Temporary exhibits 

Morning Doves (a play on "mourning doves") reflects the artist's memories of morning birdsong in Ottawa. Inspired by the coupling of these birds, the artist uses the dove as a symbol of enduring love and new life. The ourning doves are thoughtfully placed on York Street, a popular location often used by couples posing for photos. The lively spirit of the ByWard Market is also captured in the vibrancy of this richly patterned artwork. The bright colours symbolize spring, celebration and the soft call of the mourning dove.

Erin McCluskey is an Ottawa-born Toronto-based artist with a background in illustration and theatre. She enjoys creating large, colourful scenes inspired by nature and the city. Her work can be found @mcclusk on Instagram.

Let’s Bloom celebrates the beauty and vitality of nature as it renews and flourishes each summer. Birds and flowers flow through an open door that connects the lower and upper staircases, symbolizing the dialogue between humans and nature that exists within urban spaces. This vibrant depiction of harmonious coexistence invites us to reflect upon the richness of our relationship with nature, our shared responsibility towards the environment, and the possibility of a sustainable future.

Émilie Proulx is an artist and illustrator based in the lower Laurentians region of Quebec. Her work is influenced by shapes and textures found in nature, with an aim of bringing colour and softness to the world around her. Her work can be found @emilieproulxillustration on Instagram.

In the fall of 2024, Canadian Heritage and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) partnered to present an exhibition featuring eight large-scale reproduction artworks, curated by Franchesca Hebert-Spence. The exhibition, “he(art)work”, showcases selected works from CIRNAC’s Indigenous Art Collection. You can admire these works in the West Pedestrian Tunnel near the Portage Bridge until September 2026.

We Are Seeds is an outdoor mural created in August 2021 by Claudia Gutierrez and presented by Canadian Heritage in collaboration with Zibi. Gutierrez, a Latin-Canadian artist, draws inspiration from the Mexican proverb: “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.” The mural responds to this time of crisis by celebrating the restorative power of perseverance and resilience. Two nurturing hands grasp a vase with foliage abundantly growing from its top and roots breaking free from its bottom. As we cautiously look forward to a time of reactivation and regeneration, the single falling leaf reminds us of the fragility that will always persist.

Claudia Gutierrez is an Ottawa-based artist who has specialized in painting and printmaking. More recently, she has pivoted to textile-based work to challenge the boundaries between art and craft. We Are Seeds was created with the assistance of Kiana Meness and Jose Palacios.

The mural is located at the intersection of Eddy Street and Alexandre-Taché Boulevard in Gatineau and will be on display for the next several years.

Our Shepherds depicts two shepherds standing face-to-face atop two sheep. The figures are notably connected by a long Pinocchio-like nose, a seeming indication of their deceitful intentions. The playful blue colour and simple, symmetrical structure of the sculpture act as an enticement to consider deeper meanings. Our Shepherds speaks of those who take power and those who are led, inviting viewers to question who are the shepherds and who are the sheep.

Our Shepherds was created by Montreal artist, Patrick Bérubé. It will be displayed at the Tin House Courtyard in the ByWard Market in Ottawa until October 2025.