Valerie Ryan, “Canal Mirror,” 2023. Photo: Victoria Solan
What do teachers do when class is over? A lively exhibition at the Ottawa School of Art demonstrates that its instructors have been busy lately. More than 45 recent works by 39 current instructors are on display in the school’s J.W. Stellick Gallery, and the quiet exhibition space offers a lovely respite from the noise of the ByWard Market. The Downtown Instructor’s Exhibition includes paintings, photographs, and sculpture, and many of the pieces reward careful viewers with insight into the processes by which artists transform vision into artwork.
Nadine Argo, detail from “50 Heads in 50 Days,” 2023. Photo: Victoria Solan
Throughout the gallery space, scenes drawn from nature and studies of the human form are interspersed with allegorical and abstract works. Notable experiments with colour include David Kearn’s painting “What’s Left?” (2023) and Lucia De Marinis’ collage “Deconstructed Landscape” (2022). Nadine Argo sculpted at a phenomenal pace during production of her “50 Heads in 50 Days” (2023); each little portrait bust glows with individuality. David Barbour’s “Untitled, Ottawa” (2023) elegantly captures the form of a local waterscape, presumably the Ottawa River. Patti Normand’s charming “Tree Planter” (2022) welcomes visitors and Dawn Dale’s “Mapping a Curious Mind” (2023) installation is intriguing.
All in all, it is well worth a trip to see how the OSA’s talented teachers think, sculpt, make, and print.
Patti Normand, “Tree Planter,” 2022. Photo: Victoria Solan
Downtown Instructor’s Exhibition is at The Ottawa School of Art, 35 George Street in the ByWard Market until August 27. The J.W. Stellick Gallery is open Mondays to Thursdays from 9am to 9pm and Fridays and Saturdays from to 9am to 4pm. Admission is free. The space is wheelchair accessible, including a washroom accessible by elevator.
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