Indigenous Art on Public Display at McGill University
by McGill Visual Arts Collection
Introduction
The McGill Visual Arts Collection is committed to strengthening local, contemporary Indigenous art practices in Canada and is actively working to increase the diversity and visibility of Indigenous art – modern and contemporary – across all campuses. This interactive map provides an overview of the curated spaces and other installations that feature Indigenous art at the University. If possible, we encourage users of this map to visit the physical locations to appreciate these artworks first-hand.
Land Acknowledgement
The McGill Visual Arts Collection is located on land which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee, Kanien’kehá:ka, and Anishinaabe nations. The McGill Visual Arts Collection honours, recognizes, and respects these nations as the traditional stewards of the lands and waters on which it stands.
Support
The McGill Visual Arts Collection would like to thank the generous donors that have helped expand our selection of artworks by Indigenous artists, as well as those whose support helps make the research, conservation, and diffusion of Indigenous art at McGill possible.
Indigenous Art Map

BEAD PAINT CARVE
Curated by Michelle Macleod, Visual Arts Collection

Visible Storage Gallery on the 4th floor of McLennan Library
Located on the fourth floor of the McLennan Library Building, the Visible Storage Gallery includes dozens of artworks from McGill University’s Visual Arts Collection. The works are hung salon-style in an eye-catching display on a vibrant indigo coloured wall just outside the Rare Books & Archives Reading Room. The Indigenous artists featured in this display include Benjamin Chee Chee, Leo Yerxa, Sharni Pootoogook, Eldred Allen, Tony Hunt Sr., Rita Letendre, and ᐊᐅᓂᑦᓯᐊ (Paunichea).

Visible Storage Gallery Display Case in the McLennan Library
The works presented in this display case in McGill's Visible Storage Gallery originate from Indigenous nations across North America and New Zealand. The majority range in date from the mid-twentieth to early twenty-first centuries. These woven, sculptural, and graphic works highlight the diverse materiality of modern and contemporary Indigenous art practices, which often reference traditional knowledge, beliefs, and motifs. Artists featured are ᓘᓯ ᑕᓯᐊ (Lucy Tasseor), Tony Hunt Jr. and Sr., Gryn White, Gregg Tagarook, Elmer Ekayuke Frankson, John Collins, Glen Pollard, Rufus Moody, and Percy J. Ellis.

Mamidonenindam Meditation (Respite 03) by Nadia Myre in the Lobby of the McLennan-Redpath Library
Located in the main lobby of the McLennan Library is a large photographic work by Nadia Myre titled, Mamidonenindam (Meditations Respite 03). Myre (1974-) is a contemporary artist and a member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation. Her work seeks inspiration from conversations around themes of identity, resilience, politics, language, and loss. A continuation of her beaded series Meditations on Black and Meditations on Red (featured in the James Administration Building), Mamidonenindam (Meditations Respite 03) is inspired by the imagery from our solar system and explores the question of the afterlife. The work is meant to evoke the mystery of the universe and the infinite nature of the systems that make up our surroundings.

Animal Nations Art Display in McLennan Library Lobby
This display of Indigenous Art is curated by Catie Galbraith, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and recent McGill Graduate of History and Geography and with a minor in Indigenous Studies. While working for the VAC as an Indigenous Art Intern Galbraith thoughtfully brought together these works to represent Indigenous relationships with animal nations, highlighting traditional foodways and the cultural significance of hunting. The term ‘animal nations’ is intended to acknowledge the sovereignty of non-human beings and recognizes their right to be treated with reciprocity and diplomacy.

Storytelling Art Display in McLennan Library Lobby
This display of Indigenous art is curated by Catie Galbraith, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and recent McGill Graduate of History and Geography and with a minor in Indigenous Studies. While working for the VAC as an Indigenous Art Intern Galbraith thoughtfully brought together these works to teach us important lessons about our connections to each other, our world, and communities. Each work of art speaks to the Indigenous tradition of passing down knowledge and history through storytelling. Primarily an oral tradition recounted through spoken word, Indigenous storytelling facilitates crucial exchanges of knowledge aimed to guide future generations.

