Michel-Luc Bellemare's showing at the Snapdragon Gallery is a vibrant display of bright, deep colours and thickly textured oil paint, from the palm-sized, circular, orangey-pink "Cupcake" to the large, tri-coloured triptych "Do-Re-Mi." Bellemare's technique can indeed sometimes look like icing applied a pastry, particularly when he works in those pale, pinkish hues, but darker works such as "Burnt Autumn" also show an earthier sensibility.

A visit to the gallery, on the corner of Bank Street and Third Avenue in the Glebe, will be time well spent, even if you are not in the market for art. The space is clean and bright and open, showing the works to good advantage, and the welcome, from gallery owner Richard, is congenial. It will be an oasis of calm and relaxed contemplation of art on a hot, buzzing summer day.

Friday

Visit arts&architecture for our next show, “Forests of Lost Dreams,” a collection of textured black & white photographs by Michael Van der Tol. Join us for the vernissage Friday, April 9th from 7 pm – 10 pm for refreshments and to meet the artist.  The exhibition will be on display from April 7 – April 18.  This will be Michael’s second show at arts&architecture; in February 2009, Michael exhibited “Vecchia Struttura,” a stunning collection of textured black & white photographs of Italy. 1181 Bank Street

La Petite Mort Gallery presents...
ONE NIGHT ONLY Exhibit
REMI THERIAULT, "POLAROIDS / INSTANT STORIES."
Vernissage Friday April 9, 2010 / 7 - 10pm
306 Cumberland

Saturday

The Writer’s Room
At The Ottawa School of Speech & Drama
294 Picton Ave. Ottawa (Westboro)
Saturday, April 10, 7:00 p.m.
You are invited to a special evening of readings by some of Ottawa’s best writers of creative non-fiction: Denise Chong, Charlotte Gray, Phil Jenkins, and Kerry Pither. The event is presented by the Ottawa School of Speech & Drama.

Call to Artists
THE NEW ART FESTIVAL 2010
(formerly known as Art in the Park)
Saturday, June 5th & Sunday, June 6th, 2010
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Central Park, The Glebe, Ottawa
Application deadline: Monday, March 8th, 2010
Information & Application Process: www.artinfoboy.org
The New Art Festival is a celebration of original, one-of-a-kind art & fine craft and the artists who create it. This unique event is geared to strengthen the connections among visual artists, craftspeople, art educators, galleries and the public.
Ottawa's hugely popular outdoor art exhibition is a free, family-oriented event in a beautiful park setting. This exhibition attracts thousands of visitors annually (previous years' estimate: 10,000 over two days).
Participating artists are selected by a jury comprised of practicing artists and arts professionals. We invite local food vendors to participate, provide shaded rest areas, do excellent publicity and work hard to make sure that the two days are fun and comfortable for the artists and the public. We know that art does sell at this show and that it is a tremendous networking opportunity.
Prizes are awarded in several categories.

Friday

Experience the birth of punk Islam in the critically acclaimed film -
“THE TAQWACORES”
And watch the Spiritual Journey of Michael Muhammed Knight
Playing at the Mayfair Theatre 1074 Bank Street, Ottawa
Friday, January 22, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Monday, January 25, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Meet film firector Omar Majeed for a Q and A following the film on Friday, January 22, 2010
“Freedom of Expression for the Muslim Artist”
A Panel Discussion with film director Omar Majeed, Art History PhD. Candidate Nadia Kurd, and McGill U. Photographer Asif Rehman following the film on Saturday, January 23, 2010
 RSVP for the panel discussion and/or for more information:  Shahla Khan Salter, tel. 613 260 8798, email: khansalter@rogers.com , Chair, Muslims for Progressive Values (Ottawa Chapter)

La Petite Mort Gallery presents SARAH SCHORLEMER & DRASKO BOGDANOVIC
ONE NIGHT ONLY Photo Exhibit [Editor's Note: Are "one night stands" a thing of the past?]
Friday Jan 22, 2010 / 7 - 10pm, 306 Cumberland
Tunes by Big Mac Daddy
Proudly sponsored by CKCU 93.1 FM

Yesterday I walked from Centretown to the Glebe, and I decided to take a route along which Google maps warned me to "[u]se caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths." Normally I don't ask Google maps how to walk to areas I've been before and normally I go for routes that have sidewalks, but yesterday was special. I could really give my Winter Trax a challenge!

