Ottawa's Art Gallery of Ottawa (AGO) is kicking off spring 2026 with three major new exhibitions spread across its galleries at 10 Daly Avenue, and if you haven't been recently, this is the perfect excuse to go.
What's On This Season
The centrepiece of the spring program is a solo exhibition by Ottawa-based painter Jean-Paul Lemieux, whose large-format canvases draw on the landscapes of the Ottawa Valley and the St. Lawrence. The show, running through late May, brings together 30 works, several of which have never been publicly displayed before.
Alongside it, the gallery presents a group exhibition from six emerging Indigenous artists across Turtle Island, curated in partnership with the National Capital Region's urban Indigenous community. The works range from beadwork and textile art to digital video installations, all exploring themes of land, memory, and belonging.
The third exhibition is a smaller photography showcase from the gallery's permanent collection: black-and-white street scenes of Ottawa from the 1960s and 70s, a snapshot of a city that looked very different before the LRT and the glass towers arrived.
Free Sundays and Programming
The AGO's free Sunday afternoon hours (noon to 5 p.m.) make these exhibitions accessible to anyone who wants to drop in without planning a big outing. The gallery also runs family workshops on select Saturdays, check their website for spring dates and registration.
For school groups and educators, the AGO offers curriculum-linked guided tours that can be booked through their education department.
Why It Matters
Ottawa's arts scene often flies under the radar compared to Toronto or Montreal, but institutions like the AGO are quietly doing important work, preserving local history, supporting emerging artists, and giving the public a place to slow down and look carefully at the world.
Spring is a good time to remember that. After months of cold and grey, there's something genuinely restorative about an afternoon in a gallery.
The Art Gallery of Ottawa is open Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is pay-what-you-can on Sundays.
Source: Ottawa Life Magazine / RSS
