Yesterday was the vernissage and opening celebration at the Ottawa Art Gallery for two very different but equally fascinating exhibitions: Frame by Frame: Animation in Ottawa and Odāwā Yesterday: Odāwā Chìnàgo by Jay Odjick.
The opening was a busy and special evening, filled with speeches, artists, arts supporters and plenty of people coming out to celebrate these new exhibitions at OAG.
Frame by Frame: Animation in Ottawa is a partnership between the Ottawa Art Gallery and the Ottawa International Animation Festival, celebrating OIAF’s 50th anniversary.
Spanning more than 80 years, the exhibition explores Ottawa’s rich animation history and the artists, institutions and communities that have helped shape it. It also looks at the important role the festival has played in connecting local animators and creators with the wider global animation community.
I really enjoyed seeing the variety of animation, techniques and creative approaches throughout the exhibition.
Animation can bring imaginary worlds to life, push the boundaries of abstraction and give shape to ideas that can be strange, wonderful, funny and deeply human.
The exhibition is presented in partnership with the Ottawa Art Gallery and Ottawa International Animation Festival, in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada.
And for anyone who grew up with it, there is also a great nostalgic touch with Kevin Gillis’s The Raccoons on display.
Frame by Frame: Animation in Ottawa runs at the Ottawa Art Gallery until March 14, 2027.
Also opening was Odāwā Yesterday: Odāwā Chìnàgo by Jay Odjick, an animated projection transforming the Ottawa Art Gallery’s façade at Mackenzie King Bridge.
Presented after sunset, Odjick’s original animation brings the exterior of the gallery to life while exploring Indigenous presence and continuity in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. His distinctive storytelling makes the projection an especially striking way to experience the gallery after dark.
The projection runs until September 27, 2026, so there are only a few more nights left to see it.
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It was great to see so many people come out for this special Ottawa Art Gallery opening and to celebrate both Ottawa’s long history with animation and contemporary Indigenous storytelling.
Check out the gallery below.
