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Weekly Newsletter

Movements with meaning.

Tracing an iconic journey through Canada’s artistic history.

The camera and the country over two centuries.

Canadian works that celebrate the power of the written word.

Brushstrokes, beaches, and sun.

A look at the Canadian artists and their stories behind the National Gallery of Canada exhibition.

A look at how the railway has shaped Canadian art and imagination.

With the World Cup in full swing, we’re taking a look at sports in Canadian visual culture.

Thirteen exhibitions not to miss

A nation in search of its flag.

An artist’s tribute to his son.

A look at the life and work of the celebrated Canadian artists.

ACI supports an emerging scholar shaping the future of Canadian art.

Captivated by tradition, New Brunswick artists grabbed national headlines and changed the course of Indigenous art in Canada.

Floral motifs and bouquets.

A look at the Montreal artist and her work.

Now on at the National Gallery of Canada.

A look at Canadian artist mothers and the daughters who take after them.

Since 1895, the famed international art fair has been showcasing the world’s finest talent. Here’s who is representing Canada this year.

Curator John Geoghegan pairs contemporary and historic works, connecting the past and present.

This Earth Day, we turn to nine Canadian artists inspired by the outdoors.

The artists, institutions, and community builders who put Regina on Canada’s cultural map.

Upcoming shows on Canadian art.

When words become images.

Why the records and works of Montreal’s famed photographer received a revered UNESCO designation.

Celebrate International Women’s Day by reading about these groundbreaking artists in the Art Canada Institute online library.

A look at the National Gallery of Canada exhibition Winter Count: Embracing the Cold, recording the profound visual impact of chill on Canadian culture.

Rediscovering a long-overlooked talent.

Ten Canadian works on intimacy.

Submissions are now open for the Canadian Art Inspiration Student Challenge

Tracing how artistic knowledge is transmitted through mentorship, lineage, and encounter.

From convicts to dignitaries, the pioneering visionary who photographed them all.

Artists whose works are commanding attention—in Canada and beyond.

Recollections of celebrated figures in Canadian art by their colleagues, peers, and friends.

A showcase of unforgettable Canadian works spotted by the ACI team over the past twelve months.

A look at who won this year’s most prestigious Canadian art prizes.

Once a fixture of nineteenth-century Montreal, William Raphael’s little-known story is an overlooked chapter in Canadian art history.

A new exhibition highlights the role of textiles in art making.

Next week, these works that helped shape the identity of Canada go on sale.

Molly Lamb Bobak was Canada’s first official woman war artist. Her paintings expanded our country’s memory of war, highlighting women’s service, community, and lived experience.

A Halloween look at fear turned into fine art.

The Art Canada Institute invited students from across Canada to create original artworks inspired by this country’s greatest artists. Here is a look at their work. Come see it for yourself at ACI’s booth at Art Toronto.

How acclaimed Vancouver-based artist Jeff Wall blends artifice and authenticity.

How the artist transformed domestic rituals into Canadian masterpieces.

The man behind the world’s most recognizable portraits.

A close look at Kent Monkman’s tour de force and its call for action on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

A cross-country look at what’s on now and in the months ahead.

How one of Canada’s most esteemed painters forged a singular approach to landscape.

Presenting the Art Canada Institute's 2025-2026 online art book lineup.

The lasting impact of the interdisciplinary artist’s art and advocacy.

A spotlight on Canadian artists inspired by outdoor creatures.

A close look at the portrait of Winston Churchill that made the Armenian Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh famous around the world.

To mark International Youth Day on August 12, we’re looking at works produced by Canadian artists in the early days of their careers.

The inspiration for and influence of the artist’s revered painting.

Confidants and collaborators.

From quiet rivers to crowded pools, artists capture the timeless rituals of summer.

Newly opened shows that are on through the summer.

A look at Canadian historical and contemporary art that pushes back on U.S. threats to our culture and sovereignty.

Presented as a sign of both pride and protest, our national symbol has inspired generations of this country’s artists.

Meet the artists whose Indigenous knowledge, innovation, and connection are redefining the future of art in Canada.

Diverse perspectives on what it means to be a father.

The Art Canada Institute’s newest online art book, Kiss & Tell: Lesbian Art & Activism by Kristen Hutchinson, examines how, starting in the late 1980s, a Vancouver collective combatted the censorship of queer art through experimental multimedia works.

Scorched forest landscapes are not new to Canadian art, but today they are depicting a new and devastating reality.

Revealing new layers of meaning through reassembly.

An excerpt from the celebration of Quebec City’s role in this country’s visual culture by celebrated art historian Michèle Grandbois.

From bold self-portraits to scenes of tender connection, a look at how motherhood has been depicted in all its forms.

Working across diverse media—from digital collage and embroidery to painting, ceramics, and photography—these artists remember and carry the past while looking towards the future.

As Canadians prepare to cast their ballots on Monday, we stroll through past vote-worthy political art moments.

A coast-to-coast roundup of exhibitions to check out as the weather grows warmer.

