ACE District Launches in Downtown Ottawa

From national arts exhibits to legendary taverns, award-winning restaurants to late-night dance parties, this is where Ottawa’s arts, culture and entertainment comes together.

Art by Jordan Bennett, ByWard Market Garage Parking, 70 Clarence Street. Photo: Norman McEvoy, ByWard Market District Authority

Downtown Ottawa’s Arts, Culture and Entertainment District, presented by the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Art Gallery

Programming and public art installations, leading up to Ottawa’s 200th anniversary: June 17 – September 26, 2026

Downtown Ottawa’s Arts, Culture and Entertainment (ACE) District has officially launched, connecting what already makes downtown worth visiting into one walkable, cultural destination—from public art, galleries and restaurants to music venues, local businesses and much more.

Led by the City of Ottawa in collaboration with the Ottawa Art Gallery, ACE is helping residents and visitors rediscover what is already here, while supporting downtown revitalization, all ahead of Ottawa’s 200th anniversary celebrations later this year.

The ACE District encompasses several iconic downtown areas, including the ByWard Market, Rideau Street, Sparks Street, Centretown, Bank Street and Elgin Street. Through a shared brand, creative wayfinding, digital platforms, new programming and placemaking initiatives, ACE brings greater visibility to Ottawa’s creative ecosystem and supports a lively, safe, and resilient downtown where culture is visible every day and for everyone.

The downtown public launch marked the district’s official arrival with opening remarks, public art, live performances and a tour of new cultural initiatives guided by a live marching band, dancers and more.

Ottawa Art Gallery’s Director and CEO, Alexandra Badzak, gives a speech at the Ottawa Sign. Photo: Ming Wu

The first phase of the Arts Corridor was unveiled at the launch. Commissioned by the Ottawa Art Gallery, this is a public art route connecting three major cultural landmarks—the Ottawa Art Gallery, National Arts Centre and the National Gallery of Canada—through bold, contemporary art pieces, giving new life to unexpected downtown spaces.

The Arts Corridor will roll out in three phases throughout the summer, with works from artists both local and from across the country. The first phase includes:

• Jordan Bennett, a Halifax-based Mi’kmaq visual artist whose mural is wrapped around the ByWard Market Parking Garage at 70 Clarence Street.
• Meryl McMaster, an Ottawa-based Métis photographer whose self portrait is featured in the windows of the Dark Fork restaurant, an NCC building at 25 George Street.
• Sam Loewen, an Ottawa and Alberta-based queer interdisciplinary artist and designer whose work is on the facade of the Lookout Bar, popular LGBTQ+ and all-welcoming bar on 41 York Street.

Art by Sam Loewen, Lookout Bar Facade, 41 York Street. Photo: Ming Wu

The Bloomberg Asphalt Initiative also launched on the same day: a colourful mural created by the Hamilton-based Clear Eyes Collective on York Street and ByWard Market Square.

Other ACE District initiatives launching simultaneously included the redevelopment of Bank Street’s Snider Plaza into a year-round urban park, showcasing local art work, with a shipping container canteen selling non-alcoholic beverages.

More programming and placemaking initiatives will unfold across downtown, including the SoundScape Festival running from August 27 to September 26, 2026. Produced by Immersive International, the six-week summer event will turn the architecturally-significant Plaza Bridge between Elgin and Rideau Street into an immersive music performance venue.

“I’m incredibly excited to see ACE move from an idea, to a framework, to something people can now experience in the streets of downtown Ottawa,” said Alexandra Badzak, Director and CEO, Ottawa Art Gallery and ACE District Secretariat, in the City of Ottawa press release. “At its heart, ACE is about celebrating the extraordinary cultural assets already here—from national institutions to grassroots festivals—and creating new ways for creatives, institutions and businesses to work together so the whole ecosystem can thrive.”

Artist Meryl McMaster’s artwork on the windows of Dark Fork Restaurant, 25 George Street. Photo: Ming Wu

About the Artists

More artworks are being rolled out throughout summer 2026, featuring:

• Caroline Monnet, Anishinaabe and French multidisciplinary artist from Outaouais, Quebec.
• Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona, Inuit artist working in print, ceramics and graphics based in Ottawa.
• Norman Takeuchi, Japanese-Canadian painter and graphic designer
• Jimmy Baptiste, Haitian-Canadian mural artist multidisciplinary designer in Wakefield, Ottawa and Montreal
• Pony, a Montreal-based visual artist and illustrator
• Peter Owusu-Ansah, a Ghanaian-born, Deaf visual artist based in Toronto.
• Simon Brascoupé, Anishinabe artist practicing in community-based and community-engaged public art.
• Ryan Stec, Ottawa-based artist, producer, designer and PhD candidate at the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism, Carleton University
• Rich Loen, Ottawa-based artist working with computers and software, wood, metal and welding.

About the ACE District

​​The ACE District is Ottawa’s Arts, Culture and Entertainment District, launched by the City of Ottawa in collaboration with the Ottawa Art Gallery. Encompassing several iconic downtown areas, the district connects the cultural, creative, culinary, and entertainment experiences that already make downtown Ottawa worth visiting.

Land Acknowledgement

The ACE District is located on the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation, who have been guardians of this land since time immemorial. We extend gratitude to the Algonquin people, and to all First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

Ottawa’s Arts, Culture & Entertainment District
acedistrict.ca
ace.dac@oaggao.ca
613.233.8699 +244

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