Corporate art collections in Canada
Are you curious to learn more about the art collecting landscape in Canada? Boasting a number of esteemed public and private art collections, this article looks into just a few of the many Canadian corporations collecting art that reflect the nation's diverse cultural heritage. Here are ten notable examples from around the country:
1. TD Bank Group Corporate Art Collection
Established in 1963, the TD Bank Art Collection was founded on the belief that art serves as a catalyst for dialogue, enriching the experiences of colleagues, clients, and customers. Today, the collection comprises approximately 6,000 artworks, including pieces by renowned artists such as Meryl McMaster, Jin-me Yoon, Lawren Harris, and Kenojuak Ashevak. The collection emphasizes contemporary art that reflects diverse perspectives, with a focus on amplifying marginalized voices and addressing themes of diaspora, race, gender, and identity. We visited this collection in 2024 and were impressed with their dedication to artists from the Toronto region.
2. Shaw Communications Art Collection
Based in Calgary, Alberta, Shaw Communications has cultivated an extensive corporate art collection that showcases Canadian talent, with a particular focus on Western Canadian artists. The collection includes paintings, sculptures, and multimedia works that are displayed throughout Shaw’s corporate offices. Shaw has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting the arts in Alberta, including a $35 million donation to the Glenbow Museum in Calgary by the Shaw Family Foundation that was announced in February 2022.
While technically a crown corporation rather than a private business, the Canada Council Art Bank, based in Ottawa, houses the largest collection of contemporary Canadian art in the world, holding over 17,000 artworks by more than 3,000 artists. Established in 1972 to make contemporary art accessible to a broad audience, the Art Bank offers corporate art rentals, loans to museums and outreach programs. Its collection includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, and prints, featuring a significant number of Indigenous artworks. We are pleased to be an approved supplier of fine art appraisals to the Canada Council Art Bank.
4. BMO Financial Group Art Collection
BMO Financial Group maintains a distinguished art collection housed on the 68th floor of First Canadian Place in Toronto. We toured the collection, which holds over 100 works of art in their offices, in 2024. Curated by Dawn Cain since 2002, the collection features a diverse range of artworks, including commissioned pieces such as "The Casualties of Modernity" by Kent Monkman. BMO's commitment to corporate art sponsorship underscores its dedication to supporting the arts within Canada.
5. Fasken Martineau Art Collection
Fasken Martineau, an international business law firm based in Montréal, has cultivated a notable art collection focusing on contemporary Canadian art. Established in 1978, the collection comprises over 450 artworks, including some 300 works by Québec artists. Displayed throughout the firm's Montréal office, the contemporary collection is curated by Maurice Forget and reflects an appreciation for the region's artistic talent.
6. Torys LLP Art Collection
Torys LLP, a Toronto-based international business law firm, has been collecting Canadian art for decades. The firm's collection includes over 600 artworks, featuring a variety of media, with a focus on photography. Notable artists represented include Edward Burtynsky, Rodney Graham, and Yves Gaucher.
Scotiabank's Art Collection encompasses a wide array of Canadian art, including historical and contemporary pieces.The collection is displayed throughout Scotiabank's offices and branches, reflecting the bank's commitment to celebrating Canada's artistic heritage and supporting the visual arts community. Scotiabank also sponsors the Scotiabank Photography Award, one of Canada’s most prestigious contemporary art awards, which recognizes and supports outstanding mid-career Canadian artists.
8. RBC Corporate Art Collection
The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) maintains a significant corporate art collection that includes works by prominent Canadian artists. The collection is part of RBC's broader support for the arts, which includes initiatives like the RBC Canadian Painting Competition, aimed at nurturing emerging artistic talent across the country. We toured the RBC collection most recently in 2024, visiting the RBC corporate offices in Toronto where art is displayed in all of the public areas and throughout the private areas of the office.
9. McCarthy Tétrault Art Collection
A personal favourite among corporate collections in Canada, McCarthy Tétrault, a leading national law firm, has built a substantial corporate art collection that includes modern and contemporary Canadian artworks. The firm emphasizes supporting Canadian artists. Their offices feature an array of paintings, sculptures, and multimedia pieces that enrich their working environment and highlight the importance of visual arts within professional spaces. The collection was developed by the legendary advisor and philanthropist Jeanne Parkin and is currently managed by curator Pamela Meredith who we enjoyed touring the collection with in 2024.
10. Hydro-Québec Art Collection
Hydro-Québec's art collecting began in the early 1960s and focuses on works by Québec artists, highlighting the province's rich cultural landscape. The collection includes over 1200 artworks in a variety of mediums and is showcased in the company's facilities, demonstrating Hydro-Québec's commitment to promoting local art and culture within the corporate sphere. One notable work is "Lumière et mouvement dans la couleur" by Jean-Paul Mousseau (1962), a monumental mural which adorns the lobby of Hydro-Québec's head office in Montréal. Measuring approximately 4.5 by 23 meters, the artwork is composed of fiberglass and synthetic resin mounted on copper and steel supports. Illuminated by a system of neon lights in eight different colors, the mural creates dynamic, ever-changing color patterns, symbolizing the fusion of art and technological innovation.
Incentives for Canadian Businesses to Collect and Display Art
These corporate art collections not only enhance the aesthetic environments of their respective organizations but also play a crucial role in supporting and promoting Canadian artists, reflecting a broader commitment to cultural development within the corporate sector. But you may be wondering why all of the corporate collections in this article focus exclusively on work by Canadian artists.
In Canada, businesses that collect and display art created by Canadian or Canadian permanent-resident artists in their offices may benefit from various tax incentives, making the investment in national contemporary art not only a cultural asset but also a tax efficient one. Crucially, these benefits do not extend to purchases of works of art produced by artists of other nationalities. These incentives provide an opportunity for businesses to support the arts while also enjoying fiscal benefits. For more detailed information on tax incentives, you can consult the Canadian Income Tax Act.
Apart from the fiscal incentives, the cultural prestige brought by holding a significant art collection is such that companies are often moved to develop a corporate collection to compete with their peers, without putting much thought into the remit or framework of their collection, beyond the requirement to collect Canadian artworks. The downside of this is a lack of differentiation between Canadian corporate collections, some of whom race to buy works from the same pool of regional emerging artists to display in their workplaces. It would be interesting to see some of these corporations develop stronger collecting frameworks, as with Torys LLP collection, which focuses on photographic work.
Are you looking to create or enhance your Canadian company’s art collection? We can help you curate an art collection that reflects your corporate identity and creates an inspiring work environment while optimizing the fiscal benefits of owning art. With over 15 years of experience in delivering art projects across sectors including private collections, corporate collections, hospitality and museums, we manage all aspects of the collection development process, from sourcing artworks to managing installation and advising on tax incentives, ensuring your art collection is a valuable cultural asset.
Contact us today to explore how we can help you build a meaningful corporate art collection that elevates your workspace, supports Canadian artists, and offers potential financial advantages.