National Gallery of Canada's 2026 radiant spring-summer season: from the global Arctic brilliance of Qillaniq to the impressionist world of Helen McNicoll, and more

OTTAWA, ON, April 23, 2026 /CNW/ - Step into a world of light and international dialogue this spring–summer 2026 at the National Gallery of Canada (NGC). This season is centred around a historic retrospective dedicated to a leading Canadian Impressionist artist and one of the world's largest Indigenous circumpolar art exhibition that will challenge everything you think you know about art from the Arctic. The season also marks the return of the Canada Strong Pass, from June 19 to September 7, ensuring easy and affordable access to engaging experiences, artistic discovery and fun art-making that will create lasting memories in the heart of the nation's capital. At the same time, it is bringing its world-class collection to audiences across Canada through major partner exhibitions in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Yukon.

Photo: NGC (CNW Group/National Gallery of Canada)

"This season at the Gallery is about the transformative power of light--whether it is the shimmering reflection of Qillaniq or the sun-soaked canvases of Helen McNicoll," said Jean-François Bélisle, Director and CEO of the National Gallery of Canada. "We are inviting the world to witness how art defies borders and colonization to celebrate and strengthen community."

A travel through light: Helen McNicoll: An Impressionist Journey
May 8 – October 12, 2026

For the first time, Ottawa welcomes the sun-drenched world of one of Canada's most celebrated Impressionist women painters Helen McNicoll (1879–1915). Organized by the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and adapted by the NGC, this exhibition is one of the most ambitious displays of McNicoll's art in a century.

The art of Helen McNicoll, whose masterful use of light and color captures intimate moments of everyday life with remarkable sensitivity, will be celebrated throughout the summer. Bringing together exceptional works from major collections, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to rediscover an artist whose vision helped shape Canadian Impressionism and continues to resonate today.

More than 80 of McNicoll's paintings, sketches and works on paper are featured along with additional works by her closest painting companion Dorothea Sharp and some of her contemporaries in Montreal. The exhibition also includes her personal sketchbooks and correspondence offering a rare insight into her creative process.

Celebrating Circumpolar sovereignty: Qillaniq
June 12 – September 20, 2026

The Gallery unveils a groundbreaking exhibition presenting works by Indigenous artists from across the circumpolar north. Qillaniq, is a luminous expression of radical joy, a holding of space for living circumpolar artists whose art challenges assumptions and connects to contemporary existence and intergenerational legacies of the North. Bringing together almost 70 artists from across Inuit Nunaat, Sápmi and Denendeh, it is the largest exhibition of its kind.

Qillaniq is an Inuktitut word describing how light from the sun or the moon shimmers brightly when reflecting on water --a symbol of the "shine" of Indigenous peoples self-determination in the face of colonization and celebrates their connection to the land. Curated by an all-Indigenous team from the circumpolar world, the exhibition features multi-disciplinary intergenerational practices and includes cutting-edge media, from video and performance to the North American debut of Máret Ánne Sara's iconic installation, Pile o´Sápmi Supreme.

Coinciding with the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–32), Qillaniq functions as a vessel for fluid and interconnected worlds that transcend modern borders.

For kids and families: a summer of creativity

Spark your family's imagination this summer at the Gallery! Explore the creative possibilities of art with a range of free activities and special workshops for all the family. Be inspired by the 'shimmers' of Qillaniq and the sunlit fields of Helen McNicoll and create your own work of art. With interactive spaces and activities, the Gallery is a playground for curiosity, making it the perfect destination for an inspiring family day out.

The return of the Canada Strong Pass

To ensure these world-class exhibitions are accessible to all, the National Gallery of Canada is thrilled to reintroduce the Canada Strong Pass. This pass grants visitors under 24 free admission or reduced prices to the Gallery's collection and exhibitions, making it the perfect companion for a summer of culture in the capital.

Elsewhere in Canada

Access to the Gallery's world-class collection extends beyond Ottawa. This summer, in collaboration with its regional partners, the Gallery is presenting major works across Canada as part of the following exhibitions and installations:  

• AI WEIWEI: FOREVER BICYCLES¸ at The Forks, In Winnipeg, Manitoba,
• ILYA AND EMILIA KABAKOV: THE SHIP OF TOLERANCE, in collaboration with the Oakville Galleries, at the Gairloch Gardens, Oakville, Ontario, starting May 22,
• TRACEY EMIN: ROMAN STANDARD, on the Lassonde Art Trail in Toronto, Ontario, from June 4,
• AUGUST KLINTBERG: LOVE EMPIRE, in collaboration with the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture and the Yukon Riverside Arts Festival, Dawson, Yukon, from June 11, and
• JOAN JONAS: WE COME FROM THE SEA, starting June 13 at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

To find out more about the Gallery's exciting program, please visit gallery.ca.

About the National Gallery of Canada
Founded in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada is among the world's most respected art institutions. As a national museum, we exist to serve all Canadians, no matter where they live. We do this by sharing our collection, exhibitions and public programming widely. We create dynamic experiences that allow for new ways of seeing ourselves and each other through the visual arts, while centering Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Our mandate is to develop, preserve and present a collection for the learning and enjoyment of all--now and for generations to come. We are home to more than 90,000 works, including one of the finest collections of Indigenous and Canadian art, major works from the 14^th to the 21^st century and extensive library and archival holdings. Our dazzling, light-filled building is situated on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation, in Ottawa.

Ankosé  –  Everything is connected – Tout est relié   

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada

For all media requests, please contact: Josée-Britanie Mallet, Senior Media and Public Relations Officer, National Gallery of Canada, [email protected]; Pénélope Carreau, Public Relations Officer, National Gallery of Canada, [email protected]