Ian Dejardin, Executive Director of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, is delving deep into the gallery’s vaults to make a very personal selection of works of art for his first curated show since taking the reins of the gallery. Dejardin promises many classic favourites, but also some that have been rarely seen, and some that might surprise even an audience familiar with Canadian art. This exhibition will showcase the beauty, diversity, and artistry of the art of Canada.

This exhibition of new textile works by Baker Lake artist Janet Nungnik (b.1954) was produced over a period of more than 15 years. Nungnik’s embroidered and appliqued images tell her life story and that of her people, the Padlermiut, a small group of inland dwelling Inuit whose traditional territory lay to the south of Baker Lake, Nunavut.

One of Canada’s most beloved folk artists, Maud Lewis (1903 - 1970) was famous in her lifetime for her brightly coloured and endearing paintings of rural Nova Scotia.

At its heart, the exhibition features Houle’s Sandy Bay Residential School Series, 2009, a suite of 24 oilstick drawings made by the artist as he recollected these childhood terrors.