Now streaming on the Art Canada Institute website.

At a time of renewed patriotism, the artist’s iconic work is ripe for rediscovery.

The exhibition Seriously? Comedy and Satire in Canadian Art 1970s-Now takes a look at some of this country’s funniest artists.

Puppies and Pooches as Muses.

Revered as the Mishomis, or grandfather, of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada, Norval Morrisseau was born ninety-four years ago today. Here’s a look at how and why his legacy burns bright.

Now on at the Audain Art Museum, an exhibition that honours fourteen women who dared to do things differently.

Throughout history, artists have braved the elements to capture quintessential experiences and representations of winter in Canada.

The London, Ontario-based artist’s masterpiece about Canadian–American relations may have been meant to be humorous. But now, it is anything but funny.

Canadian artists who capture devotion and affection in their work.

A tour through curator Alyssa Fearon’s groundbreaking show Black Prairies at the Dunlop Art Gallery.

On the harmonious relationship between art and music.

In the face of despair, Gershon Iskowitz chose optimism.

Imaginative depictions of fashion in Canadian art history.

In celebration of Iljuwas Bill Reid’s birthday, we take a close look at the monumental carving nearly forty-five years after its creation.

A coast-to-coast round-up of must-see exhibitions.

Recollections of celebrated figures in Canadian art by their colleagues, peers, and friends.

The first open-access online publication about Eli Bornstein, written by Roald Nasgaard, surveys the enduring career of this pioneering Canadian abstract artist, educator, and scholar.

A showcase of unforgettable Canadian works spotted by the ACI team over the past twelve months.

A look at who won this year’s most prestigious Canadian art prizes.

How the artist created work as a way of probing her own issues and her relationship to the world.

The artist’s largest work to date and its reimagining of the historical, political, and ecological entanglements between sites of national significance.

How a British TV show and the Art Canada Institute author Samantha Burton brought a magnificent work to light—one which went on sale at Sotheby’s yesterday.

Conflict seen through the female eye.

With the U.S. election on the horizon, we look at Canadian artists who relocated to and drew inspiration from our southern neighbour.

Who collects what—and why?

The Art Canada Institute’s newest online art book by Jessica Bradley traces the renowned artist’s six-decade-long exploration of human existence.

A century of shows that made the country look twice.

Heading to the nation’s capital? We have you covered on the top art-related sites to see.

In advance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation next Monday, the Art Canada Institute shares Carl Beam: Life & Work by Anong Migwans Beam: an in-depth look at an artist and his activism.

A roundup of autumn art exhibitions.

Introducing the Art Canada Institute’s 2024–2025 online art book publication lineup.

How film impacted the iconic Canadian painter and vice versa.

Exploring the mentorships that have fostered great talent.

Works that are central to the identity of Canadian cities.

The artist’s contemporary depiction of an historic riot.

On art and sport.

Few Canadian art historians knew Tom Thomson—or wrote as well about him—like the late, great David P. Silcox.

When a rose is more than a rose.

Looking Out: Canadian Artists in Bermuda tells the love story of Canadians and the island territory.

A look at the canoe as a meaningful visual symbol for countless generations of artists and craftspeople.

Recommendations for gallery-going in the months ahead.

Images of who we are, as drawn from Sarah Bassnett and Sarah Parsons’s landmark book Photography in Canada, 1839–1989.

How Huron-Wendat painter Zacharie Vincent broke ground in the nineteenth century.

We asked students from coast to coast to create original artworks that pay homage to this country’s greatest historical and contemporary artists. Today, we share their remarkable works.

Today we celebrate the release of ACI’s online art book by John G. Hatch about the chameleonic painter of Canada’s many landscapes.

Canadian artists whose use of photography and other lens-based media explores sexual and gender identities through portraiture.

Heading to Halifax? We have you covered on the top art-related sights to see.

For forty-seven years, no one knew the whereabouts of “Figures in Landscape”, one of the most controversial paintings in Canadian art. Now it is on view at the McMichael.

To mark Mother’s Day this Sunday, May 12, we take a look at the work of Inuk artist Germaine Arnaktauyok, whose timeless images have mesmerized audiences for decades.

Melly Shum Hates Her Job, 1989, cemented the reputation of Vancouver-born Ken Lum as an internationally revered voice in contemporary art and Conceptual photography. Here’s why.

Art galleries across the country are now open for the nation-wide Canadian Art Hop.

Now on the world stage in Venice, a who’s who of the talent.

Join us on this journey into Canadian modern and contemporary art through the lens of Pop.

Edward Burtynsky’s most expansive retrospective exhibition is now on. To mark the moment, we’re taking an in-depth look at his masterpiece Nickel Tailings #34, Sudbury, Ontario, 1996.

In 1920, the Paisley, Ontario-born David Milne (1882–1953) created this mesmerizing and thriving spring landscape.

The touring exhibition Kenojuak Ashevak: Life and Legacy is now on view at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton. We spoke to its Curator of Indigenous Art, Emma Hassencahl-Perley.

