City of Ottawa Art Collection

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About

After amalgamation in 2001, artworks from the Region of Ottawa–Carleton and 11 municipalities were brought together as one art collection. Today, the City of Ottawa Art Collection is comprised of more than 3,500 artworks produced by over 900 artists including Shahla Bahrami, Jennifer Dickson, Lorraine Gilbert, Adrian Göllner, Yousuf Karsh, Farouk Kaspaules, Meryl McMaster, Nadia Myre, Cynthia O’Brien, and Annie Pootoogook.

The City of Ottawa collects artworks that demonstrate creativity and innovation. New artworks are added to the collection by purchase, donation and commission based on a peer assessment committee’s recommendation. Public art commissions accompany major capital projects such as Ottawa on the Move and Confederation Line. By presenting art in public spaces, the City of Ottawa Art Collection enriches communities, supports local artists and forms a visual art history of the Ottawa area. 

Search your Collection

Artwork from this collection is presented at over 180 public sites across Ottawa! Library branches, community centres, parks, playgrounds, employment centres, transit stations and City Hall display artwork for residents.  Search your Collection!

Check back regularly. New items will be added to the faceted search tool.

Images (left to right): locomOtion, Erratic Field, The Spirit of OC Transpo, Morphology

highlights from the Collection

Artists

The City of Ottawa Art Collection features over 3,000 artworks created by more than 800 artists and artist teams. Artists are listed alphabetically by last name.

Artists listed alphabetically

A

  • Sarah-Mecca Abdourahman
  • Barry Ace
  • Marc Adornato
  • Jim Affleck
  • Marion Aitken
  • Cheryl Albuquerque
  • Stéphane Alexis
  • Adam Alorut
  • Edward Ambros
  • Jonathon Anderson
  • David Andrew
  • Simon Andrew  
  • Alexander Angnaluak
  • Jill Anholt
  • Fionna Annis
  • Tiffany April
  • Joi T. Arcand
  • Katie Argyle
  • Alan Armstrong
  • Becky Armstrong
  • Siobhan Arnott
  • Pierre Arpin
  • Susan Ashbrook
  • Barbara Astman
  • Pansee Atta
  • Raymond Aubin and Zana Soro
  • Christian Audet
  • Marc Audette
  • Dan Austin
  • Melanie Authier 
  • Ava Margueritte   
  • Gabriela Avila-Yiptong 
  • Derek Aylen

B

  • Ben Babelowsky (1932 - 2019)
  • Hanna Back
  • Shahla Bahrami(link is external)
  • Karen Bailey
  • Amanda Balestreri
  • Barbara McGill Balfour
  • Maureen Ballagh
  • Richard Banks
  • David Barbour
  • James Barbour (1912 - 1984)
  • Amy Barker
  • John Barkley
  • Angelina Barrucco 
  • Anne Meredith Barry (1932 - 2003)
  • W. H. Bartlett (1809 - 1854)
  • Leopold Bartosh
  • Morton Baslaw (1924-2016)
  • Robert Bateman
  • Josh Bates
  • Ariane Beauchamp
  • Micheline Beauchemin (1929 - 2009)
  • Andrew Beck 
  • Irene Beck (1954 - 2018)
  • David Becker
  • Jocelyne Beland-Stephenson
  • D. Bell
  • Karin Bell
  • Jessica Bell
  • John Benn
  • Claude-Philippe Benoit
  • Kevin Benson
  • Jean-Claude Bergeron
  • Karina Bergmans
  • Miguel Berlanga
  • Davis Bernett
  • Judith Berry
  • Derek Michael Besant
  • Rolf Bettner
  • Mieke Bevelander
  • Bhat Boy
  • Bing Cherry (Caroline Joanisse)
  • B.C. Binning (1909 - 1976)
  • Kristin Bjornerud
  • David Blackwood
  • Suzanne Blanchet
  • Victoria Block
  • Glenn Bloodworth
  • Bruno Bobak (1923 - 2012)
  • Robert Boffa
  • Sylvie Bordeleau
  • Marion Bordier
  • Cécile Boucher
  • Joël Boudreau
  • Mary Bourdeau 
  • Robert Bourdeau
  • Gail Bourgeois
  • Raymond Bourque
  • James Boyd (1928 - 2002)
  • S. Maria Brandt
  • Claire Brascoupé
  • Mairi Brascoupé
  • Simon Brascoupé
  • Emily Brascoupé-Hoefler
  • Stephen Brathwaite
  • Carol Bretzloff
  • Mary Brewer
  • Jean Bridge
  • Ian Brignell
  • Tom Brooks
  • Barbara Brown
  • Keith Brown
  • Franklin Brownell (1857 - 1946)
  • Jonathan Brownz
  • Natalie Bruvels
  • Brita Budde (1922 - 2013)
  • Joan Bulger
  • Marianne Burlew
  • Elisapee Burmingham
  • Brian Burnett
  • Mitchell Burton
  • Ralph Burton (1905 - 1983)
  • Cathy Busby
  • Orval Bush
  • Michael Bussière
  • Kyle Bustin
  • Laurence Butet-Roch
  • Lesley Buxton

