AY Jackson,
McMichael Conservatory, Kleinburg, c. 1970

Dream Meadow, 2023, is a textile-based sculpture made by the artist Anne Low (b. 1981) in her former studio on Denman Island in British Columbia. The work comprises a long skirt and pocketed apron with attached adornments. The striped textiles used to create the skirt and its lining were handwoven by the artist on a loom with hand-dyed wool and silk, using eighteenth- and nineteenth-century weaving techniques and historic patterns.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Church in a Canyon, BC, 1929–30, is a small but powerful work by F.H. Varley (1881–1969) of the Group of Seven.

Camille Turner (b. 1960) is a Jamaican Canadian artist who works in photography, video, and performance.

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.

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.

Discover two recently acquired works from Azadeh Elmizadeh’s Timekeepers series.

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.

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.

Now on view in Early Days, Barry Ace’s Fox Tail Moccasins reflects the artist’s distinctive approach to merging Indigenous cultural traditions with the visual language of modern technology. Learn how Ace draws on Anishinaabe teachings, historical imagery, and innovative materials to create works that bridge past, present, and future.

In Theft of Scarcity, Joseph Tisiga transforms a communal feast into a powerful meditation on abundance, protection, and the enduring effects of colonial dispossession. Learn how this newly acquired work connects histories of scarcity and resistance with contemporary conversations about community and survival.