The Our Kids review of Ottawa School of Art

The Ottawa School of Art began as a civic association in 1879 intending to help promote the fine arts. One of the first orders of business was to promote the creation of the National Gallery of Canada, which it successfully did. While it doesn’t share the stature of the National Gallery—and, indeed, no arts organization in the country does—the School has been an important part of the life of the city throughout its long life. The spaces and resources are varied, as are the programs on offer, from residencies, to credit courses, to community engagement. The children’s programs seek to inspire interest in the arts, and to appeal to the various curiosities that children have, from how things are created, to the people do who the creating. Sessions range from drawing and printmaking to cartooning, animation, and fashion design. Children who enroll are presented a unique opportunity to take part in the life of a premiere arts institution and to meet the artists who, in turn, give it life. That experience alone can be transformative. Sessions are fun, accessible, and well administered.