National Aboriginal Day Celebration
On June 21, celebrate National Aboriginal Day at the McMichael! Enjoy heritage trail walks led by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), family story walks from Vaughan Public Libraries, storytelling and workshops in the McMichael's gallery spaces, and live performances by national hoop dancing champion Lisa Odjig, and the Manitou Mkwa Singers! A Land Acknowledgment Ceremony with Elder Jim Dumont will take place in the Sculpture Garden earlier in the day.
Acoustic Conversations: J.E.H. MacDonald Guitar
Sergei de Jonge created a birchbark guitar inspired by the work, and historical context, of artist J.E.H. MacDonald. The luthier will be in a moderated discussion with musician Emma Rush before a special live performance with this guitar.
The Group of Seven Guitar Project Talk
Explore The Group of Seven Guitar Project through a conversation led by exhibition curator Sarah Stanners, Director of Curatorial & Collections at the McMichael, with producers Jason Charters and Liam Romalis of Toronto-based Riddle Films, the production company that produced a feature-length documentary on the making of these very special guitars.
Acoustic Conversations: F.H. Varley Guitar
Grit Laskin created this guitar inspired by the work of F.H. Varley. Laskin will be in discussion with celebrated guitarist Jesse Cook in a moderated conversation as well as a live performance, with Cook playing this very special guitar.
Acoustic Conversations: A.Y. Jackson Guitar SOLD OUT
Jean Larrivée and his team created a guitar inspired by artist A.Y. Jackson. Larrivée will be in discussion with astronaut Chris Hadfield in a moderated conversation as well as a live performance, with Hadfield playing this very special guitar.
Breaking the Ice: the McMichael + AGO in Conversation
Reflecting on their experiences of bringing Lawren Harris art to both Canadian and American audiences, this lively exchange between Dr. Sarah Stanners, the McMichael Chief Curator, and Andrew Hunter, the Fredrik S. Eaton Curator, Canadian Art, at the AGO, will explore the challenges faced by brave curators who strive to produce popular yet intellectually meaningful exhibitions.
Matinée Francophone – Higher States
A petit déjeuner followed by a guided tour in French of the Higher States exhibition, which focuses on Lawren Harris’s spiritual and artistic explorations during the 1930s and 40s, and his involvement in the Transcendental Painting Group.
HARRIS & MODERNITY SYMPOSIUM
Lawren Harris sought greater spiritual heights as his career progressed. From looking up at mountains tops he turned inwards into states of mind. This iconic Canadian landscape painter took a seemingly unexpected turn toward abstract art in 1934–the year in which he moved to the United States, where he remained until 1940. While he came back to Canada, he rarely returned to painting landscapes but remained committed to the challenges of modernism and abstraction.