This family festival engages the senses through various art workshops related to exhibitions on view. Evolving around musical themes, take part in family performances and outdoor activities such as McMichael Art Battles and the En Plein Air Competition. This programming will be offered in partnership with JAZZ.FM91 Youth Big Band and Kleinburg BIA.
Dr. Sarah Stanners and Zachari Logan in conversation highlighting the connection of this very special artist residency to the thesis of the Passion Over Reason exhibition.
An evening of art, history and music to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the mysterious and early death of Tom Thomson. Starting at 5 pm, the event will include a presentation by the McMichael’s Executive Director, Ian Dejardin, along with readings by Murdoch Mysteries’ Yannick Bisson and a musical performance by Kathryn Briggs and Terry Tufts.
This Family Sunday, explore Tom Thomson’s art and life through the gallery tours and outdoor painting workshops. We also have a special performance happening at 2pm: an immersive musical celebration capturing the spirit of Tom Thomson's landscapes through original compositions performed by The Algonquin Ensemble.
Including Sonic Palette – Tom Thomson’s Voice through Music 100 Years Later, an immersive musical celebration capturing the spirit of his landscapes through original compositions created by Kathryn Briggs, Terry Tufts and John Geggie and performed by The Algonquin Ensemble.
Luthier Linda Manzer created this remarkable guitar inspired by several works by Lawren Harris, and with the spirit: "if Lawren Harris were to build a guitar, what would it look like?" Manzer will be in a moderated conversation with musician Tony McManus about the creation of the guitar before a live performance, where McManus will perform.
Delve into various string instruments and their cultural importance across the world through instrument-making workshops, art workshops, and in-gallery iPad activities.
Luthier David Wren created this guitar inspired by the artist Franklin Carmichael, and Wren will be in a moderated conversation with musician Mike Francis about the creation of the guitar before a live performance, where Francis will perform.
This fun and intense introductory weekend workshop is geared toward those who would like to begin expressing their creativity through painting, whether that’s with realism, abstraction, or conceptual techniques. The workshop begins with the basics: drawing, composition, observation skills, values, colour, colour mixing, brushstrokes and use of media. Participants then learn how to develop and refine painting techniques by building on those basic skills. This class is taught in acrylic and water-mixable oils and, if needed, watercolour.
A guided tour in French of Passion Over Reason: Tom Thomson and Joyce Wieland, the exhibition that offers a new critical look on the life and work of Tom Thomson through the feminist lens of Wieland’s art. The event will begin at 10 am with a petit déjeuner of coffee and baked goods.
Luthier George Gray created this guitar inspired by the work and life of Frank Johnston. Gray and Jonhston share a passion for flight, and Gray's guitar incorporates a photograph he took from his own two-seater airplane of the same view of Beamsville that Johnston painted from above. Gray will be in a moderated conversation with musician Don Ross about the creation of the guitar before a live performance, where Ross will perform
Culture Days at the McMichael is a unique opportunity for the whole family to discover the latest innovative exhibitions through the public tours and enjoy art making through O’ Canada, a family drop-in art workshop inspired by the mixed-media works of Joyce Wieland currently on view at the gallery.
Instruction will be offered to artists working to refine their offerings in the subject of their choice—landscape, still life, figurative/portraiture, wildlife/pets—and in their individual style, be it realism or varying degrees of abstraction. Demonstrations will be done in water-mixable oils and acrylic; offering solutions in areas artists need help in. Sample topics covered include: mastering perspective, reflections in water, patterns, texture, skies and clouds, dramatic light, depth, using negative space, and more. Special attention will be given to basic drawing techniques, composition, colour, texture, use of materials and effective brushstrokes. Andrew Sookrah uses a combination of painting demonstrations and individual guidance to create a fun, supportive and collaborative atmosphere in the McMichael’s well-lit Pine Cottage studio.
A curatorial talk on art books with the McMichael’s Chief Curator, Dr. Sarah Stanners, and the launch of the Passion Over Reason bookwork.
Luthier Tony Duggan-Smith created this guitar inspired by the work of Arthur Lismer. Duggan-Smith will be in a moderated conversation with musician Kevin Breit about the creation of the guitar before a live performance, where Breit will perform.
Designed for advanced artists, this course will assist participants in developing a personal voice when painting the land. Through observation and analysis, participants will interpret landscape through relevant principles of design and then reconstruct it in paint using individual styles and techniques. Participants are encouraged to bring research material, sketches, or photographs to be used as a base for the work completed in class.
Join the McMichael as it celebrates the commemoration of Remembrance Day with a smudging and prayer ceremony with Ian Akiwenzie (Ojibwe Pottawatami), followed by a performance by two-time world hoop dance champion Lisa Odjig (Odawa Ojibwe).
Engaging both epic-scale and stylistically historic techniques, Zachari Logan's meticulous drawings involve a visual language that speaks to the metaphoric as well as the metaphysical. In this unique artist’s workshop, participants will have an opportunity to discuss Logan’s works included in the Passion Over Reason: Tom Thomson and Joyce Wieland exhibition, learn about his creative process, and engage in a pastel workshop to further develop their own drawing skills.
Did a blow from a canoe paddle knock Tom Thomson unconscious and into the water? Was he fatally injured in a drunken fight? Did he end his life out of fear of being forced to marry his pregnant girlfriend? Or, as was decided at the time, was his death accidental? Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of the renowned Canadian landscape painter, The Many Deaths of Tom Thomson, published by Dundurn Press, is an authoritative review of first-hand testimony and archival records about Thomson’s tragic demise. The book is a National Post bestseller. The Writers' Trust of Canada listed it among the Best Books of 2016. Join the author, Dr. Gregory Klages, for this special talk followed by a book signi
Please join the McMichael for a presentation with Elder Garry Sault about the importance of Wampum belts in the history of treaties, vital to the Reconciliation process. Described as visual interpretations of covenants and agreements, Wampum belts communicate history through symbolism and interpretation.