I wish all my readers Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noël & Happy New Year!

Thanks for your support. I look forward to what's happening in 2017 in the Ottawa arts community and beyond!

Launch of the Canadian Photography Institute today!

Tonight is the launch of the Canadian Photography Institute and the opening of three inaugural exhibitions: The Intimate World of Josef Sudek, Cutline: The Photography Archives of The Globe and Mail, and PhotoLab 1.

Very excited to be there!


Facts:
Canadian Photography Institute
Opening today, Oct. 26, 2016
6 p.m. @ National Gallery of Canada
Free and open to the public.

Link: http://www.gallery.ca/cpi/

Crown & Pumpkin Studio Tour

Wander, Savour, Collect. That's the motto of this year's Crown & Pumpkin Studio Tour in and around Almonte and Clayton, just West of Ottawa.

I got very excited when I picked up the pamphlet. You can check out their schedule under www.crownandpumpkin.com.

Facts:
Crown & Pumpkin Studio Tour
October 8, 9 & 10, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Various locations around Almonte and Clayton
Link:  www.crownandpumpkin.com

owaa gallery

I'm a true supporter of local arts and just want to give you an impression what the Ottawa West Arts Association has on display at the Goulbourn Recreation Complex. I love how these kind of exhibitions in community and recreation centres bring art closer to the people.

The not for profit Ottawa West Arts Association (OWAA) members consist of a diverse group of painters, photographers, sculptors and textile artists who exhibit a varied eclectic mix of works in the owaa gallery located in the Goulbourn Recreation Complex.

Facts:

Link: http://www.artsoe.cahttps://www.facebook.com/owaagallery/ /en/membership/directory/visual-arts.aspx?id=228

Exhibition at Goulbourn Recreation Complex, 1500 Shea Road, Stittsville, Ontario.
https://www.facebook.com/owaagallery/ 

Ottawa School of Art Open House

Ottawa School of Art on George Street, archival photo

The Ottawa School of Art will be opening its doors to the public on September 10th from 12pm to 4pm for its annual open house. There will be free information, live demos and workshops in a verity of artistic fields.
Sounds interesting!

FACTS:
http://artottawa.ca/

Ottawa School of Art
35 George St, Ottawa, ON K1N 1K2

West Arts Conversation

Loved the West Arts Conversation by the AOE Arts Council last night. There's definitely more going on in the arts in the West End of Ottawa than you'd think!

https://www.facebook.com/ArtsOE/posts/10153935940251107

Maura Doyle: the Vessel, that with fugitive Articulation answer'd, how deep is your love?

Maura Doyle at CUAG, Ottawa.

Maura Doyle's unique pottery and installations are now on view at the Carleton University Art Gallery (CUAG) as one of its big summer exhibitions. The fabulous exhibition title is inspired by Persian poet Omar Khayyam's The Rubaiyat (1120A.C.E.).

In various handmade stoneware sets on custom-built supports, Doyle contemplates the vessel, a hollow form with a hole, and explores how we use, represent, and display it. She also demonstrates how rich in metaphor the vessel is: pots have been written about by poets and writers for thousands of years. Besides her own pottery, Doyle chose a number of pre-Columbian pots from Carleton University’s collection to be displayed as well – an amazing juxtaposition!

“Cradled in / terra cotta crust / in sea salt- / leaves, grass / leaves / grass / leaves / grass / leaves / Banana peels / tunnel through / horse balls and beaver chips- / An orange peel! / Molten apple core, / shelled peanuts / surrender" (2015). Pit-fired stoneware with underglaze. Copyright by Maura Doyle.

These photos were taken during the opening of the CUAG summer exhibitions on May 2nd, 2016. What an exciting show!

Exhibition shot during the CUAG opening, May 2nd, 2016.

From the exhibition: Maura Doyle: the Vessel, that with fugitive Articulation answer'd, how deep is your love?

