uOttawa MFA graduating class join forces with the Ottawa Art Gallery for a unique exhibition

Abound, part of an ongoing exhibition partnership between the University of Ottawa’s Department of Visual Arts and OAG, celebrates connections at, across, and beyond boundaries.

OTTAWA ON, February 1st 2022 – The Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) and the University of Ottawa present Abound | Art from the University of Ottawa Department of Visual Arts 2021, from February 9 to March 6, 2022, at OAG. Part of an ongoing major partnership between the Department of Visual Arts at uOttawa and the Gallery, this collaboration receives support from the RBC Foundation and the Stonecroft Foundation. February 9th is also the day OAG is reopening to welcome visitors back into its space as part of the provincial plan.

Abound presents the work of Angelina Barrucco; The Cat Attack Collective: Natalie Bruvels and Tomson; Erin Fyfe Donnelly; Peter Kohut; the late Lilly Koltun; Jenny McMaster; and Laura Paolini. The artists invite us to explore our surroundings using our senses and curiosity, and to reflect upon both real and perceived boundaries of time and space. Works, produced from home or in closed-door studios during the pandemic, encourage us to look at the desire for connection in both natural and built environments, and to think critically about boundaries — pushed, explored, respected, and deeply felt over the passage of time.

“United by a sensitivity to materiality, process and content, Abound showcases each artist’s flourishing aesthetic and theoretical engagements, along with their contributions to their respective fields.”

-Marianne Brown, University of Ottawa, and Rachelle Dickenson, Senior Curator, Ottawa Art Gallery, Curators

The exhibitions of graduating projects embody each candidates’ research and studio work during the 2-year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program at uOttawa. Through this partnership, graduates are given the opportunity to showcase their thesis exhibitions at OAG, while learning about the exhibition process in a professional gallery setting and working directly with museum staff. Further, under the OAG MFA Exhibition and Mentorship Program, the MFA artists will have the opportunity to receive professional development, give artist talks, and engage with mentors.

MFA candidates work closely with professors at the Department of Visual Arts to develop a body of original artwork to be presented to the public. The end result offers visitors the opportunity to see their graduate exhibitions: new, cutting-edge art in a variety of mediums and styles.

“The Ottawa Art Gallery, only a stone’s throw from our studios and classrooms, has always been an extremely important resource and a connector of our students to the greater Ottawa art community. This partnership underscores the fact that our graduates are now an integral and vital part of that community.”

–Lorraine Gilbert, Professor and Graduate Program Director, Department of Visual Arts, University of Ottawa

Members of the public can view the exhibition on the 4th floor of the Ottawa Art Gallery, at 10 Daly Avenue for free during Gallery opening hours. Currently, all visits to the Gallery must be booked here.

The RBC Foundation is a major OAG partner for this new initiative under their Emerging Artists Projects fund, an important program that supports the arts and the role they play in building vibrant communities and strong economies.

The Stonecroft Foundation is likewise a major uOttawa partner for the production of an associated catalogue publication for this group of exhibiting graduates.

Listing information:
Abound | Art from the University of Ottawa Department of Visual Arts 2021
Ottawa Art Gallery
10 Daly Avenue
4^th Floor Galleries

Exhibition dates: February 9 to March 6, 2022

Members of the public can view the exhibition for free during Gallery opening hours.
Book your free visit here.

Abound press images and captions:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d9v578fs0g3wmm8/AAC4YZeQKA47wTBZ8qiMs8q8a?dl=0

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For media enquiries, media tours, or interview requests, please contact:
Véronique Couillard, Officer, Media, Public and Francophone Relations
vcouillard@oaggao.ca, 613-291-1358

About the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG)
The Ottawa Art Gallery is situated on traditional Anishinābe Aki and is Ottawa’s municipal art gallery and cultural hub. Located in Ottawa’s downtown core, the expanded Gallery is a contemporary luminous cube designed by KPMB Architects and Régis Côté et associés.

oaggao.ca

OAG receives funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the City of Ottawa.