The West End Studio Tour (WEST), an outdoor art viewing experience, took place the last two weekends of September in and around Ottawa’s Westboro neighbourhood.
Local artists set up exhibits outside their homes and studios where the community could walk, bike or drive between locations. Beginning in 1996, the free tour is organized by the artists and has been running for 26 years.
This year’s WEST was more widely anticipated by artists and the west end community than usual, after a year of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Kayleigh Maclean, a Carleton University art history alumni, lives in Ottawa’s west end community and said she was impressed by this year’s event.
“It’s amazing that there are all these incredible artists in Ottawa,” Maclean said. “[The tour is] like hidden gems.”
Sarah Tremblay was with Maclean as they traveled between studios on their bikes on Sunday, Sept. 26, the last day of the tour. She said she was happy with the weather and location.
The pair had never heard of WEST before and were both very excited to be making the trip.
Not only did the event excite the community, but the artists who put together the outdoor tour also expressed joy to once again be sharing their art in-person.
Artist Lenka Cutler welcomed the public into her garage gallery full of various canvases and prints of vibrant scenery and wildlife. The art hung from the walls and rested on tables. She said the event was about more than the individual artists.
“It’s a nice way to get outside and talk to new people,” Cutler said. “To be a part of a bigger thing.”
“We’re just trying to create a positive vibe out here,” Cutler said.
With COVID-19 still present in Ottawa, WEST had to adapt to accommodate the safety procedures outlined by Ottawa Public Health.
“It’s been very COVID-friendly,” Maclean said. “All of [the artists] have signs and they have sanitizer and masks provided so it felt really safe.”
Despite the looming pandemic, artists have found that people are even keener to get out of their homes and make real connections with each other and the art. Tracy Armstrong is a texture artist taking part in WEST for her fourth year.
Armstrong’s abstract visions of oceans and beaches decorated her backyard in a small display of pieces ranging from large wall statements to decorative table toppers. According to Armstrong, everyone who came by to see her art just seemed happy to be there.
Artist Katherine Zarull shared Armstrong’s sentiment. Zarull, a retired art teacher and co-founder of The Print Studio in Hamilton, was participating in WEST for the first time this year.
“I’ve been tickled that it’s made people happy and curious,” Zarull said. “They ask questions. They seem to enjoy that it’s not all the same.”
Zarull’s vast array of work filled her son’s garage and drew the eyes of visitors with her juxtaposition between dramatic realism and what she described as “total abstraction.”
“[Lockdowns] gave you time,” Zarull said. “Uninterrupted time. You could go down a path and just keep exploring. It was calm. It was a respite. It was a place to go when you were tired of the bad news.”
Cutler said the event’s feedback was overwhelmingly positive, both among frequent art consumers and first-timers.
“People are just wanting to get out and do new things because we’ve been sort of trapped,” Cutler said.
Despite 2021 and 2020 being years full of unexpectedness and chaos, Cutler said that WEST offered an avenue to connect with others, for both the artists and the community.
“It just makes for a happier experience for everybody.”
Featured image by Makayla Morgan.
