This post is sponsored by the National Gallery of Canada.

During Capital Pride and beyond, make time to drop in and explore the National Gallery of Canada. You won’t want to miss the incredible exhibitions and so much more.

On now and through September, Over The Rainbow: A Selection of Works by LGBTQ2S+ explores art through the rainbow lens. Featuring works produced over several decades by a variety of transformative artists, you’ll view photos, videos and more. Some works will make you laugh, and others will help you understand the true nature of inclusion and belonging.

When to go: Anytime now through September, 2022

Where to find: Contemporary Galleries, B202 & B203

What not to miss: Shawna Dempsey & Lorri Millan’s work titled Lesbian National Park and Services: A Force of Nature

Shawna Dempsey & Lorri Millan, Lesbian National Park and Services: A Force of Nature. First performed: July 1997, Banff National Park, Walter Phillips Gallery, The Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, Alberta. © Shawna Dempsey & Lorri Millan. Photo : Don Lee, The Banff Centre for the Arts, 1997

 

While en route to Over the Rainbow, you’ll be amazed by what the Gallery has in their main entrance. A large, steel sculpture entitled Capsule, by artist Rashid Johnson. The installation is filled with plants, books, lights and more.

When to go: Now through January 5, 2023

Where to find: Main Entrance

What not to miss: The stacks of books, strategically chosen with themes of class and racial struggles

Rashid Johnson, Capsule (detail), 2020–21, powder-coated steel, plants, ceramics, rugs, fibreglass, shea butter, books, video, monitors and grow lights National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Purchased 2021. © Rashid Johnson. Photo: NGC

 

Also on at The Gallery is General Idea. General Idea is a trio of artists (Felix Partz, Jorge Zontal and AA Bronson), and this exhibit is the most comprehensive retrospective of their works ever produced. You’ll find more than 200 works on display, showcasing their wide-ranging career.

When to go: Now through November 20, 2022

Where to find: Special Exhibitions Galleries and Public Spaces

What not to miss: The IMAGEVIRUS series from the 1980s

 

While you’re at NGC, stop by John Akomfrah: Vertigo Sea . A three-channel, 48 minute video installation using historical clips from the BBC, Vertigo Sea portrays the sea as both terrible and beautiful.

When to go: Now through July, 2023

Where to find: Contemporary Galleries, B106

What not to miss: Scenes of a polar bear hunting off the Arctic floes, juxtaposed with slaves and refugees in ships and makeshift vessels.

John Akomfrah, still from Vertigo Sea, 2015. 3 channel high definition video, 48:30 minutes. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. © Smoking Dogs Films; Courtesy Smoking Dogs Films and Lisson Gallery

 

Of course, once you’ve viewed these spectacular exhibits you’ll want to become an artist yourself! Now through Labour Day weekend, drop in to Open Studio from 10am – 4pm daily. Available to everyone aged 4+, bilingual Interpreters and art materials are ready to help you discover your own inner artistic vision.

Filed under: capital pride, Ottawa, pride