FAQs

The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2025.

We are the stewards of Ottawa’s material culture and manage and care for over 200,000 artefacts and archeological objects. 

The City of Ottawa Museums and Historic Sites research, curate and present exhibitions across the five museums as well as alternative locations including Ottawa Public Library and the City of Ottawa galleries.

The five City of Ottawa Museums and Historic Sites include Billings Estate National Historic Site, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Fairfields Heritage House, Nepean Museum and Pinhey’s Point Historic Site.

We want Beyond the Brim to reflect Ottawa’s diverse history and cultural landscape. Individuals, community organizations and heritage groups are invited to submit headwear and related stories, for this exhibition. 

Toss in your hat! The Call for Submissions will open March 2025. You are invited to participate by submitting a proposal for headwear here - the exhibition’s Engage Ottawa page. We are looking for examples of headwear that are (a) unique in their design and (b) have a story to tell about an individual or community who helped shape the Ottawa we have today. All submissions will be reviewed by committee using weighted evaluation criteria. These criteria will be published to Engage Ottawa before the Call for Submissions opens. 

Participants will lend their hat to the City of Ottawa Museums and Historic Sites for the duration of the exhibition. The hat will be returned at the end of the exhibition.

If you have questions about this exhibition, please contact Carla Ayukawa (Exhibition Development and Research Officer) at  Carla.Ayukawa@ottawa.ca. 

 Register with the Stay Tuned feature to be notified about exhibition updates.

All submissions will be reviewed by commiittee using weighted evaluation criteria.

A strong submission will:

1. Tell us about the hat and the person who wore it. 
2. Tell us about how the hat is connected to an individual or community who helped shape the Ottawa we have today.
3. Include a description of the hat and its current physical condition.
4. Include recent photos of the hat.
5. Include, whenever possible, photographs of the individual wearing the hat.

Before submitting a hat or other headwear for consideration, please confirm that: (a) you are the owner of the hat or that the owner has consented to participate in this exhibition and (b) the hat will be available from October 2025 to March 2026.