This season promises a new growth of can’t-miss Canadian exhibitions showcasing contemporary stars and historical favourites.

On this International Women’s Day, join us in celebrating the release of Margaret Watkins: Life & Work by Mary O’Connor, the only open-access publication on the pioneering Hamilton, Ontario-born photographer. With her radically experimental compositions, Watkins transformed the worlds of art, lens-based compositions, and advertising.

In celebration of the legendary Nova Scotia folk artist’s birthday on March 7, Ray Cronin, author of ACI’s Maud Lewis: Life & Work, guest edits our spotlight on Roadster and Cow, c.1960s.

Today, we dive into one of the most discussed stories in Canadian art in decades: ten fake oil sketches that are now the focus of the Vancouver Art Gallery exhibition J.E.H. MacDonald? A Tangled Garden. To learn about the genesis of the exhibition, we talked to VAG Executive Director and CEO Anthony Kiendl.

To mark Family Day next Monday, we’re looking at the famous Canadian art couple Mary and Christopher Pratt, the tremendously successful careers they each forged, and the legacies they passed on to their children, artists Barbara Pratt and Ned Pratt.

In February 1955, Alfred Pellan became the first Canadian to have a solo show at the Musée national d’art moderne, where he exhibited a series of Surrealist works. To commemorate this moment, we’re highlighting Canadian artists whose surreal works have unlocked imaginations and subconscious minds.

To mark the beginning of Black History Month, we’re looking at the work, words, and extraordinary career of the late Trinidadian Canadian artist Denyse Thomasos (1964–2012).

After nearly two years on the road, Wolves: The Art of Dempsey Bob is entering its final month at its final stop: the Kelowna Art Gallery. In honour of this major retrospective, we are spotlighting Bob and his Northwest Coast masterpiece Wolf Headdress, 1988–89.

Ninety-seven years ago this month, Bertram Brooker became the first artist to hold a solo exhibition of abstract painting in Canada.

A little-known fact from art and history is the intersection of two internationally renowned Canadians: pianist Glenn Gould and artist Agnes Martin. Sixty-eight years ago this month, in January 1956, Gould released his landmark recording of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations. In celebration of this cultural touchstone, we take a closer look at his work and its significance within Martin’s 1976 film, Gabriel.

Early 2024 is brimming with can’t-miss exhibitions showcasing the best of Canadian art.

Celebrated figures in Canadian art are remembered by their colleagues, peers, and friends.

A selection of stories that inspired us.

Thought-provoking and hopeful perspectives on peace, community, and our interconnected world.

Despite limited exposure to the arts in his youth, Takao Tanabe is revered for his ability to distill landscapes into evocative images that blur the lines between representation and abstraction. Today, the Art Canada Institute celebrates the publication of Takao Tanabe: Life & Work by Ian Thom, which delves into the artist’s prolific career as a painter, printmaker, educator, and creative visionary.

Who in Canada won this year’s most prestigious art prizes? Here’s a look at the talents defining and shaping this country’s art with their groundbreaking work.

Our monthly roundup of the top headlines and most talked about stories from the Canadian art world.

Still producing work in her eleventh decade, acclaimed Quebec sculptor, painter, photographer, and modern dancer Françoise Sullivan celebrated her one hundredth birthday this past June. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is honouring her singular career with a new exhibition of recent paintings as well as major works from its collection.

Two years ago, the Art Canada Institute published the groundbreaking and comprehensive War Art in Canada by Dr. Laura Brandon, CM. In honour of Remembrance Day tomorrow, we asked her to guest-edit this week’s newsletter.

Today, the Art Canada Institute celebrates the publication of Sophie Pemberton: Life & Work by Kathryn Bridge, which explores the Victoria, B.C.-born artist’s trailblazing international career. The significance of Pemberton’s role in Canadian art has only recently begun to be reassessed, despite the acclaim she received during her lifetime for her realist portraits and modern, Impressionist-influenced canvases.

Our monthly roundup of news from across the country.

To mark the centennial of the birth of the Montreal-born artist, a new retrospective at the National Gallery of Canada revisits his epic oeuvre and its influence on generations of contemporary artists.

Today the Art Canada Institute proudly launches Halifax Art and Artists: An Illustrated History by Ray Cronin. A deep dive into art in one of Canada’s oldest settlements, the book explores how residents and visitors past and present have transformed the port city into a centre of artistic innovation.

October is Women’s History Month in Canada. To mark the occasion, we’re spotlighting renowned contemporary artist Rebecca Belmore and her powerful work Fringe, 2007, which honours the resilience of Indigenous women past and present.

As we head into autumn, we’re bringing you the most talked about stories from across the country.

Today the Art Canada Institute proudly publishes Photography in Canada, 1839–1989: An Illustrated History by Sarah Bassnett and Sarah Parsons. This publication—the first comprehensive book to be published on the history of the art form in Canada—tells the story of camera-based creativity from its introduction to the country in 1839.

