WAG - Winnipeg Art Gallery

 Winnipeg, MB

WAG

Today we went to The Winnipeg Art Gallery.  It's another museum within the NARM group (The NA stands for North America) so we got in for free.  The building is really cool and their focus is pretty local.  Many of the artists are from Canada and about half of the artists are indigenous.  The museum appears to be rebranding including Qaumajuq in the title.  From the website," Qaumajuq is an innovative new museum, home of the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. This first-of-its-kind centre connects to the WAG on all levels, creating a 185,000-square-foot cultural campus in the heart of downtown Winnipeg"

This map shows the different Inuit Communities where the art comes from.

A giant glass vault holds many pieces of art in the entry.  It was a bit hard to see it all but it was very cool.

You can't go in the door, it's just there for the curators.

There is a giant room with Inuit art and there are no labels.  There is a reference book that you can use. but I chose to just enjoy the art and take photos.

I liked this woodblock print with the woodblock included.

In the 50s art was created in Nunavut for export by The Hudson Bay Company to southern Canada. During this time many artists became internationally known.   

I liked this guy covered in mosquitoes.

This piece was carved out of a Walrus Skull.

There were a lot of elements of bone, ivory, and fur included in the art.

The 2nd half of the museum featured more Eurocentric art with info placards. 

The Countess of Oxford and Asquith, The Wharf, Sutton Courtenay - Sir John Lavery

Young Anglers - Henry Herbert La Thangue

The first recorded instance of the "Smell my pit" gag.

The Funnies - Laurent Roberge
There was a whole section on The Free Press which wasn't very photogenic but this wall created of shredded newspaper comics was cool.

Vallée - Jean-Paul Riopelle

Sounds Assembly - Bertram Brooker

Wo Ist Ein Zigarrengeschaft? - Jean-Phillipe Dallaire

Le déjeuner sur l'herb - Pablo Picasso

The lobby had a bunch of colourful works.  We saw this last.  I guess we went into the wrong entrance.

That's it for today.  If you missed Prime Rib and Ponies at Assiniboia Downs check it out.