OTTAWA'S ORIGINAL OPEN STUDIO EXPERIENCE
West End Studio Tour (WEST)
Free · Westboro, Wellington West & Hintonburg
Every September · Since 1994
↓ Explore the 2026 Tour
Step Inside Where Art Actually Happens
No galleries. No gatekeepers. No velvet ropes.
The West End Studio Tour (WEST) is one of Ottawa's longest-running free cultural events and the city's original open studio experience. Every September since 1994, the working artists of Westboro, Wellington West and Hintonburg - the heart of Ottawa's arts district - have opened their studio doors and invited the public into the spaces where their work is actually made.
Ask the questions you always wanted to ask. Buy original contemporary art directly from the Ottawa artists who created it. Or simply wander, soak it in, and let September surprise you.
No ticket. No dress code. No art world pretension.
Ottawa's best free event is back. And the doors are open for you.
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NEW FOR 2026
Two Weekends. Two Experiences. One Unforgettable Ottawa Art Event.
The West End Studio Tour (WEST) spans two distinct weekends - each with its own energy, its own dedicated interactive map, and its own reason to visit Ottawa's arts district this September.
Weekend One - The Full Tour
Saturday & Sunday, September 19–20, 2026
Hours: 11am - 5pm
This is the main event. Every participating studio across Westboro, Wellington West and Hintonburg is open. All the Ottawa artists. All the mediums. The full energy of the WEST collective in one extraordinary weekend of free events in Ottawa. New to the tour? Start here. Returning visitor? You already know - Weekend One is unmissable.
Weekend Two - The Encore
Saturday & Sunday, September 26–27, 2026
Hours: 11am – 5pm
A group of studios keeps their doors open for a second weekend of Ottawa contemporary art. Want to revisit a piece you have not been able to stop thinking about? Missed a few studios the first time around? The Encore weekend is your answer.
Two weekends. Two dedicated interactive maps. Zero confusion.
We will publish a specific map for each weekend so you always know exactly which Ottawa art studios are open and where to find them.
2026 INTERACTIVE TOUR MAP - COMING SOON
Find Your Way to Every Open Door
Your complete guide to the West End Studio Tour - built for your phone.
Inside the map placeholder box - this is the large centred box that holds the space for the map:
The 2026 Interactive Tour Map
Launching Summer 2026
When the map goes live you will be able to:
→ See every open studio across Westboro, Wellington West and Hintonburg
→ Switch between the Weekend One map and the Weekend Two map
→ Filter by art medium
→ Get walking and cycling directions between studios
→ Find parking, cafés, and restaurants nearby
The map launches here in Summer 2026.
Map Coming Summer 2026 — Bookmark This Page
Weekend One Map
September 19 – 20, 2026
Coming Summer 2026
Weekend Two Map
September 26 – 27, 2026
Coming Summer 2026
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Art Meets Ottawa's Most
Walkable Neighbourhoods
The West End Studio Tour (WEST) winds through Westboro, Wellington West and Hintonburg - three of Ottawa's most celebrated neighbourhoods and the beating heart of the city's arts district. Food lovers know this stretch as Gastro Alley. Artists know it as home.
Our studios span the area bounded by Woodroffe Avenue to the west, Preston Street to the east, Carling Avenue to the south, and the Ottawa River to the north - one of the most walkable and bike-friendly corridors in Ottawa.
Plan your perfect Ottawa art day:
→ Walk or cycle between studios on quiet, tree-lined streets
→ Stop for coffee or brunch at one the local cafés
→ Discover Ottawa artists and original works you will not find anywhere else
→ Stay for lunch, dinner, and everything in between
→ One of the best things to do in Ottawa in September just got even better.
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New Tour Artists
Bespoke Art, Jeremy Hildebrand, Marion Aitken, Sarah Hallman, Wendy Wallace & Greg West
Meet the Ottawa Artists Opening Their Doors in 2026
Every artist on the West End Studio Tour is juried into the collective by fellow artists - the people who understand the work best. The result is a diverse, high-calibre showcase of contemporary art in Ottawa spanning an extraordinary range of mediums and styles.
No outside curators. No corporate sponsors deciding who gets in. Just Ottawa artists choosing Ottawa artists - the way it has always been done at WEST.
Click any artist name below to visit their portfolio before you visit their studio.