ᐊᕐᓇᖅ ᑑᒐᓕᒻᒥᑦ ᑑᒑᓕᒃ (Woman with Narwal Tusk) by ᐅᓱᐃᑦᑐᖅ ᐊᐃᐱᓕ (Osuitok Ipeelee) in Redpath Library Building
Located on the first floor of the Redpath Library building, surrounded by group study spaces is a sculpture by ᐅᓱᐃᑦᑐᖅ ᐊᐃᐱᓕ (Osuitok Ipeelee) titled ᐊᕐᓇᖅ ᑑᒐᓕᒻᒥᑦ ᑑᒑᓕᒃ (Woman with Narwal Tusk). This large soapstone sculpture is 60cm high and depicts a woman grasping the twisted tusk of a Narwal. Ipeelee (1923-2005) was a well-known carver from ᓂᐅᐊᓕᐅᑕᓕᒃ (Kinngait / Cape Dorset) and helped establish art collectives in Nunavut in the 1950s.

Miyanxa (Art Sterritt) Prints in Schulich Library
Two prints titled, Hazilaxooxs and Ne-Walpsu, by Miyanxa (Art Sterritt) are on view on the 3rd floor of the Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Engineering

Projections: Kwe
Projections: Kwe is the inaugural exhibit in the Projections series. The project was initiated by the Engineering Undergraduate Society’s Indigenous Inclusion Committee (ICC) with the hopes of increasing visibility, representation, and inclusion of Indigenous students and cultures in the Faculty of Engineering, and developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering’s Dean’s office, the Provost’s Indigenous Initiatives Office, and McGill’s Visual Arts Collection.

PAST EXHIBIT Takunnanguaqtangit, Temporary Exhibtion (October 2022)
Art at McGill enhances the physical environment of the campuses, serves to welcome members of many communities, and provide opportunities for first-hand study and research by students. This display features Inuit prints that were selected by Max Stern Graduate Fellow Erika Kindsfather from the University’s collection for the Ajuinnata event series at McGill. These particular prints showcase the breadth of visual and practical strategies that Inuk artists have developed to depict scenes of everyday life, stories, and relationships through print media. Two of the artists whose work is included, Tim Pitsuilak and Ninguikulu Teevee, also have designs integrated into CHARS building and are featured in EVOQ Architecture's Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit exhibition in the adjoining space. Beginning in the 1950s, printmaking across Inuit Nunangat became a cooperative artistic activity. As a process, it involves creative exchange and collaboration among graphic artists, engravers, printers, and even carvers and other workshop members. Included in this exhibition are 15 artworks produced between 1962 and 2017 in three printmaking studios: the Kinngait studios (Kinngait [Cape Dorset]), Sanavik Co-Operative studios (Qamaniuaq [Baker Lake]), and the printmaking workshop at Puvirnituq (Povungnituk). Within this frame of collaborative artistic practice, every printmaking studio operates with a unique approach to the process, shaped by distinct histories, influences, cultural identities, and the collective creativity of artistic communities they formed over time. The University’s collection of Inuit art, on view in buildings across the campuses, continues to grow every year, thanks to the support of donors.

Caroline Monnet Fragment Series in Schulich Music – Swaneige and Sebastien
Located on the second floor of the Strathcona Music Building in a student lounge space are two of the six photographs in the McGill Visual Arts Collection by Caroline Monnet. Monnet is a multidisciplinary artist of Algonquin-French heritage. She was raised in Outaouais, Quebec and now lives and works in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). Her award-winning films and visual art have been exhibited and collected internationally. In 2021, Monnet was the Mellon Indigenous Studies and Community Engagement Initiatives inaugural Indigenous Artist-in-Residence at McGill University.

Caroline Monnet Fragment Series in Armstrong Building – Nico
Located on the third floor of the Armstrong Building of the Desaultel School of Management is one of the six photographs in the McGill Visual Arts Collection by Caroline Monnet. Monnet is a multidisciplinary artist of Algonquin-French heritage. She was raised in Outaouais, Quebec and now lives and works in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). Her award-winning films and visual art have been exhibited and collected internationally. In 2021, Monnet was the Mellon Indigenous Studies and Community Engagement Initiatives inaugural Indigenous Artist-in-Residence at McGill University.

Caroline Monnet Fragment Series at Outaouais Campus – Alexandre
Located at McGill University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Campus Outaouais in Gatineau is one of the collection's six photographs by Caroline Monnet. Monnet is a multidisciplinary artist of Algonquin-French heritage. She was raised in Outaouais, Quebec and now lives and works in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). Her award-winning films and visual art have been exhibited and collected internationally. In 2021, Monnet was the Mellon Indigenous Studies and Community Engagement Initiatives inaugural Indigenous Artist-in-Residence at McGill University.

