Family Sunday
African Rhythms, Art and Music Festival
To celebrate Topographies, which explores the work of Montreal-based Congolese artist Moridja Kitenge Banza, the McMichael is pleased to present two days of art, music and dance that will bring to life the vibrant culture of Africa to Kleinburg. Families can enjoy hands-on art activities, guided exhibition tours of Banza’s work, musical performances, storytelling, and drumming workshops by acclaimed Western African artists currently living in Canada.
Art Activities and Workshops
Drop-in Family Art Workshop: Polyrhythmic Puzzles
Time: 11 am to 4 pm
Location: Education Space
Ages: 3 to 12
While many of us easily identify the rhythm of African music, few understand how this polyrhythmic tradition shaped West African visual arts. Inspired by African designs, this workshop will explore rhythmical patterns of line and colour in creative collage compositions.
Sunday,
February 18, 2024
Art activities and workshops from 11 am to 4 pm
Performance by
Njacko Backo
at 12:30 and 2:30 pm
Special Family Sunday Kids Menu and Grab and Go options available at Cabin.
FREE ADMISSION on Family Sundays
Please note that parking fees ($7) are still in effect
Storytelling Circle: Earth Treasure Hunt
Time: 11:30 am and 1:30 pm
Location: Starting in the Grand Hall
Ages: 6 to 12
Silver, diamonds, and cobalt are sought after natural resources, leading some nations to rely heavily on their extraction. This practice enriches some nations while destroying others. Through the interpreting artworks on view at the McMichael, this storytelling session explores a timely question: What are the real treasures of the Earth? Are they precious stones and metals? Or is it the people and their cultural legacies?
Gallery Tours: McMichael Highlights
Time: 12:30 pm and 2 pm (lower level)
Location: Starting in the Grand Hall
All Ages
McMichael Highlights tours, led by an experienced docent, present carefully selected artworks to reflect the themes of the McMichael’s current exhibitions while tracing the story of Canadian art and culture.
Performances
Njacko Backo’s African Journey
Time: 12:30 and 2:30 pm
Location: Gallery 8
All Ages
As a child growing in Bazou, a village in Western Cameroon, Njacko Backo, a gifted musician, poet and dancer, has learned from his elders the importance of music, dance, and storytelling in bringing people together and keeping his community’s stories and rituals alive. In today’s rich and eclectic performance, Backo shares the traditional knowledge and his own joy of performance, while inviting the audience to practice some drumming and dancing together.
