Ottawa Artwalk aims to change people’s perceptions of the ByWard Market

Local galleries and art enthusiasts are coming together to host their twist on a pub crawl in an effort to bring attention to the arts scene in the ByWard Market. The Ottawa Artwalk 2024 is presented by the National Gallery of Canada, the Ottawa Art Gallery and the ByWard Market District Authority and will feature a walking tour of the ByWard Market’s independent galleries. The event is chaired by Sarah Jennings, political and cultural journalist and author. In an interview with OBJ, Jennings said she “stole” the idea from her late brother Peter Jennings. “In New York, Peter worked for about a decade for the Coalition of the Homeless and the model of the event involved a celebrity interview in Manhattan and then sending people out into the surrounding areas to visit art galleries and artists studios and they raised buckets of money over the years as the thing took flight,” Jennings explained. “So, I tried it out here in 2021 and it was a huge success.” The 2021 event saw plenty of enthusiasm and participation in the community, Jennings said. “Everything has gone through such a bad time. There is now the new (ByWard Market District Authority) and my goal is to help bring the ByWard Market back into good health and also make people aware that a great deal more goes on in the Market than drink and, unfortunately, drugs, and crime follows drugs,” she explained. “All you read in the press is extremely frightening stories of how terrible it all is. And it's not at all. “It's really got a long way to go to come back to its former health but there's a great deal going on in the Market, one of which is this very rich artistic scene. “From the point of view of those who live and work there, it will introduce people who at present are not coming back to the Market to the fact that it's a very living, breathing, lively, rich urban community,” said Jennings. “It's not all restaurants and bars.” After the 2021 Artwalk, Jennings said she learned that a recently opened gallery had closed its doors for good after the pandemic. Now, she says “we have the same threat.” “So many of these galleries have been here for many, many years and have a clientele … People want this sort of thing, but they very rarely get to hear about it,” she said. “The objective of this Artwalk is really to kind of give the general public an opportunity to see more of the riches of the ByWard Market than just going to bars at night. “I’m absolutely not against bars, don’t get me wrong — I like a good bar,” she laughed. “But you need more than that. The trick now is to just get (the Market) back on its feet and back to good health. And it's certainly doable.” Lisa Pai, owner of L.A. Pai Gallery at 13 Murray St., participated in the first Artwalk in 2021. Now, Pai is celebrating the gallery’s 25th anniversary with the opening of the new Pai Jewellery store on Sussex Drive. Both establishments will be listed for the Artwalk tour. Pai has spent the past 25 years running her business in the ByWard Market and said any event that “gets people out walking” in the community is a win in her books — not to mention the exposure to independent galleries and their extensive collections. “Having people wandering through the ByWard Market is a good thing for all businesses in the area as well, but definitely for the gallery,” said Pai. “We've had a few galleries over the last while, we've been here a long time, and it's wonderful to work together on any kind of events like this.” Despite concerns about safety, security and the ongoing housing crisis in Ottawa, Pai said she is excited to own two businesses in the Market and encourages others to see the beauty around them. “We need to get people out walking, because when they're walking, they realize the splendour of the ByWard Market and the fact that it cannot be replicated elsewhere,” said Pai. “It’s unique and it is as wonderful as it ever was. “We're a growing city. We have issues, we have problems, but frankly, even small towns have the same issues and problems,” she continued. “So we just have to fully realize that we're already in the future and just enjoy what we have, celebrate what we have, because if we don't celebrate our heritage, our history, Canadian artists, Canadian local businesses, then they are gone.” Even with online shopping, Pai said she is certain that the value in art still lies in in-person interaction. And for the L.A. Pai Gallery, which features artists from across Canada, events like the Artwalk are vital. “People come in and they are amazed at what they see. It really moves them, because sometimes they have no idea this exists; the care in the work, the innovation,” she said. “These are creative artists working as professional artists throughout their careers and I have emerging and established artists. So you see a range and it's just so energizing.” The event will feature seven independent galleries and will kick off at the National Gallery of Canada, where journalist Lucy van Oldenbarneveld will interview Indigenous artists and Sobey Award nominee Nico Williams. The Artwalk will conclude with a reception and tour of the Ottawa Art Gallery. The event will be held this year on Sept. 21 with all proceeds going to the Ottawa Mission’s meal program.