C

  • Mimi Cabri
  • Geneviève Cadieux
  • Ghitta Caiserman-Roth (1923 - 2005)
  • Réal Calder
  • Andrea Campbell
  • Heather Campbell
  • Kay Campbell
  • MaryAnn Camps
  • Anna Carlman
  • Jaime Carral
  • Bertrand Carrière
  • Anita Carson
  • Warren Carther  
  • Barbara Carlson
  • Alexandre Castonguay
  • David Cation
  • John-Felice Ceprano 
  • Véronique Chagnon-Coté
  • Sabrina Chamberlain
  • Eric Chan 
  • Marc Charbonneau
  • Pierre Chenier
  • France Choiniere 
  • Chander Chopra
  • Alex Chowaniec   
  • Chromogenic Curmudgeons
  • Audrey Churgin
  • Karl Ciesluk
  • Jeanette Clarida
  • David Clarkson
  • Véronique Claude
  • Susan Close
  • Claire Cloutier
  • Patrick Cocklin
  • Bryna Cohen
  • Lynne Cohen (1944 - 2014)
  • Carrie Colton
  • Cecile Comblen
  • Craig Commanda
  • Heidi Conrod
  • Nic Cooper
  • Don Cormier
  • Leta Cormier
  • Karen Cornelius
  • Kristina Corre
  • Deborah Cosman
  • Barbara Sheridan Costin
  • Joël Côté-Cright
  • Anna Coulombe
  • Marie-Josée Coulombe
  • Douglas Coupland
  • Sylvain Cousineau (1949 - 2013)
  • Rebecca Cowan
  • Chris Crabtree   
  • Joyce Crago   
  • Pixie Cram
  • Marlene Creates 
  • Lisa Creskey 
  • Clive Cretney
  • Nicholas Crombach
  • Lynda Cronin 
  • Cairn Cunnane 
  • Peter Cunningham
  • Koomuatuk (Kuzy) Curley
  • Nancy Currie

D

  • Chantal Dahan
  • Jennifer Daigle
  • Dawn Dale
  • Ann Darbyshire (1926 - 2007)
  • Shayne Dark
  • Erika Dassel (1908 - 2002)
  • Herbert Dassel (1903 - 2001)
  • Betty Davison (1909 - 2000)
  • Gwen Dawson
  • Anne de la Mauvinière Silva
  • Lucia De Marinis 
  • Ferhat Demirel  
  • Brendan de Montigny
  • Dolores De Pretto
  • Luc De Vette
  • Cindy Deachman
  • Reuel Dechene (1965 - 2017)
  • Jeremiah Degrandpre
  • Eugenie Defayette
  • Chelsea Delorme
  • Saman Deilamani
  • Erika Deruaz
  • Tim desClouds
  • Josée Desjardins
  • Jim des Rivières (1953 - 2019)
  • Dave Dessler
  • Joyce Devlin
  • Emily DiCarlo
  • Yvonne Diceman (1921 - 2000)
  • Jennifer Dickson
  • Dion Prints
  • Lyle Docherty
  • Mary Dodge (1928 - 2014)
  • Lynne Donoghue
  • Christopher Dorosz
  • G. Dorval
  • Colin Muir Dorward
  • Greg Dow
  • Maura Doyle
  • Natasha Doyon
  • Uga Drava
  • Helen Drouin
  • Robert Drummond
  • Kathryn Drysdale
  • Josée Dubeau
  • Marc Dubois
  • Anyse Ducharme
  • François Dufresne
  • Pierrette Dulude-Bohay (1933 - 2015)
  • Doug Dumais
  • Ted Duncan
  • Annie Dunning
  • Christopher Lea Dunning
  • Dale Dunning
  • Claude Dupuis
  • Pat Durr
  • Yvan Dutrisac

E

  • John Eaton (1942 - 2020)  
  • Kimberley Edgar
  • Catherine Edmonds
  • Terry Edwards Frampton
  • Judith Eglington
  • Donna Eichel
  • Magida El-Kassis
  • Vera Elnitskaya
  • Floyd Elzinga 
  • Kenneth Emig
  • Wendy Ennes
  • John Ensor (1905 - 1995)
  • Eos Lightmedia
  • James Erdeg
  • Evergon
  • Gabriel Ewen
  • Ruby Ewen
  • Thoma Ewen 
  • Ivan Eyre
  • Pat Eyre (1916 - 2006)

F

  • Christine Fagan
  • Christopher Fairbrother 
  • Mahshid Farhoudi
  • Pierre Faubrujon
  • Rosalie Favell
  • Andrew Fay
  • Susan Feindel
  • Sybil Feinman
  • Wendy Feldberg
  • Nichola Feldman-Kiss
  • Judith Fenton Richards
  • Marie-Christine Feraud
  • Aaron Ferguson
  • Jonathan Ferrabee    
  • Brian Finch
  • Ken Finch
  • Laurence Finet
  • Laurena Finéus
  • Alexander Finlay   
  • Christine Firth
  • Brianna Fitzgerald
  • Christine Fitzgerald
  • Barry Flahey
  • c j fleury
  • Alexandra Flood
  • John Colin Forbes (1846 - 1925)
  • Tom Forrestall
  • Robert-Émile Fortin (1945 - 2004)
  • Tony Fouhse
  • Phil Fournier
  • Adam Frank
  • Gary Franks
  • Therèse Frère
  • Stephen Frew
  • Daniel Frimpong Effah
  • Anna Frlan
  • Philip Fry
  • Sarah Fuller

G

  • Marc Gagne 
  • Pauline Gagnon
  • Marisa Gallemit
  • Frank Galluzzo
  • Barbara Gamble
  • Mark Garland
  • Bruce Garner (1934 - 2012)
  • Malcolm Gatt
  • Isabelle Gauvreau
  • Gauvy
  • Étienne Gélinas
  • Diane Genier (1956 - 2015)
  • Leonard Gerbrandt (1941 - 2010)
  • Peter Germotte (1944 - 2008)
  • Sue Ellen Gerritsen
  • Chantal Gervais
  • Juan Geuer (1917 - 2009)
  • Lorraine Gilbert
  • Richard Gill
  • David Gillanders
  • Kathleen Gillis
  • Susan Gillmor
  • Chad Gilmour
  • Christian Giroux
  • George Gledhill
  • Maggie Glossop
  • Elaine Goble
  • Sandra Godden
  • Karl Goertzen (1971 – 2012)
  • Sally Goldberg
  • Martin Golland
  • Adrian Göllner
  • Gary Goodacre
  • Chris Goodyear
  • Susan Goold
  • Adrian Gor
  • Richard Gorman (1935 - 2010)  
  • Atticus Gordon
  • Abigail Gossage
  • Trevor Gould
  • Yvon Goulet
  • John Graham
  • Lesya Granger
  • Rachel Gray
  • Colette Gréco-Riddle
  • Lorne Greenberg
  • Vera Greenwood
  • Nicolai Gregory
  • Sandra Gregson
  • Mark Grenville (1950 - 1998)
  • Jerry Grey
  • Nathalie Grice
  • Jude Griebel
  • Christopher Griffin
  • Colwyn Griffith
  • Eliza Griffiths
  • Greta Grip
  • Brian Grison
  • Sabina Grossman
  • Denis Guay
  • José Guénette
  • Claire Guillemette Lamirande (1938 - 2011)  
  • Claudia Gutierrez

