Canadian_Art_2016_S_

SITE-SPECIFIC • canadianart.ca 49

Explore

SHOP TREASURE HUNTING

Goods Shop (201 Dalhousie St.) stocks local wares

that make for perfect souvenirs, such as live-edge

wooden chopping blocks laser-engraved with maps

of Ottawa neighbourhoods. Carved from reclaimed

wood, each piece is one of a kind. Curator

Michelle Gewurtz frequents Workshop Studio

and Boutique (242 Dalhousie St.), which “supports

crafty Canadian women by stocking designers

from across the country.” For art-opening worthy

jewellery, visit Viens Avec Moi (1338 Wellington

S t. W.) or art-history professor Ming Tiampo’s

favourite, L.A. Pai Gallery (13 Murray St.). Curator

Adam Welch is a fan of Found Design (164 Elm

St.) for midcentury modern pieces, goes to Black

Squirrel (1073 Bank St.) to stock up on books,

and is a regular at Possible Worlds (708G Somerset

St.) in Chinatown, which he describes as “a

project space that manifests Melanie Yugo and

Jason Pelletier’s roving practice: for over a decade

they’ve been civil servants by day and printmakers,

gallerists, DJs and all-round cultural impresarios

by night.” Pick up some limited-edition vinyl

and carry it out in an artist-designed tote bag.

DINE TASTEMAKERS

Got a sweet tooth? SuzyQ Doughnuts ( 969

Wellington St. W.) is a cult favourite among locals

for their deep-fried delicacies, whose flavours range

from traditional (try the Finnish sugar doughnut

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3

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1 North and Navy

2 Goods Shop

3 Possible Worlds

known as a Sugar Munkki) to avant-garde (Blue

Vanilla Fruit Loop, London Fog and Mango Lassi).

For a healthier option, artist Leslie Reid recommends

the Green Door Restaurant (198 Main St.), which

she says is “the very best for vegetarian food, and

not far from the Rideau Canal.” Hang out at Origin

Tr a d e (111 York St.), a new coffee house/lounge,

cozy pub The Manx (370 Elgin St.) or try the

ricotta-stuffed meatballs at To w n (296 Elgin St.),

which Gewurtz describes as “an intimate spot

serving delicious artisanal food as sharing plates.

They also support local artists through commissions

and exhibitions.” Welch favours Pressed ( 750

Gladstone Ave.), known for its gourmet sandwiches,

and hits El Camino (380 Elgin St.) when he’s got

a hankering for tacos and tequila. When Tiampo

has Venice Biennale nostalgia, she pays a visit

to “DiVino (225 Preston St.) for perfect and

delicious pasta, Soif (88, rue Montcalm, Gatineau)

for challenging, interesting wines, and North

and Navy (226 Nepean St.) for ciccheti.”

MOVE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

It’s easy to stay active in Ottawa, which is famous

for its glorious green spaces. “I love that (for

half the year) I have the choice of biking to work

through the Arboretum or the Central

Experimental Farm (Prince of Wales Dr.)—two

of my favourite spaces —and in winter there’s

plenty of opportunity to get outdoors with skating,

skiing and snowboarding,” says curator Heather

Anderson. Welch takes advantage of all that

Gatineau Park, which is 105 times the size

of Central Park in Manhattan, has to offer: 250

kilometres of trails to hike or walk, as well as rock

climbing, boating, swimming and more. Reid

recommends renting a bike (available at locations

around the city) and “going along the scenic

Rideau Canal bike path, ending at the Carleton

University Art Gallery (1125 Colonel By Dr.) .”

Heather Anderson

Curator, Carleton

University Art Gallery

“Check out the Record

Centre (1099 Wellington St. W.) for

new and used vinyl—and occasional

intimate in-store concerts.”

Adam Welch

Associate Curator,

Canadian Art, National

Gallery of Canada

”Ottawa is a city that lives and

works in two languages, with

theatre, dance, literary, film

and visual-art scenes that draw

on the many global cultures that

use French and English.”

MEET THE LOCALS

THE BEST OF OTTAWA

FROM THE CITY’S

ART SCENE INSIDERS

SITE-SPECIFIC: OTTAWA

PHOTO JUSTIN WONNACOTT

PHOTO KAYLA MEYER

site-specific_OTTAWA_33TS_LR.indd 49 02/05/16 6:14 PM