November 4: Let's Sketch the National Art Centre!

We will meet at the National Art Centre (1 Elgin St., Ottawa) 
on Sunday November 4, 2018 from 10 am to 1 pm.
Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1984208531878569/

Source: Ottawa Citizen 2014: NAC Faces front with new entrance facing Confederation Square

If the weather is nice, there are plenty of areas to sketch outside.  
The NAC has recently opened up a large wooden terrace 
that overlooks the canal. Its a lovely hidden gem!
or
You could sketch indoors from many locations with spectacular views of Ottawa landmarks such as the Parliament Buildings, Confederation Square, Sparks Street, the Rideau Canal and the Château Laurier!

There is FREE parking at nearby Ottawa City Hall
There is FREE wifi
There is wonderful coffee from Equator Coffee Roasters
The Equator Coffee shop will be open from 10:00 – 16:00

Source: NAC Facebook Page

The *NEW* NAC

The National Arts Centre (NAC) underwent a major multi-year renovation and the Elgin entrance re-opened to the public on Canada Day 2017.

The NAC is meant to be accessible to the public 17 hours a day.  They wanted to create a “living room in the city,” a place where visitors can stop for a coffee, use the free Wi-Fi, or catch a free performance or lecture on the wooden steps in the atrium.

"Walls of transparent glass are meant to invite passersby inside. You do not need a ticket to use the free Wi-Fi, catch a lecture, or participate in other planned events. And you can do it all in a T-shirt and jeans — leave the jewels at home." Source:Ottawa Magazine Oct 2017

Source: https://ottawamagazine.com/arts-and-culture/the-curtain-opens-on-a-more-welcoming-national-arts-centre/

 If you haven't experienced this magnificent space yet, here are some things to look for:

1. THE KIPNES LANTERN ON ELGIN STREET will mark the entrance and the point of arrival in the NAC. It is the signature feature of the National Arts Centre's architectural rejuvenation. Rising dramatically above the NAC's new front entrance, the glass tower incorporates cutting-edge transparent LED screens to display stunning images of Canada's leading artists and productions. Beginning every day at dusk, the Kipnes Lantern becomes a beacon for the performing arts in Canada, showcasing the breadth and excellence of the work being produced across Canada. On a typical day, it highlights upcoming productions at the NAC, as well as shows taking place on stages from Victoria to St. John's.
2. Look up. Look waaay up. The new atrium showcases wood as an innovative Canadian product. THE DOUGLAS FIR IN THE COFFERED CEILINGS was chosen for its structural properties and was manufactured by Structurecraft in Vancouver. It was prefabricated off-site last summer in a warehouse in Chesterville, south of Ottawa. The longest span measures 20 metres, and the coffers are equipped with electrical conduits, lights and sprinklers. There are 246 wood coffers in the atrium and a curtain wall almost twice the size of an NHL hockey rink. Schmitt says the space was designed to be filled with light. “The luminosity will showcase what’s here.”
3. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE HEXAGONS, a repeating motif in the original NAC, that has been continued in the expansion project, from tiles in the washrooms to the stone floors in the Elgin entrance and the lower box office. The limestone floors, quarried in Owen Sound, are made of triangles pieced together to form hexagons. Why hexagons? Project architect Jennifer Mallard says triangles were a common architectural theme at the time the NAC was built. “The original language of the building was so very strong, so that to work with it was both inspiring and a challenge.”

 As always, our events are FREE and open to sketchers of all levels and ages. 

Hope to see you there!

NAC Renovations