The TD Gallery of Indigenous Art, like Montreal’s Biosphere, has its roots in the 1967 World’s Fair, Expo 67. Various pieces were in several Canadian pavilions and model suites, such as Habitat 67. Inuit art’s presence at Expo 67 helped cement it as uniquely Canadian and make it a popular export during Canada’s Centennial year.
The display was assembled by the Toronto Dominion Bank to both honor the bank’s past and look ahead to its future.
Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits
I’ve always found the art of Canada’s Indigenous northern peoples amazing. My favorite area in the museum was the art dedicated to women and their lives. The glass case below included women in some of the collection’s oldest pieces.
The image on the bottom row, second from the right, is titled Birth Scene by Ennutsiak (1896-1967), an Arctic artist. It’s from 1964. The sculpture captures a moment of community life, the birth of a child, its mother and the midwives of the community. It celebrates women’s roles, the importance of family and community bonds in Inuit life.
You can see the sculpture, Owl with Owlets (1950), by Abraham POV to the right of Birth Scene. It shows the natural bond and nurturing relationship within an owl family. The artist, Abraham POV, was born in 1927 near Puvirnituq in Nunavik.
Fast Fact: Owls (Ookpik, α αα±α, in Inuktitut) are important in Inuit mythology and traditions. They're often linked to wisdom, guidance, and the afterlife. Traditional stories and themes include the owl as a guide, the warning owl, and the tale of the owl spirit.
Woman, 1964, far left on the bottom row, is a sculpture by John Tiktak. He was an Inuit artist born near Hudson Bay in 1916. This sculpture reflects his style of emphasizing simple shapes to capture the essence of Inuit life and people in a way that honors tradition. Tiktak was one of the first Inuit artists to have a solo exhibition and gain national recognition for his work.
The other sculptures in the photo include:
- Front row- far right: Woman Feeding Child, 1958, by Samson Kingalik
- Back row – left to right: Mother and Child, 1978, by George Tataniq; Woman Breastfeeding Baby, 1953, by Isa Smiler (also known as Aqiattusuk)
Where can I learn more about the individual pieces of art and the artists in the TD Gallery of Indigenous art?
There are a number of resources available to learn more. However, this PDF from the TD Bank has photos and artist details of some important pieces.
What’s in the TD Gallery of Indigenous Art?
The TD Gallery of Indigenous Art started with 650 sculptures and 150 prints. The sculptures included small bone and walrus ivory carvings as well as large soapstones. Works date back as far as 1000 years!
Vision for the collection came from 1960’s Chairman and President, Allen Lambert. He’d spent time as a branch manager in Yellowknife.
Fast Fact: Niviaxie's artwork, Untitled (Depictions of Nomadic Life), is made from felt, sealskin, chamois, and embroidery floss on a cotton backing. It shows various traditional scenes including hunting, building an igloo, and daily life.
In 1976, the TD bank founded its Archives and Heritage department to identify, acquire, and preserve organizational history. Their Inuit Collection opened as a gallery in 1982. The collection represents all regions of the Canadian Arctic.
Currently, according to the International Association of Corporate Collections of Contemporary Art, the collection has 6,500 artworks.
The museum also provides exhibitions for other museums. Its first was in the spring of 1973. This eight-week exhibition consisted of 108 sculptures and 128 prints. It introduced people in San Francisco at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum (now the de Young Museum) to Indigenous Art.
The exhibition was one of the first to bring artforms from the North to an American audience.
How can I learn more about the 1973 San Francisco show?
The TD bank has provided information on the show as one of its TD stories. You can read more at An inside look at the TD collection of art by Indigenous Peoples.
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
The TD Gallery of Indigenous Art was just one museum I visited in downtown Toronto. While I take the Toronto Subway or the PATH (Toronto’s 30 km underground pedestrian walkway) to a central point, then I walk between Toronto attractions.
Here are some of my reviews for nearby walkable museums:
- Hockey Hall of Fame Museum: just 350 m (0.2 m) away, also located in the Financial District
- Toronto’s First Post Office Museum: about 1 km (0.6 m)away
- The Museum of Illusions Toronto: about 1 km (0.6 m) away
- The Art Gallery of Ontario: about 1.5 km (1 m) away
If you’re looking for lunch or a coffee break, I highly recommend the Toronto Eaton Center.
The Urban Eatery has 25 restaurants with various cultural and quick dining options. It’s located on the lower north side of the Eaton Center. You’ll also find Queen’s Cross Food Hall with its 16 chef-driven food stalls along with a bar and rotating roster of pop-ups on the lower south side of the Toronto Eaton Center.
It’s about 750 m (0.5 m) from the TD Gallery of Indigenous Art to the Urban Eatery food court in the Toronto Eaton Centre. If you’re visiting in the winter or on a rainy day, you can reach the Eaton Centre off the PATH.
Who Should Visit the TD Gallery of Indigenous Art?
The TD Gallery of Indigenous Art is a great attraction for everyone interested in sculptures with a dedicated Indigenous focus. Indeed, it’s one of the few galleries in a large urban centre like Toronto (it has Canada’s largest population) to feature Indigenous art.
Fast Fact: Remember the Ookpik? The Federal Government of Canada selected an Ookpik to represent Canada at a 1963 trade fair in Philadelphia. An Ookpik is a toy owl about 12.5 cm (5 in) tall that's usually handcrafted and made with real or synthetic seal fur. The toy's popularity grew over the next five years, making a mark on Canadian cultural and consumer history.
If you’re interested in cultural preservation and celebration, this museum is a perfect destination.
You’ll find traditional and contemporary Indigenous art forms including sculpture, printmaking, textiles, and more.
Many find the displays have an educational impact. When studied, these displays can help visitors develop a better understanding of Indigenous peoples.
I spent half an hour in the museum, so it’s a quick visit. Since just a small part of the collection is on display at a time, it’s a gallery visitors can visit regularly to see something new.
The museum is accessible to visitors with a range of mobility and sensory needs. Those with mobility needs can enter the TD Centre through its main lobby at 77 King St. W. From there, they’ll follow signs to the Gallery in the Centre’s South Tower concourse level. Wide pathways inside the gallery make it easy for strollers and wheelchairs in the gallery.
How Do You Visit the TD Gallery of Indigenous Art?
The TD Gallery of Indigenous Art is located in a major office complex in downtown Toronto. You can reach the gallery from public transit options and the PATH underground walkway for sheltered access.
Parking: There are several paid parking garages in Toronto's Financial District. Eaton Centre Parking at 220 Yonge St. is just 0.75 km (750 m) away. There's metered street parking and various paid lots that may be available depending on the time of day.
Street Address: 79 Wellington Street West (TD Centre), Toronto, Ontario
Check days and hours open on the TD Art page of the Toronto Dominion website.
Take a quick virtual tour of the TD Gallery of Inuit Art on YouTube.
Check out what’s nearby and plan your visit with Google maps.
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