Heritage Ottawa 2019 Phillips Memorial Lecture
O.J. and Isobel Firestone were passionate collectors of Canadian art. In the early 1950s, they embarked upon a collection that would grow to more than 1,600 works by noted Canadian artists, spanning the modern era from 1890 to 1985.
To complement their growing art collection, in 1960 Dr. Firestone worked with architects Sam Gitterman and George Bemi to design a landmark modernist home for his family in Ottawa’s Rockcliffe Park. Both the home and collection were generously donated by the Firestones to the Ontario Heritage Trust, (then the Ontario Heritge Foundation) which in 1992 transferred ownership to the City of Ottawa.
Today, the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art is permanently housed at the new Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG). While the family home no longer stands, its original modernist staircase is installed in the OAG where it leads, poetically, to the Firestone Gallery.
Join us for an evening with Brenda Firestone as she shares stories about the history of her family’s home and significant collection of Canadian artworks.
The talk will conclude with an opportunity to visit the Firestone Gallery and converse with Ms. Firestone.
The Jackson café will be open for drinks and light refreshments.
CLICK HERE for a reading list prepared with the assistance of the Ottawa Public Library to accompany this lecture.
Brenda Firestone is a lifelong supporter and advocate of the arts. She is currently the family spokesperson for the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art.
The lecture is free and there is no need to pre-register.
The annual Phillips Memorial Lecture honours the memory of Bob and Mary Anne Phillips, co-founders of Heritage Ottawa which began in 1967 as the Heritage Committee of "A Capital for Canadians".