This year we proudly mark our tenth anniversary. Here’s a preview of the six new releases slated for the months ahead.

September 13 is the anniversary of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, fought 264 years ago between France and Britain. In his iconic 1992 work, Kanata, Saulteaux artist Robert Houle revisits not only this pivotal moment in Canadian history, but also one of North America’s most famed paintings—from a First Nations perspective.

Usher in fall with exciting new shows featuring famed artists and outstanding young talents.

Our monthly roundup of the latest developments in the Canadian art world.

Tomorrow is World Photography Day, and to mark the occasion, we’re exploring Jeff Wall’s pioneering 1979 work, "Picture for Women."

Sixty-eight years ago this month, in August 1955, the legendary Emma Lake Artists’ Workshops were first held in northern Saskatchewan, where avant-garde figures spearheaded the development of modernist abstraction in Canada. To honour this moment in history, we’re looking at ten painters who are following their legacy.

Few images of summer are as spellbinding as Alex Colville’s 1965 painting To Prince Edward Island. Here’s our in-depth look at a Canadian classic.

As July wraps up, we're bringing you the major headlines and most talked about stories from the Canadian art world.

A roundup of some of the most compelling Canadian art on offer this summer.

Based on the lunar Hijri calendar, Muharram is a holy month (second only to Ramadan in significance). In its honour, we asked Jamelie Hassan, artist, curator, and recipient of a Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2001, to introduce us to groundbreaking talents of Muslim heritage.

To mark the 33rd anniversary of the standoff that garnered headlines around the world, we take a close look at Indigenous art made in response to the Kanesatake Resistance, the resulting military response, and the complicated nature of reconciliation.

Our monthly roundup of news from across the country.

Three years ago, ACI set out to create a fellowship for groundbreaking scholars who are working to redefine the country’s art history. Today, we announce this year’s cohort.

In honour of Father’s Day this Sunday, we’re spotlighting artist dads whose creativity and talent inspired their children to follow their lead.

We asked secondary school students to create works based on the examples of Canadian art and its history for this competition, the only one of its kind in the country. Here’s what they came up with.

In celebration of Pride Month, we’re showcasing audacious, campy, and romantic works by famed 2SLGBTQI+ figures in Canadian art.

Our monthly roundup of news from across the country.

Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival is the world’s largest annual celebration of its kind. Here’s a look at exhibitions that have caught our eye.

In honour of Mother’s Day on May 14, we’re taking a long look at one of the most iconic images in Canadian art.

May is Asian Heritage Month. To celebrate, we’re looking at some of today’s most innovative emerging and early-career Asian Canadian artists [en anglais seulement].

Our inaugural monthly roundup of notable art news from across the country.

Investigators are calling it “the biggest art fraud in world history.” The primary victim is the “grandfather” of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada, Norval Morrisseau.

With the publication of Alfred Pellan: Life & Work by Maria Rosa Lehmann, ACI celebrates the landmark Quebec artist known for his controversial views, vibrant colours, and belief in the infinite possibilities of creative expression.

In recognition of spring’s new growth, this long weekend we invite you to look closely at this intriguing botanical photograph.

These Canadian artists and their true-to-life paintings make us question our perception of veracity.

Over the last week, leaders from around the globe have attended the UN 2023 Water Conference to focus on how the resource is a dealmaker for both sustainable development goals and our planet’s health. Here’s a look at how Canadian artists have examined our relationship to the earth’s most precious resource.

The Ottawa-based artist walks us through her recently opened exhibition at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, which explores her Indigenous and European ancestry.

This Sunday, March 12, marks the 95th Academy Awards ceremony, and “Women Talking” (2022), written and directed by Canada’s Sarah Polley, is nominated for two Oscars. As Polley has explained, the work of renowned Canadian photographer Larry Towell was a key influence on her acclaimed film. Here’s a closer look.

In honour of International Women’s Day, we’re looking at women whose art transcends borders.

In celebration of Black History Month, we talked to those in the know about rising talents whose careers you want to watch.

For centuries, artists have depicted snow in all its forms as an indelible part of the Canadian winter landscape.

To mark Valentine’s Day, we’re featuring a dozen pieces that celebrate lovers, mothers, a Hollywood icon, and the staying power of an old flame.

February is Black History Month. These works honour the contributions, stories, and traditions of Black Canadians and their communities.

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we are sharing Canadian works that honour the resilience and stories of survivors and reflect on lessons from the past.

This month marks the anniversary of the Beaver Hall Group's first annual show in January 1921.

"My paintings are done by a filmmaker, my sculpture by a musician, my films by a painter, my music by a filmmaker, my paintings by a sculptor, my sculpture by a filmmaker, my films by a musician, my music by a sculptor… who sometimes all work together.” ~Michael Snow, 1967

Head into 2023 with this roundup of some of our favourite Canadian exhibitions.

For our last newsletter of the year, here’s a showcase of unforgettable Canadian works spotted by the ACI team in the past twelve months.

