The Ontario premiere of Jack Bush: In Studio at the McMichael will be the first solo exhibition of the artist’s work in a major public gallery in the vicinity of Toronto since the early 1980s. In the most classic sense, the word studio is defined as “room for study.” This exhibition was conceived as an opportunity to gather 20 select paintings in a new space with the aim to spark study.
On June 3, 1916, a massive explosion wounded A. Y. Jackson during the Battle of Mount Sorrel, one of the toughest and most tragic of the Canadian First World War battles. The event changed Jackson’s life and transformed his art.
Colleen Heslin’s paintings resonate with the tension of material and gestural complexity. The artist hand-dyes cotton and linen in small batches, and hangs them to dry, which develops residual surface textures. The stained fabric is then cut and pieced together – similar to quilt-making construction.
This exhibition featured recent photographic work by internationally acclaimed multidisciplinary artist Sarah Anne Johnson (born 1976). Field Trip was inspired by the artist’s fascination with outdoor music festivals. Johnson first attended an outdoor festival at age sixteen, becoming immediately attracted to its dynamic and pleasure-seeking lifestyle which represented a rite-of-passage for her and many other young people.
"The breath of the Four Seasons must ever be our basic inspiration." — J.E.H. MacDonald, A Landmark of Canadian Art (1917) Canada is celebrated for its four beautiful and distinct seasons, which have especially inspired our landscape painters.
Most great works of art begin with a drawing: ideas come out on paper first. There is a degree of intimacy and immediacy that is inherent with works on paper, and this exhibition celebrated these qualities. On Paper was on view for a limited time only, since light exposure must be kept to a minimum to ensure the conservation of the artworks.
Since its foundational gift from Robert and Signe McMichael, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection has been committed to celebrating the stories of private collectors.
While Group of Seven member Frank Johnston is widely recognized as a painter, his interest in photography is lesser known. He considered himself an amateur photographer, and recognized the medium as its own distinct art form.
Northern Narratives explored the mystique and spiritual power of Canada's North.
Journey into Fantasy - in Inuktitut, Ingirrajut Isumaginnguaqtaminnut - featured the work of Inuk artist Pudlo Pudlat and celebrated the one-year mark for the collaboration with York University in Mobilizing Inuit Cultural Heritage (MICH).
"The seven artists of the PNIAI came together in order to collectively fight for the inclusion of their work within the Canadian mainstream and the contemporary art canon.
Vanishing Ice offered a glimpse into the rich cultural legacy of the planet's frozen frontiers. International in scope, it traced the impact of glaciers, icebergs, and fields of ice on artists' imaginations, and explored connections between generations of artists who have adopted different styles, media, and approaches to interpret the magical light and fantastic shapes of ice.
