Ottawa's National Gallery of Canada is showcasing a powerful new exhibition that reframes winter not as something to endure, but as something to celebrate. Winter Count: Embracing the Cold invites visitors into a rich visual and cultural dialogue about how Indigenous communities across North America have long understood, honoured, and lived within the cold season.
What Is a Winter Count?
For many Plains Indigenous nations, a "winter count" is a pictorial calendar — a hide or cloth marked with symbols representing the most significant event of each year. These records were maintained by knowledge keepers and served as living histories, passed down through generations. The exhibition takes this concept as its foundation, using it as a lens through which contemporary and historical Indigenous art explores the meaning of winter.
The works on display span a wide range of media, from painting and sculpture to textile and mixed media installations. Artists featured in the exhibition come from various Indigenous nations across Canada and the United States, each bringing their own community's perspective on what winter means — culturally, spiritually, and practically.
Highlights of the Exhibition
Visitors can expect immersive works that draw on traditional knowledge while speaking to present-day realities. Some pieces depict the stark beauty of frozen landscapes through a lens of belonging rather than isolation. Others use the cold as a metaphor for resilience — communities enduring and thriving through hardship in ways that mainstream culture has often overlooked.
The National Gallery has paired the artwork with interpretive materials that help contextualize the winter count tradition for those unfamiliar with it, making the exhibition accessible without flattening its complexity. Educational programming runs alongside the main show, including talks, workshops, and family-friendly events designed to deepen engagement.
Why This Exhibition Matters
For Ottawa residents, Winter Count: Embracing the Cold arrives at a meaningful moment. The capital sits on unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe territory, and exhibitions like this one offer a vital opportunity to engage with the histories and living cultures of the land's original stewards — not just through acknowledgment, but through art that demands sustained attention.
The National Gallery has been steadily expanding its Indigenous art programming in recent years, and this exhibition represents one of the more ambitious presentations to date. It positions winter — something every Ottawan knows intimately — as shared ground for cross-cultural understanding.
Plan Your Visit
The National Gallery of Canada is located at 380 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, steps from the Rideau River and Major's Hill Park. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, and admission to the permanent collection is free for youth under 17. Winter Count: Embracing the Cold may require a separate exhibition ticket — check the National Gallery's website for current pricing and hours.
Whether you're a longtime gallery-goer or looking for a meaningful way to spend a weekend in the city, this exhibition offers something genuinely thought-provoking. Ottawa winters are long — this is a beautiful reason to step outside and into a new perspective on the season.
Source: National Gallery of Canada via Google News
