Officials from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) are on a mission to locate more than 100 pieces of Indigenous artwork missing from a federal collection. The Indigenous Art Collection, which houses 5,176 artworks by established and emerging First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists valued at $14.4 million, is overseen by the Indigenous Art Centre established in 1965 to support the acquisition, preservation, and promotion of contemporary Indigenous art, with a gallery in Gatineau, Quebec.
A recent audit conducted in November 2024 revealed that during renovations in 2022, the collection was temporarily moved to a Public Services and Procurement Canada storage facility and a third-party storage facility in the National Capital Region. The audit identified 132 missing works, estimated to be worth around $49,000, representing 0.34% of the total collection value.
During a meeting of the standing committee on Canadian Heritage, CIRNAC’s associate deputy minister, Rob Wright, disclosed that 12 missing artworks had been located, and 20 were found to be reproductions. Deputy minister Valerie Gideon explained that most of the missing pieces were loaned to government offices in the 1980s for display, with the loan program ending in 2017, prompting the return of the borrowed works.
When questioned by Conservative MP Rachael Thomas about notifying the Indigenous artists, Gideon clarified that they were not considered missing as they had not been officially deaccessioned. Gideon emphasized ongoing efforts to trace the inventory and reconcile cataloguing systems before confirming any missing artworks.
The audit also highlighted deficiencies in security measures, maintenance records, and storage practices, leading CIRNAC to acknowledge the need for improved record-keeping and collection management. The department assured that the missing pieces were classified as ‘unaccounted for’ rather than stolen, with no evidence of foul play. Measures have been implemented to enhance oversight, security, financial planning, operational controls, and governance to prevent similar incidents in the future.