Showcasing Canadian Art
The National Gallery of Canada, which has been an institution in Canada since 1880, is home to a huge collection of works by Canadian artists, including William Berczy, The Group of Seven, Alex Colville and David Milne. One of the most fascinating pieces in the gallery is the Rideau Street Convent Chapel, which was originally part of an Ottawa girls' school, run by the Sisters of Charity. Designed in 1887, saved from destruction and dismantled in 1972 and restored to its former glory in 1988, this example of ecclesiastical art and architecture is now forever preserved in the gallery.

See the World
While very impressive, the Canadian galleries are far from the majority of the whole gallery collection. There are five octagonal rooms showcasing the country's best Inuit art, particularly of that since 1949. The European and American Art collection showcases the evolution of the Western artistic tradition from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, and the section devoted to contemporary art is continually evolving. There are also galleries devoted to Modern (or 20th century) Art, an impressive selection of photographs and prints, as well as the Media Arts Collection, which focuses on art made from non-traditional media such as film, video, audio-recording, the computer, or other electronic media.

Temporary Exhibits
All this does not even include the wide array of temporary exhibits featured at the museum. Some past exhibits have included the works of Degas, Renoir, Monet, Klimt, Colville, Barry and West, to name but a few. The gallery’s collection currently numbers at more than 37,000 pieces with more than 1200 on display in the gallery at any given time. The National Gallery also has exhibitions traveling all over the world.