Warm up with a day of art, conversation, and tea.
Come in from the cold and join the Ottawa Art Gallery for a day of activities on Sunday, February 8.
This year’s annual Firestone Day and Art & Tea also marks the launch of Ottawa’s bicentennial celebrations at the OAG. Anchored in the exhibition Visions and Views: Landscape and Abstraction in the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art, the program features a special lecture and conversation that explores Ottawa’s cultural and artistic history through the Firestone Collection. With particular attention to the modern period and the Kanata–Beaverbrook neighbourhood—known for its artist-named streets—the talk invites audiences to consider how art, place, and urban development intersect in shaping local identity. The lecture, held in the Alma Duncan Salon, will be followed by a Q&A.
Before settling in for Art & Tea, visitors are encouraged to take part in a Winterlude Creative Sundays workshop, explore the Firestone Gallery on level 2, chat with an educator, and join a spot talk with OAG Assistant Curator Amy Wallace!
Schedule of Events:
10 AM – 2 PM — Special Edition Winterlude Creative Sundays Workshop: 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.
10 AM – 1 PM – Drop in to 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 FCCA!
12 PM – 5 PM – OAG Mini Market: Valentine’s Edition. Join us for the OAG Shop’s first 2026 Mini Market: Valentine’s Edition, featuring handmade goods by talented Ottawa artists.
12 PM – 12:30 PM – Stop by 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 (level 2).
1 PM — Doors to Alma Duncan Salon (level 3) open. Afternoon Tea served.
1:10 PM — Opening Remarks and a talk exploring Ottawa’s modern history and the Kanata–Beaverbrook neighbourhood through works from the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art, followed by a Q&A. Please note this program will be delivered in English.
3 PM – 4 PM – XO OAG Members Meet & Greet. 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.
