur Clouâtre et sa démarche artistique. En avril 2023, la WKP Kennedy Gallery à North Bay, Ontario accueillait sa première grande exposition solo intitulée Maternal Collections. Ses collages ont été exposés au Canada, aux États-Unis et en Australie.

📸 @alexamazzarello

Together, through creativity and compassion, we can make a difference in the lives of young people across Canada. Wear your pink shirt proudly today and be part of the message of kindness for Anti-Bulling Day! 💖

✨ Learn more about the OAG’s collaboration with @gianttigerstore and ...@kidshelpphone to amplify the power of art in support of youth mental health. 👉 link in bio

La compassion et la créativité peuvent faire une grande différence dans la vie des jeunes. Montrez votre soutien aujourd'hui lors de la Journée contre l'intimidation en portant un chandail rose. Faites partie du mouvement de la gentillesse ! 💖

✨Pour en savoir plus sur la collaboration entre la GAO, @tigregeantmagasin et @jeunessejecoute et ce que peut faire l’art pour la santé mentale des jeunes, suivez 👉 le lien dans notre bio.

It's the last week to see The Life of a Building by @greta_grip and @byleejones! 👀 Catch it on level 1 before this Sunday, March 2! 😍

✨ What an unforgettable day celebrating the iconic Firestone Collection of Canadian Art!

This remarkable collection is a significant art collection that spans the modern period and includes work from a wide range of Canadian art styles, geographical regions, and periods. 🖼️ As ...proud caretakers, the Ottawa Art Gallery presents these works through rotating exhibitions that feature historical themes, art movements, and specific artists, including work from the Group of Seven.

A heartfelt thank you 💖 to everyone who joined us for a day of art, creativity, and connection! From the dynamic Art & Tea conversation with Rachel Kalpana JAMES, Dr. Gillian McCann, and Alexandra Badzak ☕, Rebecca Basciano’s insightful Spot Talk 🖼️ and hands-on fun at Creative Sundays 🎨—your presence made it special.

Special thanks to @chartwellretirementresidences for their generous support and to @canadacapitalregion for making it part of #Winterlude. 💙❄️

📍 Missed out? Visit the OAG to explore the Firestone Collection in Visions and Views, on view now, and discover the vibrant world of Canadian art!

✨ Quelle journée inoubliable en l’honneur de l’emblématique Collection Firestone d’art canadien !

Cette collection exceptionnelle regroupe des œuvres canadiennes majeures de la période moderne. Elle est composée d’œuvres provenant d’un vaste éventail de styles artistiques, de régions géographiques et d’époques au Canada. La Galerie prend soin de la Collection et la présente la par le biais d’expositions 🖼 changeantes mettant en vedette des artistes, dont ceux du Groupe de Sept, des thèmes historiques et des mouvements artistiques.

Merci pour votre présence aujourd’hui 💖 lors de cette journée célébrant l’art et la créativité, tant pour Art, thé et bonne compagnie avec Rachel Kalpana JAMES, Dre Gillian McCann et Alexandra Badzak, ☕️ que pour la causerie éclair (et dynamique !) 🖼 avec Rebecca Basciano ou encore pour les activités artistiques de Dimanche créatifs !
🎨

Un grand merci à @chartwellretirementresidences pour leur soutien généreux et à @regioncapitalecanada pour cette occasion de faire partie de #BaldeNeige 💙❄️

Bright Oriental Star by Rachel Kalpana JAMES @rachelkalpanajames is on view now in the exhibition Visions and Views in the Firestone Gallery (level 2).

Dialogue between contemporary and historical art can provide us with new ways to consider the past. Here, South-Asian Canadian artist ...Rachel Kalpana JAMES’ immersive contemporary installation highlights a moment of East-West interaction in the early 20th century.

Her work focuses on the 1929 visit to Canada by Rabindranath Tagore, a celebrated Indian poet and educator whose philosophies resonated with themes of spirituality and nature. While the question of Tagore’s influence on Canadian artists, particularly Group of Seven members like Lawren S. Harris and Fredrick Varley, has been largely overlooked, JAMES’ installation serves as a space for reconsideration.

Learn more at oaggao.ca

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OAG is open from 10 AM to 6 PM Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday | from 10 AM to 9 PM on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Admission is always FREE. PA Day and Summer Art Camp Registration Now Open!