Ottawa knows a thing or two about winter, and the National Gallery of Canada is leaning into that with its latest exhibition, Winter Count: Embracing the Cold. Rather than treating the season as something to survive, the show flips the narrative, presenting winter as a time of depth, stillness, and unexpected wonder.
What Is Winter Count?
Winter Count: Embracing the Cold is the National Gallery's invitation to reconsider our relationship with the coldest months of the year. The exhibition draws on art, culture, and natural history to explore how people, particularly those in northern climates, have not just endured winter, but embraced it as a defining part of their identity and daily life.
The title itself carries meaning: a "winter count" is a traditional Indigenous record-keeping practice, often a painted hide or other visual document, used by Plains peoples to mark significant yearly events. By centering this concept, the exhibition acknowledges the deep Indigenous roots of living with, and in, winter on this land.
Why It Matters for Ottawa
For Ottawa residents, this exhibition hits close to home. As one of the coldest national capitals in the world, Ottawa has a complicated but deeply personal relationship with winter. Whether it's skating on the Rideau Canal, bundling up for a Winterlude festival, or simply navigating a February commute in -25°C weather, winter is woven into the fabric of what it means to live here.
Winter Count offers locals a chance to see that relationship reflected, and celebrated, through art. It's a reminder that the long months of ice and snow aren't just something Ottawa endures each year; they're part of what makes this city unique.
Visiting the National Gallery
The National Gallery of Canada is located at 380 Sussex Drive, just steps from the Rideau River and within easy reach of the ByWard Market. The museum is easily accessible by transit, and the iconic glass and granite building is a landmark in its own right, particularly striking against a winter sky.
General admission applies, though National Gallery members and children under 12 enter free. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, with extended hours on certain evenings.
A Season Worth Celebrating
Exhibitions like Winter Count serve an important cultural function: they help communities make meaning out of the ordinary. For a city like Ottawa, where winter dominates nearly half the calendar year, reframing the cold as something rich and worth exploring, rather than dreading, is both timely and necessary.
Whether you're an art enthusiast, a history buff, or just looking for a warm (and thought-provoking) escape from the February chill, Winter Count: Embracing the Cold is well worth a visit.
Source: National Gallery of Canada via Google News Ottawa Arts.
