Warm up with a day of art, conversation, and tea.
Come in from the cold and join the Ottawa Art Gallery on Sunday, February 8 for a full day of activities.
This year’s Firestone Day: Art + Tea at the OAG launches the OAG’s cultural celebrations recognizing Ottawa’s 200th. It sets the stage for a year of exhibitions, events, and cultural activations that explore what 200+ years of Ottawa means today, while also acknowledging the much deeper history of this land that extends well beyond the bicentennial.
Marking a particularly fascinating chapter in the city’s story, we turn our attention to the Kanata–Beaverbrook neighbourhood, a community known for its artist-named streets and strong ties to Canada’s post-war history. Anchored in the exhibition Visions and Views: Landscape and Abstraction in the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art, the program explores the Firestone Collection’s connections to this unique neighbourhood, inviting audiences to consider how Ottawa’s evolving identity has been influenced by both artists and urban design.
Firestone Day is a gallery-wide celebration. Before settling in for Art + Tea, explore a full schedule of activities, including a special Winterlude edition of Creative Sundays, a Firestone Gallery Spot Talk, the OAG Shop Mini-Market, and a social mixer for OAG XO Members.
Schedule of Events
Special Edition Winterlude Creative Sundays Workshop
10 AM – 2 PM
Join us in the Studio (level 0) for a free drop-in family art activity. Get inspired by the artworks of Automatistes painters like Marcelle Ferron as you experiment with palette knifes to create snowflakes. All materials will be provided.
Firestone Drop In
10 AM – 1 PM
Visit the Firestone Gallery (level 2) to chat with an educator about the works on view in our current exhibition Visions and Views: Landscape and Abstraction in the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art!
OAG Mini Market: Valentine’s Edition
12 PM – 5 PM
Visit the OAG Shop’s first 2026 Mini Market: Valentine’s Edition, featuring handmade goods by talented Ottawa artists (level 1).
Spot Talk
12 PM – 12:30PM
Stop by the Firestone Gallery (level 2) for a Spot Talk with OAG Assistant Curator Amy Wallace to learn more about outdoor painting in the Ottawa-Gatineau region through the work of Group of Seven member A. Y. Jackson and his associates in Visions and Views.
Firestone Chat
Art + Place: Kanata-Beaverbrook and the Firestone Collection
1 PM – 2:30PM
Afternoon tea is served in the Alma Duncan Salon (level 3)! Settle in for an engaging conversation with OAG’s Alexandra Badzak, Rebecca Basciano, and Meghan Ho, joined by Carleton University’s Ben Gianni and Janine Debanné, as they explore Ottawa’s modern history and the Firestone Collection’s connections to the Kanata–Beaverbrook neighbourhood.
Please note this program will be delivered in English.
XO OAG Members Meet & Greet Member Appreciation Event
3 PM – 4 PM
Join us for an XO OAG Members Meet & Greet at Galerie Annexe (level 1). Connect with fellow XO OAG members in a relaxed, social setting while exploring the Mini Market and meeting the talented artisans featured there.
Image: William (Bill) Teron, 1957. Courtesy of the Teron Family. | Kanata Developments, Map of Beaverbrook, 1970. From the Kanata Room, Ottawa Public Library.