Celebrating Art, Community, and Connection in 2025: A Message from Alexandra Badzak

As we step into 2025, the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) is thrilled to embrace a year dedicated to celebrating community, artistic excellence, and diverse voices within the art world. Our 2025 season will showcase remarkable exhibitions and initiatives that foster connections, inspire creativity, and deepen our commitment to the local and national art scenes.

Throughout the year, we will continue to strengthen our national partnerships, beginning with a celebration of Canadian craft in collaboration with the Canadian Craft Federation, and a new initiative with Giant Tiger that engages local youth in creating art to raise awareness and funds for Kids Help Phone. We will also deepen our work with the National Gallery of Canada on two key internship programs and a national exhibition tour.

In the first half of the year, we will present the groundbreaking Grotto exhibition, featuring the work of 27 queer artists from 1975 to the present, generously donated by local collector Bill Staubi. This show promises to be a powerful exploration of identity, transformation, and resilience.

We are also proud to highlight the artistic heritage of Nunavik through two significant exhibitions. Revival: Printmaking in Nunavik (2014–2019) will provide a unique window into Inuit art from the region, while a major retrospective on the work of Normee Ekoomiak, an Inuk artist who lived and worked in Ottawa and was one of the first patients at The Ottawa Mission’s Hospice.

Ottawa-based artist Rene Price will present Just for Fun: A Rene-trospective , an immersive installation that explores 25 years of eclectic and humorous folk art, inviting audiences to experience his satirical and profound explorations of an artist’s legacy.

During Winterlude, our programming also includes Art & Tea at the OAG, a special event spotlighting the Firestone Collection and Rachel Kalpana James’ installation Bright Oriental Star, which focuses on the Indian diaspora and cultural narratives of migration and belonging.

Finally, OAG is proud to play a leadership role in the creation of the Ottawa Arts, Culture and Entertainment Corridor, a downtown revitalization program that supports local artists and elevates the role of art in placemaking and public space. We will also deepen our commitment to the intersection of art, health and wellness with our friends at Radical Connections and a myriad of community and corporate partners.

We invite you to join us in this exciting year of discovery, reflection, and community-building through the arts.

Sincerely,

Alexandra Badzak
Director and CEO, Ottawa Art Gallery