Ottawa Public Art Guide
A guide to Ottawa's best public art, from the giant Maman spider and balanced rock sculptures to street murals, monuments, and hidden bronze cats. All freely accessible.
Ottawa has an unusually rich collection of outdoor public art — from monumental sculptures and national memorials to murals, balanced rocks, and hidden bronze cats. Everything on this list is free and accessible from public streets and paths.
Major Sculptures
Maman — National Gallery of Canada
Louise Bourgeois' giant bronze spider stands outside the National Gallery of Canada on Sussex Drive. At 9.27 metres tall and over 10 metres wide, it's one of Ottawa's most photographed landmarks.
Created in 1999 as a tribute to Bourgeois' mother (a tapestry restorer — the spider represents the weaver), the Ottawa cast was acquired in 2005 for $3.2 million. The sac holds 32 marble eggs. Five other casts exist worldwide: Guggenheim Bilbao, Tate Modern, Mori Art Museum (Tokyo), and two in Seoul.
Outdoor, 24/7. No admission required.
One Hundred Foot Line — Kìwekì Point
A 30.5-metre (100-foot) stainless steel tree by Roxy Paine, installed in 2010 and acquired by the National Gallery in 2011. Part of Paine's "Dendroids" series exploring trees as organic structures governed by rules. At 5,216 kg, it catches light differently depending on weather and time of day.
Located at Kìwekì Point (formerly Nepean Point), which reopened in May 2025 with new art installations and the Pidaban footbridge connecting to Major's Hill Park.
Other Kìwekì Point Art
- Majestic (Michel de Broin, 2011) — 8.2 m high, made from 10 salvaged New Orleans streetlamps uprooted by Hurricane Katrina. Illuminates at night.
- Black Nest (Bill Vazan, 1989–91) — Serpentine patterns sandblasted into granite
- Water Planet (Bill Vazan, 2001) — Spiral patterns evoking whirlpools
- Nature Will Reclaim You (Nicholas Galanin, 2013) — Limestone, commissioned by the NGC
- Samuel de Champlain statue (Hamilton MacCarthy, 1915) — Repositioned from the hilltop to a lower path during the 2025 redesign. Famously depicts Champlain holding his astrolabe upside-down.
The Spirit of Haida Gwaii — Canadian Museum of History
The original plaster maquette by Iljuwas Bill Reid (Haida, 1920–1998) — a 6-metre canoe carrying 13 mythological and natural figures from Haida culture, including Raven, Eagle, Bear, and Wolf. On permanent display in the Grand Hall of the Canadian Museum of History.
The bronze version (The Black Canoe) is at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and another (The Jade Canoe) at Vancouver International Airport. The Black Canoe appeared on Canadian $20 bills from 2004–2012.
Remic Rapids Balanced Rocks
Every year since 1986, artist John Felice Ceprano hand-balances fossilized rocks from the Ottawa River shore into sculptures — no adhesives, no supports. The sculptures grow through summer as river levels drop, then ice destroys them each winter.
Located along the Ottawa River at Remic Rapids Park on Kichi Zibi Mikan (formerly Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway), ~4 km west of Parliament Hill. Roughly June through November. Free, 24/7.
Monuments
National War Memorial
The National War Memorial ("The Response") at Confederation Square features 22 bronze figures by sculptor Vernon March passing through a granite arch, topped by Peace and Freedom. Unveiled May 21, 1939 by King George VI. The monument uses 503 tonnes of Canadian granite and 32 tonnes of bronze. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was added in 2000.
Reconciliation: The Peacekeeping Monument
Three bronze peacekeepers atop converging granite walls with a corridor of rubble between them, representing the destruction peacekeepers navigate. Designed by sculptor Jack Harman and architect Richard Henriquez, dedicated October 8, 1992. Located on Sussex Drive near the National Gallery.
National Aboriginal Veterans Monument
Four bronze figures with spiritual and martial objects, topped by an eagle, with wolf, bear, buffalo, and caribou at the base. By Lloyd Pinay (Peepeekisis First Nation), unveiled June 21, 2001 in Confederation Park.
Canadian Tribute to Human Rights
A 10-metre red granite monument by Melvin Charney at Lisgar and Elgin Streets, unveiled September 30, 1990 by the Dalai Lama — the world's first monument dedicated to human rights when it was created. Bears Article 1 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English and French.
Women Are Persons! (Famous Five)
Life-size bronze statues of the five women who won the 1929 "Persons Case," establishing that women are eligible for the Canadian Senate. By sculptor Barbara Paterson, unveiled October 18, 2000. The sculpture includes a deliberately empty chair inviting visitors to sit. Currently beside the Senate of Canada Building (relocated from Parliament Hill during Centre Block rehabilitation).
Oscar Peterson Statue
A life-size bronze of the jazz legend seated at a piano with 97 keys (based on his favoured Bösendorfer Imperial Grand), with an empty space on the bench for visitors. By Ruth Abernethy, unveiled June 30, 2010 by Queen Elizabeth II. Located outside the National Arts Centre at Elgin and Albert Streets.
