Gallery 1C03 Presents: Lucas Morneau: Queer Newfoundland Hockey League

November 13, 2025 to January 28, 2026

Winnipeg, MB – Gallery 1C03, the campus art gallery of the University of Winnipeg, is pleased to present Queer Newfoundland Hockey League, a multi-media exhibition by artist Lucas Morneau. QNHL aims to deconstruct homophobia in sports and critique existing toxic masculinity in sports culture by creating a new, positive and accepting masculinity for sports enthusiasts.

Queer Newfoundland Hockey League is a fictional hockey league made up of 14 teams, all named with pejoratives used against 2SLGBTQUIA+ community members. QNHL uses these pejoratives to reclaim words often used against queer individuals both on and off the ice as well as against people who do not confirm to hegemonic masculine standards often assigned to sports.

Morneau employs traditional craft practices of rug hooking and crochet, associated with Newfoundland and often delegated as “women’s work”, to create hockey jerseys for each team. Some jerseys use pantyhose worn by drag performers, some reference historical teams from senior hockey leagues that existed in Newfoundland, and others use “queer” colours no longer found on current NHL jerseys. The jerseys are paired with crocheted goalie masks, signaling the introduction of masks to the game which was originally ridiculed by hockey players and fans alike. A series of hockey cards featuring fictional players, comprising men, women and gender-nonconforming characters, completes the exhibition.

The exhibition will include a public conversation between artists Morneau and Barb Hunt.

Image: Lucas Morneau, Leading Tickles Lesbos, 2020, wool yarn and burlap, 70 x 171 cm. Image courtesy of the artist.

About Lucas Morneau: 

Lucas Morneau (they/he) is an interdisciplinary artist and curator from Ktaqmtuk (Newfoundland). Employing drag as a central tool in their practice, Morneau blends textiles, photography, video, and sculpture to queer Newfoundland/Canadian cultural traditions, exploring gender performativity and challenging the dominance of heteronormative and patriarchal systems within Canada and Newfoundland. Morneau has shown their work throughout Canada, in the US, and the United Kingdom. Notable exhibitions include Queer Newfoundland Hockey League and The Queer Mummer which have been shown at several public galleries and artist-run centres. Morneau has participated in residencies across Canada, including Critical Mass’ 2021 Artist in Residence program in Port Hope, Ontario, the 41e Symposium international d‘art contemporain de Baie-Saint-Paul in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec in 2023, and La Napoule Canadian Artist Residency in Mandelieu-La-Napoule, France in 2024. They have won multiple awards and honours, including the 2016 BMO 1st Art Award for Newfoundland and Labrador, the 2018 Cox & Palmer Pivotal Point Grant, the 2018 and 2021 Scotiabank New Generations Photography Award Shortlist, and the 2024 Sobey Art Award Longlist. They have also received multiple grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, ArtsNL, and ArtsNB. Morneau holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland—Grenfell Campus (2016) and a Master of Fine Arts degree from University of Saskatchewan (2018). They currently live in the Siknikt distric of Mi’kma’ki — Sackville, New Brunswick, where they work as the Production Manager for artist run-centre Struts Gallery.

About Gallery 1C03:

Gallery 1C03 is the campus art gallery of The University of Winnipeg. The gallery opened in September of 1986 with the mission to engage diverse communities through the development and presentation of contemporary and historical art exhibitions and related programming initiatives. The Gallery is also responsible for the development, preservation, and presentation of the University’s art collection.

Exhibition Hours: 

Monday – Friday between 12:00 and 4:00 pm from November 13, 2025 to January 28, 2026. Closed December 22 to January 2.

Affiliated Events: 

Conversation with Artists Barb Hunt and Lucas Morneau: Thursday, November 13 at 1:00 pm.

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 13, 2025, 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

Acknowledgements: 

Gallery 1C03 is located on Treaty One Territory and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis, in Wiiniibak, Manido Abi. We acknowledge these are the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anisininew, Ininiwak/Nehethowuk, Oceti Sakowin/Dakota Oyate, and Michif (Métis) Peoples. This territory is also a place of significance for the Denesuline and the Inuit, some of whom have been living here for generations. We acknowledge that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation (Shoal Lake 39 is also impacted) in Treaty Three Territory, and that most of our hydro-electricity comes from Treaty Five Territory in northern Manitoba. Through the land, we recognize our connection and commitment to working with the Red River Métis, all First Nations Peoples across Turtle Island, and the Inuit of Canada.

Getting Here and Accessibility: 

Maps of The University of Winnipeg campus, including accessibility and parking maps, can be found at https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/maps/. The Gallery is located on the main floor of Centennial Hall at 515 Portage Avenue. Accessible, street level visitor entrances with auto door openers and ramps are via Portage Avenue, Ellice Avenue and Spence Street. The gallery doors are equipped with auto-openers. There is a gender-neutral, accessible washroom less than 100 feet from the Gallery entrance. Our exhibitions and affiliated events are free to everyone.

 For More Information & Media Interviews, Contact:

Jennifer Gibson, Director/Curator, Gallery 1C03, The University of Winnipeg

515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB  R3B 2E9

Phone: 204-786-9253

Email: j.gibson@uwinnipeg.ca

Website: www.uwinnipeg.ca/art-gallery