This year saw the passing of many talents in the Canadian art world. They were individuals who changed this country’s cultural landscape and dared us to see things differently. We honour their memories with recollections from their loved ones, peers, and colleagues.

Our country’s most prestigious art awards honour figures at the forefront of visual culture. Here’s a look at who, over the last year, was honoured for their groundbreaking work.

The Art Canada Institute is delighted to announce the release of the book Being Legendary at Royal Ontario Museum: Confronting Colonialism, Rethinking History, created in partnership with the artist.

Marion Nicoll challenged gender norms and conservative attitudes in Calgary to usher in a modernist era with her innovative abstract paintings. Today the Art Canada Institute celebrates the publication of “Marion Nicoll: Life & Work” by Catharine Mastin, which explores the artist's extraordinary legacy.

On the birthday of the iconic Quebec City painter Jean Paul Lemieux (1904-1990), we are highlighting the artists who have gained acclaim within and beyond his beloved city.

For Remembrance Day, we reflect on Canadian works that explore the contributions, sacrifices, and resilience of those who have served our country in pursuit of peace and justice.

Today the Art Canada Institute proudly releases a book about Jin-me Yoon, the first critical biography to explore her singular oeuvre and highlight the artist’s life and career.

Last week’s publication of “The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case: The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson Forgeries” by Jon S. Dellandrea had us take a look at this case and some of the most notorious art crimes in Canadian history.

In 2018, the Parliament of Canada proclaimed October as Latin American Heritage Month. To celebrate, we're highlighting works by artists from the region that explore questions of place and identity.

As we settle into fall, museums across the country exhibit a stellar set of shows that challenge conventional histories and art-making.

The work of many of this country’s most celebrated artists documents one of its darkest moments in history. On National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, take a moment to look at it.

On Sunday, Jews around the world will listen to sounds of the shofar—a ram’s-horn trumpet created in ancient times—to mark the start of Hebraic year 5783 and fall’s High Holidays. In celebration, we’re ringing out a roster of artworks exploring the cultural vibrancy of Judaism in Canada.

Since 2013, when the Art Canada Institute was founded, we have published a dozen open-access art books each year, released from fall through spring. Here’s a preview of what’s coming up in the months ahead.

The last century of Canadian art has seen many altercations. With the recent outcry over Ken Lum’s “The Buffalo and the Buffalo Fur Trader,” a new type of dispute comes to the fore.

Heading into Monday’s holiday, we’re showcasing artists who celebrate, challenge, and, in some cases, hope to change the way we think about work.

In the early 1970s a group of seven artists known as the Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporated (PNIAI) broke new ground in the representation, proliferation, and dissemination of First Nations art practices in Canada.

Next week marks the birthday of Canada’s famed Maritime painter. To celebrate the occasion, we’re turning to ACI’s publication “Alex Colville: Life & Work,” where author Ray Cronin explores the artist’s enigmatic scenes that consider relationships between nature and machines, humans and animals, and order and chaos.

Today is International Youth Day—commemorated every year on August 12. To mark it, we’re looking at accomplished works that established and emerging Canadian artists produced in the early days of their careers.

Seventy-four years ago, on August 9, 1948, the avant-garde artists known as the Automatistes sent shock waves through society with the release of the anti-religious manifesto “Refus global.” Today the document is revered not only as the most important cultural publication in Quebec’s history, but for propelling the province into the modern era.

Inspired by the promise of adventure this long weekend, we're showcasing artists who capture the pleasures of travel and the destinations that enchanted them.

The ACI proudly publishes “Ottawa Art & Artists: An Illustrated History“ by Jim Burant, which explores the work of talented creators from the pre-contact era to the present who have made a lasting impact on the rich culture of the city.

With its offer of clarity, purity, refreshment, and mystery, summer has long brought water’s transfixing qualities and sublime beauty into the focus of artists.

July 9 is Nunavut Day, which commemorates Parliament’s approval of the Nunavut Act, making the region a Canadian territory. To celebrate, we’re highlighting Inuit creators and artists from the South whose work is profoundly inspired by the majestic beauty of this northern landscape.

On Canada Day, we’re looking at eye-opening art that makes us rethink conventional narratives of our nation’s identity and history.

Two years ago, we set out to create Canada’s only initiative to redefine this country’s art history through a fellowship for ground-breaking scholars. Today we announce this year’s recipients.

Diverse perspectives on what it means to be a father and to forge an irreplaceable bond with one’s children.

Take a break from the heat at museums across the country and visit these not-to-be-missed shows of Canadian art.

Emerging out of 1960s counterculture, the pioneering Toronto-based artist trio known as General Idea became famed for their provocative critiques of celebrity, media, and consumption as well as for their taboo-breaking works about the AIDS crisis. A new retrospective at the National Gallery of Canada highlights the group’s immense impact within our country and internationally.