Facts:
CUAG
Maura Doyle: the Vessel, that with fugitive Articulation answer'd, how deep is your love?
02 May – 28 August 2016
CUAG Artist Talk: Maura Doyle, Monday, 20 June 2016, 6:00 p.m.

Link: http://cuag.carleton.ca/index.php/exhibitions/332/

Exhibition No. 11 @ SPAO and CONTACT Festival

Under the motto “Vision. Content. Craft.” showed the SCHOOL OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS: OTTAWA (SPAO) in “Exhibition No. 11” various photographic works by SPAO first year, graduating students and artists in residence. This year's exhibition focused on historic and contemporary photographic processes and tools.

Unfortunately, the exhibition was just on for a short time (April 22 - 29, 2016), but it will travel to Toronto, to the 2016 International Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. Actually, the exhibition was to be packed up shortly after I left – I took the very last chance to see it here in Ottawa.

These were my favorites (a very personal selection – so please go to CONTACT and judge yourself):

Christine Fitzgerald's “Threatened” Series at SPAO, April 2016. Copyright by the artist.

Christine Fitzgerald's “Threatened” Series caught my eye right away. She uses the fascinating nineteenth-century collodion process. The soft, brownish tones and imperfections of the process resonate with the subject matter of distinction of threatened species.

Joyce Crago's portraits at SPAO. Copyright by the artist.

Also outstanding were the large-scale portraits by photographer Joyce Crago of strong women in politics, like e.g. Catherine McKenna. Straightforward, honest and unprettified.

In SPAO's hallway, a small wall was reserved for Richard Robesco as Artist-in-Residence who is – according to his own words – stylistically inspired by the Düsseldorf School painters and photographers. His “Revelations” series of windows photographed at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, is fascinating. (Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good image of his works, so check out his web site: www.richardrobesco.com.)

Some works by first year students at SPAO, April 2016.

On the opposite wall hang some of the works of first year students. My favourite piece: a self-portrait by Michael Kuby where the photographer can be seen in a mirror, taking the picture of a woman in the room at the back (here the photo on far right side). I love the play with perspectives, and the visual signature of the photographer as participator and creator of the shot.

A wonderful show!

Exhibition installation "Exhibition No. 11" at SPAO.

Jason Clifford Champagne: photographic portraits collage. Copyright by the artist.

Facts:
Exhibition No. 11
April 22 - 29, 2016
SPAO, 168 Dalhousie Street, Ottawa;

and during the 2016 International Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, May 4 (Vernissage @ 4-7pm) to May 18, 2016 at the Arta Gallery, Distillery District, 14 Distillery Lane, Toronto, ON.

Featured Artists Works: 
Jason Champagne, Joyce Crago, Christine Fitzgerald, Genevieve Labbe, Katy Lopez, Rey Martin, Judy Morris Dupont, Austin Wing, Hannah Evans, Mel Harris, Andrew Macartney, Matthew McIlkenny, Michael Kuby, Danni-Rae Mistaken Chief, Neeko Paluzzi, Adelita Rose, Christian Villemaire, Glenn Bloodworth, Richard Robesco

Kanata Artist Studio Tour On Now

Some Kanata Artists present themselves “Under 1 Roof” this weekend (April 30 - May 1st, 2016). The variety of artworks and techniques (paintings, embroidery, photography, watercolours, drawings etc.) is fascinating; and I had a chance to talk to some of the artists today.

Photographs by RicharD Murphy at the Kanata Artists Studio Tour 2016. Copyright by Richard Murphy.

Photographs by RicharD Murphy at the Kanata Artists Studio Tour 2016. Copyright by Richard Murphy.

RicharD Murphy travels a lot and his photographic landscapes reach from Canada to France, Spain, even Japan. Very unique: He mounts his photographs on wood panels. Each wooden surface is specifically chosen to resonate with the depicted landscape or still life.

One of Judi Miller's embroideries at the Kanata Artists Studio Tour 2016.

