Site-Specific: An Art-Centric Guide to Ottawa

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Explore the National Capital Region with a curated tour from our panel of experts

At Central Art Garage (66 Lebreton St. N.), a reclaimed auto-mechanic shop, Danny Hussey and Bridget Thompson have created one of Ottawa’s most exciting hubs for contemporary art.

MEET THE LOCALS THE BEST OF OTTAWA FROM THE CITY’S ART SCENE INSIDERS

PHOTO DAVID HEALD

PHOTO SCOTT ADAMSON

Ming Tiampo Associate Professor of Art History, Carleton University “I value the world-class level of engagement with Indigenous issues and culture in Ottawa.”

Michelle Gewurtz Interim Senior Curator, Ottawa Art Gallery “I love all of the music festivals, from Bluesfest to CityFolk to Arboretum Music Festival de musique.”

Stefan St-Laurent Director, AXENÉO7 “There is so much going on in the visual and media arts here. I rarely have the inkling to go to Montreal or Toronto — Ottawa’s artist-run centres and public galleries take more risks."

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Organized by the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Alberta as part of the NGC@AGA exhibition series, with the generous collaboration of the Southern Alberta Art Gallery Blur Portrait (Woman) # 2 Purple (detail), 2015. Collection of the artist. Photo: Rod Leland

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MEET THE LOCALS THE BEST OF OTTAWA FROM THE CITY’S ART SCENE INSIDERS Jinny Yu Associate Professor of Painting, University of Ottawa “There is political awareness here and discussions in all fields, including in the arts.”

Leslie Reid Artist and Emeritus Professor, University of Ottawa COURTESY CITY OF OTTAWA

“Ottawa is a​ rare ​​mix of busy​, sophisticated urban centre and inspiring countryside​, linked by three rivers​, a canal​and numerous bike paths​, a​ nd a​ ll ​ easy to access and free t​o explore for the independent spirit.”

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1 Gatineau On the north shore of the Ottawa River is the French-speaking city of Gatineau. One of its biggest attractions is the Canadian Museum of History (100, rue Laurier), but it’s also home to smaller galleries such as Galerie Montcalm (25, rue Laurier), Espace Pierre-Debain (120, rue Principale), Daïmôn (78, rue Hanson) and AXENÉO7 (80, rue Hanson), whose director, Stefan St-Laurent, highlights one of his favourite spaces: “The new artist cooperative Le temporaire (75, rue St-Rédempteur) in Hull, the oldest party of the city, takes us back to the ’70s with its grungy location and unpretentious vibe—in 2015, David Byrne of the Talking Heads rented a bike to ditch Ottawa and spent his day on the French side to hear some local bands. He wrote about his jaunt in the Guardian, which irrevocably (finally) took Hull out of the shadows of Parliament Hill.” Visit between August 18 and September 23 to attend the Triennale Internationale des Arts Textiles en Outaouais, a contemporary textile and fibre-arts festival that hosts exhibitions and events across the region.

Claude Bergeron (150 St. Patrick St.), Galerie St-Laurent + Hill (293 Dalhousie St.), Galerie d’art Vincent (1 Rideau St.), SAW Gallery (67 Nicholas St.) and the Ottawa Art Gallery (2 Daly Ave.).

Enjoy Inuit carvings and Cape Dorset prints at Snow Goose Gallery (83 Sparks St.), and visit the main floor of City Hall to find Karsh-Masson Gallery (110 Laurier Ave. W.). As of April 31, PDA Projects (361 Elgin St.) will leave the Golden Triangle to become a roving pop-up project space.

1 Installation view of “Ottawa Night”

by Jason Paradis at Karsh-Masson Gallery 2 Ottawa neighbourhood map 3 Installation view of works by Natasha Doyon at AXENÉO7

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3 Centretown and Little Italy After visiting Wallack Galleries (225 Bank St.) in Centretown, walk through Chinatown all the way to Little Italy, where you will find eclectic local art at Orange Art Gallery (290 City Centre Ave.).

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2 Byward Market and Beyond Just over the bridge from Gatineau is the National Gallery of Canada (380 Sussex Dr.), which houses the new Canadian Photography Institute, is the organizing institution for the Sobey Art Award and is hosting the US Embassy’s Contemporary Conversations series. Also in the Byward Market, just a stone’s throw from the NGC, are Galerie Jean-

4 Around the Glebe Centretown West is home to Gallery 101 (51B Young St.), while Studio Sixty Six (202–66 Muriel St.) is in the historic Glebe district. Go east to visit Koyman Galleries (1771 St. Laurent Blvd.) and south to find Patrick Mikhail Gallery (2401 Bank St.).

Westboro Village and Wellington West 5

Find Wall Space Gallery (358 Richmond Rd.), Gallery 3 (1281 Wellington St. W.) and Cube Gallery (1285 Wellington St. W.) in these hip neighbourhoods that also boast must-visit shops and restaurants.

