D. Grandeur is a wood furniture and assorted wood-product store on Bank Street just south of the…read moreGlebe. Look, I am not going to lie to you. D. Grandeur is not cheap. But, the furniture they sell is hand-made, solid and - unlike Amish or Mennonite furniture - isn't stuck in that timewarp/country style. There is some pretty cool stuff in there, and it isn't all rickety like the furniture our Swedish friends sell. Beyond furniture, D. Grandeur also sells wall-hanging carvings and decorative masks. The masks are very interesting - but I find masks in general a little disconcerting! You can also find that wooden carved American bald eagle statue you have been looking for.

I love this gallery especially since they have jewelry from my favorite artist Anne-Marie Chagnon…read more Her jewelry is amazing since it gives you the power to change it. Maybe from a long necklace to a short one, or by reshaping a part. I went with a friend and she noticed pieces by a couple of her previous art teachers here and was excited. The highlight for me was definitely the jewelry. There were some really large striking pieces that would be totally unique to wear to an event. Of course they are a bit pricey, but it's art. The woman working in the store was really helpful and gave us a lot of additional information on the jewelry and how it could be changed, about the artists etc. She noticed my earrings and that they were by one of the artists also. This is one place I will visit soon when I have a special event to find accesories for!

This is a great not-for-profit event that helps promote local up and coming artists by allowing…read morethem to display and sell their art to a wider audience. It's held for a weekend in June at Central Park with free admission. You can come to just peruse, and if you're a more serious buyer, there's plenty of selection amongst the dozens of tables of art, photography, clothing and trinkets. Also, the artists are usually very friendly and eager to talk about their work. The Central Park location is wonderful and serves to augment the beauty and dreaminess of the surroundings. This is a great way for families, friends, singles and couples to spend an afternoon.

Tech Wall is a legal graffiti wall on the corner of Bronson and Slater - you can't miss it! No…read morematter what the season, it's always filled with graffiti. It's a really popular place for artists to showcase their art without having to worry about being charged with vandalism. The wall is really wide so there are many individual pieces, as well as those painted by crews. The headboard of the basketball net is also usually spray-painted. Artists of all levels of experience can paint these walls, but beware - it's likely your piece will be painted over the second it dries, which is what actually makes it pretty cool, since there's always new graffiti to see.

I love the Ottawa Tech LEGAL Graffiti Wall, but it does look like it has been incarcerated, with a…read moreconfinement fence keeping the general public away from urban street art.

We were greeted as soon as we entered this gallery, but given space to look…read more There were several cards and pamphlets available upon entering the gallery for information on the current artists and on the gallery itself. I liked that there was a bench in front of a couple of the bigger paintings for more relaxed viewing and it reminded me of some of the larger galleries I have been to. Some of my favorite pieces were a huge flower and some kind of splattered paintings with numbers and symbols as well a colourful areas. Art was hung on the walls, as well as leaning in other areas, giving the gallery a more relaxed feel.

The Arts Court is great because you can go to see many different galleries without leaving the…read morebuilding. Within the Arts Court "complex" there is Saw Gallery, video and Club, The Ottawa Art Gallery, the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art, Le Groupe Dance Lab. Entrance is pay what you can, though I did not see where to put my donation! I really enjoyed browsing around, as the gallery was literally empty except for my friend and I, so we could see things at our own pace. It's great to have works by such different artists all in one place. It would have been nice to have some help finding the different galleries though, there were not many staff people around to give directions or answer questions about the exhibits.

I might be a bit biast as I work in the building, but it is truly a hub of local artists and arts…read moreorganizations (over 25!). There is so much going on inside these heritage building walls! From the Ottawa Art Gallery, to the Theatre, Club Saw/Saw Gallery/SAW video to Ottawa Dance Directive - there is always something happening here. Most of the activities in Arts Court are free, fundraising or at very low cost and the programming benefits a wide audience. The down side is that the listings aren't grouped anywhere together, outside of the Artlist (Artengine's e-blasts). In addition, the old Courthouse's layout is a real maze to navigate and unfortunately, some people get lost, give up and get out before they've discovered something exciting or found what they've come to see in the first place.

A cool place that has a lot of intriguing collections in antique maps, collections, prints and…read morepaintings. As a map geek myself, I found the gallery to have a lot of items never seen or heard about before. To complement their extensive inventory, the owner is very informative and helpful, as are the staff. If you're looking for a different sort of gift for a birthday or christmas present, this place is a good place to start.

The City of Ottawa puts on cooking classes at the Shenkman Arts Centre throughout the year for very…read morereasonable prices considering you get instruction from a chef, get to eat a communal meal you helped make and bring home any leftovers. Maria, the chef, is super friendly and knowledgeable. I recently took a Mexican cooking class with her and my mother-in-law. It was a lot of fun and the food was delicious. There is a commercial kitchen in the downstairs of the Shenkman Arts Centre that is used for the cooking classes. The kitchen is well equipped and there are volunteers to help with cleaning dishes as the class cooks along with provided recipes. The communal meal afterwards is really nice to be able to talk to fellow classmates and to enjoy what we made together. You're allowed to bring containers with you to the class in case there are any leftovers. We ended up bringing home a bunch of things because there was plenty to go around. I highly recommend checking out a cooking class here!