Rewards and challenges of exhibiting peace at the Canadian War Museum.

Abstract

This article describes and reflects on the significance of the 2013 temporary exhibition Peace – The Exhibition at the Canadian War Museum. Given the dearth of peace exhibitions and museums internationally, an exhibition on the theme of peace is noteworthy. This exhibition is both remarkable and controversial because it is housed at a museum of military history. The exhibition structure uses art and objects to consider multiple perspectives of peace through the lens of historical and present-day events in Canadian history within 3 themes: negotiate, intervene, and organize. This article describes the exhibition and discusses its evolution from prior exhibitions and its place within the Canadian War Museum.