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Meryl McMaster, Secret Darkness of Birds (2015), detail, ink jet print

Meryl McMaster: Confluence Curated by Heather Anderson Maura Doyle: the Vessel, that with fugitive Articulation answer’d Curated by Heather Anderson Noriko Shinohara: Cutie and Bullie Curated by Cayllan Cassavia 2 May – 7 August 2016 cuag.carleton.ca

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WALL SPACE GALLERY PRESENTS

NAVA WAXMAN MAY 2016 358 RICHMOND RD 2316 ST. JOSEPH BLVD

WALLSPACEGALLERY.CA

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APHRODITE, 2013

Explore

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MEET THE LOCALS

PHOTO KAYLA MEYER

PHOTO JUSTIN WONNACOTT

THE BEST OF OTTAWA FROM THE CITY’S ART SCENE INSIDERS

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DINE TASTEMAKERS Got a sweet tooth? SuzyQ Doughnuts (969 Wellington St. W.) is a cult favourite among locals for their deep-fried delicacies, whose flavours range from traditional (try the Finnish sugar doughnut

“Check out the Record Centre (1099 Wellington St. W.) for new and used vinyl—and occasional intimate in-store concerts.”

Adam Welch Associate Curator, Canadian Art, National Gallery of Canada ”Ottawa is a city that lives and works in two languages, with theatre, dance, literary, film and visual-art scenes that draw on the many global cultures that use French and English.”

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Gladstone Ave.), known for its gourmet sandwiches, and hits El Camino (380 Elgin St.) when he’s got a hankering for tacos and tequila. When Tiampo has Venice Biennale nostalgia, she pays a visit to “DiVino (225 Preston St.) for perfect and delicious pasta, Soif (88, rue Montcalm, Gatineau) for challenging, interesting wines, and North and Navy (226 Nepean St.) for ciccheti.”

SHOP TREASURE HUNTING

Goods Shop (201 Dalhousie St.) stocks local wares that make for perfect souvenirs, such as live-edge wooden chopping blocks laser-engraved with maps of Ottawa neighbourhoods. Carved from reclaimed wood, each piece is one of a kind. Curator Michelle Gewurtz frequents Workshop Studio and Boutique (242 Dalhousie St.), which “supports crafty Canadian women by stocking designers from across the country.” For art-opening worthy jewellery, visit Viens Avec Moi (1338 Wellington St. W.) or art-history professor Ming Tiampo’s favourite, L.A. Pai Gallery (13 Murray St.). Curator Adam Welch is a fan of Found Design (164 Elm St.) for midcentury modern pieces, goes to Black Squirrel (1073 Bank St.) to stock up on books, and is a regular at Possible Worlds (708G Somerset St.) in Chinatown, which he describes as “a project space that manifests Melanie Yugo and Jason Pelletier’s roving practice: for over a decade they’ve been civil servants by day and printmakers, gallerists, DJs and all-round cultural impresarios by night.” Pick up some limited-edition vinyl and carry it out in an artist-designed tote bag.

Heather Anderson Curator, Carleton University Art Gallery

MOVE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

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known as a Sugar Munkki) to avant-garde (Blue Vanilla Fruit Loop, London Fog and Mango Lassi).

For a healthier option, artist Leslie Reid recommends the Green Door Restaurant (198 Main St.), which she says is “the very best for vegetarian food, and not far from the Rideau Canal.” Hang out at Origin Trade (111 York St.), a new coffee house/lounge, cozy pub The Manx (370 Elgin St.) or try the ricotta-stuffed meatballs at Town (296 Elgin St.), which Gewurtz describes as “an intimate spot serving delicious artisanal food as sharing plates.

They also support local artists through commissions and exhibitions.” Welch favours Pressed (750

It’s easy to stay active in Ottawa, which is famous for its glorious green spaces. “I love that (for half the year) I have the choice of biking to work through the Arboretum or the Central Experimental Farm (Prince of Wales Dr.)—two of my favourite spaces—and in winter there’s plenty of opportunity to get outdoors with skating, skiing and snowboarding,” says curator Heather Anderson. Welch takes advantage of all that Gatineau Park, which is 105 times the size of Central Park in Manhattan, has to offer: 250 kilometres of trails to hike or walk, as well as rock climbing, boating, swimming and more. Reid recommends renting a bike (available at locations around the city) and “going along the scenic Rideau Canal bike path, ending at the Carleton University Art Gallery (1125 Colonel By Dr.).”

