Ottawa celebrates its 200th with 200+ Culture to the Core (Part 2!)

By Robin Etherington

In part two of this series, Robin Etherington discusses plans for Ottawa’s 200^th anniversary cultural celebrations with Courtney Gehling, Executive Director of the Bytown Museum and Alexandra Badzak, Director and CEO of the Ottawa Art Gallery.

ACE District was launched on June 17^th and a number of murals animate parking and heritage buildings throughout the Byward Market, along with street art and performances and museum/gallery exhibitions, celebrating Ottawa’s arts, cultural heritage and extensive history. 

The Bytown Museum, the Ottawa Art Gallery, and partners have joined together to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Bytown’s founding. Activities will showcase Ottawa’s layered history: home to Anishinābe Algonquin Peoples who maintain connections to the Kichi Sìbì and area, construction of Rideau Canal by the British Military under Lt. Col. John By, Bytown’s evolution into Canada’s capital, and now a technology powerhouse, reflecting the city’s transformation from lumber town to diverse urban centre. 

200+ Culture to the Core is a collaboration between the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism, community museums, arts organizations, health programs, Anishinābe Algonquin Peoples, the National Arts Centre, the National Gallery of Canada, Nuit Blanche, ByWard Market, and Rideau BIA. Its goal is to create and link public art, exhibitions, storytelling, heritage walks, and interactive projects across downtown. The 200+ Culture to the Core anniversary weekend, running from 24 to 27 September, will offer performances, public art, museum, heritage, and signature cultural experiences. 

The ACE (Arts, Culture, and Entertainment) District and Arts Corridor bring together industries, cultural leaders, and organizations, strengthening cross-sector support, and leveraging new opportunities for the arts, cultural heritage, and the economy to thrive together. We’re going big and bold. With our awesome teams, artists, heritage workers, and partners, we’ve got the ingenuity to make stellar cultural moments. It’s Ottawa’s moment to shine, celebrate, and show the world, Ottawa’s vibrant arts, cultural heritage and dynamism.

200+ Culture to the Core, the ACE District, and the Arts Corridor are about ways for people to live cultural occasions together. Technology will assist. We will plan virtual tours, livestreamed talks, and online artist chats so people can take part. Technology brings art into the city: outdoor projections and animations that turn buildings into interactive experiences. Digital campaigns share stories, highlight events, and keep everyone connected. An incredible event is the New SoundScape Festival, from 27 August to 26 September, transforming the area beneath Plaza Bridge (at Sussex Drive and Rideau Street) into an immersive performance venue, featuring live music, installation art, and creative technology.

The Bytown Museum, Ottawa’s oldest community museum, is proud to help shape Ottawa’s bicentennial year, collaborating with the City of Ottawa and partner cultural organizations. The Museum offers captivating programs, exhibitions, and off-site activations as part of Ottawa 200+. Its temporary exhibition, What’s in a Frame? 200+ Years of Community Portraits, remains open until March 2028. On 26 September, the Museum will mark the bicentennial and honours the people who shaped and continue to shape Ottawa, with a full day of free programming for Ottawa 200+ Bytown Together. 

Art initiatives begun in 2026 are designed to be lasting contributions through the ACE District and Arts Corridor, keeping downtown lively with cultural creativity beyond the bicentennial. Through them, arts and heritage support downtown revitalization. Large-scale murals and public art installations connect the Ottawa Art Gallery, the National Arts Centre, and the National Gallery of Canada through vibrant cultural paths.

A City of Ottawa funding initiative, celebrating Ottawa 200+, supports cultural identity and public spaces through the Artist/Creator Grant Program. With a funding envelope of $300,000, it offers grants of $10,000 for individual artists and $100,000 for local arts organizations mentoring emerging creators. Supporting visual, performing, media, and interdisciplinary arts across Ottawa, it prioritizes diverse voices: Anishinābe Algonquin Peoples, other urban First Nations, as well as Métis, and Inuit, and equity-denied communities. It was developed in partnership with Arts Ottawa and the Ottawa Art Gallery.