Organization

Winnipeg Art Gallery–Qaumajuq (WAG-Qaumajuq) is one of Canada’s leading art museums, dedicated to sharing powerful artistic stories and fostering meaningful connections between artists, communities, and audiences. Founded in 1912 as the Winnipeg Museum of Fine Arts, the institution is Western Canada’s oldest civic art gallery and has evolved into one of the country’s most significant cultural institutions. It moved to its iconic purpose-built building, designed by architect Gustavo da Roza, in 1971 featuring 28,694 square feet of exhibition space across multiple galleries, including a skylit gallery, mezzanine, main hall, and rooftop sculpture garden.

In 2021, the original Winnipeg Art Gallery expanded with the opening of Qaumajuq, a landmark Inuit art centre that added approximately 14,907 square feet of gallery space across four dedicated exhibition areas. With the opening, WAG-Qaumajuq grew its overall footprint to 185,000 square feet, making it the fifth largest art museum in Canada. As a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified institution, Qaumajuq is poised to become a model for the new museum in Canada, balancing the role of art and artmaking, as well as engagement and learning, with Indigenization and reconciliation. Created in partnership with Inuit communities and cultural leaders in Nunavut and across Inuit Nunangat, Qaumajuq houses and celebrates the world’s largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art while creating new opportunities for research, preservation, and cultural dialogue in, with, and for Indigenous, settler, and newcomer communities. During this period of unprecedented growth, the profile and reputation of WAG-Qaumajuq has flourished, but there are new, post-construction opportunities for broader community engagement, impact,



and relevance that align with the dynamism of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Canada.

Located in the heart of Winnipeg, WAG-Qaumajuq serves as a agile cultural hub where visitors engage with exhibitions, educational programming, and public events that highlight Canadian, Indigenous, and international artistic perspectives. Its permanent collection includes more than 28,000 works, along with nearly 10,000 additional pieces on long-term loan, 75% of which come from the Government of Nunavut Fine Art Collection. The permanent collection spans centuries, cultures, and media, including historical and contemporary Canadian Art, British and European art, decorative art, and photography. WAG-Qaumajuq has the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world, which constitutes 43% of its permanent collection, as well as a core of pre-1900 (16%) and Manitoban (16%), and non-Inuit BIPOC artworks in its collection. WAG-Qaumajuq advances a mission centered on access, learning, and the celebration of diverse artistic voices with a vision to expand its collections and impacts. Its archival holdings comprise more than 305 meters of records, and its library holdings include more than 19,000 books and periodicals.

WAG-Qaumajuq’s 2024-2029 Strategic Plan is structured around four core commitments of Equity, Care, Trust, and Responsibility.



They serve as guiding principles to make sure that thePlan’s objectives are aligned with its values.
WAG-Qaumajuq’s goals, actions, and impacts are focused on Making Positive Change, Communicating Accountability, Modelling for the New Museum, Applying Regenerative Actions, Focusing on Community, and Thought Leadership. Its Equity Action Plan provides a framework for meaningful change and advancement in its decolonization efforts, allowing itto flourish as a beacon of artistic excellence and cultural representation for the communities it serves.

WAG-Qaumajuq has an 18-member Board of Governors and a full and part-time staff of 97 with the Director & CEO overseeing eight leadership team members, including Collections & Exhibitions, Education & Programs, Indigenous Ways & Partnerships, Engagement & Advancement, Museum Services & Building Operations, Finance & Operations, Human Resources, and Directorate. WAG-Qaumajuq is deeply appreciative of the relationship it has with Indigenous Nations, governments, and communities. Indigenous ways, ceremony, and knowledge are integrated into the fabric of WAG-Qaumajuq, including at the governance level. Indigenous Knowledge Keepers are invited into conversations and to collaborate on projects on an ad-hoc, regular basis. Ceremonial Leaders pray at WAG-Qaumajuq regularly at the direction of the late Dakota Elder Wanbdi Wakita. WAG-Qaumajuq is honoured to work with these Knowledge Keepers and is very grateful for their expertise, guidance, and leadership.

WAG-Qaumajuq’s total revenue from all sources (operating, capital, and works of art) is estimated to be approximately $11 million for the year ending March 31, 2026. WAG-Qaumajuq’s revenue reflects a combination of private sector revenue, government funding, and gra

📌 Winnipeg Art Gallery–Qaumajuq Director
🏢 The Alliance for Media Arts and Culture
📍 Winnipeg