Welcome to Fall at the OAG | A Message from OAG Director and CEO, Alexandra Badzak

Join the OAG this fall, as we celebrate the vision and legacy of significant Ottawa-based artists, realize the culmination of several key partnerships, and highlight OAG’s commitment to presenting important artforms, in this case, the narrative power of photography and video.

Together in partnership, OAG and the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) have collaborated on Stories My Father Couldn’t Tell Me: Jeff Thomas Origin, a major exhibition that delves into the critical and creative practices of acclaimed Urban-Iroquois photographer and cultural theorist Jeff Thomas, reflecting on his 40 years of art making, resistance, and activism. This is the first of many initiatives that OAG and the NGC are working on to support and enhance the arts ecology in Ottawa, and across Canada.

OAG has built a reputation for creating exhibitions that mine the vital and dialogic space between contemporary and historical art, and our latest installation in the Firestone Gallery is no exception. Here, South-Asian Canadian artist Rachel Kalpana JAMES’ immersive video highlights a moment of East-West interaction in the early 20^th century.

We continue to deepen our partnership with the School of Photographic Arts Ottawa (SPAO) and the Ottawa Arts Council for the Project X Award. Recognizing one photo-based practitioner annually, OAG is pleased to present the exhibition, Saints and Madonnas, by this year’s recipient, Olivia Johnston.

Mark your calendars for FOCUS FEST on October 27^th, a full day dedicated to lens-based artmaking featuring artists talks by Jeff Thomas and Olivia Johnston, with interactive workshops and activities planned throughout the gallery. Don’t miss Galerie Annexe’s annual exhibition Art and Parcel, an excellent opportunity to start your holiday gift buying early while also supporting artists and the OAG.

Finally, stay tuned for the announcement of the 2024 Inductees of OAG’s Artists Investiture Ceremony in November, where we will honor five artists who have made a long-lasting and substantial contribution to our community.

Sincerely;

Alexandra Badzak

Director and CEO