Melanie Authier’s dynamic abstract paintings create immersive spaces charged with movement, light, and shifting sensation. Highlighting a recent acquisition to the McMichael’s collection, this article explores how Authier transforms memory, atmosphere, and the language of painting into richly layered contemporary abstraction.
A recent gift of Nunavik wall hangings highlights the remarkable legacy of Inuit artist Mina Kumarluk Napartuk—discover how her work bridges tradition, community, and innovation in Arctic textile art.
Jungen’s Prototype for New Understanding #4, 1998, is an important early work of sculpture that recalls a Northwest Coast ceremonial mask but was created from deconstructed and repurposed athletic footwear.
Church in a Canyon, BC, 1929–30, is a small but powerful work by F.H. Varley (1881–1969) of the Group of Seven.
Portrait of Lois Gordon in a Russian Dress, 1935, is a singular work in the career of Marian Dale Scott, a pioneering modernist and important figure in twentieth-century art in Canada.
Camille Turner (b. 1960) is a Jamaican Canadian artist who works in photography, video, and performance.
Mount Lefroy, c. 1929, by the Group of Seven's Lawren S. Harris (1885–1970), is one of the five known graphite studies for his iconic painting Mt. Lefroy, 1930, a standout in the McMichael collection.
SHE in Mud Form, 2015–16, is a landmark cross-cultural collaboration between Nep Sidhu and Nicholas Galanin, forming part of their ongoing series No Pigs in Paradise.
Kent Monkman (b. 1965) is a leading Cree visual artist from Fisher River Cree Nation in Treaty 5 Territory, Manitoba, and is currently based in Toronto. Compositional Study for "tâpwêwin (Truth)," 2025, is part of Monkman’s new Knowledge Keeper series, a body of work examining the history and enduring impact of Canada’s residential school system.
Last year at Art Toronto we acquired Aanzinaago (Caught in a Transformation) 01, 2024, by Native Art Department International (NADI), for the collection at the McMichael. NADI is a collaborative long-term project created and administered by the Ojibwe Anishinaabe performance artist, sculptor, and mixed-media artist Maria Hupfield (b. 1975) and the Chiricahua Apache and Mexican multimedia artist Jason Lujan (b. 1971).
Two Caribou, 2008–2009, by Kananginak Pootoogook (1935–2010), is a rich example of contemporary drawing from Kinngait (formerly Cape Dorset), Nunavut, depicting two bull caribou locked in battle, perhaps over a mate. Hooves fly and antlers clash, lending a sense of immediacy to the conflict.
