New Exhibition Frames WAG-Qaumajuq Collection Through an Indigenous Lens

Press Release

Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 9, 2026: The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq announces a new exhibition in the permanent collection galleries curated by Marie-Anne Redhead, Assistant Curator of Indigenous & Contemporary Art. The exhibition opens June 10 during WAG Wednesday Nights and runs until winter 2027.

Reframed invites viewers to examine how Indigenous peoples have been represented over time in the WAG-Qaumajuq collection. The exhibition asks us to consider our perspective towards the artwork, and to the people and histories represented within. Featuring 19th-and 20th-century portraits, landscapes, and ethnographic photography, Reframed places historical images of Indigenous figures by settler artists — shaped by the dominant colonial perspectives of their time — alongside pieces by Indigenous and racialized artists of today who challenge, reclaim, and recontextualize these narratives.

Quick Facts:

• Reframed opens to the public on June 10 at 7pm with a public celebration during WAG Wednesday Nights (weekly free admission, 5-9pm).
• The exhibition is curated by Marie-Anne Redhead, Assistant Curator of Indigenous & Contemporary Art and explores the Gallery’s permanent collection and portrayal of Indigenous people.
• Through artworks spanning 19th century to present day, the show traces shifting portrayals of Indigenous identity and places historical representations in dialogue with contemporary perspectives.
• Artists include Jeffrey Thomas, Dana Claxton, Kent Monkman, Michelle Sound, Rosalie Favell, Murray McKenzie, Meryl McMaster, Caroline Monnet, Fritz Scholder, and more.
• The public is invited to join us on June 10 at 7pm for the free opening celebration during WAG Wednesday Nights (5-9pm), made possible by Power Corporation of Canada. The evening will include music from DJ The Kaptain through Sounds of Manitoba, sponsored by Leon A. Brown in honour of Ruth Anne Schnier.
• Reframed contributes to WAG-Qaumajuq’s equity initiatives, which are funded in part by The Winnipeg Foundation. The exhibition is part of the evolution of WAG-Qaumajuq’s Artwork Renaming Initiative, which gave new names to problematic artwork titles in the WAG-Qaumajuq collection with the assistance of Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and language keepers.

Quotes:

“We are proud to open Reframed and invite visitors to experience the WAG-Qaumajuq collection through the perspective of Marie-Anne Redhead, Assistant Curator of Indigenous and Contemporary Art. Through her thoughtful selection and interpretation of works, Marie-Anne presents the collection in a new context, encouraging audiences to consider the motivations behind the artworks and the narratives they convey. Reframed challenges visitors to reflect on how history has often been presented through a singular voice and to examine those narratives in light of contemporary understandings of truth, representation, and perspective.”

— Bill Elliott, Deputy Director & CFO, WAG-Qaumajuq

“Reframed offers an opportunity to engage differently with the WAG’s permanent collection, revealing the histories that have shaped it while critically examining them through a First Nations perspective. As a Cree curator working with a collection that contains so many ethnographic depictions of our peoples, I am deeply honoured to contribute to the effort to exhibit and acquire art by contemporary First Nations and Métis artists.”

— Marie-Anne Redhead, Assistant Curator of Indigenous & Contemporary Art, WAG-Qaumajuq

Supported By

WAG-Qaumajuq is grateful to The Winnipeg Foundation for their support of the Reframed exhibition. The Gallery thanks Leon A. Brown, for their Sounds of Manitoba sponsorship in honour of Ruth Anne Schnier, and Power Corporation of Canada, both of which contributed to the opening celebration.

Associated Links

Reframed
Artworks Renaming Initiative
Equity Action Plan

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