H

  • Siegfried Haase (1916 - 1996)
  • Carl Halchuk
  • Catherine Hale
  • Lynda Halfhide
  • Petra Halkes
  • Janis Hall
  • Lynda Hall
  • Marion Jean Hall
  • Donald Hallman
  • Jean Halstead 
  • Doreen Hardiman
  • Pierre Hardy
  • Paul Harfleet
  • Michael Harrington
  • S. Harris
  • Ted Harrison (1926 - 2015)
  • Sarah Hatton
  • Meaghan Haughian
  • Sandra Hawkins
  • Char Healey
  • John Healey
  • Bruce Heggtveit (1917 - 2002)
  • Clara Heirsch-Samuels (1914 - 1988)
  • Ross Helwig
  • Frank Hennessey (1893 - 1941)
  • Gayle Hermick
  • Carl Heywood
  • Deidre Hierlihy
  • Greg Hill
  • Stephanie Hill
  • Robert Hinchley
  • Cletus Hinds (1914 - 1993)
  • Hinke
  • Dianne Hiscox
  • Jonathan Hobin
  • Jean Hodgson
  • Peter Hoffer
  • Tom Hogan (1955 - 2014)
  • Richard Holden
  • Jason Holley
  • John Hooper (1926 - 2006)
  • Beverly Horne
  • Paul Horsdal
  • Harlan House
  • Isabel Hoyos
  • Neera Huckvale
  • Audrey Hudson
  • Dale Hume
  • Pierre Huot
  • Zainab Hussain
  • Danny Hussey
  • Stephen Hutchings
  • Sean Hyatt
  • Lawrence Hyde (1914 - 1987)
  • Robert Hyndman (1915 - 2009)

I

  • John Ikeda
  • Naz Ikramullah
  • Pedro Isztin
  • Agnes Ivan

J

  • Naomi Jackson Groves (1910 - 2001)
  • Geoffrey James 
  • Sarah Jaworski
  • Jean Jewer
  • John Johnson
  • Sayward Johnson
  • Olivia Johnston
  • Louis Joncas
  • Barrie Jones
  • David W. Jones
  • Marcus Jones
  • Suzanne Joubert

K

  • David Kaarsemaker
  • Hawa Kaba
  • Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona
  • Joy Kardish
  • Carmella Karijo Rother 
  • Klári Kárpáti (d. 2001)
  • Malak Karsh (1915 - 2001)
  • Yousuf Karsh (1908 - 2002)
  • Farouk Kaspaules
  • Sharon Katz
  • Harold Kauffman
  • Stephen Kaye
  • Freeman Keats
  • Jocelyn Keays
  • Lisa Keedwell
  • Gayle Kells
  • Vincent Kember
  • Dave Kemp
  • Anna Kempffer
  • Randy Kerr
  • Arounna Khounnoraj
  • Mitsugi Kikuchi 
  • Clara Kim
  • Gillian King
  • Michael Kinghorn
  • Stuart Kinmond
  • Elizabeth Kirby
  • Leslie Kirby
  • Drew Klassen        
  • Sylvia Klein
  • Joan Klug
  • Katherine Knight
  • Marc Knowles
  • Ron Kocsis
  • Tomoko Kodoma (1934 - 2010)
  • Peter Kohut
  • Karina Kraenzle
  • Jamie Kronick
  • Donald Kwan
  • Lorraine Kwan
  • Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis Indian Band

L

  • Manon Labrosse
  • Patrick Lacasse
  • Sharon Lafferty
  • Sébastien Lafleur
  • Charlynne Lafontaine
  • E. Laker
  • Natalie Laluq
  • Jim Lamont
  • Elsa Lam and Ayli Lapkoff 
  • Doris Lamontagne
  • Carol Lang Beck 
  • Pierre Langlois
  • Ayli Lapkoff and Elsa Lam
  • Michael Large
  • Bev LaRocque
  • Denis Larouche
  • Maskull Lasserre
  • Claude Latour
  • John Latour
  • Grethe Lauesen
  • John Lawson
  • Marcia Lea 
  • Shelley Leach
  • Michael Lechasseur
  • Pauline Lecours Clancy
  • Edward Lee
  • Jyhling Lee
  • Jennifer Lefort
  • Edna Lemyre
  • Julie Lentz
  • Isabelle Lester
  • Louise Levergneux
  • Roslyn Levin
  • Dodie Lewis
  • Whitney Lewis-Smith
  • Maria Lezon
  • Jay Li
  • David Lidbetter
  • Sujin Lim
  • Kenneth Lochhead (1926 - 2006)
  • Sam Loewen
  • Beth Logan Goldberg
  • Jim Logan
  • Nan Lonmo
  • Katie Lopez
  • Peter Lord
  • Ryan Lotecki
  • Guy Louis-XVI
  • Troy Lovegates
  • Richard Luberich
  • Anna Luczak
  • Marie Lugli 
  • Roy Lumagbas
  • Linda Luneau (1940 - 2016)
  • Almuth Lutkenhaus-Lackey (1930 - 1996)
  • Gavin Lynch

