A message from Alexandra Badzak, OAG Director and CEO

Dear OAG Members, Supporters and Friends,

On May 18th, we celebrate International Museums Day and this year’s theme is Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this theme is more important than ever as we understand the role that arts and culture can play in community cohesion and wellness.

With our physical doors temporarily closed, we, like so many of our cultural colleagues, have rallied to find new ways of keeping our gallery accessible by moving activities and content online. Through these initiatives we have become aware of the opportunities and challenges of the digital sphere in terms of access and inclusion, and are learning important lessons during this critical moment.

I feel buoyed that as we emerge from this crisis (and we will), as galleries and museums in Canada and around the globe, will take this as an opportunity to go beyond the status quo or “business as usual” and respond in innovative ways to the needs of our communities post-pandemic and into a very different and energized future.

As we dive deeper into our evolving journey as the Ottawa region’s home for the arts, I invite you to join us in a live, virtual conversation with Ana Serrano, current Chief Digital Officer of the Canadian Film Centre, and newly appointed President of OCAD U. The third of our OAG I GAO: 2036 lecture series, this exchange will explore the transformative challenges of expanding and exploring the digital realm for the arts sector. Stay tuned for your invitation.

Finally, I would like to thank you deeply for your generous support during OAG’s #GivingTuesdayNow “JoinThe250” campaign on May 5th. Together, we raised over $7000 in support of art, artists and programming at OAG, and together, we will continue to support our community in the most accessible, diverse and inclusive ways when our doors open again. 

Sincerely;

Alexandra Badzak
Director and CEO
Ottawa Art Gallery