About
The Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) tells the story of our community’s evolution through art and helps to create a positive vision for our city’s future. As a cultural anchor in the downtown core, we are a sustainable and innovative institution that is a positive economic contributor to the City of Ottawa and we hold a world-class collection of art for the people of the region.
The OAG emerged in the late 1980s when a grassroots group of artists and city-builders fought to have a gallery that presented and collected the art of our region, so that our artists could represent the City of Ottawa to the nation and to the world. Throughout the decades, we have showcased hundreds of artists, many of whom have represented us at major festivals and galleries across the globe.
The OAG believes art and culture are essential parts of belonging and are the building blocks for the society we want. Art is a means by which we come together to celebrate the shared experiences that add texture and inspiration to the everyday.
The OAG’s exhibitions present regional art within a national and international context, and our programs reach patrons and participants from toddlers to seniors. The OAG also “holds space” for our community and we strongly believe in interdisciplinary collaborations and partnership as a means of achieving this accessible place.
The OAG welcomes you to engage, experience and access this unique home for the arts in Canada’s capital city—a truly regional footprint offered to our citizens and welcome visitors from across the globe. Ottawa, your art is HERE.
Our Impact
At the OAG, you can expect to experience a welcoming and affordable engagement with art, an inspiring cultural destination that you will want to share with friends and family, and a shared sense of pride in the cultural contributions of artists from the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
Since our re-opening in 2018, the OAG has welcomed over a million visitors in person and even more through our digital platforms and outreach programs. The OAG’s Strategic Priorities demonstrate a continued commitment to broadening access and supporting our arts community while remaining a sustainable and relevant cultural organization by centralizing anti-racism, equity and inclusion as foundational tenets.
The OAG offers subsidized creative workshops and other programming for community groups across the Ottawa-Gatineau region, in addition to building community partnerships and projects that enrich and engage the lives of our community members including seniors; youth and adults carrying the experiences of mental illness; 2SLGBTQIA+; and participants of all ages.