For more than six decades, artist Gathie Falk has crafted surreal and dreamlike works that recast everyday items like fruit, shoes, and sofas as objects of wonder. Today the Art Canada Institute celebrates the publication of “Gathie Falk: Life & Work” by Michelle Jacques, which explores the incredible diversity of a pivotal practice grounded in what the artist calls the “veneration of the ordinary.”

The Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival is currently on through the month of May. We’re sharing some of our favourite highlights from the world’s largest event dedicated to the medium.

This Asian Heritage Month, we’re celebrating the achievements of figures past and present who have made their mark on Canadian art.

Eleven artists from across the country honour mothers and the strength, joy, care, and wisdom they bring to our lives.

Arnaud Maggs was a successful graphic designer and magazine photographer before he became renowned for his images of faces and objects presented in grids. Today the Art Canada Institute proudly publishes “Arnaud Maggs: Life & Work” by Anne Cibola, which explores how the artist chronicled people and paraphernalia with layers of meaning.

This week the 59th Venice Biennale opened—also known as the Olympics of the art world. Canada is represented by Vancouver’s multidisciplinary, internationally revered talent Stan Douglas, whose art questions historic reactions to political and economic inequality and the interconnected potency of global calls for change.

The Art Canada Institute is proud to announce the release of “Kent Monkman: Life & Work” by Shirley Madill, the first comprehensive book on the internationally celebrated talent whose bold interventions into Western art history have transformed contemporary visual culture and made him the only Canadian artist to be commissioned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Playing with perception, these mesmerizing pieces challenge our understandings of the familiar, demonstrate the technical skills of their creators, and stimulate new ways of seeing our world.

Impressionism is one of the most famous and beloved styles of art. Yet until now our country's contribution to this international art movement has been little known. A new exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada will change this.

Last month, Shary Boyle’s bold exhibition “Outside the Palace of Me” opened at Toronto’s Gardiner Museum. The Art Canada Institute published the book that accompanies the show, featuring unforgettable works that offer a commentary on identity in the early twenty-first century and reflections on how, through a reconsideration of our actions, we may achieve a more just, joyous, and tolerant future.

Combating gender inequality and discrimination in its many forms, these artists have created thought-provoking works that expose destructive societal biases while shedding light on disregarded experiences and histories.

Russia’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine now enters its second week. More than one million refugees have fled its borders as civilian casualties intensify. In this country—which has the world’s third largest Ukrainian population—the powerful work of Ukrainian Canadian artists urges us to stand in solidarity with those calling for our help.

How families in Canada look and are defined has evolved and expanded over the centuries. These artists reflect on what family means to them and the importance of preserving and passing on traditions, stories, and values through the generations.

Gripped by feelings of desire and devotion, these artists depict love in all its beauty, power, and complexity.

Toronto’s Dr. Kenneth Montague has established one of the world’s most revered art collections dedicated to African diasporic culture and contemporary Black life. Now a new book about this insightful, innovative, and internationally celebrated body of work explores how photographers picture Black identity.

To mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, we are featuring Canadian works that honour the victims of the Holocaust and reflect on its enduring legacy.

So long as gathering indoors remains unsafe, we are taking a cue from some of Canada’s most revered creators who reveal that heading outside is the way to go [en anglais seulement].

Canadian artists have long been stimulated by the quotidian beauty of their homes, neighbourhoods, and cities. Now we’re taking inspiration from them.

For our last newsletter of 2021, the ACI team is sharing Canadian works that highlight what we love most about the holiday season.

Who won this year’s most prestigious art prizes honouring the outstanding achievements of leading Canadian creators? Here’s a round-up of the voices who are shaping the future of contemporary art.

Yousuf Karsh is one of the greatest portrait photographers of the twentieth century. A new exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts explores how the unrivalled talent and distinctive style of this famed Canadian artist made him sought after by the most influential figures of his era.

For the art lovers in your life, the Art Canada Institute has you covered with this selection of our beautifully illustrated and insightful books guaranteed to both provoke and delight.

Jean Paul Riopelle is Canada’s most internationally renowned twentieth-century painter. Yet until now little discussion about his work has addressed how the Montreal artist was inspired by Indigenous art and the northern landscape. A travelling exhibition uncovers new insights and raises timely questions about these aspects of the famed creator’s output.

On this Remembrance Day, the Art Canada Institute proudly publishes "War Art in Canada: A Critical History" by Laura Brandon. As well, tonight we are hosting an ACI Art Talk to launch the book and explore how war artists have shaped our nation’s history and honoured those who bravely and selflessly served their country.

Immerse yourself in the best of Canadian and international art through these stellar exhibitions currently on view across the country.

To mark Halloween this Sunday, we’re looking at artists who have a gift for making the familiar seem very strange.

The history of Canadian art exhibited in museums, taught in schools, and written in books has been dominated by white male artists. Through the annual funding of five transformative scholarships—each valued at $30,000—that spotlight artists who have long been marginalized, ACI’s Redefining Canadian Art History Fellowships will change how we understand this country’s cultural narrative.

