No visit to Winnipeg would be complete without dropping into one of Canada’s premier art galleries. Do you want to see the best of Manitoba and Canadian art? We’ve got it. Want to enjoy a jazz concert in an elegant rooftop sculpture garden? We’ve got it. Want to take home a beautiful piece of jewelry or a glass or ceramic bowl handcrafted by Canadian artists? We’ve got that, too.

Located in the heart of Winnipeg within walking distance of downtown hotels, our distinctive triangular “ship,” made of local Tyndall limestone, is one of the most unique Modernist buildings in Canada. With ten gallery spaces, there’s always lots to see. An ongoing exhibition, The Collection on View, features four galleries of works from the permanent collection spanning 600 years of art.  

If you’re a Looney Tunes fan, you won’t want to miss The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons, a fascinating exhibition that explores the creative process behind the making of the classic Warner Bros. cartoons. Cels, model sheets, story sketches, and animation drawings show how Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Wile E. Coyote, and these iconic characters came into being. Until May 30.

Canadian Art at the WAG This Summer

The WAG is the home of the largest collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world and there’s always some of it on display. From April 29 to August 1 you can view the beautiful prints of Pangnirtung artist Andrew Qappik, well-known throughout the North for his design of the Nunavut flag and the territory’s coat-of-arms and official logo. Cape Dorset artist Kiugak Ashoona pours his extensive knowledge of shamanism and Inuit mythology into his carvings. Opening August 19.

Bob and Doug MacKenzie having a final brewski before being devoured by wolves. The Trailer Park boys communing with nature. Winnipeg artist Diana Thorneycroft takes historical Canadian landscapes by the Group of Seven, Tom Thomson, and Emily Carr, and combines them with complex dioramas she has constructed using dolls, toys, and other found objects. June 12 to August 22.

The controversial topic of nudity in art is examined in The Nude in Modern Canadian Art, 1920-1950.  The exhibition (June 18 to August 22), features 110 sculptures, paintings, prints, and photographs by 50 Canadian artists drawn from public and private collections across the country.

Guided tours of our Canadian exhibitions take place at 2pm every Wednesday throughout July and August.

Jazz, Jewelry and More

If your idea of a great evening is sitting in a rooftop garden with a cool drink, listening to hot jazz, then our Jazz on the Rooftop concerts are perfect for you. Concerts take place Thursday evenings on July 8, 15, and 29, and August 12, 19, and 26.

And don’t forget to drop in to our Gallery Shop where you’ll find one-of-a-kind jewelry, glass ware, ceramics, wood and fibre art created by Manitoba, Canadian, and international artists.