A New Home for the Karsh-Masson Gallery

Entrance of the Karsh-Masson Gallery in the ByWard Market, Ottawa

June 2013 will be a significant month of change for the City of Ottawa exhibition spaces. The city-run Karsh-Masson art gallery is going to move from the ByWard Market to City Hall. There, it will be located on the ground floor, beside the existing City Hall Art Gallery in an expanded space. How exactly the two exhibition spaces will connect is not known yet. But it may be a wonderful opportunity for the city to present more contemporary visual arts by local, national and international artists – and have the two exhibit spaces interacting, or contrasting each other.

Erik Nieminen – Anonymous Reality, Installation view 2011, Karsh-Masson Gallery, ground floor, Copyright photo courtesy of Erik Nieminen

Since 2003, the Karsh-Masson Gallery has been located at 136 St. Patrick St. There, it has been one of the most exciting exhibition spaces of the city of Ottawa.

But the building is expected to need renovations. Further, the city’s lease will end in June 2013 (it was leased from the National Capital Commission).

As part of his speech introducing the draft 2013 budget in October 2012, Mayor Jim Watson said the city “will be relocating the Karsh-Masson Gallery into a refurbished and expanded facility and bringing it home to City Hall.” (see: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/travel/Karsh+Masson+gallery+moving+City+Hall+Mayor/7441433/story.html)

It will be a challenge, but also a huge chance for visual arts!


Facts:
Karsh-Masson Gallery

The gallery got its name from famous portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh and visual artist Henri Masson.

Now on exhibit: Heather Benning – Field Doll
January 25 to March 3, 2013
Free admission

http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/arts-culture-and-community/arts-theatre-music/now-exhibit-karsh-masson-gallery