Major exhibition positions Ottawa at centre of Canada’s animation history

OTTAWA, Ont. — A new, free exhibition at the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) is reframing how Canada’s animation history is told, placing Ottawa and the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) at the heart of a national story that spans more than 80 years.

Frame by Frame: Animation in Ottawa opens September 19 and is the first major public exhibition to trace Ottawa’s animation ecosystem, from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) Studio A in the 1940s to contemporary independent practices and global studio productions. The exhibition highlights Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambart’s collaborative and individual work, Peter Foldès’s Metadata (1971), and decades of studio production, service animation and original Canadian properties developed in Ottawa.

OIAF’s legacy is woven throughout, with signal films from 1976 to 2025, internationally commissioned posters and award statues that evolved into working phénakistoscopes. The exhibition also examines how relationships formed around the festival contributed to Academy Award-winning and nominated animated shorts such as Ryan (2004).

“One of the odd things about Ottawa (and Canada in general!) is that it has never been very good at bragging about itself. People know individual pieces of this story—the NFB, The Raccoons, Ryan or the festival—but they don’t always connect them. As we put the exhibition together, I kept thinking: how have we never told this story before? I especially love that visitors will encounter Evelyn Lambart not simply as Norman McLaren’s collaborator, but as a remarkable artist in her own right. The OIAF has spent 50 years bringing Ottawa into conversation with animators from around the world. This exhibition turns the lens around and shows what Ottawa has given back: artists, films, studios, ideas and relationships that have shaped animation in Canada and far beyond it,” said Chris Robinson, OIAF’s artistic director.

Frame by Frame: Animation in Ottawa also showcases original Canadian properties such as The Raccoons, Kevin Spencer, Untalkative Bunny and Wild Kratts, alongside work by Ottawa studios that have contributed to international productions including The Simpsons, Hilda and Mickey Mouse. The exhibition features films, drawings, puppets, production materials, archival photographs and interactive installations that highlight technical innovation, artistic experimentation and the networks that have shaped Canadian animation.

The exhibition is curated by Meghan Ho, Kelly Neall and Chris Robinson, with curatorial assistance from Amanda Misko, Don McWilliams and Xandr Vickers.

Presented by the OAG and the OIAF with support from the NFB, and realized with the support of the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts, Frame by Frame: Animation in Ottawa opens as the festival celebrates its 50th anniversary. The exhibition further extends the festival’s impact beyond its annual five-day run, anchoring a city-wide celebration of animation.

The exhibition runs from September 19 to March 14, 2027. A free public opening reception will be held on September 24 at the OAG, 10 Daly Ave., from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with evening festivities that include refreshments and opening remarks.

About the Ottawa International Animation Festival

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is one of the world’s leading animation events and North America’s oldest animation festival. It has presented screenings, exhibits, workshops, and entertainment since 1976. Attracting artists, producers, students and animation fans from around the globe, the OIAF brings together art and industry to experience world-class animated works. OIAF’s 50th celebration runs from September 23 to September 27 at venues throughout downtown Ottawa. Festival passes are on sale now at animationfestival.ca.