Explore the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre’s Art Collection Online

Project Spotlight: An online portal giving access to over 1,400 pieces of art from over 200 northern artists. 

Collaboration circumpolaire Création Représentation
A painting of a bear on a blue background with images of a bear claw and and Indigenous person’s side profile on the body of the bear.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has launched the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre’s (PWNHC) Museum Art Collection online portal, featuring over 1,400 records and photos of artwork, including sculptures, paintings, prints and wallhangings.

The new portal increases public access to the PWNHC’s holdings, which showcases and preserves Northwest Territories’ arts, cultures, history and heritage. Collected over the 40-year history of the PWNHC, the public can search through the art collection and view artwork created by over 200 northern, Canadian and international circumpolar artists from the comfort of their home.

A painting of a yellow Bombardier snow machine on snow with a blue sky above.
Don Cardinal, Bombardier (1978) © THE ARTIST
A stitched artwork on a blue and red background showing an Inuk hunting caribou.
Mabel Ruben, Untitled (1977) © THE ARTIST

The website features information about the artwork and high-definition images that can be enlarged and examined in detail, searched by artist, culture, region or date according to interests. The size of the collection will continue to grow and evolve as new art is acquired.

The PWNHC has over 75,000 objects in its holdings including archaeology, human history, natural history and art. These collections were developed over the last 40 years, and (as is typical for museums) only a fraction of the material can be exhibited in the museum at one time. By providing online access to the collections in storage, the PWNHC is providing access to hundreds of objects.

This project was made possible by the financial support of the Government of Canada, Canadian Heritage Museum Assistance Program.

An artwork in black and white depicting an Inuit hunter standing with snow shoes and other hunting tools in the background.
William Bonnet, Hunter (c. 1980s) © THE ARTIST

This story is part of the Northwest Territories Spotlight. View more content from the Spotlight here.