M

  • Christina MacEwen
  • Andrzej Maciejewski
  • Dana MacKenzie
  • Jennifer Macklem
  • Joss MacLennan
  • David MacLeod
  • Aoife MacNamara
  • Alison MacNeil
  • Alisdair MacRae
  • Alisdair MacRae and Chi Wei Lee
  • Ramses Madina
  • Gabrielle Madore
  • Geraldina Maini
  • José Mansilla-Miranda
  • Blazej Marczak   
  • Deborah Margo
  • Martha Markowsky 
  • Laureat Marois
  • John Marok
  • Michael Marquette
  • P. Marquis
  • Christine Marshall
  • Mark Marsters (1962 - 2002)
  • André Martel
  • Daniel Martelock
  • Jane Martin   
  • Lesia Maruschak
  • En Masse
  • Henri Masson (1907 - 1996)
  • John Matthews
  • Rohanna Matthews
  • Mary Mauger
  • Don Maynard
  • Maryse Maynard
  • Natasha Mazurka
  • Mico Mazza
  • Penny McCann      
  • Juliana McDonald
  • Paul McDonald
  • Stuart McDonnell
  • Angela McFall
  • Geoff McFetridge
  • Kate McGregor
  • Kelsey McGruer
  • Robert McInnis
  • Andrew McKay
  • Christopher McKay
  • Elizabeth McKee
  • Reid McLachlan
  • Monica McLaughlin
  • William McLaughlin
  • Annaliisa Mcleish
  • Gerald McMaster
  • Jenny McMaster 
  • Meryl McMaster
  • Roberta McNaughton
  • Shawn McNevin
  • Don McVeigh
  • Guy Meilleur (1958 - 2013)
  • Jaclyn Meloche
  • Hayden Menzies
  • Hans J. Mettler
  • Nikki Middlemiss
  • Justin Millar
  • Karen Miller
  • Patrick John Mills
  • Willem Minderman (1910 - 1985)
  • Jin Minghua
  • Elizabeth Minnes
  • John Mlacak (1936 - 2014)
  • John Moffat
  • Ingeborg Mohr
  • Maria Moldovan
  • Melinda Mollineaux
  • Thomas Monahan
  • Don Monet
  • Caroline Monnet
  • P. Monson
  • Jean Monteith    
  • Francis Montillaud
  • Gerard Montplaisir (1918 - 1999)
  • Cecily Moon
  • Kevin Moore
  • Janice Moorhead
  • Merijean Morrisey
  • Andrew Morrow
  • Drew Mosley
  • Leah Mowers
  • Maria Munante
  • Paula Murray
  • Marie-Jeanne Musiol
  • Mélanie Myers
  • Nadia Myre

N

  • Jan Naezer
  • Rajeev Nath
  • Judy Nakagawa
  • Marc Nerbonne
  • Antonia Neshev
  • Dimitar Neshev
  • Ralph Nevins
  • Ann Newdigate
  • Minh Nguyen
  • Jack Nichols (1921 – 2009)
  • Christan Nicholson
  • Margaret Nicholson
  • Heather Nicol
  • Erik Nieminen
  • Jorma Nieminen
  • Martii Nieminen
  • Richard Nigro
  • Marie-France Nitski 
  • Christine Nobel
  • Ron Noganosh (1950 - 2017)
  • Gunter Nolte (1938 - 2000)
  • Juan Carlos Noria
  • Jennifer Anne Norman
  • Patti Normand
  • Michelle Normoyle
  • Graham Norwell (1901 - 1967)
  • William Notman (1826 - 1891)

O

  • Cynthia O'Brien
  • Jay Odjick
  • Oladimeg
  • Komi Olafimihan
  • Jenna Oldham
  • Mat O'Hara
  • Andrew O’Malley
  • Eryn O’Neill
  • Toni Onley (1928 - 2004)
  • Michal Opalski
  • Yomi Orimoloye
  • Anne Orton

P

  • Cheryl Pagurek
  • Mary Pal  
  • Jose Palacios
  • Neeko Paluzzi
  • Christos Pantieras
  • Michael Parkin
  • Bruce Paton
  • G.T. Patterson
  • Blair Paul
  • Sonia Pearl
  • Theo Pelmus 
  • V. Penrose
  • Barbara Pentland
  • Mary Pepin
  • Simon Petepiece
  • Jessica Peters
  • Peter Petersen
  • Mary Pfaff
  • Harold Pfeiffer (1908 - 1997)
  • Colleen Philippi
  • Sasha Phipps 
  • Guy Pierre
  • André Pilon
  • Sonia Pinaud
  • David Piqtoukun
  • Susan Pitt
  • Cordula Podehl
  • Annie Pootoogook (1969 - 2016)
  • Barry Pottle
  • Danielle Potvin
  • Bernard Poulin
  • Pierre Poussin
  • Lise Presseault
  • Alanna Price
  • Art Price (1918 - 2008)
  • René Price   
  • Susan Pritchard
  • Benoit Provonost
  • Robert Provonost
  • Jean-François Provost
  • Michèle Provost
  • Heinz Pundleider (1925 - 2003)
  • Henry Purdy
  • Skip Pynn 
  • Carolynne Pynn-Trudeau

R

  • Christopher Racette
  • Bozica Radjenovic
  • Ramona Ramlochand
  • Rosemary Randall
  • Debbie Ratcliffe
  • Daryl Reasin
  • Jim Reid
  • Leslie Reid
  • Valerie A. Reid
  • Hui Ren
  • Dee Reynolds
  • Shane Rhodes
  • Uta Riccius
  • Ryan Rice
  • Lili Richard
  • Madeline Richards
  • Lyle Richardson
  • Liisa Rissanen
  • Suzanne Rivard Le Moyne (1928 - 2012)
  • Rizalo
  • J. Roberge
  • Erin Robertson
  • Jeannine Robertson (1931 - 2022)
  • David Robinson
  • Daniele Rochon
  • Sherry-Ann Rodgers
  • Su Rogers
  • Antoni Romaszewski
  • Valerie Roos
  • Derek Root
  • Philip Rose 
  • Andrea Ross
  • Michael Ross
  • Susan Roston
  • Stephen J. Rothwell
  • Mana Rouholamini
  • Chantal Rousseau
  • Denis Rousseau
  • Y. Roussidan
  • Robert Rowan
  • Carol Rowland-Ulmann (d. 2012)
  • Elizabeth Roy
  • Kate Roy
  • Herman Ruhland
  • Karen Russell
  • Valerie Ryan
  • Jennifer Ryder-Jones