Mamidonenindam Miskwa (Meditations on Red) by Nadia Myre in the Lobby of the James Administration Building
Just inside the main doors of the James Building's main entrance are three artworks by Nadia Myre titled, Mamidonenindam Miskwa (Meditations on Red). Myre (1974-) is a contemporary artist and a member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation. These three circular face-mounted giclée photographic prints are 60cm in diameter. They show three variations of close-up views of vibrant red, clear, and white beads woven together in a circular formation. These works question the notion of assessing one’s identity through blood quantum by presenting different – more or less diluted – ‘Indigenous compositions’. The McGill Visual Arts Collection acquired three out of the 5 artworks in this 2013 series (#1, #5, and #2) in 2019.

First Nations Woodcarvings on the 5th floor of the Bronfman Building
The glass cases located on the fifth floor of Bronfman building house a selection of carved wooden masks, all of which were fabricated by First Nations artists from the Canadian Northwest Coast. Carvings such as these were traditionally crafted for ritualistic purposes, but the examples shown in this display are art objects intended to be shared amongst an international audience. Artist represented here include; Jason Hunt, Patrick Amos, Tim Paul, Lance Cesa, Stanley Clifford Hunt, Kevin Krammer, and Artie George.

ᐸᖕᓂᖅ ᐊᓄᕆᒥᑦ ᓇᐃᒪᔪᖅ (Pagniq Sniffs the Wind) by ᐸᓪᓗ ᐳᓪᓚᑦ (Pudlo Pudlat) in the Lobby of Martlet House
ᐸᓪᓗ ᐳᓪᓚᑦ (Pudlo Pudlat) (1916-1992) was an Inuit artist from Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin Island) who moved to ᑭᓐᖓᐃᑦ (Kinngait/Cape Dorset) in the 1950’s to begin what would become a prolific artistic career. His compositions were marked by a unique juxtaposition of humour, traditional motifs, and simple outlines. ᐸᖕᓂᖅ ᐊᓄᕆᒥᑦ ᓇᐃᒪᔪᖅ (Pagniq Sniffs the Wind) is a 1984 lithograph representing a caribou – culturally significant animal in the Inuit culture – in movement with its head in the wind.

1980's Inuit Prints in New Chancellor Day Hall
Located in New Chancellor Day Hall, this selection exemplifies printmaking practices within Inuit artistic communities during the early 1980s. Featuring prominent Inuit printmakers of the period, including the first generation of artists from the Kinngait studio in Cape Dorset (now known as the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative in Cape Dorset), it highlights the complex self-representation of northern experience across multiple media, generations, and sites. Here you will enjoy artworks by Jamasie Teevee, Simon Tookoome, Josea Maniapik, Eliseepee Ishulutaq, Oshutsiak Pudlat, Aoudla Pudlat, Kingmeata Etidlooie, ᓘᓯ ᕿᓐᓄᐊᒧᐊᖅ (Lucy Qinnuayuak), and ᐱᑦᓯᐊᓛᖅ ᐊᓲᓇ (Pitseolak Ashoona).

ᐅᒃᑯᓯᔅᓴᖅ ᓴᓇᓐᖑᐊᒐᖅ (Inuit Sculptures) in the Lobby of the Nahum Gelber Law Library
The Inuit sculptures presented in this display, ranging in dates between the mid-twentieth and the early twenty-first centuries, demonstrate the close relationship between Inuit peoples and the Arctic. Sustainability and the efficient use of materials, two core Inuit principles, have been paramount to Inuit culture for millennia. Many of these sculptures and objects were created using antler, a material shed on a yearly basis, or animal bone. Other sculptures are made from stone quarried in the region, such as soapstone (steatite) or serpentine. In this way, these works not only demonstrate the deep respect that the Inuit have for their environment but also reveal the diversity and scope of Inuit art production. Artists featured in this display include; Kellipalik Qimirpik, Wayne Puqiqnak, ᑕᐃᑑᓯ ᑐᓐᓂᓕ (Tytoosie Tunnillie), John Nutarariaq, Enooky Ohotoq, Egeesiak Pitsiulak, Seeleenak Celina Putulik, Seepie Ipellie, Jamasie, and Seemee Kanayuk.

