Temporary exhibits 

Explore the art that adds warmth and vibrancy to the streets, parks and plazas of Ottawa–Gatineau. Temporary exhibits in Canada's Capital Region showcase artistic achievements from across the country, celebrate our diversity and highlight significant milestones in Canadian history.

Art in the Capital

Many factors contribute to shaping an impressive capital region and public art is one of them. The Art in the Capital program showcases public artworks created by Canadian artists. These exhibits are temporary and change regularly.

A number of thought-provoking, evocative and fun installations are exhibited in Ottawa and Gatineau in 2024.

ByWard Market Courtyards Exhibit New

The Sussex Courtyards are a sequence of five courtyards located in the ByWard Market in Ottawa. They are popular during the summer season and offer an oasis of tranquility and shade for visitors and locals, as well as providing seating areas, café terraces and boutiques. The Courtyards also provide the setting for outdoor exhibits of Canadian art across a range of themes.

“Untitled” (from the “Dodge Away” series) circa 1975, by Kan Azuma

Canadian Heritage (PCH) developed the 2024 edition of this program in partnership with the National Gallery of Canada (NGC). This exhibit, titled Kan Azuma: Dodge Away, features twelve artworks selected from artist’s series of works by the same title. The exhibit will be on display in the Clarendon and York Courtyards from March 1st, 2024-March 31st, 2025.

Journeys Stairs 2023 Competition Winners

In spring 2023, Canadian Heritage sent out a call for proposals seeking dynamic and impactful images that convey the theme “Journeys.” This broad theme asked artists to reflect upon the idea of a journey as a means of understanding and growth. They were invited to consider both the physical and inner journeys that have shaped them, or the collective journeys undertaken by people and communities across Canada.

These two winning artworks presented below were inspired by the competition theme of Journeys.

Unwritten

In Unwritten, the artist uses nature to convey the experience of transformation and growth of a personal journey. At the base of the stairs, a figure stands in a rich and colourful landscape, looking upward toward a sunburst. Abstract shapes in the sky act as guiding constellations drawing the figure—and the viewer—upward, creating a sense of spiritual ascension as one walks up the stairs into an ethereal light.

Jason Zante is a Filipino-Canadian artist based in Toronto. With a multidisciplinary background, he creates vibrant and stylized compositions of dream-like environments inspired by surrealism and natural landscapes.

Unwritten can be seen at the Plaza Bridge steps linking the Rideau Canal and the Senate of Canada until March 2024.

Celebrating the Inner Journey

Celebrating the Inner Journey captures the lifelong journey of self-care and mental health. These four figures, dressed in athletic clothing, leap and dance towards an open doorway that invites them toward a future that is bright and joyous. Their confident movement up the stairs creates a sense of betterment and positivity, encouraging all viewers to undertake their own similar journeys.

Alisha Lucia Davidson is a Toronto-based artist and illustrator. With a strong emphasis on composition and line, her artwork often explores how colour and texture can evoke calm contemplation.

Celebrating the Inner Journey can be seen on the stairs connecting Confederation Park and the Mackenzie King Bridge in Ottawa until March 2024.

We Are Seeds

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

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.

ByWard Market Courtyards Exhibit

The Sussex Courtyards are a sequence of five courtyards located in the ByWard Market in Ottawa. They are popular during the summer season and offer an oasis of tranquility and shade for visitors and locals, as well as providing seating areas, café terraces and boutiques. The Courtyards also provide the setting for outdoor exhibits of Canadian art across a range of themes.

Page details

Date modified: