Encountering the visual arts

The visual arts establish themselves on the regional cultural scene from the 1970s onwards. They add images to the forms of expression fueling Ottawa’s Francophone affirmation movement, largely inspired by the counter-culture of the time. Artists exhibit their work in schools and community centres. The first galleries are established. Events are organized, offering increasingly diverse experiences to a growing clientele. The visual arts are institutionalized through the creation of Pro-Arts, then BRAVO. Networks proliferate, ensuring broader diffusion of art created by the capital’s Franco-Ontarians. This selection of documents bears witness to the presence of visual arts in Ottawa’s Francophone community.