Mural by Robert Houle in the Nahum Gelber Law Library
Located on the first floor of the Gelber Law Library lobby, this large-scale mural is a must-see when on campus. Robert Houle, a member of the Saulteaux First Nation, is a prominent artist, curator, critic, teacher, and graduate of McGill (B.Ed ‘75). Largely concerned with exploring bi-cultural identity, Houle’s work typically combines Euro-Modernism and hard-edged abstraction with traditional Ojibwe motifs. This early work from 1975, while somewhat experimental and atypical of Houle’s mature style, similarly explores some of these issues, although through a more figurative approach.

Giiwebiboong (New Year) by Roy Thomas on the Second Floor of the Nahum Gelber Library
Located on the second floor of the Gelber Law Library, Giiwebiboong (New Year) by Roy Thomas is a brightly colored composition of a bear, a bird, and a fish that are linked together by bold linework and symbolism. Roy Thomas (1949-2004) is Anishinaabe and a self-taught artist, teacher, and residential school survivor. He was one of the leading representatives of the Woodland School of Art, pioneered by Norval Morrisseau and Daphne Odjig. His paintings are characterized by the presence of colourful totemic animals and of circles as symbols of interconnectedness. Giiwebiboong (New Year) is typical of his style.

Adamie Alaku Qaqutu and Lucy Qinnuayuak Prints on 4th Floor of Chancellor Day Hall
Two prints by Inuit artists Adamie Alaku Qaqutu and ᓘᓯ ᕿᓐᓄᐊᒧᐊᖅ (Lucy Qinnuayuak) can be viewed in New Chancellor Day Hall. Qaqutu's Seals/Aquatic Family (pictured here) and Qinnuayuak's ᓇᓄᖅ, ᑎᒻᒥᐊᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᓪᓗ (Children Followed by Bird Spirit) are a perfect pair together, as they share a joyful representation of animal spirits. Both artworks represent early Inuit printmaking from the 1960s.

Owls Gather Together by Kenojuak Ashevak in Faculty of Law's Faculty Lounge
Ookpiks, ᐅᒃᐱᒃ, owls. Symbol of wisdom, friendship, and guidance. In a communal space where people in the pursuit of knowledge exchange ideas with peers, the stylized print finds its home. Owls Gather Together (1984) figures a symmetrical juxtaposition of four owls. One is flying over the three others at the base, protecting them, its eyes all round, on the lookout of the horizon. Its feet point inwards while its magnificent wings and tail spread out, bringing a downward sense of movement. The texture of the feathers is expressed through the pattern of the white space carved out while the owl is brought to life by how clustered this pattern is and the color gradation. The plumage layers are then built from the waveform rows of green, white, black, and gray. Underneath this messenger owl is an owl filled with determination and eyes that challenge the viewer. The owl is puffed up with courage, advancing head-on, showing only the diamond-shaped black, blue, and white rows on its fluffy body. The sharp beaks of the two central owls accentuate the forward momentum. In contrast, the two sideways owls hold a formation where their feet are grounded. They are guards, warning off any trespasser with their open beaks. The arrangement of the owls creates a strong sense of community, where everyone has a purpose and advances in unison.

Inuit Prints in Centennial Center, Macdonald Campus (Area Under Renovation, 2022-)
To highlight their 25th anniversary of graduation, the McGill graduating class of 1941 donated a series of Inuit prints – stone cuts, skin stencils, and engravings – to the Macdonald College and its Faculty of Agriculture and School of Food Science. Five important artworks can be viewed in the lobby of the Centennial Center. Artists featured include ᐸᓪᓗ ᐳᓪᓚᑦ (Pudlo Pudlat), Kiakshuk, Pudlat Pootoogook, ᓘᓯ ᕿᓐᓄᐊᒧᐊᖅ (Lucy Qinnuayuak), Alashua Aningmiuq, and Pitseolak Ashoona.
Further Research
The Visual Arts Collection is currently working on more curated displays of Indigenous art on campus, so we invite you to check back often and follow us @McGill_VAC on Instagram for the latest news!
To learn more about any artworks or artists mentioned in this map, or if you would like to learn more about other Indigenous or non-Indigenous art in McGill University's collection, please contact the Visual Arts Collection.