As most of you know, last year Puppets Up! was devastated by the loss of our beloved Artistic Director Noreen Young. Leading up to this year’s festival, we are honoured to be preserving her legacy by co-presenting a show of her early works of art.
From August 1 to September 4, Sivarulrasa Gallery and Puppets Up! are delighted to present Noreen Young: Drawings & Illustrations, an exhibition of early works on paper by artist Noreen Young (1939–2025). The exhibition complements the 2026 Puppets Up! Festival, which takes place on August 8 and 9 in Almonte.
Everyone is invited to an opening reception on Sunday, August 2 from 3–5pm. Representatives of Noreen Young’s family and Puppets Up! as well as artists from across the community and beyond will be on hand to celebrate Noreen Young’s enduring legacy.
The exhibition presents a curated selection of works on paper, created by the late artist during her formative explorations in art, when she was known as Noreen Brathwaite, attending Glebe High School in Ottawa and then the Ontario College of Art in Toronto from 1959-60. The exhibition provides a unique window into the early imagination of an artist who would go on to become a visionary puppeteer, a television producer and creator, a member of the Order of Canada, and a much-loved resident of Almonte.
The estate of Noreen Young has donated the works for sale and Sivarulrasa Gallery is donating its time and services, so that all proceeds (other than sales tax) from the sale of these works will go to the Noreen Young Award for the Arts. The gallery will issue a Certificate of Authenticity to the purchaser of each work sold in the exhibition. The exhibition will run until September 4.
The Noreen Young Award for the Arts is awarded annually to a high school student residing in Mississippi Mills to support post-secondary studies in the arts. The award is administered by Puppets Up! in partnership with the Ottawa Community Foundation.
If you can’t make the opening, please drop into the gallery during the festival and take a look—you will be glad you did!
