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and I can hardly believe it.
After a lifelong love affair with art and design, both personal and professional, I founded Studio Sixty Six in 2013, hoping to add something new to the visual arts landscape of Ottawa.
Studio Sixty Six has defined itself by developing trusting relationships with our treasured clients, expertly helping them grow their collections. We pride ourselves on the support and nurturing we give each of our artists and their practices — both commercially and within Canadian cultural institutions.
I started with a focus on showcasing outstanding emerging Canadian artists, which continues to be an important feature of our roster. Today, we feature several promising emerging artists such as Alex Sutcliffe, Julia Campisi, and Stéphane Alexis. We have also expanded to include exciting mid-career artists such as Christine Fitzgerald, Judy Nakagawa, and Guillermo Trejo and esteemed senior artists such as Michael Schreier and Norman Takeuchi. This past fall, we were granted membership to the Art Dealers Association of Canada. As my team and I look to the future, we hope this milestone will open doors to take our artists to art fairs and bring them even more success and exposure.
I’m so proud of the range of exciting and challenging contemporary artworks we’ve shown over the years. We do not shy away from political and critical shows such as 2018’s Articulations, which featured the artwork of 40 regional women artists working in the National Capital Region, and our 2017 exhibition KANATA 150? (a nod to the origin of the country’s name). This was our celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Dominion of Canada, which featured seven Indigenous Canadian artists, including Christian Chapman, Oo Aqpik and Shelby Lisk, all reflecting on the nature of “Canada 150.”
Image: Installation detail of Figure Figure, 2022, featuring artwork by Amy Barker, Atticus Gordon, Andrew Morrow, Lan Yee and Troy Moth.
The pandemic presented new and unique challenges for the gallery, removing the invaluable in-person experience and forcing us to get creative with our social media interactions. Our artists also successfully pivoted their practices, as showcased in Andrew Morrow’s 2021 solo exhibition, Here’s a Place to Start. This show became a way to connect with the arts community during the pandemic, through virtual and (eventually) in-person studio sessions held privately and safely within the exhibition space. His landmark piece from that exhibition, a collage of a multitude of those studio sessions, Neither Brightly Lit Nor Completely Enlightened, won the 2022 TRIAS Art Prize for Healing Award and will soon hang in the new Ottawa Hospital building.
Image: installation of Andrew Morrow's solo exhibition Here's a Place to Start.
This coming spring, we are thrilled to present a group show, Constructed Truths, of three talented painters: Andrew Morrow, Alexandra Flood, and Atticus Gordon. A seasoned painter, Andrew’s name is synonymous with cutting edge contemporary painting in Ottawa. Atticus is a talented and pioneering young artist who is quickly establishing a promising career. Alexandra Flood is gifted abstract painter whose works create a dynamic narrative with Andrew and Atticus on colour and form.
Image: detail of Alexandra Flood's thesplit V.
I am also very excited about the line of curated artist-designed products we are developing in partnership with our artists. This collection will include wallpaper, sculptural lighting, wall planters and many other art-inspired homewares. This fall/winter, we will be launching this new line with a design and sculpture show — just in time to provide holiday gifts for everyone.
I would remiss if I did not mention my heartfelt appreciation for the mentorship and support I’ve always received from other Ottawa gallery owners, notably Pierre-Luc St-Laurent of Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, and Patricia Barr formerly of Wallspace Gallery. During many times of doubt, frustration and just plain lack of experience and knowledge, Patricia and Pierre-Luc have been my constant friends and guiding lights in this wonderfully challenging commercial art business. And, of course, I could never have endured to this point without the constant support, love and business advice from my husband, David Longbottom.
I would also like to thank you to my talented team, gallery manager Ginny Stovel and art director Sam Loewen (also a gallery-represented artist himself) who work incredibly hard each day to run Studio Sixty Six, all the while keeping the gallery environment beautiful, fun, positive and progressive.
The Ottawa art scene has become increasingly cutting edge and vibrant in the past 10 years with the opening of other small and artist-focused art spaces such as Central Art Garage and Possible Worlds and bigger public spaces such as the newly renovated Ottawa Art Gallery. These are exciting artistic times for Ottawa, and Studio Sixty Six is thrilled to be a part of it all.
I was told “you’re crazy to start a gallery in Ottawa,” but If you know me, then you know I am a special kind of crazy. So here’s to 10 amazing, challenging, rewarding, often heartbreaking and most definitely crazy years later looking to the future.
— Carrie Colton, Gallery Principal
Exhibition runs October 28 to December 23, 2022Public Reception: November 10, 2022 6:30 to 8 pmClick here to see the exhibition catalogue
September 2 to October 22, 2022Public Reception: September 16, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
View the Exhibition Catalogue here
September 3 to October 10, 2021 Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916) was born in Copenhagen and lived there his entire life. His oeuvre consists of...
March 11 to April 30, 2022Public Reception: March 18, 2022, 6pm to 8pm View the Exhibition Catalogue here Studio Sixty Six is proud to present...