Welcome to Summer at the OAG | A Message from Alexandra Badzak

As the sun warms the capital, we invite you to come in from the heat—or the occasional rain or wind—and experience your home for the arts. At the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG), our free and welcoming spaces are here for you to connect, reflect, and engage with the creative spirit of our city.

Through the summer, the OAG is presenting a dynamic lineup of exhibitions that celebrate diverse voices and rich cultural narratives. We invite you to explore ᓄᐊᒥ ᐃᕐᕈᒥᐊᖅ | Normee Ekoomiak, ᓴᕐᖀᒋᐊᓪᓚᓂᖅ: ᐸᑎᒃᑎᒐᓕᐅᕐᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᕕᒻᒥ (2014-2019) | Revival: Printmaking in Nunavik (2014-2019), Grotto: The Bill Staubi Collection, and Visions and Views: Selections from the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art. These exhibitions reflect the breadth and depth of Canada’s visual culture, both past and present.

At the OAG, collaboration and community partnerships are at the heart of everything we do. We’re thrilled to present Sight, Not Seeing, curated by Sandra Ngenge Dusabe, through our Curatorial Fellowship Program—an initiative developed in partnership with the Ottawa Black Art Kollective (OBAK) and the National Gallery of Canada (NGC). This groundbreaking program supports the career growth of emerging Black curators and contributes meaningfully to Canada’s arts ecology.

We’re also honoured to partner with the School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO) for their 20th anniversary exhibition, which highlights the innovative practices of their distinguished alumni working across photography and lens-based media.

This summer, we’re proud to highlight initiatives that reflect our deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and representation in the arts. Through the Curatorial Fellowship Program and the Bill Staubi Acquisition Fund, we continue to be a resource for communities to share their stories. These programs underscore our belief that meaningful partnerships and shared authority are essential to building a more vibrant and representative arts landscape.

We believe that the arts are essential: they strengthen society, contribute to our collective well-being, and are a vital force in our economy and civic life. As a cultural meeting place, the OAG is proud to serve as a vibrant hub at the heart of our community.

Whether you’re a long-time supporter or a first-time visitor, we welcome you to spend your summer with us. There is something here for everyone—art to inspire, stories to discover, and space to belong.

Sincerely;

Alexandra Badzak
Director and CEO, Ottawa Art Gallery