Get Happening in Hintonburg

 All photos by Andre Gagne Hintonburg is a neighbourhood that always seems to be changing and accepting of new and fresh ideas. Case in point, did you know that in 1896 it was the first place in Canada to show a newfangled idea called moving pictures when a film was

Ottawa Welcomes the Colourful Alt Hotel to the Nation’s Capital

 You would never guess that the Alt Hotel in Ottawa was having their grand opening Tuesday; dozens of guests were already staying at the hotel and enjoying some of the amenities offered in the café and lounge. In fact, the Alt Hotel Ottawa has been accepting guest for the past

OAG Announces a New, Very Artistic, Gift

 Wilfrid Flood, Frenchtown, Cobalt (Chambers-Ferland Mine), 1939, watercolour on paper, 38.1 x 45.7 cm. Collection of the Ottawa Art Gallery. Photo: David Barbour. The Ottawa Art Gallery has received a generous gift of 88 paintings and sketches done by late Ottawa artist, Wilfrid Flood. The paintings were donated by Flood’s

Capital Catwalk Showcases Best of Local Fashion Designers

 All photos by Mireille Sylvester,   Ottawa’s fashion community dressed to the nines to raise money for cancer on January 30. The University of Ottawa branch of HerCampus, an online magazine for university students, hosted its 4th annual Capital Catwalk in support of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. The glitzy

LIFT Delivers a True Canadian Experience

 All photos courtesy of Samantha Lapierre Secretly, or, maybe now, not so secretly, I fancy myself as a bit of a foodie. I am not picky and I will try anything once. So, when Ottawa Life was invited to experience LIFT Resto & Lounge’s True Canadian Experience event, I jumped

January 15th to 17th

 Here at Ottawa Life we are always looking out for great things to do on a weekend! Check out some of the events that are happening right here in our city this weekend. TD Place Stadium, Ottawa 67’s vs. Niagara IceDogs - Jan.15th (7:00pm) This Friday, come support your local OHL

CIBC Banks on New OAG Expantion

 This week the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) and longtime supporter CIBC announced a new and considerable Art Now – L’art ici Capital Campaign gift of $100,000. CIBC has become a lead sponsor for the gallery and it’s events during the past decade, including le pARTy Art Auction and the Partners in

Slammin’ in the Capital

 Poster courtesy of Madeleine Kelly The Capital Poetry Collective brings the art of slam poetry to Ottawa. Their next show is Capital Slam, which takes place on Saturday, November 21 at Origin Studio at 57 Lyndale Ave in Hintonburg. A “slam” is a poetry competition in which poets perform original

The Wonderful Works of Andrea Warren

 All photos courtesy of Andrea Warren Some artists create their work for fame and fortune, but some, like Ottawa-based visual artist Andrea Warren, create art for much more significant reasons. Warren’s art is unusual and enchanting. In some pieces, Warren combines multiple acrylic colours together to create an almost stained

The Great Works of Marisa Gallemit

 "Big Red." Photo courtesy of Jackpine Marisa Gallemit is a bilingual woman of color, a visual artist and she can make a mean ‘Old Fashioned’ upon request. "Tabarnac." Photo courtesy of Remi Theriault Always fascinated by visual language, Gallemit studied film theory at Carleton University, and has also studied film

Women and the World Wars

 Photo © Canadian War Museum The Canadian War Museum is celebrating Canadian women’s roles and contributions made during the First and Second World Wars in the museum’s new exhibit, World War Women. Dr. Stacey Barker is the Acting Historian, Art and War, at the Canadian War Museum. Barker has been working at the

Spur Celebrates Politics, Art and Ideas

 Photo by Beibei Lu As the fervour surrounding the election wanes and Ottawa adjusts to new leadership on the Hill, the air is rife with a variety of questions raised in October: From the local: How is it that in a city and country as wealthy as this one, more

A Night of Glam and Gourmet at 5IVE5IFTEEN

 All photos by Eric Vance. Many hold to the thought that Ottawa is a tame and quiet town, and on Oct. 15 the organizers of the recent 5IVE5IFTEEN did their best to bring some flair back to the capital. Blackbook Lifestyle, an Ottawa marketing and communications agency, and Arc the Hotel,

