By Robin Etherington
Andrew Fay is the Executive Director of the Ottawa School of Art (OSA). He first taught at the OSA twenty-four years ago, and he thinks of the school as a positive force in the ByWard Market’s substantial arts hub, which also includes the National Gallery, the Ottawa Art Gallery, and many private galleries. Local artists use the OSA to learn, teach, and exhibit their artworks in the Jeff Stellick Gallery.
Andrew was raised in Ottawa and received his training at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Robin Etherington sat down with Andrew to learn more about the history, current work, and potential future of this amazing school. She also asked a thing or two about his own fascinating artistic practice!
What has been the greatest challenge for the Ottawa School of Art?
During the COVID pandemic, the school stayed open and offered in-person classes, except during lockdowns. But our enrollment halved. For many of our students, art classes were their only social encounter during that time. Happily, our enrollment has returned to pre-pandemic levels, and the school now offers online courses.
What is it like to operate two distinct campuses, George Street in the ByWard Market and the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans?
It’s really interesting! The downtown campus has its own vibe with an eclectic set of courses and students. Our Orleans campus has a much more suburban feel. It’s a really great community – the students have their favourite courses (painting is extremely popular out there) but the sense of community is palpable. A colleague and I recently held a three-hour critique of the works of our Orleans students and the work was amazing. In May, we had a joint exhibition of works on paper from the instructors, staff, and students from our downtown, Orleans, and our online campuses. It’s the first time we have all shown together and that was very exciting. Local artists take courses, teach, and exhibit their artworks at both campuses. We see the same amount of curiosity, fun, and creativity from the students at both campuses. OSA is celebrating its 145th anniversary in 2024!
What are the funding resources/streams for the Ottawa School of Art?
Seventy-five percent of our revenue comes from course tuition. We receive a yearly operations grant from the City of Ottawa under the Arts Service Agreement. We also receive Canada Summer Jobs grants from the federal government for children’s technicians for summer camps. The provincial government gave us a technology grant last year, so we were able to make upgrades to our computer lab. We have also accessed generous grants from the Trillium Foundation and the Ottawa Community Foundation.We receive some corporate grants and, of course, private donations.
The OSA is a non-profit organization. As such, fundraising is always an ongoing concern. Both our Outreach Program and Bursary Program rely solely on donations and are such crucial programs for the community. Inflation has really increased the cost of art supplies, as well as equipment in the ceramic and printmaking studios. Donations are important for the maintenance and operations of the art school.
How do you see the Ottawa School of Art in five years?
The five-year plan entails expanding partnerships with all arts and cultural heritage organizations, such as the Ottawa Art Gallery and the Sprott Business School at Carleton University. Such unique partnerships enhance the arts-cultural vibrancy of Lowertown and Ottawa as a whole. OSA also wants to work with artists to teach them “how to teach art” and how to run their own businesses.
What are the challenges and opportunities for Ottawa’s culture-heritage-arts sector and that of Canada at large?
While a greater appreciation for the arts occurred during the pandemic, there is definitely less government and corporate funding around for arts groups. Another issue is people not showing up for cultural events post-COVID. Inflation has wreaked havoc on arts groups and has reduced discretionary spending by the public. The Ottawa School of Art is now exceeding pre-pandemic enrollment, which is encouraging. Times are tough for everyone, and often people will say, “How can there be funding for the arts when there are so many people on the streets?” This is a valid question but what often is forgotten is the money generated by cultural enterprises. OSA is responsible for bringing 800 people to the ByWard Market every week – that is of enormous help to the local economy. And the greatest argument for supporting the arts is that they nourish society’s soul and intellect, especially during troubled times.
What do you know about the proposed cultural centre on Clarence Street?
City representatives have let us know about the development and that they may have space for us there. It’s very early in the dialogue, but we are always open to new opportunities. To move the school would be a major undertaking, but if the facilities were better and more accessible, we would definitely consider it. The students and staff, however, have a great fondness for the 35 George Street location.
What courses do you teach at Ottawa School of Art?
Since I became Executive Director, I now just teach one painting course. I feel it’s important for me to maintain a classroom presence, and I think it’s important to connect with students and instructors and not to be removed from the school’s main mandate of art instruction. Also, it’s something I enjoy.
Please talk about your art practice!
I paint and draw surreal, representational scenes. Although I was first trained in oil paint, I found acrylic to be more appropriate for my working style (it dries quickly and there are no noticeable fumes so I can work anywhere). The quality of acrylic paint and its colour and patina have also improved greatly over the years. For drawing, I like graphite pencils, conté, and pen and ink. I hadn’t drawn with pen and ink since I was a teenager, but when the pandemic was happening (and I was so busy) I found it the perfect medium to work with, as I could start work and stop without having to set up my paints and easel, clean brushes, etc. I could work from anywhere from half an hour to four hours, methodically building my images with lines. After the pandemic, I had no more patience to do pen and ink, although I did become a little more detailed in subsequent paintings. I think my biggest accomplishment is that I’m still making art after forty years and making art that interests me.
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