A Look Inside Qaumajuq

Spotlight

A long-exposure photo of the Winnipeg Art Gallery from across the intersection. It is dusk and the lights inside the glass lobby entrance to Qaumajuq are a prominent focus.

This spotlight celebrates the opening of Qaumajuq, an innovative new museum dedicated to Inuit art and culture, and a home for the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. This first-of-its-kind centre is connected to the Winnipeg Art Gallery on all levels, creating an 185,000-square-foot cultural campus in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

A long-exposure photo of the Winnipeg Art Gallery from across the intersection. It is dusk and the lights inside the glass lobby entrance to Qaumajuq are a prominent focus.
COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY-QAUMAJUQ.

Opened in March 2021, Qaumajuq bridges Canada’s North and South through exhibitions, research, education, and art-making. Artists, Inuit, various partners, and community leaders have collaborated to envision and build a vibrant gathering place where all are welcome and where everyone’s stories are told and heard in the true spirit of reconciliation. The breathtaking 40,000-square-foot centre is a place where art and technology offer direct connections to the land, people, and cultures of Inuit Nunangat, the homeland of Inuit in Canada. Qaumajuq has taken shape with the guidance of the WAG Indigenous Advisory Circle.

Learn about the artists, people, and projects behind this incredible new centre, including INUA, the inaugural exhibition. This spotlight showcases the architecture, artwork, and stories that make Qaumajuq a truly unique place. 

An inuksuk in a snowy landscape, against a sky with northern lights in hues of green, blue, and purple.
COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY-QAUMAJUQ.

 

The Architecture of Qaumajuq
A landmark building designed to reflect the landscape of the North.

A Day of Ceremony for the Opening of Qaumajuq
Elders and ceremonial leaders welcome Qaumajuq and the artworks inside.

Qaumajuq’s Opening Celebrations
A virtual launch opens the new Inuit art centre.

A view of the exhibition INUA shows visitors exploring an installation inside a shipping container, a series of wall-hangings, and an installation styled to look like the interior of a living room.
Installation view of INUA at Qaumajuq, Winnipeg Art Gallery. COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY-QAUMAJUQ. PHOTO: JESSICA LOSORATA.

 

An Artwork Renaming Initiative at the Winnipeg Art Gallery
A new project to rename works from the collection welcomes Indigenous knowledges into the canon of art history.

A Q&A with the curators of the INUA
An all-Inuit curatorial team reflects on Qaumajuq’s inaugural exhibition.

Abraham Anghik Ruben: Time to Play
The unveiling of a monumental carving at Qaumajuq.

An undulating glass structure inside a contemporary gallery space. It is lined with many shelves featuring Inuit sculpture and carvings which can be seen from the exterior.
A view of the Qaumajuq Visible Vault. COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY-QAUMAJUQ.

 

Inside Qaumajuq’s Visible Vault
A new centre in Winnipeg makes visible the world’s largest public collection of Inuit art.

Goota Ashoona: Tuniigusiia/The Gift
An outdoor sculpture welcomes teachers and learners to Qaumajuq.

Peatr Thomas: Aski Pimachi Iwew
Inside the creation of a new mural for Qaumajuq’s Katita Café.

Seven people wrapped in star blankets face away from the camera, towards an artwork depicting an Arctic landscape.
COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY-QAUMAJUQ.

Reactions to Qaumajuq
The opening of a new Inuit art centre draws attention from far and wide.

A Space to Create
Renovated WAG Studios provide new spaces for learning through art. 

The Story of the Qaumajuq-Nunavut Partnership
An agreement between a public gallery and a Northern government builds understanding of Inuit art, culture and heritage.

Qaumajuq: The Naming
Reflections on integrating Indigenous languages at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Each week, the Arctic Arts Summit Digital Platform spotlights an important region of the circumpolar North or organization working to support Arctic artists and their practices. Spotlights are an exciting introduction to the variety of perspectives across the circumpolar world and we invite you to learn more across the platform.