Ottawa

Expanded Ottawa Art Gallery to open April 28

The expanded Ottawa Art Gallery will open at the end of April with an exhibit exploring Ottawa's art history.

Part of $100M Arts Court project next to Rideau Centre

The Ottawa Art Gallery's new expansion is set to open in April 2018. It is seen here while still under construction. (Andrew Foote/CBC )

The expanded Ottawa Art Gallery will open its doors at the end of April with an exhibit exploring Ottawa's art history.

The gallery has been closed for close to a year to finish its transformation as part of the larger Arts Court project at the corner of the Mackenzie King Bridge and Daly Avenue in downtown Ottawa.

The $100-million complex, which includes a condo and hotel tower as well as space for the University of Ottawa's theatre program, was funded through a partnership between the city, the federal government and a private consortium.

The five-storey gallery reopens April 28, with triple the space it used to have. Renovations cost $34 million.

Its first showcase will focus on Indigenous, French and English art rooted in Ottawa area over the centuries.

At the time funding was approved in August 2015, the gallery scheduled to open in late 2017.