S

  • Carole Sabiston
  • Éliane Saheurs
  • Pitaloosie Saila
  • Salomaa
  • Elsie Salter (1919 - 2013)
  • Wilson Salter (1914 - 1995)
  • Vera Saltzman
  • Paul Saucier
  • William Saunders
  • Michel Savage
  • B. Scani
  • Amy Schissel
  • Christopher Schmitt         
  • Hilde Schreier
  • Michael Schreier
  • Adrienne Scott
  • John Sekerka
  • Komi Seshi
  • Jacks Sevigny
  • Negar Seyfollahy
  • Daniel Sharp
  • Blair Sharpe (1954-2019)
  • Brodie Shearer (1911 - 2004)
  • Frank Shebageget
  • Sally Lee Sheeks
  • Tom Sherman
  • Peter Shmelzer
  • Ron Shuebrook
  • Hedda Sidla-Monner
  • Marc Siegner
  • Zeena Sileem
  • Cheryl Simon
  • Gregg Simpson
  • Jamie Sinclair
  • Ranajit Sinha
  • Heather Sinott
  • Sanjeev Sivarulrasa
  • Richard Skrobecki
  • Marian Slota
  • Ryan Smeeton
  • Andrew Smith
  • Diane Smith
  • Gerald Smith (1929 - 2015)   
  • Megan Smith
  • Murray Smith
  • Peter J. Smith
  • Alison Smith-Welsh
  • Meredith Snider
  • John Snow (1911 - 2004)
  • Zelia Soares
  • Katherine Southam
  • Caleb Speller 
  • Jane Spencer
  • Michael Sproule
  • Chris St. Amand
  • Ineke Standish (1945 - 2001)
  • Jennifer Stead
  • Ruth Steinberg
  • Mike Steinhauer
  • Tobie Steinhouse
  • Jeff Stellick
  • Cindy Stelmackowich
  • Doreen Stevens
  • Carl Stewart
  • Jennifer Stewart
  • Jason St-Laurent
  • Andrew Stonyer
  • Gordon Stranks (1913 - 1993)
  • Elliott Strikefoot
  • Jon Stuart 
  • Tanya Sulatyski
  • Sanjay Sundram
  • Joan Sutherland
  • L. Sutton
  • Rosemary Swan
  • Chandler Swain
  • Joanna Swim
  • Svetlana Swinimer
  • Dezso Szarsto

T

  • Tafui
  • Stuart Taggart (1858 - 1925)
  • Norman Takeuchi
  • Katherine Takpannie
  • Laura Taler
  • Otis Tamasauskas
  • John Tappin
  • Éric Tardif
  • Susan Geraldine Taylor
  • Naiko Tcherno-Ivanenko
  • John Tenasco
  • Sylvia Tennisco
  • Anne Tessier
  • Geneviève Thauvette
  • Louis Thériault
  • Rémi Thériault
  • Annie Thibault
  • Jeff Thomas
  • Lisa Thomas
  • Amy Thompson
  • Anne Thompson
  • Mark Thompson 
  • Patrick Thompson
  • Stefan Thompson
  • Jim Thomson (1953 - 2013)
  • P. M. Thorgrimssom
  • Diana Thorneycroft 
  • Janet Thurm
  • Cara Tierney
  • Victor Tolgesy (1928 - 1980)
  • Rowena Tolson
  • Stanzie Tooth
  • Vivian Törs
  • Dennis Tourbin (1946 - 1998)
  • Guillermo Trejo
  • France Tremblay
  • Robert Trepanier (1948 - 2009)
  • Gerald Trottier (1925 - 2004)
  • Mathieu Trudel (1979-2016)
  • Howie Tsui

U

  • Elena Uldukis
  • URBAN KEIOS
  • Barbara Ursel

V

  • Pim van der Maas
  • Shirley Van Dusen
  • Margaret Vanderhaeghe 
  • Sharon VanStarkenburg
  • Margaret Vant Erve
  • Christopher Varady-Szabo
  • Zoltan Veevaete
  • Brenda Veitch-Scriven
  • Venus & Joe
  • Jim Verburg
  • Brandon Vickerd
  • Henry Vickers (1851 - 1918)
  • Lori Victor
  • Jean-Yves Vigneau
  • Yvon Villarceaux
  • Christian Villemaire
  • Roger Villeneuve
  • Kenneth Vincent
  • Martin Vuong

W

  • Carol Wainio
  • Angela Walker
  • Douglas Walker
  • Eric Walker
  • Becca Wallace
  • Marc Walter
  • John Wang
  • Stanley Wany
  • Wardrop Langlois 
  • Sara Washbush  
  • Robert Waters
  • John Watts (1850 - 1917)
  • John Webster
  • Howard Weingarden
  • Lawrence Weissman
  • Tavi Weisz
  • Doug Welykholowa
  • Maggie Wesley
  • J. L. Weston  
  • Joyce Westrop
  • John Westwood
  • Colin White
  • T. Whitefield
  • Carla Whiteside
  • Shannon Whittle  
  • Catherine Widgery
  • Yvonne Wiegers
  • Margo Wild
  • Jon Wilkinson
  • Ann Williams
  • Anna Williams
  • Marion Williams
  • Catherine Willis-O'Connor
  • Michelle Wilson
  • Leonard Wise
  • Wolf Babe Collective
  • Binglin Wong
  • Geoffrey Wonnacott
  • Justin Wonnacott
  • Diane Woodward
  • Lenni Workman
  • Andrew Wright  
  • Alex Wyse

Y

  • Shirley Yik
  • Daniel Young
  • Melina Young
  • Jinny Yu
  • Ruirong Yu
  • Russell Yuristy

Z

  • Morgan Zagerman                         
  • Junda Zhou
  • Mirana Zuger
  • Malgorzata Zurakowska
  • Bill Zuro (1923 - 1985)
  • Ken Zylla

(Closed) 2024 Direct Purchase Program

Rising Tide: 2023 Additions to the City of Ottawa Art Collection (installation view at City Hall Art Gallery), photo: David Barbour

installation view at City Hall Art Gallery

Deadline: Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 11:59 pm (Eastern Daylight Time)

Online application form: Please have your content ready for inputting as the form does not save your information if you leave or refresh the page.

