SAW – engaging with social and political issues through creative expression

Interview with Jason St-Laurent, artist and curator at SAW

By Robin Etherington

SAW focuses on building collaborative initiatives across Ottawa-Gatineau’s arts ecosystem, with its magnetic spirit of cooperation among local artists and organizations, shaping a more dynamic and inclusive cultural landscape for Ottawa. 

Jason St-Laurent, curator at SAW since 2012, studied fine arts at the Université de Moncton and the University of Toronto. His work has been presented in exhibitions across Canada, United States, South Africa, Romania and Finland.

What has been the greatest challenge for SAW?

Inflation is a significant challenge. While the costs of operations, materials, and staffing continue to rise, its Canada Council for the Arts core funding has remained stagnant for eight+ years. SAW had to explore alternative revenue streams to maintain the quality and scope of its programming. SAW operates a bar/café that is a popular social space for artists and audiences. Running a hospitality enterprise brings its own complexities – staffing, HR management, and operational logistics. While the net revenue from the bar is reinvested directly into our artistic programs, the added workload increases pressure on staff, a major concern across the sector.

What is the greatest challenge for the community in supporting the arts in Ottawa?

SAW was a member-based organization and its members felt a strong sense of ownership and responsibility toward its success. In today’s social media era, community engagement is more fragmented and transactional, making it harder to foster that same collective investment. The public can support SAW, and all arts organizations, by communicating directly with their City Councillor and Mayor, to emphasize how essential arts funding is to the community’s well-being. Ottawa residents consistently demonstrate that they value arts programming and cultural spaces as much as sports and recreation. Both are vital for a vibrant, inclusive, and engaged city. Former Mayor Jim Watson noted there is no hierarchy between arts and sports – both are fundamental ways in which people express themselves and contribute to civic life.

What is SAW’s relationship with the City of Ottawa?

SAW maintains a strong and collaborative relationship with the City of Ottawa, both as a recipient of operational funding and as a tenant of the city-owned Arts Court. Thanks to municipal support, we are able to provide our facilities free to more than 50 community partners and equity-seeking groups annually. Recently, we partnered with the city’s innovative Power of Expression arts program, serving individuals experiencing homelessness. Over the past year, SAW witnessed the transformative impact of this inclusive and compassionate approach to arts engagement. The more we reduce social isolation and build trust with our neighbours affected by the housing crisis, the prouder we are of our city.

What are the funding resources for the SAW and its arts activities?

SAW receives Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts operational and project funding. SAW relies on donations, sponsorships and modest membership contributions. Compared with other jurisdictions where municipal arts funding is minimal, Ottawa’s support is key in sustaining our initiatives and ensuring that artists have accessible resources and programming. We generate revenue through our Club SAW bar, which we reinvest in a wide range of artistic programs while providing employment opportunities for artists and musicians. Club SAW gives SAW the flexibility to invest in initiatives that fall outside traditional funding programs.

What partnerships are happening that are unique and future-oriented?

SAW is developing an exciting partnership with the National Gallery of Canada, particularly around Indigenous programming, e.g., an upcoming artist-in-residence and commissioning project with Drew Michael (Yup’ik and Inupiaq) from Alaska. Our relationships with embassies are instrumental in building national and international networks. These partnerships allow local artists to connect with peers from around the world. For example, our current artist-in-residence from France is offering advanced masterclasses and fostering intercultural dialogue through artistic exchange.

Where do you see SAW in five years?

In 2019, SAW launched the Nordic Lab, a space dedicated to Indigenous artists from circumpolar nations, fostering collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists. Within the next five years, I envision the Nordic Lab evolving into a fully independent and Indigenous-led organization with an international reach. While Montréal and Toronto remain major cultural centres, Ottawa is a leading hub for Indigenous artists, curators, and cultural workers and SAW is proud to play a role.

What are the opportunities for SAW and for the arts in Ottawa?

The Nordic Lab represents a unique opportunity to expand beyond exhibition making into art production itself. SAW already houses a screen-printing studio and our vision is to further enhance our production capacity, enabling artists to experiment, collaborate, and create on site. Realizing this vision will require additional funding, but the potential impact for artists and the community is immense.

How do you plan to celebrate Ottawa’s 200th Anniversary in 2026-2027?

2026 is the bicentennial of the invention of photography. Paris-based Hugues Anhès, current artist-in-residence, is developing a project to celebrate this milestone through a contemporary lens. It is an opportunity to reflect on photography’s evolution and ongoing impact on visual culture-connecting Ottawa’s bicentennial celebration to a broader artistic and historical narrative.

(All photos courtesy of SAW)