articles

Virtual NGC - Where Art Connects us All

May 6, 2020

Introducing the  Virtual National Gallery of Canada (NGC) – In these uncertain times, they are delighted to provide you with a new virtual experience, where we can all connect with the restorative and enriching power of art.

From curator’s choice and virtual gallery features to thought-provoking articles and downloadable resources. You are invited you to tour and explore. Please check back often for the latest features.

Collection Highlights
Get to know some of the significant works in Canada’s national art collection featured in this new video series, as curators share their knowledge with us. Watch these videos, and check back often for the latest additions.

Delve into Gustav Klimt’s fascinating Hope I with Anabelle Kienle Ponka, Associate Curator of European and American Art. 

Explore Lucius R. O'Brien’s Sunrise on the Saguenay, Cape Trinity with Christopher Davidson, Curatorial Assistant of Canadian Art.

Watch Associate Curator of Indigenous Art Christine Lalonde as she talks about Annie Pootoogook’s Cape Dorset Freezer.

Experience the Tradition of the Salon
One of the highlights of the Canadian and Indigenous Galleries is its salon-style wall, featuring a floor-to-ceiling selection of 23 works from the 19th and 20th centuries. Don’t miss this unforgettable feature, brought to you virtually during our temporary closure.

Curator's Choice
We asked National Gallery of Canada curators to share some of their favourite works from the national collection, as well as the significance of the works to them. Have a look at Christopher Etheridge, Sonia Del Re and Adam Welch’s selection.


Photostories Canada
Travel through fascinating moments in Canadian history. Explore more than 800 photostories, created between 1955 and 1971 by the National Film Board of Canada’s Still Photography Division. Search this virtual exhibition by year, location, photographer or subject, and let your curiosity guide you from one story to another. In addition, don’t forget to create your own photostory, using the website’s app.

From the Archives:Van Gogh’s Iris
Vincent Van Gogh painted Iris during a self-imposed stay at the Saint-Rémy asylum in 1890. How could he create such a joyful work under such trying circumstances? Find the answer in this video featuring NGC Educator Béatrice Djahanbin.

Then, spend some time creating your own colourful version of Van Gogh’s work. Download the printable PDF colouring page

Public Sculptures and Gardens
Need to escape for a little while? Why not take a virtual stroll through our grounds? Visit the National Gallery of Canada Public Sculptures and Gardens from home via our video library. 

Art Can...
What is a work of art trying to do?
What are artists hoping to accomplish?  
Not all artists have the same ideas and intentions. Here is one of the many different things art can do.

Art Can... Spring from personal experience
Inspired by a particular memory from the artist’s rural childhood, this painting by George A. Reid is a tribute to hard work and industry in the late 1800s.

... But it doesn’t have to
This image of ships and architecture in the Port of Montreal, by Adrien Hébert, is a study in angles and geometric composition. It is also a record of a key industrial zone in the 20th-century city.

Revisit Our Past and Present Exhibitions
From our current popular exhibition of international indigenous contemporary art Àbadakone | Continuous Fire | Feu continuel to the Impressionist treasures of the Ordrupgaard Collection and the splendour of Laurent Amiot’s silver masterpieces, explore our extensive selection of past and present exhibition-related videos on the Gallery’s YouTube channel.

Make Art at Home!
Keep your creative juices flowing through an evolving array of fun art-making activities, how-to videos, articles, downloadable resources, and more.

See how many monsters you find, as you colour in this sheet based on our Beautiful Monsters exhibition. Download

Create a lasting record for your work with this artwork label. Download

Brighten your world with a stained-glass design made with simple materials you have at home. Learn more

Compelling Reads
Spend some time learning about the artists and works that make up Canada’s national art collection.

For more information visit the National Gallery at gallery.ca