January 11, 2018, Kleinburg, ON \u2013 This year, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection will showcase diverse, thought-provoking and engaging exhibitions that celebrate The Art of Canada*. Outstanding shows of both contemporary and modernist works of art will be on display, along with the gallery\u2019s well-known works presented through a different curatorial lens.<\/p>\n
\u2026Everything Remains Raw: Photographing Toronto\u2019s Hip Hop Culture from Analogue to Digital<\/em> is a primary exhibition organized by the McMichael for Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. On display from March 3 to October 21, \u2026Everything Remains Raw<\/em> is a photographic exploration of the resilience of hip hop culture. Archival photographs act as visual representations of hip hop culture in Canada and guide this exhibition\u2019s consideration of the evolution and longevity of this now global cultural phenomenon. Works by Canadian photographers Craig Boyko, Michael Chambers, Stella Fakiyesi, Demuth Flake, Patrick Nichols, Sheinina Raj, and Nabil Shash capture the growth, vibrancy, creativity, and influence of the hip hop scene that Toronto has fostered since the 1980s.<\/p>\n During the summer months, visitors can escape the heat and view the exhibition J.E.H. MacDonald: Up Close<\/em>, from June 2 to September 16. The art and science of J.E.H. MacDonald\u2019s artistic practice will be celebrated through an exploration of his works from the McMichael collection. Complete with microscopic photographs, the materials and methods of the artist will be examined in depth, especially in relation to his fondness for small studies. This special exhibition is the first of five \u201cUp Close<\/em>\u201d shows that the McMichael has planned that will each focus on a Group of Seven member, and lead up to the one hundredth anniversary of the Group of Seven in 2020.<\/p>\n On October 4, the McMichael will be the final destination of the international touring exhibition David Milne: Modern Painting<\/em> organized by the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, England. This exhibition will follow Milne\u2019s artistic development and journey into modernity as he moved from the bustling sidewalks of New York to the war-torn landscapes of northern France and back again to the woods, fields, and skies of the northeastern US and Canada. Through more than 90 works in oil and watercolour, never-before-exhibited photographs and drawings by the artist, and memorabilia collected by Milne during his time in Europe as an official war artist, Milne\u2019s ingenuity in capturing landscapes will be illuminated. This show is co-curated by the McMichael\u2019s Executive Director, Ian A.C. Dejardin, along with Sarah Milroy, and will be on view until January 13, 2019.<\/p>\n To coincide with both the Milne exhibition and the centenary of the armistice, the year will end on a high note with an incredible show celebrating the works of Stephen Andrews. From November 10 to February 18, 2019, Stephen Andrews: Frames of War<\/em> will survey Andrews\u2019 works\u2014largely pencil crayon on paper\u2014that deal with images of war, prisoners of war, and the way in which we experience such imagery through the media. The show will be balanced between a display of his war-related works of the recent past, roughly 2003 through 2006, and an entirely new body of work respectful of the armistice. Similarly, like Milne, Andrews\u2019 war imagery focuses on the aftermath.<\/p>\n These exciting shows, in tandem with the gallery\u2019s ongoing exhibitions of the core collection, make the McMichael an ideal cultural destination.<\/p>\n Ongoing Exhibitions:<\/strong><\/p>\n The Art of Canada: Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> Ian Dejardin, Executive Director of the McMichael, has made a personal selection of works of art from the gallery\u2019s vaults for his first curated show since taking the reins of the gallery. Dejardin included many classic favourites, some that have been rarely seen, and others that might surprise an audience already familiar with Canadian art.<\/p>\n Alex Janvier<\/em> This major retrospective, organized by the National Gallery of Canada, celebrates Alex Janvier’s lifetime of creativity, knowledge and perspective gained through his love of the land, art and Dene culture. Exploring his 65-year career through more than 100 remarkable paintings and drawings, this exhibition is the largest and most comprehensive retrospective on the artist to date.<\/p>\n Annie Pootoogook: Cutting Ice<\/em> Annie Pootoogook: Cutting Ice celebrates the strength and contemporaneity of this Canadian Inuk artist while uncovering how it influenced her peers. Alongside Pootoogook\u2019s well-known pen and coloured pencil drawings, this exhibition includes works by artists Shuvinai Ashoona, Itee Pootoogook, Jutai Toonoo, Ohotaq Mikkigak and Siassie Kenneally, showing how Annie Pootoogook made it possible to begin a different conversation that celebrates Inuit art in new ways in Canada and the world.<\/p>\n The Group of Seven Guitar Project<\/em> The Group of Seven Guitar Project explores the art of guitar making inspired by the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson. This exhibition puts the spotlight on seven masterwork guitars commissioned by the McMichael from great Canadian luthiers Jean Larriv\u00e9e, Tony Duggan-Smith, George Gray, Sergei de Jonge, Grit Laskin, Linda Manzer and David Wren, along with an eighth guitar dedicated to Thomson. Accompanying the extraordinary handcrafted guitars is a curated show of paintings featuring works by the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson, and a live performance film screening in the interactive gallery space.<\/p>\n *THE ART OF CANADA is an official mark of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.<\/p>\n Media Contacts:
\nOn until November 18<\/p>\n
\nOn until January 21<\/p>\n
\nOn until February 11<\/p>\n
\nOn until March 18<\/p>\n
\nDaniela Travierso-Galati
\nMedia Relations and Communications Coordinator
\n905.893.1121 ext. 2210\u00a0dtravierso-galati@mcmichael.com<\/a><\/p>\n