SPAO now features two dedicated gallery spaces: the SPAO Centre Gallery and the SPAO Passage Gallery.
Installation view of Summer Camp (2019) at the SPAO Centre Gallery
SPAO CENTRE GALLERY
The SPAO Centre is home to the SPAO Centre Gallery, the Ottawa region's only independent and critical gallery space dedicated to photographic and video art.
The gallery sees upwards of 4200 visitors annually including students, artists, alumni, Ottawa’s photographic and arts community, and members of the general public at large, including guided tours for specialty groups.
SPAO produces a number of exhibitions every year celebrating the work of regional, national, and international artists working in lens-based media. These exhibitions feature professional artists as well as artists from the three facets of its mentorship structure: the Photographic Arts and Production Diploma Program, Part-Time Studies, and the International Artist Residency. During the growing season, SPAO also presents an installation in its Photo-Synthesis Garden.
For inquiries on programming, partnerships, and events, please contact gallery@spao.ca. For gallery rental inquiries, click here.
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The SPAO Centre Gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday 12pm - 5pm, by appointment, or by chance. Holiday exceptions apply, and hours are subject to change without notice. There is no admission fee and the gallery is wheelchair accessible.
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SPAO welcomes proposals for solo and group exhibitions, performances, and curatorial projects from emerging, mid-career, and established artists and curators. Applications from artists and curators of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized persons, and persons across a spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity are welcome and encouraged to apply. Click this link and complete this submission form.
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The SPAO Centre
77 Pamilla St, Ottawa
LEGACY
November 8 - December 14, 2025
SPAO is pleased to present Legacy, an exhibition featuring the photo-based work of Michelle Leone Huisman, Don Kwan, Rachel Portesi, and Kathryn Shaw.
Through varied approaches to image-making, each artist in this exhibition examines how legacy and memory are constructed, preserved, and reimagined. Engaging with the history of photography, legacies of exclusion, and the tradition of the memento mori, the works in Legacy look both backward and forward, reflecting on how contemporary artists engage with the weight of history to shape new ways of seeing, remembering, and belonging.
SPAO PHOTO WALK
The SPAO PHOTO WALK will be an ongoing and evolving outdoor installation featuring large-scale photographic artworks designed to enhance Ottawa’s Little Italy, draw attention to local businesses and engage with residents and tourists alike. Participants can access information and the map for a self-guided tour via QR codes located next to each artwork, providing opportunities to learn more about the artists, the neighbourhood, and participating businesses. The photographs will be selected from a nationwide open call and by an assessor jury made up of nationally recognized industry leaders.
VIEW PAST SPAO GALLERY EXHIBITIONS HERE.
Installation of The Passage Gallery’s inaugural exhibition: SPAO Mentoring Spotlight
SPAO PASSAGE GALLERY
A Photographic Project Space
In celebration of SPAO’s 20th anniversary year, the new Passage Gallery was created. Located in Little Italy’s Preston Square building, the gallery acts as a project incubator, featuring artistic works in progress, emerging photographic talent, and community partnership projects.
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Monday 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
Tuesday 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
Wednesday 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
Thursday 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
Friday 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed -
Preston Square Building
333 Preston St, Ottawa