A night of celebrating Ottawa through animation at the OAG

Frame by Frame: Animation in Ottawa, the Ottawa Art Gallery’s (OAG) newest exhibition, has officially opened. It had its opening reception on Sept. 24, along with the projection launch of Jay Odjick’s animation, Odawa Yesterday: Odawa Chinago.

Frame by Frame was curated by Meghan Ho, Chris Robinson and Kelly Neall, presented in partnership with the 50-year running Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF.) The exhibition aims to enlighten visitors about Ottawa’s rich history in animation, which spans over 80 years.

“We really hope that people are more familiar with the animation history in the area. It has some deep roots here but not everybody knows about it, even if you are from Ottawa,” said Ho.

Frame by Frame starts guests off with a timeline that brings viewers through the detailed history of animation in Ottawa, from 80 years ago to the present. The exhibition features a blend of still images and multiple kinds of animation, from hand drawn to stop motion.

Many artists, editors and designers who contributed to the exhibition came to celebrate Frame by Frame’s opening while bonding over their shared love for art and animation.

“I have a stop motion animation film called Emergency Broadcast,” said Pixie Cram, one of the exhibition’s featured artists. “It was made when I was doing an artist residency at the Diefenbunker museum in Carp, so at that time it was on display in the museum and that was in 2017. So, it’s nice to have another public opening for it.”

Odawa Yesterday: Odawa Chinago is launched

Indigenous artist Jay Odjick had his animation, Odawa Yesterday: Odawa Chinago, projected onto the front of the OAG.

The animation was a collaboration with the OAG and the National Arts Centre (NAC). The NAC featured a second animation, Odawa Tomorrow: Odawa Wabang, projected on the Kipnes Lantern. The animations aim to celebrate Ottawa 200 by reminding citizens that Ottawa has existed for much longer than 200 years.

The animation showcases Ottawa’s history beyond the 200 years being celebrated. It begins with early Indigenous settlers, to newcomers arriving over the years with old ships to modern day airplanes and finally the diverse population here today.

“Ottawa has always been a place where people have gathered and come together, and that is what I hope people take away from it is that we’re stronger together,” said Odjick.

“We are so much better off when we begin to learn about one another’s culture, no matter where we’re from. We’re stronger when we grow together.”

While Odjick’s animations only ran last weekend, the Frame by Frame exhibit will be open to the public until March 2027.