Canoe Perspectives

See the canoe differently.

Experience a selection from the largest private collection of original Canadian art featuring the canoe, and discover the rich artistic traditions that reveal how this vessel continues to inspire.

With the canoe as their muse, each artist offers a unique perspective—shaped by observation, memory, and imagination.

The canoe has long occupied a unique and shifting place in the imaginations of people across the many territories within what we now call Canada. Its presence in this art invites us to reflect on the relationships people have with this immense landscape and the distinct ways it has shaped how they move through it. In recent decades, the canoe’s place in popular culture has also grown increasingly symbolic.

Move through a range of artistic approaches that explore the canoe from different angles:

• A selection of works by prominent artists, including Frances Anne Hopkins, F. H. Johnston, Alex Colville, Illingworth Kerr (former instructor) and Ken Danby, among others.
• More than 40 works are presented chronologically, spanning nearly 200 years.
• Selections from the Museum’s collection, including three canoes and related works such as César Newashish’s Wikwas Timanikan (Birch Bark Canoe), Helen Pelletier’s Wiigwas Mukuk (Birch Bark Basket) and Bill Mason’s Paintbox.

This is the first time such a significant portion of this private art collection has been shown in Eastern Canada. 

Portage, c. 1930, Illingworth Kerr (1905-1989)