Bursting onto the city’s event scene in 2022, Ottawa Design Club has quickly become an Ottawa staple with its sold-out events.
A network of communities created by designers, with other chapters in Marseille and New York, Ottawa Design Club was co-founded by designers Izzy Poirier and Ariane Bédard in 2020. The club started out online, bringing together creatives for safe-space networking, speaker events, and the publication of a yearly zine celebrating local arts.
Speaking to why she co-founded the volunteer-driven club, Poirier says, “I felt that there was a big gap for the creative community when it came to design—we had a lot of art exhibits, we had some creative talks, but they weren’t necessarily focused on design.”
Ottawa Design Club’s next event, Hands-On Vibes, is coming up on Thursday, Aug. 22 at Club SAW. A twist on their previous in-person formats, this event is an end-of-summer party celebrating handcrafted art and design.
Ottawa Design Club. Photo provided.
The evening will kick off with a panel hosted by podcaster Ramzi Estephan, and featuring designer Andrew Doxtater, sculpture artist Pooja Pawaskar, fashion designer Hailey Wyatt, and painter and muralist Stephanie Babij.
Each creative will present a piece of artwork that members of the audience can engage with. For example, Doxtater will bring one of his world-renowned Oval Rocker chairs.
“We will get to use some Mod Podge and some old zine proofs, and people will get to cover the chair and create their own pattern on it,” says Poirier.
Meanwhile, folks will also be able to roll up their sleeves to paint a 60-by-48-inch canvas with Babij, shape Pawaskar’s sculpture with sandpaper, and pin fabric to a long jacket created by Wyatt.
“In an era where AI is taking over everything, it’s important that we celebrate working with our hands—where the design comes from our brains, and where we create solutions on our own,” Poirier says. “What I really like about this is that we’re celebrating a craft that, for some, might be forgotten.”
Ottawa Design Club loves planting little Easter eggs for their guests, connecting one event to the next, and Hands-On Vibes is no different: the interactive artworks will be featured in Ottawa Design Club’s next zine once completed by the four artists—meaning guests can see their creative additions in print.
“We feel that this event is building a lot of bridges with this whole concept of taking someone’s art piece, bringing in the community to collaborate, and then gifting it back to the community,” Poirier says, adding there will be plans to exhibit the artworks later in the year.
Throughout the evening, DJs Jared Lebel and Matfroninja will keep the energy swinging. Plus, guests can expect sandwiches, pizza, and vegan, gluten-free treats from SweetCheeks.
And if you’re thinking, “it’s Ottawa Design Club, and I’m not a designer”—think again. I’m not a designer and I was one of their previous speakers. In fact, the group’s motto is: “If you like creativity, you’re in the club!”
Plus, Ottawa Design Club’s inclusive approach aims to be a much-needed breath of fresh air in an industry that can be exclusive and barrier-filled for aspiring creatives. “We want to know everyone’s background stories,” Poirier says. “It’s hinted at in their work, and that’s amazing to see.”
Discussing a previous zine, “Collaboration”, which featured the works of local artists and beyond, Poirier jokes that Ottawa Design Club “forced people to work together,” pairing them up to create artworks. Friendships and new collaborations were fostered—much like at the Ottawa Design Club events themselves.
Poirier’s advice for someone coming to Ottawa Design Club for the first time? “We will welcome you with open arms,” she says. “We want to get to know you. You could have just graduated or be about to retire—we believe you have something to say, and we want to know what that is.”
Hands-On Vibes is happening Thursday, Aug. 22 at Club SAW. You can grab your tickets here.
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