Terry Fox Memorial
A bronze of Terry Fox mid-stride by sculptor John Hooper (1983). Relocated to Sparks Street in June 2024 — now on the actual route Fox ran during the Ottawa leg of his Marathon of Hope on July 1, 1980.
Street Art & Murals
House of PainT — Dunbar Bridge
The underpass beneath the Dunbar Bridge (spanning the Rideau Canal near Brewer Park) became Ottawa's first legal graffiti wall in 2003. The annual House of PainT festival (founded 2003, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023) brings DJs, MCs, breakdancers, and graffiti artists. The murals evolve year-round as new works are layered over old.
Hintonburg (Wellington West)
Ottawa's most mural-dense neighbourhood. Look for Arpi (René-Pierre Beaudry)'s realistic animal murals across Wellington West, Ryan Smeeton's tribute to Hintonburg's working-class roots, and Daniel Martelock's "bird army" — small painted birds scattered throughout the area. The Urban Art Collective hub hosts the DISRUPT street art program.
Westboro (Richmond Road)
Stephen Sammon's 1992 mural on Whispers Pub is the oldest in Westboro Village. Along Richmond Road, look for the firefighting history mural at Great Escape Outfitters (369 Richmond). The Westboro Nature Walk features painted utility boxes (sunflowers, squirrels, cardinals) from Golden Avenue to Island Park Drive.
Bank Street
Running from downtown through the Glebe, Bank Street has murals by Cassandra D (Style Over Status) at Snider Plaza, Dan Metcalfe & Pat Buck in the alley by Little Victories Coffee (between 3rd and 4th Avenues), and the Bank Street Diversity Mural commissioned by the Bank Street BIA.
Hidden Gems
Alley Cats — ByWard Market
14 small bronze cat sculptures by Jean-Yves Vigneau, nestled in window frames and perched on the rooftop of the Murray Street parking garage (between Cumberland and Dalhousie). Easy to miss if you're not looking up.
The Listening Tree — St. Luke's Park
A sculpture by Jesse Stewart and Matthew Edwards with slotted pipes that transform wind into sound. Interactive and auditory — a public art experience you hear rather than just see.
Tips
- Downtown walking route: Start at Maman (National Gallery) → walk to Kìwekì Point → cross Pidaban footbridge to Major's Hill Park → south to the National War Memorial → west along Wellington to the Peacekeeping Monument. About 3 km, all flat.
- Mural walk: Take a bus to Hintonburg (Wellington West) and walk east through Westboro for the densest concentration of street art.
- Remic Rapids sculptures are seasonal (roughly June–November) and change every year.
- All monuments and outdoor sculptures are freely accessible 24/7.
Featured Places
National Gallery of Canada
Canada's premier art museum, housed in a landmark Moshe Safdie glass-and-granite building on Sussex Drive. Home to the world's most comprehensive collection of Canadian and Indigenous art, plus European masterworks and contemporary pieces — over 93,000 works in total. Free every Thursday evening 5–8 PM.
National War Memorial
Canada's national monument honouring those who have served and died in all conflicts, centred on a 16-metre granite arch with 22 bronze figures by sculptor Vernon March. Unveiled by King George VI in 1939, it includes the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (added 2000). Sentries stand guard daily from April to November.
Sparks Street
Canada's first permanent pedestrian mall, established in 1967. The car-free promenade stretches four blocks between Elgin and Lyon streets, one block south of Parliament Hill. Features heritage buildings, restaurant patios, and summer festivals including the Ottawa International Buskerfest.
Confederation Park
A 2.6-hectare downtown park adjacent to the Rideau Canal, home to Winterlude's Crystal Garden with ice sculptures and winter activities. In summer, it hosts the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Features a historic fountain from London's Trafalgar Square and a 20-metre Kwakiutl totem pole.
National Arts Centre
Canada's bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts, featuring four performance venues, the NAC Orchestra, and the 1 Elgin restaurant with Rideau Canal views. A National Historic Site with Brutalist architecture and a striking 2017 glass addition by Diamond Schmitt Architects.
Canadian Museum of History
Canada's national museum of human history, located across the river in Gatineau with sweeping views of Parliament Hill. Features the Canadian History Hall, an immersive Canadian Children's Museum, and the Grand Hall with the world's largest indoor collection of totem poles. Free Thursday evenings 5-7 PM.
Major's Hill Park
A downtown park overlooking the Ottawa River, Parliament Hill, and the Rideau Canal locks. One of Ottawa's best spots for spring tulips, summer festivals, and views of the city's landmarks. Free and open daily.
Parliament Hill
Canada's seat of federal government and a National Historic Site, featuring the iconic Peace Tower, the Centennial Flame, and free guided tours of the West Block and Senate. Centre Block is closed for renovation until the early 2030s.