OttawaStart's Weekly Event Round-Up: May 14-20

_ Our crowdsourced list of the best events in Ottawa this week. You can find even more events on our Ottawa Event Calendar . _

** Thursday, May 14: J’ADART ** J’ADART, the Ottawa School of Art’s Annual Fundraiser is being held this Thursday night at the school itself on George Street in the Market. For the occasion, there will be live and interactive art installations as well as a silent auction and some yummy bites. _ – Eliane Laberge, Eventful Capital _ ** Thursday, May 14: the AB Series Presents Pearl Pirie and Colin Browne ** Ottawa Art Gallery, Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave. Local poet Pearl Pirie reads from her most recent poetry collection, pet radish, shrunken (BookThug, 2015) and BC poet Colin Browne reads from his most recent collection, The Hatch (Talonbooks, 2015). Browne reads and gives a talk on May 15 at the Ottawa Art Gallery boardroom at 4pm. This is your opportunity to enjoy poetry by authors whose work engages differently with narrative from the traditional story telling format. To have fun with language and to ask questions. _ – Amanda Earl , Bywords _ ** Friday, May 15: Suits n Toques “Forno” EP Release Show ** Local ska punk party band Suits n Toques have been working on their latest project “Forno” for the past 8 months and they will be releasing it this Friday, May 15 at the Rainbow Bistro. Joining them for the EP release will be two of the region’s best ska bands at the moment, The Cardboard Crowns and Les Francbatards. This promises to be a really fun night of live music. _ – Eliane Laberge, Eventful Capital _ ** Friday-Sunday, May 15-17: Guided Walks ** Spend some time outdoors this long weekend. Discover Gatineau Park’s plants and wildlife (Friday or Saturday evening) or bird species (Saturday or Sunday morning). Learn about “spring ephemerals,” wildflowers that last only a short time (Sunday). Gatineau Park walks: http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/gatineau-park Spring ephemerals of Gatineau Park: http://www.ofnc.ca/events.php#.VVPC9xtFA5s _ – Denise Deby , Green Living Ottawa _ ** Saturday, May 16: The Next Great Garage Sale ** Garage Sale season has begun! This weekend the South Keys, Greenboro and Hunt Club Park neighbourhoods are hosting a huge community garage sale - they’ve even got a map they’re updating with the participating addresses. Sunday is the rain date. _ – Laura Gauthier _ ** Saturday, May 16: The Hornettes Summer Kickoff Party ** Summer is right around the corner and The Hornettes have decided to officially welcome it’s arrival by throwing a Summer Kickoff Party this Saturday night at the Blacksheep Inn. The local soul/funk/r&b sensation will be making you groove with a live performance that will have you hip-swinging and toe-tapping all night. _ – Eliane Laberge, Eventful Capital _ ** Tuesday, May 19: Ellias/Heard/Eskritt and the Chris Maskell Quartet at Pressed ** Ottawa’s jazz scene is regularly refreshing itself with young, enthusiastic, and talented musicians. You can hear some of the best of the up-and-comers performing with jazz masters at a double concert at Pressed Cafe in Centretown West. Up first are bassist Ben Heard and drummer Keagan Eskritt, to play a concert of original music with Ottawa’s Jazz Hero, guitarist Roddy Ellias. In the second set, saxophonist Chris Maskell (currently studying in the jazz program at McGill) and Heard team up with guitarist Alex Moxon and drummer Mike Essoudry, two of the busiest players on the scene, to perform their original music, as well as to re-imagine jazz standards. _ – Alayne McGregor , OttawaJazzScene.ca _ _ ** Coming up… ** _ ** Thursday, May 21: Le pARTy Art Auction ** Le pARTy, the Ottawa Art Gallery’s signature fundraising event, is a silent art auction of 65 original artworks by regional artists working in a variety of media. This silent art auction attracts hundreds of guests who have a taste for fine art and gourmet food. _ (Sponsored) _ ** Thursday, May 21: Science by Night at the Canadian Museum of Nature ** Where can you explore, discover, listen to and laugh with scientists, and ultimately unleash your inner nerd? The answer is at the Canadian Museum of Nature’s first-ever Science by Night.  All four floors of the museum will come alive with fun, informative activities and interactions with museum experts. The evening is targeted to adults, and the programming differs significantly from the Museum’s popular Nature Nocturne experience. Admission is FREE and food and drinks will be on sale, so visitors can enjoy a nice, long evening out—and discover the why’s, how’s and who’s of cool science. _ (Sponsored) _ ** Saturday, May 23: Ottawa Soleil Intercultural Themed Dinner-Show-Dance ** Intercultural dinner-show-dance. Discover and experience fine gastronomy with our French Top Chef, enjoy the show, and dance with our artists like you were in a paradise and tropical island. _ (Sponsored) _ _ ** Continuing… ** _ ** Until September 7: Alex Colville. A Canadian Icon ** At the National Gallery of Canada, _ Alex Colville _ offers a fresh perspective on Colville’s work, as he is considered to be one of Canada’s most celebrated artists. Featuring nearly a hundred paintings along with various student works and prints, this exhibition explores the breadth of Colville’s practice. _ (Sponsored) _ ** Until December 31: Mary Pratt: This Little Painting ** What’s the story behind Red Currant Jelly (1972), which the artist Mary Pratt affectionately calls “this little painting”? See how Pratt developed her technique, which today stands as a defining example of painterly realism in Canada, a style strongly associated with the country’s Atlantic provinces. _ (Sponsored) _ _ For more events, check out ottawastart.com/events/ … or add your event via ottawastart.com/start/ _