OOE ARTIST FEATURE: AWARDS NIGHT ILLUMINATES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS TO OTTAWA

With an electric vibe and a colourful succession of presenters and recipients, Arts Ottawa Award/Prix d’Arts Ottawa launched a new era at the Fourth Stage of the National Arts Centre on February 5. Hosts Lydia Talajic and The Velvet Duke kept the fires burning as the organization presented six awards.

Setting a musical tone with some old-school jazz, the Seaborn sisters, Laura on vocals and Jennie on drums (both Carleton University music grads), featuring Mark Ferguson on piano, performed a sparkling set to open the celebration of Ottawa’s arts community.

In 2025, the Ottawa Arts Council and Arts Network Ottawa merged to form Arts Ottawa and reached out to community stakeholders to identify new priorities for the awards. They landed on inclusivity and opportunities for professional development. “These values are now baked into the awards,” said Jeff Leiper, Ottawa city councillor for Kitchissippi Ward.

The group worked collaboratively to design a new model for the program which celebrates not only artists but also educators, businesses, and organizations reflecting the diversity, realities and aspirations of today’s arts community. Besides the $1,000 given with each of the awards comes a media kit, increased visibility through Arts Ottawa platforms, and access to space and mentorship. The co-designers wanted people to say: “We belong to an organization that is supporting us!”

Sponsors included House of Common studio, which provided professional head shots for the media kits; the National Arts Centre, which provided the venue; JustJamaal ThePoet; Arts Ottawa Giving Circle; DRIFT Mural Co.; Artists & Artisans Study Group Ottawa; and Caisse Desjardins Ontario.

Award winner Beandigen Café is a Native owned and operated café at Lansdowne Park’s TD Place created in 2021 by Paula and Jayde Naponse. The mother and daughter team, both Anishinaabe artists, first opened the café as a six-month pop-up space and continue to run the thriving space today! The café celebrates local Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs in downtown Ottawa and cultivates respect and appreciation for them. “First, we needed to have the ‘audacity’ to call ourselves artists,” said Jayde Naponse when accepting the award. “We wanted to create a beautiful space for all generations of Indigenous artists to feel like they belong.” They also invite non-Indigenous people to learn in a genuine setting. “We have a beading circle every Sunday with different artists.” Naponse said. They celebrate Indigenous art through workshops, art shows, open mics, poetry readings, and film screenings. Visit: www.beandigen.ca

Aly (Joy-Lily) McDonald is an artist and community facilitator exploring emotion, trauma, bodily autonomy, and identity through acrylic painting. As a survivor and self-described “mad individual” her creative practice involves arts-based healing. She facilitates programs and workshops with organizations including the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre and Project Agape (who support and promote wellness, care, and safety for Black survivors). The programs are grounded in a belief that creativity is tool for empowerment and community connection. Visit: www.instagram.com/a.j.l.y.artistry

The Grove Studio is a visual arts studio and “community art hub” in Centretown supporting creativity and collaboration. It provides professional-grade audiovisual equipment and an accessible environment where artists/visual storytellers can connect and grow. Founded and operated by Black and person-of-colour artists, the studio creates a safe, supportive space for queer, IBPOC, and other disenfranchised “makers,” offering resources and programming that support artists beyond creation. When accepting the award on behalf of the studio, co-owner Adrienne Row-Smith underlined “the power of the arts to bring people together.” Visit: www.grove613.ca

Jacqui Du Toit is an international theatrical performer and storyteller from South Africa with a B.A. in Theatre and Performance from the University of Cape Town. She works extensively as a professional actress, storyteller, and arts educator in writing, directing, acting, movement, and puppetry. She is the co-owner of The Origin Arts and Community Centre where they nurture emerging talent in Ottawa. “We share our stories about who we are and where we came from,” Du Toit said. “The Community of Ottawa welcomed me. Indigenous elders welcomed me. These communities are my family. Thanks for making me feel at home.” She also serves on the board of directors for the Great Canadian Theatre Company. Visit:  www.jacquidutoit.com

Oluchi Eze is an Ottawa-based portrait photographer and community builder whose work explores identity, emotion, and growth. A self-taught artist, she uses photography as a tool for reflection and connection. She is the Creative Director of Infinite Playground, a series of themed photo meetups that create welcoming, low-pressure spaces for photographers, models, and creatives to learn, play and build confidence while forming meaningful connections within Ottawa’s arts community. “You grow by talking to people,” Oluchi Eze said. “Infinite Playground is about lifting up artists and growing their visibility. Creativity runs in this city. It is bright and colourful not black and white.” Visit:  www.luniversephotography.com

Éditions L’Interligne publishes and promotes French-Canadian literature—particularly Franco-Ontarian works—by amplifying authentic voices marked by contemporary themes and stylistic originality. As one of the professional publishing houses based in Ottawa, it supports authors at all stages of their careers and brings their work to audiences across Canada through professional publication, distribution, and community engagement. Visit:  https://interligne.ca

On closing, Nicole Milne, co-leader of Arts Ottawa emphasized that the work they do is an investment. “I hope this celebration awakens something in you,” Milne said. “This is about giving back to artists who create such vitality in the world and recognizing the amazing people who bring our city to life!”

Author Tanis Browning-Shelp (http://www.browning-shelp.com) pens her Maryn O’Brien Young Adult Fiction series, published by Dog-Eared Books, from her home in Old Ottawa East. Contact tanis@browning-shelp.com if you have information about artists or art events that you believe would enrich our community members’ lives.