One weekend, four times a year Pique takes over the Arts Court and Ottawa Art Gallery building in downtown Ottawa. In June 2026, the underground arts and music festival celebrated its five-year anniversary. We went behind the scenes to talk with Rachel Weldon, Director of Debaser and founder of Pique, about how it’s curated and why the ACE District is the best place for this unique event that has gained acclaim across Canada and around the world.
Created with the Arts Community in Mind
Rachel Weldon has been curating and creating arts and music events in Ottawa for over a decade. An artist-driven festival, Pique emerged from a collaborative mindset.
“I went to all the different organizations that have space in the Arts Court building,” Rachel recalls. “I consulted with them and asked if this is something that they wanted to see happening in our space. So, since the beginning, it’s been very community engaged.”
Pique continues to partner with the arts organizations in the Arts Court, including SAW, Nordic Lab, Artengine, the Ottawa Dance Directive and the Ottawa Art Gallery, among others. This spirit of community engagement drives the festival and it has nurtured the growing and diverse audiences who attend.
“When we first started doing Pique, I thought it would be a lot of the people we usually saw out at events, who are interested in underground music and art,” Rachel recalls, “but what we have seen is that a wide range of people are coming to discover new things or to connect with their friends and community.”
Through partnership and collaboration, Rachel and Debaser’s team plan to keep growing Pique, welcoming more artists and more audiences to the ACE District.
The Arts Court and Ottawa Art Gallery are open to the public with different activities, art and performances taking place every week. Don’t miss this unique downtown Ottawa arts space.
Keep an eye out for the next Pique or visit the Arts Court and Ottawa Art Gallery anytime.
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