The Art Gallery of Hamilton, established in 1914, stands as the oldest and largest art museum in its region, housing a permanent collection of nearly 12,000 works. Its holdings encompass Canadian historical, international, and contemporary art, featuring pieces by notable artists such as Alex Colville, Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, Emily Carr, James Tissot, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Gustave Doré, Norval Morrisseau, Keith Haring, Edward Burtynsky, and Kim Adams.

In a recent exhibition, artist Rosalie Favell challenges the colonial narratives traditionally associated with museums. Drawing on historical context, Favell reinterprets a self-portrait originally by Charles Willson Peale, who is depicted inviting viewers into an ethnographic museum. Rather than presenting artifacts or specimens, Favell inserts her family photographs into the composition, bringing personal and Indigenous stories to the forefront—stories often marginalized or excluded within conventional museum displays.

Favell also alters symbolic elements from the original piece: a beaver replaces the American imagery featured by Peale, while the inclusion of a prominent elephant serves as a metaphorical reference to overlooked histories. Through these artistic choices, she critiques the colonial legacy embedded in museums and asserts a reclamation of narrative agency.

This work contributes to ongoing conversations about representation, history, and the role of cultural institutions in addressing past injustices. By reframing familiar imagery, Favell offers a nuanced commentary on the ways museums can evolve to acknowledge and include Indigenous perspectives within their historical frameworks.