The route, you see, took me down Queen Elizabeth Drive for the most part, and the QED only has sidewalks on both sides of the road some of the time. I stuck to the city side, which doesn't always have a sidewalk but does have a two foot wide plowed pedestrian area. Winter Trax held up pretty well, in that I didn't slip or fall or worry that I might, except for one thing: at one point, I looked down at my right boot and saw that part of the trax had started to sneak up around the side instead of staying firmly underfoot. When I reached over to correct it, I discovered that fully half of the trax on my left foot was on top of my boot. I'd blame the boots, but they have nice lips all the way around that the trax can grab on to. They did stay in place for the rest of my walk and on the way home, though I took a route that had sidewalks that time around, but I am suspiciously about their efficacy.  

Friday

 La Petite Mort Gallery presents...
ONE NIGHT STAND
with DRASKO BOGDANOVIC
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS
One Night Only Exhibit
Friday September 11, 2009 / 7 - 10pm
Tunes by Big Mac Daddy
Proudly sponsored by CKCU 93.1 FM 

'LABOURS OF LOVE' - A CELEBRATION OF WOMEN IN ART
This remarkable exhibition of paintings by Adrian Baker, with guest artists Karen Bailey, Heidi Conrod, Rosemary Leach, Katherine McNenly and Chandler Swain, is a fundraiser for The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood. Maureen McTeer, Canadian representative of the WRA, will be in attendance at the opening reception to share refreshments and information about the organization.
This one-weekend exhibition by these well-known Ottawa artists is a must-see, organized in solidarity with women everywhere, especially those who suffer needlessly. Adrian Baker's powerful images of intimate maternal experiences and timeless domestic scenes "evoke conflicting feelings of strength, anguish, vulnerability, spirituality, and love" (pictured: "Monday Monring")
Exhibition location: Dale Smith Gallery, 137 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa, ON
613-321-0101,
Exhibition hours: Friday, Sept. 11 - opening reception, 6pm - 9m
Saturday, Sept. 12 - 10am - 5:30pm
Sunday, Sept. 13 - 12noon - 5pm

Friday

Blink Gallery presents an exhibition of  "Works on Paper" by Jean Jewer (pictured: "Ripples on Blue"from Sept 3 to 5th. 

The Bedizened Beasts of Sebastian Millar + BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED: The Art of Chris Brett/ Opening Friday, Sept 4 / 7pm / Canteen (238 Dalhousie Street)| Show runs until September 27th

Friday

Dale Smith Gallery is pleased to present "Travelling Light," a joint exhibition of recent work by photographer Joy Kardish (Ottawa) and painter Angela Petardi (Toronto). Joy Kardish's luminous photo-based works capture the magical elegance of Paris, while Angela Petardi's vibrantly colourful oil paintings transport us to the exotic streets and markets of Morocco. Join us on Friday, July 31 from 7-10 PM to meet the artists and toast the exhibition. The exhibition continues until August 18. 

Karsh-Masson Gallery (136 St. Patrick Street )at Sussex) presents Amy Schissel's "Prolix X" (pictured) and Steven Stewart's "Missing Persons" from July 31 to September 20, 2009. 

The Mud Oven is proud to exhibit the recent paintings of an old Ottawa south resident.

"Equus"

Hi Everyone,

If you managed to get out to this year's exciting Great Glebe Sale in Ottawa, then you may have checked out Ecology Ottawa's latest event.  For those of you who didn't get a chance to check out the event make sure you visit our latest Youtube pick to see local coverage of this spectular day.  The short video was produced by Alroy Fonseca and Ryan Davies, the two creative masterminds behind Dawghaus Studios.

Antia Utas has new landscape show, "Abiding Land," on display at the Urban Pear (151 Second Avenue, a.k.a the Glebe) starting today until August 31st. I'd recommend clicking on that link; her work is really quite lovely. From the website, the restaurant seems like it might be worth checking out as well. Hmm. Now I just don't see what's stopping you.

There's also a pay-what-you-can video screening presented by the Ottawa Art Gallery tonight at the Library and Archives Canada Auditorium (395 Wellington) starting at 7 p.m. Tonight you'll see Unikausiq (Stories), a short computer animation is based on Inuit legends told by Madeline Ivalu and Anaana (Mother), in which Vivi Kunuk recounts stories of her extraordinary life on Baffin Island and reflects upon changes experienced by Inuit people in the last 60 years.