Horse Power - Overview

Did you know that horses are among the most challenging subjects for artists to capture, requiring a understanding of movement, muscle, and form to convey both power and grace? This exhibition brings that challenge to life through over 80 works from our collection, featuring museum-quality paintings by historic Canadian artists alongside phenomenal pieces by Peter Cheung, one of our contemporary artists.

Featured historic artists include figures such as Maud Lewis, Peleg Franklin Brownell, Franklin Arbuckle, Robert Pilot, William Brymner, Berthe Des Clayes, Lorne Bouchard, Ralph Burton, Clarence Gagnon, Francesco Iacurto, Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith, and Robert Elmer Lougheed, among others. Together, their works reveal the horse as a central figure in Canadian life, in fields, forests, towns, and communities.

From motion, muscle, stillness and grace, these paintings show the level of skill required to depict horses with accuracy and feeling. They also reflect the wide range of roles horses played in shaping Canadian society, supporting farmers, grooms, riders, carriage drivers, wagoners, blacksmiths, veterinarians, postal riders, breeders, race organizers, stagecoach operators, and even military and police units. Horses were not just subjects of art, but essential to everyday life across the country.

The Horse Power exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Fort Erie Race Track, which first opened in 1897, linking over a century of Canada’s horse racing history with Canada's art history. The 2026 racing season opens Sunday, May 31.

By the end of the visit, guests leave with a clearer understanding of how horses shaped Canadian culture, labour, and imagination, and how generations of artists have worked to capture their lasting presence on canvas.