1 North and Navy 2 Goods Shop 3 Possible Worlds

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ON E

OF CA NA DA'S

O LD E S T A RT G A LLE RIE S Wallack Galleries is situated in

of the many provincial or regional

the heart of the nation’s capital.

museums. A number are members of

Founded in 1954, Wallack Galleries

important organizations such as the

remains one of Canada’s oldest

Royal Canadian Academy. The gallery

commercial art galleries. The gallery

also provides consultation services

provides a broad scope of mediums

to individuals, corporations and

including paintings, sculptures and

government bodies.

graphics - this includes a stable of contemporary artists rather than

These services include custom

exclusively buying and selling works

framing, evaluation, restoration

of deceased artists. Most of the artists

and conservation, crating, storage,

represented by Wallack Galleries

shipping and installation of fine art

are in public collections such as the

objects.

National Gallery of Canada or one www.wallackgalleries.com /wallackgalleries

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613 . 235 . 4339 /wallackgallery

225 Bank Street, Ottawa, On /wallackgallery

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Insider Tipsheet: Bear Witness PHOTO JESSICA DEEKS

Bear Witness at his home and studio in Ottawa in January 2016. Witness is a video artist and one of three members, along with DJ NDN and 2oolman, of Juno Award–winning electronic-music group A Tribe Called Red.

What’s your favourite venue?

Where’s the best place to do karaoke?

What’s your favourite record store?

Bear Witness: It doesn’t exist anymore, but I have to mention Aloha Room, which is where A Tribe Called Red had their first meeting. Another important place that has been around forever is Babylon (317 Bank St.). That’s where Electric Pow Wow started in 2008. It’s a space that is owned by the backstreet community and has this real down and dirty club feel. It just feels like home.

BW: I’ve had a lot of fun at the karaoke night hosted by drag queen China Doll at Shanghai (651 Somerset St. W.), a Chinese restaurant run by an amazing family that has been an important part of the Ottawa community for decades.

BW: Vertigo Records (193 Rideau St.) is the best in the city. It’s a real institution.

What’s your favourite thrift store?

BW: I get material for my video work from thrift stores. Because of the nature of what I collect —I buy a lot of westerns that have colonialist representations of Indigenous people—most stuff doesn’t get re-issued, and it’s hard to find. The Turning Point (411 Cooper St.) is great, and they also have a good selection of records.

Where’s the best place to get a cheeseburger?

BW: Ottawa has mastered the art of pub food elevated to the standard of Le Cordon Bleu. I love the Manx Pub (370 Elgin St.) and Bowman’s Bar and Grill (1170 Carling Ave.) for cheeseburgers.

Where’s the best place to buy food?

BW: I love to cook—that’s what I did before A Tribe Called Red. I buy my ingredients at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market (Lansdowne Park): I always get local game, like buffalo, elk and deer, as well as this amazing sourdough that they sell there.

What’s your favourite movie theatre?

BW: The Mayfair Theatre (1074 Bank St.), which has been around since 1932 and survived the takeover from all the big-box suburban multiplexes.

Some people I know bought it, and made it into a venue for art-house and genre-based films.

What’s your favourite coffee shop?

BW: My kitchen! When I lived on Bank Street, I went to Bridgehead (750 Bank St. and other locations), a local chain that sells fair-trade, organic coffee, but now I go to the farmers’ market and buy from a local roastery called Poppa Bean.

What’s your favourite art gallery?

BW: SAW Gallery (67 Nicholas St.) is a huge hub in the city and gives a lot of support for Indigenous youth. I was in the youth program in 2006 and 2007 and produced my first professional video work there, for Miche Jetté of Flecton Big Sky. Where’s the best place to take a selfie?

BW: Looking out across the water at Parliament from the corner belonging to the Indian Scout (Major’s Hill Park), who used to reside at the foot of the statue of Samuel de Champlain, but was moved after the Assembly of First Nations protest in 1999. My favourite feature of this city is its monuments. Interacting with them—that comes from my father, Jeff Thomas, whose work recontextualizes historical images of First Nations people. Ottawa’s kind of a conservative place, and it’s exciting to push back against that. It’s an artist’s job to question the ways people are represented.

I really enjoy being that artist. ■

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Patti Normand Tornado (detail) 2014 COURTESY OF WALL SPACE GALLERY

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Visit canadianart.ca/site-specific

OTTAWA Carleton University Art Gallery cuag.carleton.ca

Koyman Galleries koymangalleries.com

Central Art Garage centralartgarage.com

L.A. Pai Gallery lapaigallery.com

Cube Gallery cubegallery.ca

La Triennale Internationale des Arts Textiles en Outaouais triennale-outaouais.com

Galerie d’art Vincent vincent.inuitfinearts.com Galerie Jean-Claude Bergeron galeriejeanclaudebergeron.ca Galerie St-Laurent + Hill galeriestlaurentplushill.com Gallery 101 g101.ca

National Gallery of Canada gallery.ca Orange Art Gallery orangeartgallery.ca Ottawa Art Gallery ottawaartgallery.ca PDA Projects pdaprojects.com

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School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa spao.ca Snow Goose Gallery snowgoose.on.ca Studio Sixty Six studiosixtysix.ca Wall Space wallspacegallery.ca Wallack Galleries wallackgalleries.com