Ottawa is built on un-ceded Anishinabe Algonquin territory. The peoples of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation have lived on this territory for millennia. Their culture and presence have nurtured and continue to nurture this land. The City of Ottawa honours the peoples and land of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation. The City of Ottawa honours all First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and their valuable past and present contributions to this land.

About Direct Purchase

The City of Ottawa Public Art Program invites professional artists, and their representatives, to offer existing artworks for purchase. Applications are reviewed by a peer assessment committee and artworks recommended for purchase become part of the City of Ottawa Art Collection. Artworks from this diverse collection are presented in over 170 public sites across Ottawa. Direct Purchase is a competitive program for participants to offer artwork for purchase to the City of Ottawa.

Before submitting your application, please review the Eligibility section below.

Program objectives

  • To support eligible emerging, mid-career and established professional visual artists.
  • To purchase existing artworks to be added into the City of Ottawa Art Collection.
  • To support activities that address the priorities identified in the Renewed Action Plan for Arts, Heritage and Culture in Ottawa (2013 - 2018)[1.62 MB], including prioritizing applications from individuals with lived experience and identity as a member of Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women and other equity-deserving groups and artists not currently in the City of Ottawa Art Collection.

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

  1. Professional artists, or
  2. Representatives of professional artists, such as a gallery or an estate who is applying on behalf of professional artist(s).

Professional artists must have completed specialized training in their artistic field or be recognized by their peers as a professional artist.

Participants must either be the author of the artwork or must represent the author of the artwork.

Artists must live, or have lived, within a 150 km radius of Ottawa or the artwork must have a local connection (please indicate this in the Artist Statement or Artistic Résumé).

Artists must be committed to their artistic practice.

Artists must have created a body of work outside of basic training.

Artists who identify as Anishinabe Algonquin.

The City of Ottawa supports cultural activity that is inclusive of Ottawa's equity-deserving communities, including people from diverse ancestries, abilities, ages, countries of origin, cultures, genders, incomes, languages, races and sexual identities. The City of Ottawa recognizes the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation as Ottawa’s Indigenous Host Nation. The City of Ottawa is committed to supporting cultural activities that respond to the Calls to Action put forward in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report. Applications from members of the Anishinabe Algonquin Host Nation, First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists and curators are welcome and encouraged. The City of Ottawa recognizes both official languages as having the same rights, status and privileges.

Who is not eligible?

  • Students who have not yet completed arts training.
  • Individuals who are not authors nor representatives of professional artists.
  • Artists who do not live, nor have not lived, within a 150 km radius of Ottawa.
  • City of Ottawa employees or elected representatives in compliance with the City of Ottawa Employee Code of Conduct and all applicable laws and regulations.

Restrictions

  • Applicants, not including galleries, may only submit one application at a time within this opportunity.
  • Meeting all eligibility requirements does not guarantee purchase of artwork.

Assessment criteria

Applications are assessed by a Peer Assessment Committee according to:

  • Artistic merit
  • Regional importance
  • Innovation
  • Conservation and maintenance requirements
  • Suitability of the artwork for installation in an office and/or public setting

Who is on the Peer Assessment Committee?

  • The composition of the committee aims to balance representation of artistic specialization, practice, style, and philosophy, as well as fair representation of official languages, gender, geographic areas, and culture-specific communities.
  • Peer assessment committee members are chosen based on their knowledge and experience, fair and objective opinions, ability to articulate ideas, and ability to work in a team environment.
  • Members of the Peer Assessment Committee change for every opportunity.
  • Members of the Peer Assessment Committee are selected after the competition closes and must declare conflicts of interest prior to participation.

Application process

Read through the Call to Artists completely before beginning your online application and make sure you have all the required information ready.

  • A complete application must include support material listed below, up to five images or five minutes of time-based media or a combination thereof.
  • Support material may be written in English or French.
  • Files must be saved in a format compatible with Windows 10.
  • To format a PDF document, utilize “Save as” or “Export” from a Word or similar text-based document.

Support materials

Items 1, 2, and 3 are mandatory and are to be saved as one PDF

  1. Artist statement (maximum 500 words).
  2. Artistic résumé (maximum 1500 words).
  3. Image/Media list – is a required component. It is a direct reference to the artwork image or media files you are including in your application. The image/media list is an opportunity to add information or additional descriptions of individual artworks. Use this list to indicate series, edition, or other significant details in point form.
Digital image files and time-based media files

Upload five digital image files or five minutes total of time-based media content (or a combination of both for a total of 5 units) that follow the guidelines listed below.

Image files must be:

  • JPG format and no larger than 1 MB each.
  • Named with the corresponding Image/Media list number, title, date, medium, dimensions and price, each separated by an underscore.
  • Do not leave a space before or after the underscore.
  • File names must not exceed 150 characters.
  • Failure to adhere to this format may render your file unusable.
Format for naming image files

01_Artwork Title_year_medium_dimensions_$price.jpg

Examples:

  • 01_The Mountain_2023_graphite, acrylic and metal_96 x 106 inches_$1500.jpg
  • 02_Untitled 3 detail_2022_chromogenic print on paper_206 x 122 cm_$0.jpg
  • 03_Installation at Karsh-Masson Gallery variable dimensions_2022_mixed media_ 0x0cm_$0.jpg

If not submitting video/media files, five images per application are required. When artworks are not available for sale, applicants may include reference images of artworks that have previously sold or are not for sale, detail images of artworks, images with alternate points of view (i.e., for sculptures), or images of artwork from a similar series that have previously sold. Reference images of artworks not for sale/alternate views should be listed with a price of $0.

