By Patricia Balcom
Like most art lovers, I was delighted to hear that the National Gallery of Canada and the Ottawa Art Gallery would be re-opening during Phase 3 in Ontario. I had done some virtual tours of galleries during the lockdown, but as with most things, viewing art in the real world is much better than viewing it virtually.
What is the art-viewing experience like at these galleries in the time of COVID? First of all, both have taken measures so that visitors will be safe.
- Masks are obligatory.
- There are strategically placed hand-sanitizer stations.
- Physical-distancing protocols are in place.
- The number of visitors is controlled.
- Protective Plexiglas has been installed at counters where employees and visitors meet.
- Cleaning of high-touch areas and washrooms has increased.
National Gallery of Canada (NGC)
Opening hours are currently from Thursday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. Admission is free from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays. The Cafeteria and 7 Tapas Bar have not yet re-opened, but beverages and snacks are available for take-out at Second Cup, and the Boutique is open.
Àbadakone|Continuous Fire|Feu continuel has been extended until October 4, 2020. This exhibition features works by over 60 Indigenous artists from Turtle Island and around the world. The works include weavings, paintings, photographs, sculptures, videos and multi-media works, from tiny reindeer-antler carvings to a weaving of turquoise nautical rope that extends for three storeys. One particularly timely set of works in this exhibition is Ruth Cuthhard’s beadwork from her Trading series depicting smallpox, pneumonia and Spanish flu viruses.
The exhibition Beautiful Monsters in Early European Prints and Drawings (1450–1700), includes engravings, etchings, woodcuts and drawings from the 15th through the 17th centuries from the NGC collection. It has been extended until November 15, 2020.
I noticed several changes in the permanent collection: in B207 there are four American abstract works dating from the 1960s and 1970s; and in B202 there is a new display, The Constructed Photograph, which “explore[s] the relationship between photography and real-world events of global consequences”.
Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG)
The OAG re-opened to the public on Thursday, July 9. Its hours have also been reduced, and are now from Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. At the OAG admission has always been free—though there are two strategically placed donation boxes inside—but now visitors have to book online to reserve a ticket for a particular date and time. Visitors are asked to register at the Visitor Experience desk once they enter. A maximum of 40 people is allowed in the Gallery at one time. The Jackson Café is closed, but snacks and beverages are available for take-out, and there are tables and chairs on the terrace at the Daly Street entrance. The gift shop is open.
At the OAG the entire second floor is taken up by a new exhibition from the Firestone Collection, (Re)Collecting the Group of Seven: Celebrating 100 Years (until November 2021).
There are some magnificent works. Of particular note is a collection of painting by A.J. Casson, at least one for each decade of his career, from 1917 to 1980. Another aspect of the exhibition I particularly enjoyed was plein air sketchesstudies and later versions of the same work done in the studio, sometimes years later.
On the third floor visitors will encounter RhythmScape, a bold, challenging multi-media exhibition (until January 3, 2021). This is the North American debut of an international exhibition featuring mostly Korean artists, with three Canadians added for the OAG’s version, and several others. According to the wall notes: “Together their work brings forth a better understanding of human interaction through life and labour.”
The two exhibitions on the fourth floor are an effective antidote to stress people may be experiencing during COVID. Jennifer Dickson’s The Credo Project (until February 11, 2021) consists of photographs taken during her travels in Cyprus, Great Britain, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Turkey of “architectural spaces” of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. There is a contemplative, spiritual mood, enhanced by the cobalt-blue walls and music, Syncretism, which was composed for the exhibition by Canadian composer Sarah Basciano.
The other exhibition on the fourth floor is The Inside of Elephants and All Kinds of Things, featuring Russell Yuristy. His works on display include ceramics, drawings, paintings and photographs of his larger works, as well as a large wooden elephant sculpture. This playful, quirky, whimsical exhibition is a lot of fun. I laughed out loud several times, especially when I viewed the ceramic piece of a man riding in his Ayn Rand wagon. This exhibition will raise your spirits, so try to see it before it ends on February 7, 2021.