The Ottawa School of Art offers a full range of specialized art courses for adults, teens and children in drawing, painting, photography, sculpture and ceramics, printmaking, cartooning and more.
We host artist-in-residence workshops, operate an art boutique, curate exhibitions in our downtown and Orléans galleries, host solo and group shows by local and international artists, and run the Lee Matasi Gallery for student showcases as well as a few off-site gallery spaces (Fritzi Gallery at GCTC, Preston Square/Waterford Group and Minto Suite Hotel).
The OSA also offers a three-year fine arts diploma, a one-year portfolio certificate, a not-for-credit arts Fundamentals certificate and a community outreach program.
At a glance:
Year founded: 1879
Total revenue for last fiscal year: $1,851,051
Twitter: @artottawa
Facebook: /ArtOttawa
Instagram: @artottawa
Top funding sources:
- Tuition fees: 54.6%
- Grants & fundraising: 11.1%
- Membership, art sales, retail: 6.7%
Geographic region of focus:
Ottawa, Gatineau and surrounding area; campus in Orléans
How your business can help
- Become a Corporate Member
- Sponsor a bursary or scholarship to fund an arts award for the Diploma program
- Sponsor a community outreach program
- Provide sponsorship for the annual charity golf tournament and/or send a team
- Bring a group for a corporate team building artistic workshop
Events and fundraising
Holiday Fundraising Art Sale
(Nov 25- Dec 12, 2021): Works by local artists and members of the school are exhibited in our downtown gallery at 35 George St. and available for purchase. Proceeds are split between the artist and the school with funds raised going towards our bursary and outreach programs.
With 35% of the proceeds going towards OSA programming. Thank you to all that made the Holiday Art Sale a success in 2020.
Golf Fore Art!
(Sept 23, 2021): Our 4th Annual Charity Golf Tournament invites teams of four to tee off and compete in 18 holes. Providing our teams with a boxed lunch, dinner, awards ceremony and an opportunity to bid at our silent auction, we offer several sponsorship packages to help make this event happen each year.
Board members and executives
Jeff Stellick
Executive director
Shirley Yik
President, board of directors
Alexia Naidoo
Vice-President
Anne Eschapasse
Former Deputy Director of Exhibitions & Outreach, National Gallery of Canada
David Finnie
Commercial Account Manager, BrokerLink
Issam Elhaje
Treasurer
Manager – Contract Management & Foreign Trade Offices
Canadian Commercial Corporations
Joshua Vickery
Secretary
Lawyer, Kelly Santini LLP
Michael Ashley
Independent contractor
Tara Brossier
Manager of Human Resources, BGIS
Caroline Elie
Manager, Stakeholder Relations – Export
Christos Pantieras
Artist, Art Educator
Clayton Powell
Past President
Principal at Powell Strategy Group
Fundraising priorities
The outreach program is dedicated to removing all economic barriers (no enrolment fees, no art supply costs, art instructor provided and no transportation) as the classes are taught in the neighbourhood at a local community house or community centre. Participants are also given the opportunity to showcase their work in a group exhibition held each year in our downtown gallery.
For students who are unable to afford the full cost of a course, we have a bursary program that, along with funding set aside in the annual budget, is made possible by several named and anonymous donors. The value of each individual bursary given depends on the level of financial assistance indicated on the application form and the availability of funds.
These programs are supported through our fundraising initiatives and donations are also accepted online, by phone, in-person and by post.
In response to the global pandemic, we now offer several online course options, as well as delivering the certificate and diploma programs in an online-and-in-person hybrid format.