Application form

Application assistance

We are available to help you prepare your application in the following ways:

  • Discuss eligibility of your application, requirements of the opportunity and answer any questions about the application and evaluation process
  • Virtual information meeting (details at top of page).
    • The meeting will be aimed at first-time applicants however all are welcome to attend.
    • Download the Zoom app or participate in the meeting using a web browser.

Deadline and notification

Applications must be received by 11:59 pm (Eastern Daylight Time) on Wednesday April 10, 2024. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

The Public Art Program will send you a confirmation email when your application has been received and processed. If you do not receive an email from the Public Art Program within two weeks after your submission, please contact us for confirmation.

All participants will be notified by email of the results of the first stage of the 2024 Direct Purchase by August 2024.

Results are final. Due to the volume of applications received, artistic feedback will not be provided.

If your application is not successful, you are encouraged to try again!

The peer assessment committee is comprised of new members for each competition. If your artwork was not recommended for purchase understand that your submission may have been supported but the Direct Purchase’s limited budget cannot fund all applicants, regardless of their merit.

Copyright and moral rights

The artist shall retain the copyright of the artworks. Moral rights also remain with the artist. The City of Ottawa will seek copyright permission to reproduce images of the artwork for non-commercial purposes.

Confidentiality of information

Personal information in your application is collected under the authority of the City Council approved Public Art Policy. Personal information will only be used for evaluating your application and administering the City of Ottawa Public Art Program. City of Ottawa employees and peer assessment committee members are required to treat both the content of applications and the deliberations of the committee as confidential. Committee members turn in their copies of materials for shredding and delete their computer files at the end of the peer assessment meeting.

Contact us

Erica Chi
Erica.chi@ottawa.ca
613-806-8798

Sarah Patterson
sarahm.patterson@ottawa.ca
613-806-9586

For general information about the City of Ottawa Public Art Program or technical issues contact publicartprogram@ottawa.ca.

Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. If you are unable to view documents or require alternative file formats, please complete an Accessible Documents Request Form.

Public Art Program - Newsletter sign up form

By signing up for our newsletter, you will receive calls and announcements regarding the City of Ottawa Art Collection, public art commissions, and exhibitions at Karsh-Masson Gallery, City Hall Art Gallery and Corridor 45|75 all in one place. 

How Do You Move? exhibition

Summer and Fall 2024 

Birks building 
101 Sparks Street, Ottawa 
Window spaces at Sparks and Metcalfe 

Curated by Yanaminah Thullah, How Do You Move? highlights the work of five photo-based artists whose images weave together the tapestry of Afro-diasporan creation, culture, and solidarity within various movements in the National Capital Region. At first glance, these figures may appear hidden, and their impact overlooked. As we peer closer, we realize they are indeed moving the needle.

This exhibition showcases enlarged artworks by Jordy Alpha, David D. Pistol, Dion Prints, Adrienne Row-Smith, and Serena Yang. 

How Do You Move? (installation view at 101 Sparks Street, Ottawa), photo: Public Services and Procurement Canada

a photo portraying three of the featured exhibition pieces on Sparks Street

How Do You Move? (installation view at 101 Sparks Street, Ottawa), photo: Public Services and Procurement Canada

a photo portraying two of the featured exhibition pieces on Sparks Street

Curator

Yanaminah Thullah, photo: Lindsay Ralph

a photo portraying the curator

Yanaminah Thullah (b.1998) is an Ottawa-based, Toronto-born, storyteller and curator of Sierra-Leone and Liberian descent. As an International Studies graduate, her approach to art (and storytelling) is informed by deconstructing systemic barriers, demystifying migrant relations and exploring Afro-Indigenous histories. She recently curated “We do not dream of labour” (2023) at the Ottawa Art Gallery, an exhibit exploring the vulnerabilities and complexities surrounding rest for a colonized and capitalized people. 

Quiet Resistance, Reclaiming Space exhibition

How may we see ourselves reflected in the Canadian landscape throughout space and time?

Summer 2023 to Winter 2024

Birks buildings, 111 Sparks Street, Ottawa
Window spaces at Sparks and Metcalfe

This exhibition brings together five pieces from Don Kwan’s photo series Quiet Resistance, Reclaiming Space (2022 to present) by curator Ashley Carmichael. Each depicts an iconic Canadian landscape framed by a traditional Chinese lantern panel.

The images displayed on the three west windows feature landscapes from across Canada. The east windows include sites from around the artist’s studio and home in the Ottawa Valley. By reframing these locations, Kwan expresses solidarity with marginalized groups. He sheds light on the struggles faced by marginalized communities, particularly Chinese Canadians, and addresses the ongoing fight for recognition, equality, and a sense of belonging.

Photograph of a Canadian flag flying, in the foreground a traditional Chinese picture frame held by the photographer.

Biographies

Artist

Don Kwan is a queer third-generation Chinese Canadian visual artist based in Ottawa. His artworks investigate Chinese Canadian diasporic experiences, especially as they concern identity, belonging, and place. He has exhibited his works across the nation. In 2022, he exhibited his works in the show Landscape, Loss, and Legacy at the Ottawa Art Gallery. During the same year, he was awarded the Peter Honeywell Mid-Career Artist Award by the Ottawa Arts Council.

black and white photo of the artist

Curator

Ashley Carmichael (b. 1996) is an Ottawa-based art historian and emerging curator of Filipinx, Finnish, and Scottish heritage. Her research and curatorial interests are constantly changing; she is currently examining human relationships and interactions with nature and the environment. She recently co-curated Where We Stand (2022) at the Carleton University Art Gallery, an exhibition that explores concepts of place-making, and how artists create and shape particular places for themselves.

black and white photo of the curator

Beads and Pieces exhibition

Barry Ace, Shelby Lisk and Nadia Myre 

Beads and Pieces 

Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 

Bates and Birks buildings
Window spaces at Sparks and Metcalfe
101-111 Sparks Street, Ottawa 

Artwork details (left to right):  
Barry Ace, Shaman's Medicine Lodge, 2019, mixed media on paper, City of Ottawa Art Collection, 2020-0014, photo: David Barbour;  
Shelby Lisk, Still Now Here We Are, 2018, hide, beads, string, courtesy of the artist; 
Nadia Myre, Respite 03, 2017, digital print and Plexiglas, City of Ottawa Art Collection, 2020-0042 

three images: photo on left shows blue, yellow and green beads in flower formations on a pink background; photo in middle shows a beaded moccasin upside down on the sand, a message on the sole; the image to the right shows hundreds of tiny clear, blue and bronze seed beads in row upon row

Beaded works are meticulously created using a variety of hand-stitching techniques, or with the use of tools such as looms. Every technique creates different patterns, ranging from geometric to floral. Different Indigenous groups have their distinct traditional patterns passed down through generations. 

