Spring and summer 2020 Exhibitions at the Ottawa Art Gallery

Press Release

OTTAWA – March 2nd, 2020 – For the spring and summer 2020 season, the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) presents 5 new exhibitions featuring interactive sculptures, video installations, a work of art to climb and slide on, an intimate look at sacred spaces and Group of Seven highlights in the context of its 100th anniversary

(Re)Collecting the Group of Seven: Celebrating 100 Years (January 18, 2020 to January 10, 2021) showcases Group of Seven works from the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art, with a particular focus on A.Y. Jackson, A.J. Casson, and Arthur Lismer. The exhibition also presents a unique look at the mid to late twentieth-century collecting activities of the Firestone family in Ottawa.

‘This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Group of Seven’s first painting exhibition. Established by Ottawa-based collectors O.J. and Isobel Firestone in the early 1950s, the Firestone Collection of Canadian art, housed at OAG, contains examples of over 600 works by Group of Seven artists. This year-long exhibition celebrates the lasting impact the Group has had on Canadian Art, and the importance of the legacy of the Firestone Family for this City.‘’
– Alexandra Badzak, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ottawa Art Gallery

Originally shown in South Korea and Japan, this is the North American debut of the international group exhibition RhythmScape (March 12 to September 27, 2020), featuring contemporary art inspired by the pulse of life, society and work. The exhibition is circulated by The Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, South Korea in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Canada and supported by the Korean Foundation for International Culture Exchange.

Russell Yuristy: The Inside of Elephants and All Kinds of Things (February 8 to July 26, 2020) celebrates the poignantly playful multimedia practice of Canadian artist Russell Yuristy, founder of the Creative Playground Workshop, through which he created large wooden animal sculptures that doubled as play structures. 

Jennifer Dickson: The Credo Project (February 8 to July 26, 2020) is an exhibition of photography by Jennifer Dickson captured during her travels to the U.K., Cyprus, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and Morocco. Each triptych presents architectural spaces of the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

“Using strategies ranging from video, dance and photography to sculpture and drawing, these international, national and regional artists present works that explore the ways in which we move through our world, as participants, critics, dissidents, or celebrants.
-Catherine Sinclair, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Ottawa Art Gallery

Also on view for this period, stunning textile and mixed-media-based work in the exhibition Tethers│Scars: Claudia Gutierrez and Tafui (March 6 to April 26, 2020) in Gallery Annexe.

From OAG’s Permanent Collection, Maura Doyle’s installation Gone (2018) will be on display in the Mackenzie King Lobby. It chronicles, with a take-away map, lost Ottawa-Gatineau sculptures such as Russell Yuristy’s play structure Beaver (Victoria island, Ottawa, 1979 – c. 1989).

The public is invited to a free opening reception for all exhibitions on Wednesday March 11th from 6 pm to 9 pm. Free childcare is offered during the opening, and every Thursday evening. Admission to OAG is always free.

Upcoming Events

Jennifer Dickson Speaker Series: An Artist’s Journey
Thursday, March 26, 2020 – 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Join artist Jennifer Dickson for an intimate tour of The Credo Project and a discussion of her travels and access to sacred architectural monuments.
Free, registration required: mho@oaggao.ca or 613.233.8699 +247.

BMO in Conversation: Russell Yuristy and Catherine Sinclair
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 – 6:30pm
Join artist Russell Yuristy and curator Catherine Sinclair in the Alma Duncan Salon as they discuss Yuristy’s practice, the Saskatchewan art scene of the 1960s and public art in Canada

Free, no registration.

Visit oaggao.ca for complete calendar.

OAG location
50 Mackenzie King Bridge, Ottawa, ON, K1N 0C5, CANADA | 613.233.8699 | info@oaggao.ca

Press images

(Re)Collecting the Group of Seven: Celebrating 100 Years artworks and captions:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4pf3yrollluz7yk/AABHiIkR2_kPTzC-JiOmhLXta?dl=0

리듬풍경 RhythmScape artworks and captions:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rhbggtfaljc82ht/AABDuhQ-hhcHWQY2OFd8RRuWa?dl=0

Russell Yuristy: The Inside of Elephants and All Kinds of Things artworks and captions:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x9ibrrlewauxpxt/AAAKQxQZh9kVfmx3dqMn7INoa?dl=0

Jennifer Dickson: The Credo Project artworks and captions:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dvrzlncqsibqh7x/AADk2Em5DcfF_OQUluuCjEHua?dl=0

Tethers│Scars: Claudia Gutierrez and Tafui artworks and captions:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jio47wr4tx73bk5/AAA621J2EfeIZ1cPFjZimcQ4a?dl=0

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For media enquiries, to book an interview with artists or curators:
Véronique Couillard
Officer, Media, Public and Francophone Relations
vcouillard@oaggao.ca
613-233-8699 +244

About the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG)
OAG is Ottawa’s municipal art gallery and cultural hub. Located in Ottawa’s downtown core, the expanded Gallery is a contemporary luminous cube designed by KPMB Architects and Régis Côté et associés.

oaggao.ca

OAG receives funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the City of Ottawa.