Canada Council Art Bank Preview

The viewing room serves as a dedicated space for art rental clients to select their favorite works of art from pre-selections curated by our art consultants.

Yes! You heard that right! For just $1,000 annually, you can infuse your workplace with the vibrancy of Canada’s largest collection of contemporary art.

Remember, art sparks dialogue, fosters creativity and transforms spaces. You can refresh your selection every two years to keep your environment dynamic and aligned with evolving tastes and trends.

Renting a work of art is a turnkey experience! Rental fees are tax deductible, and our team handles all logistics, including installation, making it a cost-effective and hassle-free investment in your workplace ambiance and culture.

If you’d like to have Art Bank artwork installed in your workplace, contact us at artbank@canadacouncil.ca.

Since 1972, the Art Bank has been home to artworks that have shaped Canadian art history and contemporary expression and made them accessible to the public both at home and abroad.

The Art Bank relies on peer assessment committees comprised of artists and cultural workers to make decisions about the collection, and consider artistic merit, relevance, and feasibility to ensure fair representation of diverse artistic specializations and demographics.

This monumental creation by Vancouver-born artist Derek Root recalls the order and symmetry of architectural codes and political power, while the looming presence of faceless power brokers within evokes a sense of impending doom.

The burning light within the piece seems to emanate from beneath the surface, symbolizing an unleashing of energy from something long pent up.

You might have already seen one of his public art projects in Ottawa: at Tunney's Pasture station, Gradient Space features two expansive mosaic wall murals on either side of the platform and a complementary skylight on the roof.

In the 1960s, Quebecois artist Jacques Hurtubise embarked on a quest for optical luminosity that led him to create a wild fusion of painting and sculpture: a lit-up canvas!

When illuminated, the neon and incandescent tubes highlight linear motifs as well as geometric abstracts using brilliant, almost shocking colours. When switched off, the composition remains intact, just without the light.

What’s even more intriguing? He named these bright compositions after women, adding a dash of personality to each work of art!

Catch a glimpse of the vibrant world within the Inuit art collection at the Art Bank, where over 175 artists and nearly 600 works of art await.

Spanning both historic and contemporary periods, the pieces offer insights into the Inuit worldview, incorporating imagery that reflects traditional Northern ways of life.

Here you can behold a constellation of Indigenous creativity, encompassing representations from the Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation, the Abenaki, the M’Chigeeng First Nation, the Onondaga, the Six Nations (Grand River), the Kwakiutl, the Mi’gmaq cultures. Diverse mediums—from painting to photography and silkscreen—serve as mediators of Indigenous aesthetics and narratives.

Halifax-based textile artist Frances Dorsey weaves together a tapestry of personal and shared histories, delicately interlocked with threads of memory.

Against a backdrop of shadows of wartime turmoil, Dorsey’s work embodies the silent struggles endured by Dorsey’s father and countless others. She juxtaposes the stark imagery of soldiers and armaments with fragments of handwritten reflections on the harsh realities of conflict.

Each square of her jacquard-woven creation serves as a testament to the complexities of human resilience and the lingering echoes of trauma.

The Artists’ Colony (1987–89) is a fictitious model by Toronto-based sculptor Kim Adams, showcasing a miniature universe unlike any other.

At its core is a moveable structure crafted entirely from stacked model railroad cars, forming the backbone for an elaborated environment populated with over 100 figurines.

You can endlessly discover tiny scenes and interactions among the people. Can you spot the two artists who are painting? What about woodcutters and their logs? What is going on with people tanning and bathing on top of a train?

The Art Bank technical team, with decades of service and expertise, is responsible for the movement and care of over 17,000 works of art in a wide range of mediums and sizes. Learn more about the work of Dereck Bosley, Luc Raymond, Richard Silva, Pierre Richardson, and framer Americo Giamberardino.

The Art Bank creates engaging spaces that inspire, impress and celebrate culture through its art rental, loan, and outreach activities.

You can bring art into your everyday life through the Art Bank!

Speak to an art consultant to rent works of art for your office!

Visit the Âjagemô exhibition space and experience a selection of artworks from the collection, presented by guest curators.

Subscribe to the e-bulletin to stay informed on Art Bank news and activities!

Thank you for your visit!