After being kept away for 40 years, a huge painting by Ojibway artist Norval Morrisseau has been shown to the public at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery in northwestern Ontario.
The Morrisseau Masterwork painting measures 22 feet long and 9.4 feet high (about 6.7 by 3 metres) and hasn’t been seen publicly since 1986.
This artwork is on loan from EA Studios Calgary, which is working with the gallery to mount the rolled, raw canvas from its collection onto a stretcher – a frame with expandable joints – for preservation.
The large Woodland Style mural illustrates a gathering of adults, children, animals, birds, and spiritual beings within a natural setting.
“I’m really excited. I have to tell you, the first time I unrolled it with our contractors, it was very overwhelming, but in a positive sense,” said Joseph Helmy, director of EA Studios Calgary. “This piece, it’s just very spiritual. It’s very powerful. It’s really hard to describe.”
“This piece, I think, is going to really bring a lot of people together..,” Helmy said.
“From what I’ve learned through the stories that my father has shared and through the expertise of Mr. John Zemanovich, Norval’s paintings were created to tell his stories, but they were also created to bridge Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together – and that’s what I hope that this painting will do.”
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This masterwork by Ojibway artist Norval Morrisseau had been in storage for four decades before it was unveiled at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery on Friday. (Marc Doucette/CBC)
Helmy’s family began their connection with the artist in 1985 when his father, Galal, was advised to support Morrisseau’s work by Winnipeg art dealer Robert Checkwitch.
Helmy mentioned that the artist called his father saying he dreamed he was painting for him in the Canadian Rockies where he lived in Jasper; this intrigued him enough to book Morrisseau on a flight to Alberta.
Morrisseau continued living and creating art above EA Studios Calgary while it operated out of Maligne Canyon Tea House during winters until 1987.
<p“Actually painted for my father,” Helmy said about this piece “and he never had this hung on the wall before.” He noted that it was displayed only at a few exhibitions in Edmonton and last shown in 1986.
Displayed ‘where it all started’
The art studio has collaborated since 2025 with Thunder Bay Art Gallery to unveil this artwork.
“We really have enjoyed working with them over the last two years to make this event happen,” Helmy said.
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Gallery staff mount the artwork and prepare to hang it for public viewing in Thunder Bay. (Marc Doucette/CBC)
This piece has returned home since it’s where Norval was born; Helmy expressed he couldn’t think of a “better place to start showing this piece back to public view again.”</P
Morrisseau passed away in 2007 at age 75 and is regarded as one of Canada’s pioneers of contemporary Indigenous art. He hailed from Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation or Sand Point First Nation located in northwestern Ontario.</P
“Many people associate Morrisseau with some larger works like Androgyny at the governor general’s residence; when you see someone receiving an Order of Canada award there’s often a Morrisseau behind them-it’s also quite an epic canvas,” Matthew Hills commented as executive director at Thunder Bay gallery.
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“But … it’s actually a triptych meaning there are three parts comprising the canvas whereas this is one big piece.” This makes Hills feel like it’s showcasing early stages where Morrisseau began exploring larger canvases showcasing his artistic brilliance.
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The gallery sees this opportunity as an entry point into discussing something that hasn’t gotten attention over past four decades according to Hills.
</P LISTEN | Mathew Hills: Giant Morriseau Painting :
Superior Morning7:48Mathew Hills: Giant Morriseau PaintingA massive Norval Morrisseau masterpiece is returning to public view right here in Thunder Bay. Hear more about that.
In addition supporting conservation efforts regarding the piece itself; Hills mentions how galleries get chance examine some historical context related these artworks too-in region closely linked Morrisseau’s roots.
“We’re thrilled getting opportunity show off pieces restore their full glory,” added Hills inviting everyone take look around during exhibition running until Jan.3.
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