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Siu visits an Arctic Kaleidoscope at the Canadian Museum of Nature
Photo credit: Michelle Valberg
Siu Hong Yu is a scientist working at the National Research Council. Outside the lab he tries to stay out of trouble with live music, food outings, photography, gallery visits, running, hiking, good reads and cinema.
Photo credit: Siu Hong Yu
Spring is in the air. Or is it?
After passing by some early St. Patrick’s Day lineups on Elgin earlier this month, I arrived at the buzzing Canadian Museum of Nature for its free Thursday evening.
I wanted to check out their latest photo exhibit, Arctic Kaleidoscope: The People, Wildlife and Ever-Changing Landscape by Ottawa-based photographer Michelle Valberg.
Greeted by a stunning photo of a polar bear gently walking in a vast frozen Arctic toward a setting sun, the gallery’s peacefulness was in sharp contrast to the dinosaur room next door.
I was immediately drawn into the center of this tranquil space where seven black and white portraits of Aboriginal people were displayed.
Photo credit: Siu Hong Yu
Throughout the exhibit, I could hear several viewers expressing their awe and wonder in response to the surprisingly vivid colour palette on some of the photographs: the green from a lichen-covered rock, the orange and red from the tundra, the blue and turquoise from giant icebergs and floes.
Photo credit: Siu Hong Yu
However, the pictures that captivated me the most were a series individually featuring a fox, a ptarmigan and a rabbit in pure-white camouflage blending flawlessly into their environment. Dazzled by the resilience and grace of the North, coming out into the melting snow and muddy puddles did dampen my party mood a little.
Arctic Kaleidoscope runs until May 29, 2011.
Thanks for this great post Siu! Here’s hoping for more sunshine!
Local Tourist Ottawa 
did you look up?? There were some beautiful and very large photographs of polar bears on the top level!
Good post, animals are awesome.