Art in Fashion 613 Shines Bright

 Photo courtesy of Art in Fashion 613 Art in Fashion 613 is bringing something new to the capital. Taking place on Saturday October 17 at Library and Archives Canada, the event is an inspired fashion and night market created by Kym Brown, the designer and owner behind Bombshell Revival Designs. Brown is an

Arthaus – Ottawa’s Uber-Cool Condo Project

 The condo building topping off the future Ottawa Art Gallery and Groupe Germain hotel will be named ‘Arthaus,’ the building’s developers announced October 2. The new structure will stand just beside the old arts court, on the corner of Daly Avenue and Waller Street, and should offer nearly 100 condos beginning at

The Ottawa Art Gallery Blossoms

 Photo courtesy of Dwayne Brown. Accomplished writer and visual journalist Sara Angel presented a beautiful speech about the importance of art, kicking off the Ottawa Art Gallery’s Capital Campaign Art Now – L’art ici. The campaign looks to expand the Ottawa Art Gallery, with hopes to build a place that

Artist Eric Fischl at the NGC

 Copyright 2014, Eric Fischl. All Rights Reserved. A former security guard at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Eric Fischl has made himself one of this century’s most influential American painters and sculptors. Fischl will be discussing his work at the National Gallery of Canada tomorrow as part of

The 411 on Ottawa’s Zine Scene

 Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Look back over the last 10 years, and you’ll spot a resurgence of the old Do-It-Yourself ethos. From self-published zines to craftivism, a new generation is being encouraged to challenge society through handmade items. Zines (pronounced ‘zeens’), in particular, have found new homes both online

Local Poets Hit the Road in International Tour

 After a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, a group of five young Canadian poets are on the road. The Worst Case Ontario poetry reading tour kicked off on August 21 in Toronto, Ontario. The poets are scheduled to visit nine North American cities in as many days. OLM sat down with

Many Shades of Dallas

 Photo by Matt Pasant. Sixth Floor Museum. Photo credit: Sixth Floor Museum There is an overwhelming feeling in Dallas,Texas that anything is possible. It is a city with guts and spirit, and while Dallas oozes wealth, it is also a city with a big heart, kind people and warm hospitality.

Kayla Pongrac: Bringing Local Flavour to Life with Art and Design

 Photo credit: Blair Pongrac  When you head to one of Ottawa’s top restaurants, like Ace Mercado on Clarence Street, you go for the experience. It’s not just about the great food, but also the atmosphere, smells and sounds. A lot of thought, planning and passion go into creating that atmosphere

An Urban Getaway to Montréal’s 16th Edition of MUTEK

 Farewell to the departed polar vortex. Outside, the drone of air conditioners is interrupted by fast afternoon thundershowers. The height of summer. Adventures await. Plans are pushed into action in hopes of creating everlasting memories. As summer approaches, the great outdoors are still too cold, however there is an omnipresent

Take a Look Inside Jordan Clayton

 "Toxoplasmic Encephalitis," Oil on Linen, 127 x 132, 2015. If you stepped into Jordan Clayton’s studio, it might take you a minute to find anything out of place. The room in his Toronto apartment has just about everything you’d expect. There’s a wall with giant canvases leaning against it, brushes,

OAG on the Verge of Expansion

 The view of the future gallery's south side. Rendering by Barry Padolsky Associates Inc. Architects / KPMB Architects. After spending a quarter century in the historic Arts Court on Daly Avenue, the Ottawa Art Gallery is set to expand into a brand new building with four times the gallery space

Playing Chicken: The line between beauty and tension in Andrew Moncrief’s “Unseen”

 Moncrief stands in front of paintings featured in this month's exhibit. All photos by Kerri Fukui. Andrew Moncrief is a 28-year-old artist who’s talented enough to create beautiful, classically styled figures, and brave enough to smear paint over their faces. His latest exhibition, a collection of portraits called “Unseen,” is