National Gallery opens two Indigenous art exhibitions this summer
Qillaniq, co-curated by an all-Indigenous circumpolar team, runs through September 20, while Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast closes July 26.
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The National Gallery of Canada is honouring Indigenous history and culture with two major exhibitions running this summer.
Qillaniq, which runs until September 20, has been co-curated by an all-Indigenous team from the circumpolar world. The Inuktitut word describes how light from the sun or moon shimmers brightly when reflecting on water. The exhibition offers a view into art from across the North, reflecting the diverse experiences of artists living in that vast region.
Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast, available until July 26, focuses on the role and art of women carvers from along the British Columbia coast.
Jocelyn Piirainen, Associate Curator with the Indigenous Ways and Decolonization department at the gallery, emphasized that Qillaniq should be experienced in person. "Readers can experience and engage their senses through the sights, sounds and even smells of materials from the land," she said.
Michelle LaVallee, Director of the Indigenous Ways and Decolonization Department, noted that cultural institutions are in "a very transformational time" for Indigenous peoples. "Exhibitions like Qillaniq spotlight nationally and internationally renowned voices, artists who are at the forefront of the global contemporary art scene," she said, adding they "serve to shatter an outdated lens on Indigenous visual and cultural identity."
The details
When does Qillaniq run?
Qillaniq runs at the National Gallery of Canada until September 20, 2026.
When does Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast close?
Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast closes at the National Gallery of Canada on July 26, 2026.
Who curated Qillaniq?
Qillaniq was co-curated by an all-Indigenous team from the circumpolar world.
