Winnipeg Art Gallery

The internationally-recognized Winnipeg Art Gallery in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada is one of Canada’s leading art museums

The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) first opened to the public in 1912 as one of Canada’s earliest civic art museums. It has grown over the years to house over 28,000 works of art and be one of Canada’s leading art museums.

In 1912, it was housed in the Industrial Bureau Exposition building. In 1933, it moved to the newly constructed Civic Auditorium on Memorial Boulevard. In 1971, its own newly-constructed building on Memorial Boulevard was officially opened by Princess Margaret. The building, which is regarded as one of the finest late-modernist buildings in the country, features an unusual shape designed to fit into a triangular piece of land and Tyndall stone exterior walls.

The gallery holds in trust the world’s largest collection of modern and contemporary Inuit art. In 1956, WAG purchased its first piece of Inuit art. Over the years, it grew its collection. In addition, the Government of Nunavut has placed on long-term load their entire fine art collection. In 2018, construction began on a new adjacent building that would provide space to display more of the Inuit art collection. Qaumajuq, which means “it is bright, it is lit” in Inuktituk, opened in March 2021.

Qaumajuq is an impressive building with scalloped white granite on the outside reflecting the curves of the North, a wall of glass panes at ground level, skylights illuminating third-floor exhibit space, and undulating white walls forming the perfect background for displaying the art. Walkways on every level connect it to the original WAG building and make the two buildings feel like the same space.

You can see both buildings in the photo at the top of this post. The front of Qaumajuq takes up most of the photo space. The triangular WAG building sits tucked up against it to the right.

I have previously written about Qaumajuq in my post Qaumajuq: Illuminating The Largest Collection Of Inuit Art In The World. In this post, I will focus on the WAG portion of the space.

In August 2020 a group of Indigenous language keepers and Elders gathered virtually to name the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Qaumajuq and the spaces within. The Anishinaabemowin name “Biindigin Biwaasaeyaah” was given to the Winnipeg Art Gallery. It is still known as the Winnipeg Art Gallery as well. “Biindigin Biwaasaeyaah” means “Come on in, the dawn of light is here.”

High-ceilinged art gallery space with Tyndall stone floors and walls holding art works featuring immense and surreal human heads — Entrance hall featuring Wanda Koop’s suite of paintings, *VIEW from HERE*

The main entrance hall features soaring ceilings and Tyndall stone walls. It is frequently used as a reception space.

Foyer area with Tyndall stone walls and floor, skylight, and two glass doors covered with brightly coloured collages leading into art gallery space — *Third floor hall area*

There is a small exhibition area on the Mezzanine floor, but most of the galleries are located on the third floor. Several different exhibitions are staged throughout the year, usually with more than one exhibition running at the same time. In addition to staging exhibitions featuring works from its own collection, which includes Canadian and international art, decorative arts, and photography, the WAG hosts touring exhibitions and puts on shows with works on loan from other galleries in Canada and around the world.

Art gallery white white walls featuring a variety of paintings — Staycation Exhibition running from October 2025 to April 2026 featuring works from the gallery’s permanent collection

Exhibitions have featured Thom Thomson and the Group of Seven, Indigenous artists, the European Renaissance, Rodin, the Modernist tradition, and themes of rights and liberties. I’ve seen the works of Dali, Norman Rockwell, and Picasso.

Rectangular art gallery space with sculptures down the centre and paintings on the walls — More of permanent collection display

The gallery’s collection of contemporary and classical Canadian and international art includes paintings, sculpture, works on papers, ceramic, glass, metal works, textile objects, and photography. Indigenous art makes up a large percentage of its collection.

The paintings highlighted below give you a small taste of what you might find in the gallery.

Rooftop patio featuring a number of sculptures

A rooftop patios contains a variety of sculptures. In summer months, the patio area is used for receptions and special events.

WAG_Qaumajuq has classroom space, a 88-seat theatre, and an auditorium. They offer classes and host a variety of events.

Every second year, the WAG puts on a four-day springtime “Art in Bloom” exhibit where florists and designers create floral arrangements to complement works of art. The above collage is from the 2017 show.

The art shop on the main level offers artwork, jewelry, home décor, books, puzzles, craft pieces, and more. I always enjoy browsing through the store. It is a great place to shop for gifts (or something special for yourself). You can visit the store without paying gallery entrance admission.

An aisle in a shop with light-coloured wood shelving containing a variety of art and home decor items

Visit the WAG-Qaumajug website for gallery hours and admission charges. Note that the gallery offers free admission with rotating events on Wednesday evenings. Thanks to a partnership with Canada Life, admission is free on the second Sunday of every month.

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