Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg

The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) is one of Canada's premier art institutions, located in the heart of Winnipeg. Home to a collection of over 24,000 works, it showcases a diverse range of Canadian, Indigenous Canadian, and international art. Notably, WAG holds the world’s largest public collection of Inuit art, a point of pride and a key feature of its exhibitions and programming.

WAG’s story began in 1912 with the opening of the Winnipeg Museum of Fine Arts, under the initiative of the Winnipeg Development and Industrial Bureau. A year later, the Bureau founded the Winnipeg School of Arts, and together these institutions laid the foundation for what would eventually evolve into the modern WAG. After a series of organizational changes and a brief period of dissolution, the Winnipeg Art Gallery Association was officially incorporated as the Winnipeg Art Gallery in 1963 by the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

In 1971, the WAG moved into its current iconic building-a striking structure designed by architect Gustavo da Roza, offering 11,000 square metres (120,000 square feet) of indoor space. To better serve its Inuit art collection, WAG expanded in 2021 with the opening of Qaumajuq, a 3,700-square-metre (40,000 square feet) addition designed by Michael Maltzan. Qaumajuq is a state-of-the-art cultural hub that brings Inuit voices to the forefront and connects northern Indigenous art with global audiences.

In addition to its permanent displays, the WAG regularly hosts major traveling exhibitions, bringing a dynamic and ever-evolving experience to its visitors. Together, the WAG and Qaumajuq form a unique institution that celebrates artistic excellence, cultural diversity, and community engagement.