From skateboard art to large-scale murals, new space aims to empower emerging artists

Though Kessya Gregory always loved making art, the graphic designer never thought she'd see her own work on display in a gallery. Then last year, while at a different pop-up art festival, she learned about a new space that aims to make showcasing work easier for up-and-coming artists

"I just went up [to the booth], and I was talking to Lindsay and I thought it was really cool," the 25-year old recalled about approaching the co-founder of the Urban Art Collective.

"I just showed her some of my stuff. And she's like, 'oh, we could really use someone like you.'"

Gregory's work, etched on the back of a skateboard deck, is one of dozens now on display at the collective's new arts hub, which opened in Hintonburg in late December.

The collective's co-founders, Lindsay Machinksi and her husband Jason, say the group is made up of street artists, photographers, graphic designers, illustrators, painters and everyone in between.

On display, you can find everything from street art, to prints to sculpture, all with one thing in common.

"We found that there was a large demographic of artists that are highly underrepresented in Ottawa, and they happen to all be our favourite artists," explained Machinski, who worked as a professional photographer and graphic designer herself, before founding the gallery space.

Machinski said the couple's goal is to showcase a wide range of emerging artists in different styles, as well as empower up-and-comers learning to navigate the art world. They also provide printing and other services to make starting out more affordable.

"Creating opportunities for people is really rewarding and something we absolutely love to do," said Machinski.

Unlike other galleries that may simply display artwork in frames, she said they take a more interactive and wearable approach selling items such as stickers, buttons, and T-shirts featuring the artists' prints.

For Gregory, it all feels more personable and accessible, and as someone who just returned to Ottawa after university during the pandemic, she felt unfamiliar with the city's art scene. She appreciated the support given to artists like her who are trying to establish their careers.

"I just really liked their model and how they always want to be putting money back into the community," said Gregory.

For Machinski, it's not just about exposure for individual artists, but about building the art community as a whole.

"This is a community collective and we want to hear from everyone and work together to put Ottawa on the map for being a cool place to go," she said.

The Urban Art Collective is planning its official grand opening on June 17.

Leading up to that, it's hosting a new festival over two weekends called Disrupt, bringing together local artists to collaborate on street art they'll paint on the side of the new building space on Somerset Avenue.