Responding to the recent rise in anti-Asian violence and discrimination, the Montreal artist explores the challenges and resilience of Chinese Canadians since the nineteenth century in ACI’s new online exhibition.

Autumn is in the air. Inspired by its distinctive hues and intense energy, these artists offer vivid depictions of nature in transition.

The Group of Seven’s all-male membership left their exceptionally talented female contemporaries underrecognized. A groundbreaking new exhibition at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection advances a powerful new narrative.

In the ACI's new book, Ray Cronin tells the story of Maud Lewis (1901–1970), a prolific painter whose brightly coloured depictions of the landscapes, animals, and flowers of Nova Scotia redefined folk art and whose indomitable spirit continues to captivate.

As Canada heads to the polls on September 20th, we look at artists across the country who have explored pivotal political moments.

September 11, 2021, marks the twentieth anniversary of the September 11 attacks—unprecedented events that left the world reeling. These artists reflect on the wide-ranging impacts of this day on America, our country, and humanity as a whole.

Last spring the Art Canada Institute asked students across Canada to offer a fresh interpretation of some of this country’s greatest works of art. Today we are proud to share the results of our inaugural creative challenge.

The Art Canada Institute is proud to announce the next season of the Canadian Online Art Book Project—coming soon in 2021 & 2022.

In honour of this week’s World Photography Day, we’re looking at some of this country’s innovators who have helped define the medium since its mid-nineteenth-century creation.

The National Gallery of Canada’s new exhibition on Rembrandt is the first major show of the revered painter’s work to go on display in this country since 1969—and the first to connect the Dutch Republic of Rembrandt’s time and seventeenth-century Turtle Island.

This week, on August 5, 1877, in Claremont, Ontario, one of the country’s most famed artists was born. Both loved and contested, arguably no other painter has had as indelible an impact on the country’s cultural landscape as he did. To mark the anniversary of Thomson’s birth, we’re looking at contemporary works that address his extraordinary achievement.

As the country reopens, the season feels especially ripe. These works of art from across Canada celebrate the brightest time of the year.

Sports have long served as a rich source of creative inspiration. On the opening day of the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo, we’re highlighting art that explores the world of athletics.

On the anniversary of one of the National Gallery of Canada’s most famed exhibitions, we’re looking at its creator, Joyce Wieland, her provocative and singular vision, and why her work continues to resonate today.

This Nunavut Day, we’re showcasing works by some of the most prominent modern and contemporary Inuit artists from the northernmost territory in Canada.

Saulteaux artist and curator Robert Houle has played a crucial role in initiating discussions about political and cultural issues surrounding First Nations peoples. At a time of mourning and urgent need for change, his art has particular poignance, encouraging a renewed vision of the world.

Some of Canada’s best-known public sculptures are by the revered abstract artist Robert Murray. In ACI’s new online exhibition we are showcasing his large-scale steel and aluminum constructions and their transformative effect.

These artists’ intimate reflections explore heartfelt and often-overlooked aspects of men’s lives—and those who love them.

Today the Art Canada Institute proudly publishes Kazuo Nakamura: Life & Work by John G. Hatch, which tells the story of how the Japanese Canadian Nakamura persevered through internment during the Second World War to become an internationally renowned painter and a creator of compositions inspired by nature, science, and mathematics.

June marks the celebration of Pride Month. Saluting many of the greatest figures in Canadian art who are part of the LGBTQ2S+ community, we’re showcasing works of early pioneering artists alongside those by important creators working today.

As we celebrate Asian Heritage Month, today the Art Canada Institute presents an online exhibition on a groundbreaking photographer whose work documents a multicultural community at the turn of the century.

While we wait to journey outside of our cities, we’re looking at twelve artists whose works transport us to captivating locales in Canada and abroad.

Passionate that unique Canadian art could spring from encounters with nature, the Group of Seven initiated the country’s first major national art movement with landscape-inspired paintings and an enduring legacy—celebrated this spring in three exhibitions.

Reflecting on the theme of motherhood, artists from across the country capture the joys, struggles, and wide-ranging experiences of being a mother.

Fifty-four years ago Expo 67 opened in Montreal—and the coins created by revered Canadian painter Alex Colville were a part of the world fair festivities. On the anniversary of the event ACI is launching a new online exhibition about the famed currency that marked the country’s 100-year celebration of Confederation.

In recognition of this week’s Earth Day, we’re looking at artists who highlight not only the planet’s beauty but also its role as the very foundation of life and culture.

Dr. Stephen Borys, director and CEO of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, on the making of the world’s largest museum of Inuit art.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge not only defined a key military moment for Canada, it marked a turning point in the nation’s art history.

Over the break, explore our collection of newsletters, featuring curated selections of groundbreaking historical and contemporary Canadian art.

Captivated by the optimistic spirit of the new season, these pieces explore nature’s magnificent reawakening and the continuity of cultural traditions.

Disrupting public expectations of art, these polarizing works sparked passionate debates among critics and everyday citizens across the country.