Judi Miller, Textile Artist. Copyright by the artist.

Textile artist Judi Miller creates beautiful embroideries of flowers and Canadian landscapes. She uses a sewing machine, but each piece is a individual handcrafted work of art.

Fran Swift at the Kanata Artists Studio Tour 2016. Copyright by the artist.

Fran Swift shows some portraits, landscapes, and wildlife as well as still lifes at the Kanata Artist Studio Tour 2016. She works in watercolour.

Wendy Quirt at the Kanata Artists Studio Tour 2016. Copyright by Wendy Quirt.

Wendy Quirt is specialized in Wildlife and Pet Portraits. During the 2-day show, she sells original acrylic on panel paintings, as well as some reproductions of her works.

Wendy Quirt, copyright by the artist.

Some of the artists told me this afternoon that they have had 200 visitors today. The show is still on tomorrow!

Facts:
Kanata Artist Studio Tour
April 30 – May 1st, 2016
1203 Maritime Way, Building ‘D’ of the William’s Court, Kanata

Link: http://www.kanataartists.com/KAST/Home.html 

A Hidden Gem at the Museum of Nature: Macro-Photography

While recently visiting the Nature Museum, I briefly sneaked out from my excited preschooler (“Dinosaurs! Bugs!”) and took some time to see the “Canadian Wildlife Photography of the Year” exhibition. This annual photo exhibition (now in its seventh edition) presents the winners of the 2014 Canadian Geographic Wildlife Photography of the Year contest. It is indeed a fabulous photo exhibition.

My favorite: A half-underwater-half-over-water shot of a Sockeye Salmon run! Very unique and almost abstract.

But I have to say, what impressed me even more was the little exhibition in the Stone Wall Gallery, which is unfortunately hidden in the Nature Museum's basement. Absolutely stunning and fascinating macro photographs of beetles, like I have never seen before. The exhibit “Beetles in Focus” includes 18 macro photographs of real specimens from the museum's national collection. The detail is just amazing – but also the aesthetics! I would say it is a hidden gem at the Nature Museum; and totally worth a visit (even without the dinosaurs).

Facts:

Canadian Wildlife Photography of the Year
May 8, 2015 – March 20, 2016

Beetles in Focus
Stone Wall Gallery (in the basement)
No dates for that show posted on the Nature Museum's website (probably a permanent exhibit)

Museum of Nature, Ottawa
www.nature.ca

Masterpieces from private collections @ Cube Gallery

Käthe Kollwitz, Marc Chagall, Jean Paul Riopelle - now there's a rare opportunity to get your hands on numerous, previously unavailable, works of art from private collectors. Cube Gallery's "Collectors Show" presents original paintings, prints and sculpture from private holdings.

The show includes e.g. Alexander Calder, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Salvador Dali, Bertrand Dorny, Maurice Haycock, Wilfredo Lam, Peter Hoffer, Johnny Friedlaender, David Thauberger, William Ronald, Bruce Garner, Gerald Trottier, James Boyd, Joyce Devlin, Peter Shmelzer, Pierre B Aslanian, Dennis Tourbin and more.

Facts:
The Collectors Show
Cube Gallery
Jan 5 to Feb 14, 2016
Link: www.cubegallery.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/504197523085300/

Sparkle @ The Ottawa West Arts Association

Happy New Year! Of course, there is already lots going on. If you are as interested in local art as I am you may check that out:

The Ottawa West Arts Association (www.owaa.ca) presents "Sparkle": New artworks from local artists of the Ottawa West area.

You also have the chance to fill out a People's Choice Ballot of your favorite pieces at the Goulbourn Recreation Complex.

Facts:
Sparkle
Jan. 9 - Mar. 11, 2016
Goulbourn Recreation Complex, 1500 Shea Road, Stittsville
Open 7 days a week 7 am - 9 pm
Link:  www.owaa.ca