Photos by SPAO alumni L-R: Joyce Crago, Richard Robesco, Danni-Rae Mistaken Chief.

SPAO is one of Canada’s foremost photographic arts centres. It houses the only 2-year photographic arts college diploma program in Canada, a robust selection of recreational classes, a unique 6-month international artist residency as well as the only critical and independent gallery in the region dedicated to lens-based art.

WHO WE ARE

The SPAO: Photographic Arts Centre is an independent, charitable, not-for-profit photographic visual arts institution and a registered career college. Our goal is to provide an intensive and collaborative learning experience and to enrich the photographic and visual arts culture of Ottawa and beyond. SPAO’s activities include classes and workshops, community collaborations as well as exhibitions and outreach. We aim to offer our community the knowledge, resources, and environment necessary for the advancement of photographic artistry, visual literacy, and personal vision. Our objective is to advance the school’s motto: Vision, Content, Craft.

OUR VISION

To be an internationally recognized photographic school of thought.

OUR MISSION

SPAO cultivates an inclusive community of distinct artistic vision, critical dialogue and technical expertise in the photographic arts through exhibition, partnerships and education.

WHAT WE DO

SPAO prides itself on small class sizes, individualized hands-on learning, and rare access to a variety of techniques and photographic processes. SPAO draws on traditional, historic and alternative processes alongside and contemporary photographic technologies for both our two-year College Diploma Program and our Part-Time Studies stream. Educational opportunities are available to novice and advanced students alike, with an incredibly diverse group of students and community members. We place special emphasis on advancing individual style, on conceptual development, and on the acquisition of knowledge about photographic theory and history.

SPAO’s unique Artist Residency helps artists who have had formal training in the arts and are looking to make the next step in their arts career. With distinct one-on-one guidance twice a week, the opportunity to audit classes, and access to all of SPAO’s classes, residents easily become a part SPAO’s community and add their own voices.

The SPAO Centre Gallery provides our students, community and the general Ottawa public with contemporary viewpoints and techniques of renowned photo-based artists on the regional, national and international level. The Gallery also exhibits student, resident and alumni work to help build career and exhibit work to their peers. SPAO works closely with local community partners as well as national and international institutions to bring its community programming that helps build visual literacy and inspire individual vision.

The School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa was established in 2005 as an alternative for study in the photographic visual arts. In 2017 we evolved into the SPAO: Photographic Arts Centre with the construction of our new facility.

SPAO's original facility at 168 Dalhousie St.

The School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa was established in 2005 as an alternative for study in the photographic visual arts.
After several years of part-time instruction at a local college, Michael Tardioli and a group of dedicated students began to pursue the idea of building a school that would expand upon Tardioli’s teaching methodology. Khalia Scott joined Tardioli as founding Co-Director of SPAO (2005-2012) and 43 days after signing a lease, the team of students and instructors had designed, built and equipped an entire photography school. For 12 years, we were located at 168 Dalhousie Street in the Byward Market, offering programming in our studio, darkroom and computer lab.
Today, we offer a diverse photographic visual arts experience to hundreds of full-time and part-time students every year. Encouraging individual exploration in photographic arts remains central to SPAO’s mandate.

In 2016 SPAO began the process of moving into a new purpose-built renovated building. The new SPAO Centre facility includes a multi-station, multi-format darkroom for both silver gelatin and alternative printmaking. Our media lab is equipped with inkjet printmaking capabilities including large format printers, a drum scanner and flatbed scanners. Our ground level and wheelchair-accessible space is comprised of a large studio/lecture space and gallery, perfect for hosting events of many types; our studio is equipped with industry standard lighting, camera and support equipment for shooting in a large studio and a selection of 35mm, medium and large format cameras available to full-time students.
The SPAO Centre is also home to the Ottawa region's only independent and critical gallery space dedicated to photographic and video art, free for the public and wheelchair accessible.
SPAO is excited to have relocated to the heart of Little Italy after 12 years in the Byward Market. Little Italy is a exciting urban village, located nearby Ottawa's new Light Rail Transit system, Dow's Lake, and the beautiful Arboretum. SPAO is a short walk from other arts hubs, small businesses, museums, restaurants, nightlife and entertainment.