River of Dreams at the Canadian Museum of History
On November 20, 2025, towering totem poles watched over a crowd of more than 700 guests gathered in the Grand Hall of the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, to celebrate the opening of River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence, organized by the McMichael. After opening remarks, the crowd poured onto the escalators leading to the exhibition halls. The galleries quickly filled to capacity, and a long queue began to form. The CMH team managed the excitement with grace, and those who waited were richly rewarded.
River of Dreams marks a historic milestone: the first exhibition at this scale organized in English Canada to spotlight the Quebec Impressionists. Conceived as a journey down the St. Lawrence through the eyes of these beloved artists, it begins with the urban and industrial energy of Montreal, where horse-drawn carts and Gothic Revival architecture coexist with electric lights and streetcar trolleys. The journey continues through the lush hills and sunlit farms of Mont-Saint-Hilaire and Arthabaska to reach Quebec City, alive with history and the bustle of its industrial port. The final chapters of the show revel in the pastoral beauty of Côte de Beaupré, and the charm of Charlevoix homesteads, set against a backdrop of sublime Laurentian peaks.
In addition to the geographical journey, a time-travel effect is conjured in this staging of the exhibition at CMH. Interspersed among the paintings are objects that once shaped daily life in early twentieth-century Quebec: earthenware jugs, handwoven textiles, and Kanien’kehá:ka beadwork drawn from the CMH’s holdings, including snowshoes, ice-cutting tools, garments, and even a sleigh. The museum’s talented designers ensured that the overall effect is pitched to perfection. The experience is truly magical.
If you’re in the capital region over the holidays and beyond, don’t miss River of Dreams and all that CMH has to offer.
River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence on view at the Canadian Museum of History, Photos courtesy of CMH dian Museum of History, Photos courtesy of CMH
River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence on view at the Canadian Museum of History, Photos courtesy of CMH
River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence on view at the Canadian Museum of History, Photos courtesy of CMH
River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence on view at the Canadian Museum of History, Photos courtesy of CMH
River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence on view at the Canadian Museum of History, Photos courtesy of CMH
River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence on view at the Canadian Museum of History, Photos courtesy of CMH
River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence on view at the Canadian Museum of History, Photos courtesy of CMH
River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence on view at the Canadian Museum of History, Photos courtesy of CMH
River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence on view at the Canadian Museum of History, Photos courtesy of CMH
River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence
Related Articles
Northern Lights at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum
November 6, 2025Featuring 74 extraordinary works created between 1888 and 1937, Northern Lights unites visionary Canadian artists Emily Carr, Lawren S. Harris, and Tom Thomson with European masters such as Hilma af Klint and Edvard Munch.
Rajni Perera: Futures at the Dorothy McCarthy Gallery
November 9, 2025This fall, the McMichael is delighted to see Rajni Perera: Futures presented at the Doris McCarthy Gallery at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus, the latest stop on a national tour showcasing the groundbreaking work of one of Canada’s most compelling contemporary artists.
Meryl McMaster: Bloodline at the McMaster Museum of Art
February 8, 2026This past fall and into spring, the exhibition Meryl McMaster: Bloodline continues its tour with a presentation at the McMaster Museum of Art in Hamilton.
Winter Count at the National Gallery of Canada
February 2, 2026The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa has opened its new exhibition, Winter Count: Embracing the Cold, a sweeping exploration of winter’s deep cultural, historical, and artistic significance.
David Hartman Profiles Rajni Perera’s Practice in New Short Film
March 4, 2026In this new short film directed by David Hartman, we spend time with the Toronto-based artist Rajni Perera in her studio, tracing the ideas and influences that shape her practice.
That Green Ideal: Emily Carr and the Idea of Nature at the Vancouver Art Gallery
March 10, 2026Curator John Geoghegan visits That Green Ideal: Emily Carr and the Idea of Nature at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Excerpt from People of the Watershed: Photographs by John Macfie
April 1, 2026People of the Watershed brings John Macfie’s photographs of northern Indigenous communities into focus—discover how this intimate and far-reaching project captures lives, relationships, and a moment of profound change.
Rita Leistner: The Tree Planters at Kelowna Art Gallery
April 1, 2026Now on tour, Rita Leistner: The Tree Planters offers a striking look into the demanding world of reforestation—explore how these powerful photographs capture endurance, landscape, and the human stories behind Canada’s forests.