OAG Welcomes New Board Members: Leading the Way for Art in Our Community 

The Ottawa Art Gallery is thrilled to introduce the newest members of the Board of Directors, individuals who bring a wealth of experience, passion, and vision to the gallery. As stewards of the gallery’s mission to inspire, engage, and challenge through art, the Board plays a crucial role in shaping the OAG’s direction, fostering community partnerships, and ensuring the gallery remains a cultural cornerstone for years to come. 

Here’s an introduction to the newest Board Members for the Ottawa Art Gallery. 

Don Kwan

Don Kwan (he/him) is a queer third-generation Chinese-Canadian multidisciplinary artist, whose work explores place, identity, representation and intergenerational memory-making across time. Reflecting upon modernist depictions of landscape in Canada, Kwan explores legacies of inclusion and exclusion, rooted in land-based settler colonialism.  

Andy Akangah 

Andy Akangah is a self-taught published illustrator from Benin living in Ottawa. He is currently the CEO of AKARTS, a hip-hop inspired streetwear line that has already caught the eye of A-list celebrities like Timothée Chamalet, The Weeknd and Director X. 

Andy is captivated by the art styles in comic books, manga, and anime and decided to combine these genres with his love of hip hop. His designs are well known for their bold colors, pop culture references, and unique details. His work has been recognized by NBA, Microsoft, Complex, AT&T, Faces Magazine, NRML, and Esquire.  

Katie Lafferty  

Katie Lafferty is a management consultant and the former Chief Executive Officer of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, a national organization focused on collaborative research, training, and knowledge translation in stroke recovery. Prior to this role, Katie served for twelve years as the Executive Director of the Canadian Stroke Network, a non-profit entity funded by the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program. In that role, she oversaw the development and implementation of the Canadian Stroke Strategy and the Canadian Stroke Congress.  

Susan Smith  

Susan is a co-founder of Bluesky Strategy Group and is recognized as one of The Hill Times’ Top 100 lobbyists. With more than 30 years of experience, she provides private and public sector clients with strategic communications, public affairs and crisis and media relations advice and training.

Fluently bilingual, Susan is a graduate of Queen’s University and holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors at the Rotman School. She is an elected member of the Queen’s University Council and an independent director of the PayPal Giving Fund Canada.  

Annabelle Cloutier  

With more than 20 years in leadership positions, Annabelle is a seasoned strategist in public affairs, government relations, corporate governance and planning, communications, media relations and issue management. Annabelle was awarded a Harvard Kennedy School executive certificate in Public Leadership and holds Law Degree (LL.B.).

Since 2018, Annabelle is the Executive Director of Strategy and Communications of the National Arts Centre, and leads on government relations. She is senior advisor to the CEO, and Corporate Secretary to the NAC Board of Trustees.  

The addition of these new Board Members marks an exciting chapter for the Ottawa Art Gallery. Each individual brings a unique perspective and skill set, which will be invaluable as we continue to expand our programming, strengthen community partnerships, and ensure that art remains accessible to all.