Canada’s first internationally famed photographer, Montreal-based William Notman was a pioneer of Canadian image making whose iconic works continue to inspire artists today.

Forging their own paths in a male-dominated art world, these distinguished women have transformed Canadian art through their unique vision, talent, and leadership.

Decades before “the selfie” sparked a cultural revolution, Suzy Lake altered the course of art history by making herself the subject of her photographs. Today the Art Canada Institute proudly publishes “Suzy Lake: Life & Work” by Erin Silver, which explores how throughout Lake’s celebrated career she used her camera to push the boundaries of photography and inspire a new generation of artists.

Beat the winter blues with these bright works. Here are twelve artists drawn to sumptuous hues and the splendour of colour.

How do Canadian artists depict devotion and adoration? Here’s a showcase of ten works.

ACI’s new online exhibition explores the life and work of this Canadian-born Black painter, who achieved international recognition while fighting against slavery and racial segregation.

Works by those who have waded into the sociopolitical discourse, using their creativity as a force for change.

Shuvinai Ashoona has forged a fantastical, elaborate style of drawing by fusing Inuit tradition and Western popular culture with her extraordinary imagination. ACI’s new online exhibition explores how her astonishing images of surreal settings and otherworldly creatures have made this Nunavut-based artist an internationally celebrated name.

Galvanized by inspiration and creative transformation, these visual artists steered their practice in dramatically different directions.

For our last newsletter of 2020, the ACI team presents some of our favourite winter scenes that celebrate the season.

Few twentieth-century artists have been catalysts for the reclamation of a culture. In the ACI’s new art book Iljuwas Bill Reid: Life & Work, the celebrated curator and scholar Gerald McMaster makes it clear that the iconic Northwest Coast creator was one of them [en anglais seulement].

Ten reasons why the great Kinngait artist deserves to be on our next five-dollar bill.

A new exhibition reveals the path that led the artist to his internationally renowned Walking Woman series—and far beyond.

As American Thanksgiving approaches, and as we watch historic events unfold south of the border, this week we are looking at ten Canadian artists who have made an indelible mark on American art with work that transcends geographical borders.

ACI's new book reveals the story of how one artist managed to inspire generations of students to embrace innovation.

Explore artists’ images of war with works that pay homage to our country’s armed forces and all those who served.

Subtly eerie and downright terrifying, in this week’s showcase of works, artists bring the fearsome and the fantastical to life.

Why mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People) is more resonant than ever

Canada’s largest and most celebrated art fair goes digital and cross-country for the first time in 21 years. We are honoured to be hosting two talks.

Striving for equality and social justice, these artists have dedicated their work to forging meaningful change.

Harvesting, migration, colours, and celebration: enjoy the season through these 12 works.

Commenting on fear, comfort, healing, and change, artists are marking history with these works.

Five additions to ACI’s Canadian Online Art Book Project spotlight some of the country’s foremost visionaries.

While popularizing Prairie life, he expounded humanity’s limitations.

A look at who taught who.

Art that brings the meaning of industry, employment, toil, and effort into focus.

An insightful commentary on the famed Canadian Impressionist.

Back by popular demand: 10 more Canadian works celebrating the season.

Summer Workshops that Changed Canada.

A look at Houle’s transformative role in First Nations art.

Iconic depictions of the best of the season.

Why He Was Much More Than the Group of Seven’s Only Prairies-Based ember.

Some of our favourite public art installations from across the country.

Joyce Wieland: Remembering Canada's first living woman artist to have a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada.

Studies of the self that offer insight into this country and its creators.

ACI’s newly released Annie Pootoogook: Life & Work reveals how one artist transformed the world’s understanding of Inuit art.

Ten artworks we love that celebrate all aspects of the paternal.

What the art of AA Bronson, Felix Partz, and Jorge Zontal can teach us about tomorrow.

Enjoy this week’s selection of works illustrating the extraordinary range of still lifes in Canadian art.

This formidable multidisciplinary artist changed our country with his technicolour anti-establishment output, his nationalist politics, and his passionate belief in regionalism.

Take a trip to these destinations presented by some of our most celebrated artists.

Ten artists and ten art historians celebrate all aspects of the maternal.

Five great Canadian art historians on five remarkable artists.

ACI’s latest book, Mary Pratt: Life & Work by Ray Cronin, reveals the story of this iconic Newfoundland artist.

Our round-up of some of the country’s most engaging works held in public galleries across the nation and abroad.

How the beloved East Coast artist Alex Colville forged order through chaos in his paintings of everyday life.

Now available-online (free) and in print-the book about the groundbreaking art event at The Met.

Discover new Canadian art history articles, videos, and features, available online at the Art Canada Institute!

ACI is committed to bringing the world stories about Canadian art and artists at a time when they are needed more than ever.

Discover new Canadian art history articles, videos, and features, available online at the Art Canada Institute!

Discover new Canadian art history articles, videos, and features, available online at the Art Canada Institute!