These artworks come together to showcase the beauty, intricacy, and diversity of Indigenous beadwork. Beading has many traditional purposes, such as ceremony, ornamentation, and communication; and these contemporary artworks were meticulously pieced together in order to address the pertinent issues of today.    

This exhibition showcases enlarged artworks by Indigenous artists from the City of Ottawa Art Collection and an artist who recently exhibited at Karsh-Masson Gallery

Biographies 

Barry Ace is a debendaagzijig (citizen) of M’Chigeeng First Nation, Odawa Mnis (Manitoulin Island), Ontario, Canada. His work embraces the impact of the digital age and how it exponentially transforms and infuses Anishinaabeg culture with new technologies and new ways of communicating. His work bridges historical and contemporary knowledge, art, and power. 

a photo portraying the artist

Shelby Lisk is a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, and photographer with roots in Kenhtè:ke (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory) whose art practice is grounded in her connection to and place in the world as a Kanyen’kehá:ka woman.

a photo portraying the artist

Nadia Myre is a member of the Algonquin First Nation of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg. She brings to light the social and political struggles of Indigenous peoples. The works in the series Meditation (Respite) incorporate beadwork that make thematic connections with cosmic elements.   

a photo portraying the artist

Moments of Respite exhibition

Brian Adams and Annie Pootoogook
Moments of Respite

Winter and Spring 2022

Bates and Birks buildings
Window spaces at Sparks and Metcalfe
101-111 Sparks Street, Ottawa

Anchored in contemporary reality, Moments of Respite shares histories and insights into Inuit identity from East to West. The work by Brian Adams and Annie Pootoogook captures the community's continuance and the richness of their cultural practices.

ᓄᖅᑲᖓᓐᓇᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᕙᖕᓂᐊᖅᑐ (Inuktitut)

(left to right) Brian Adams, Marie Rexford, Kaktovik, Alaska (detail), 2015, medium format film, courtesy of the artist
Annie Pootoogook, A Friend Visits (detail), 2008, lithograph on paper, City of Ottawa Art Collection, 2018-0001, photo: David Barbour

two images: left is a photo of a woman dressed warmly, standing in snow among chunks of meat; right is drawing of a woman dressed warmly in the snow with a turquoise shirt

(left to right) Brian Adams, Sylvester Swan Jr., Kivalina, Alaska (detail), 2007, medium format film, courtesy of the artist
Annie Pootoogook, Composition (Jigging for Fish) (detail), 2006, coloured pencil and ink on paper, Collection of the Ottawa Art Gallery: purchased with the support of OAG Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2018, photo: Justin Wonnacott

two images: left is a photo of a man sitting on a chair outside on the ice with a pile of fish beside; right is a drawing of a man sitting on the ice, fishing

Biographies

Brian Adams (detail), photo: Ash Adams, courtesy of the artist

Brian Adams is an editorial and commercial photographer based in Anchorage, Alaska, who specializes in environmental portraiture. His documentation of Inuit life in Alaska and the circumpolar captures the positive energy of these communities. His work has been featured both nationally and internationally. His first book of photography, I AM ALASKAN, was published in 2013 by University of Alaska Press. His most recent book, I AM INUIT, was published in 2017 by Benteli Publishers. He received a fellowship grant from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation and the Rasmuson Foundation in 2018.

a photo portraying the artist

Annie Pootoogook (detail), photo: Katherine Knight, courtesy of Site Media Inc.

Annie Pootoogook (1969-2016) was born in Kinngait, formerly known as Cape Dorset, Nunavut and moved to Ottawa as an adult. Moving away from the traditional practices of sculpture and printmaking, she created unique renderings of modern Inuit life through drawing. She has exhibited both nationally and internationally and was awarded the Sobey Art Award in 2006. In 2018, Annie Pootoogook: Cutting Ice was published, and an exhibition was organized by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection to commemorate the life and work of this remarkable artist.

Inuktitut translations provided by UUTTUVAK CONSULTING INCORPORTATED.

4 logos dans un bloc avec fond noir

Propose a donation of art

Offers of donation to the City of Ottawa Art Collection are closed for 2024. Please contact our office in 2025 for updates on donating: publicartprogram@ottawa.caDonation proposals are reviewed by a peer assessment committee based on artistic merit, regional importance, innovation, conservation and maintenance requirements. Preference is given to artwork by professional artists who live or have lived within a 150 km radius of Ottawa. Tax receipts are available.

Work placement with the City of Ottawa Art Collection

Gain experience working in the cultural sector as part of an academic course. Students enrolled in post-secondary institutions may be eligible to participate in a work placement (internship, practicum). Please note that work placements are unpaid. Send a copy of your resume and contact information for your course coordinator to publicartprogram@ottawa.ca.

Firestone Collection of Canadian Art

Originally established by Ottawa residents O.J. and Isobel Firestone in the early 1950s, the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art is a significant collection of works that spans the modern period (1900-1980). This collection contains approximately 1,600 works by influential Canadian artists, including A.Y. Jackson, Emily Carr, Jack Shadbolt, Paul-Émile Borduas, and Ghitta Caiserman.

In 1972, the Firestones donated their collection to the Ontario Heritage Foundation to ensure that it would always remain accessible to the public. In 1992, the Foundation transferred ownership of this collection to the City of Ottawa, to be cared for, displayed and managed by the Ottawa Art Gallery.