Visions and Views

The Firestone Collection of Canadian Art is a significant art collection that spans the modern period and includes work from a wide range of Canadian art styles, geographical regions, and periods.

The two largest themes represented in the collection are landscape and abstraction. Depictions and interpretations of landscape views from across the country are included alongside abstract visions by Canadian artists influenced by a variety of modernist techniques. Looking at the collection through this lens, this exhibition explores the history of Canadian art as represented through the collecting practices of the Firestone family.

The Firestones were Ottawa-based art collectors who began collecting in the early 1950s, amassing more than 1,600 works from across the country. In 1972, the Firestone family generously donated their collection to the Ontario Heritage Foundation to ensure that it became accessible to the public. In 1992, the Foundation transferred ownership of the collection to the City of Ottawa, and the Ottawa Art Gallery became responsible for its conservation and public display. The OAG cares for and presents the collection in a series of rotating exhibitions featuring specific artists, art historical themes and art movements.

This exhibition is realized with the support of the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts.