The Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) is proud to announce it has been recognised with win in Best Exhibition In A Commercial Gallery and Colleague Of The Year awards from Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries (GOG). The awards were presented last night (December 1) in Toronto, during a ceremony highlighting the significant impact galleries and art museums have on communities and the vital role art plays in everyday life.
Emma Campbell, Executive Liaison Officer at the Ottawa Art Gallery, was received the Colleague Of The Year award for her dedication, leadership, and versatility. Over the last six years at OAG, she has contributed across multiple departments, advancing key initiatives and playing a leading role in the gallery’s accessibility audit, which made OAG the first public art gallery in Canada to earn Rick Hansen Foundation Gold Certification. Known for her quiet yet impactful work, Emma’s energy, care, and commitment to excellence truly inspire everyone around her.
Named Best Exhibition In A Commercial Gallery,Inviting the Conflict —presented in the Ottawa Art Gallery’s commercial space, Galerie Annexe, in partnership with the Ottawa Black Art Kollective—was curated by emerging curator Regatu Asefa. The exhibition brought together six IBPOC artists who explored grief, vulnerability, anxiety, and mortality, creating a space for reflection, connection, and shared experience. Asefa’s thoughtful vision, combined with the gallery’s commitment to mentorship and inclusion, made the exhibition a powerful example of how a commercial gallery can foster dialogue, empathy, and community.
“OAG extends heartfelt congratulations to Emma Campbell, an outstanding colleague whose insight and collaborative spirit has had a lasting impact on our organization, and to the team behind Inviting the Conflict, a powerful and transformative exhibition. We’re thrilled their work was recognized among so many other exceptional nominees across the province.”
– Alexandra Badzak, Director and CEO, Ottawa Art Gallery
The exhibition Stories my father couldn’t tell me: Jeff Thomas Origin, curated by Rachelle Dickenson, Hanako Hubbard-Radulovich, and Victoria Pelky, presented at OAG from October 19, 2024 to March 16, 2025, was given a special mention in the category Exhibition Of The Year Budget Over $50,000.
Established in 1977, the GOG Awards are presented annually by Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries (GOG) to celebrate outstanding achievement, artistic excellence, and innovation within the province’s public art gallery sector, recognizing excellence in exhibitions, publications, programs, design, partnerships, and individual contributions.
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