If you’re an Ottawa Design Club regular, you’ll know that, at every event, the organizers weave in a special Easter egg.
Led by co-founders Izzy Poirier, a brand designer, and Ariane Bédard, a graphic designer, the next Ottawa Design Club event, ‘Building Bridges’, marks the launch of Ottawa Design Club’s next zine, along with a three-day art exhibit.
This gathering will be an extension of the club’s previous event, ‘Hands-On Vibes’, which saw four artists — designer Andrew Doxtater, sculpture artist Pooja Pawaskar, fashion designer Hailey Wyatt, and painter and muralist Stephanie Babij — create four unique pieces of artwork which audience members were invited to ‘add’ to — by sanding down a sculpture, pinning fabric to a jacket, and more.
Photo: Maryn Devine from Uncommon Sessions by House of Common.
As a bridge from one event to the next (that’s Easter egg number one!), the club’s next event will be held on Thursday Nov. 28 from 6pm-9pm at artist-run venue, AXENÉO7 (which is in Gatineau — a bridge away from Ottawa. That’s Easter egg two).
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At the event, the four completed artworks will be unveiled, along with Ottawa Design Club’s newest zine, also titled ‘Building Bridges.’ A 228-page publication in beautiful fluorescent colours, and printed by Gilmore Reproduction, the zine features the works of 37 artists — from poets to painters to photographers — exploring the many ways we build connections across divides.
If you’re counting, that’s Easter Egg number three.
With the vision of lead curator Mai-Lan Tomkins, an art educator at the National Gallery of Canada, several of those artists’ works will also be exhibited at AXENÉO7, bringing the zine to life.
Exhibited artists include Chris Glabb, who uses mixed-media, photograph,y and fine art, Krisha Shaw, who combines architecture with pottery, and Yuli Sato, photographer and curator. There will also be a live reading from writer Jessica DaSilva, whose essay, ‘Life’s A Bridge’, follows her journey moving to Ottawa, and explores the bridging of generational and cultural gaps.
The zine itself — Ottawa Design Club’s seventh publication — has been a year in the making.
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“‘Building Bridges’ embodies everything we strive for at the Ottawa Design Club,” says Poirier. “This zine is about creating connections — between people, mediums, and ideas. This theme has been in the back of my mind for a while, but I knew we needed to build a relationship with our audience before we could bring it to life. I wanted to foster a conversation about how art and design can bridge divides and bring a community together in meaningful ways.”
The event promises to be a soirée, celebrating creativity of the Ottawa-Gatineau region. As is typical for all Ottawa Design Club events, there’ll be drinks and top-tier snacks, including specially-baked desserts from SweetCheeks, inspired by the event’s theme.
“It’s been a dream of mine to work with AXENÉO7, and this event is making that a reality,” Poirier says. “Guests can expect to experience the works of 18 artists featured in ‘Building Bridges’ — a unique way to explore the art both on the page and in person.”
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