Looking Ahead
A New Ottawa Art Gallery
When it first opened in 1988, the organization that is now the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG), came about thanks to a community groundswell led by artists and community supporters who believed that Ottawa needed a regional contemporary art gallery.
Fast-forward 15 years to find that the facility has outgrown its space: exhibition area is limited, programming space is non-existent, storage is at a premium, and crowds at openings spill out of the Gallery. And new audiences are eager to participate in Ottawa's municipal art gallery. All this is the success of OAG.
The Gallery undertook a feasibility study with LORD Cultural Resources, internationally recognized specialists in planning for museums. Completed in August 2004, the study included a review of current programming and facilities, identification of future space requirements, possible building locations, sources of funding and partnership opportunities.
The 80-page document theme, "Connecting Artists and Community," will also serve as a banner for the future development of the Ottawa Art Gallery. It recommends the establishment of several new exhibition spaces, including the Firestone Collection Gallery, the Contemporary Collection Gallery, three changing exhibition galleries, a new media lab gallery, an artlab, and a resource centre. Further, the new Ottawa Art Gallery would include a multi-purpose theatre that would allow for seating configuration changes; a licensed café that would provide a food service by day and offer talks, readings, and music events by night; as well as a gift and book shop that would be the niche marketplace for contemporary art related products. Yearly attendance at the new Ottawa Art Gallery is estimated at 85,000 people.
In November 2004, the Ottawa Art Gallery's Building Committee is being formed. Chaired by architect and OAG Secretary, Nan Griffiths, the committee will work actively in the community to develop partnerships, raise capital, and select a site for the new Ottawa Art Gallery.
If you would like to receive a PDF version of The Ottawa Art Gallery: "Connecting Artists and Community" Feasibility Study - Phase 2 Report, please contact the Gallery at (613) 233-8699 x 221 or info@ottawaartgallery.ca.
The Ottawa Art Gallery gratefully acknowledges that this report could not have been developed without financial support from the following:
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Museum Assistance Program |
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