FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2015, KLEINBURG ON—The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary! On November 18, 1965, the McMichaels donated their collection of 194 paintings – as well as their home and land – to the Province of Ontario. Officially opened as the “McMichael Conservation Collection of Art” on July 8, 1966, the gallery’s permanent collection has now grown to over 6,000 distinctively Canadian works of art.
To commemorate the official date of the gift agreement, the McMichael presents the exhibition A Foundation for Fifty Years: McMichael Masterworks, opening on November 18, 2015. This exhibition showcases some of the most significant donations made to the gallery during their founding year (1966) by Signe and Robert McMichael, as well as by their peers, who wanted to gift the public with beautiful Canadian masterworks. Installed in the main gallery, this collection celebrates the works of the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. Artists include Tom Thomson, Lawren Harris, David Milne, and Emily Carr, to name a few. The exhibition space will be restored to its 1960s modernist style with traditional materials and modern lines, in the manner that the McMichaels intended.
“The McMichael owes its existence and collection to the generosity of donors,” said Sarah Stanners, Director of Curatorial & Collections at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. “This display of masterworks will pay homage to founding donors who helped make the collection what it is today, and demonstrate the significant impact that the spirit of giving can have on a public gallery.”
A series of special events, programs and exhibitions are planned to mark this milestone year, and will be revealed in the coming months.
High resolution images of the artworks in the exhibition are available to the media upon request by contacting: Daniela Travierso-Galati at dtravierso-galati@mcmichael.com or 905.893.1121 ext. 2210.
MEDIA PREVIEW
You are invited to a Media Preview for the exhibition, A Foundation for Fifty Years: McMichael Masterworks and to meet exhibition curator, Sarah Stanners.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
12 to 1 pm
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
10365 Islington Ave. (north of Major Mackenzie Dr.) Kleinburg, ON L0J 1C0
Phone: 905.893.1121
mcmichael.com
RSVP
Daniela Travierso-Galati
905.893.1121 ext. 2210
dtravierso-galati@mcmichael.com
Media wishing to review the exhibition after November 17 are welcome to schedule a viewing time at their convenience.
Images from left: Arthur Lismer (1885-1969), Canadian Jungle, 1946, oil on canvas, 44.8 x 53.7 cm, Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1966.16.107; Tom Thomson (1877-1917), In Algonquin Park, 1914, oil on canvas, 63.2 x 81.1 cm, Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael in Memory of Norman and Evelyn McMichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1966.16.76; J.E.H. MacDonald (1873-1932), Leaves in the Brook, 1919, oil on canvas, 52.7 x 65 cm, Gift of Dr. Arnold C. Mason, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1966.16.32
About the McMichael Canadian Art Collection
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Government of Ontario and acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and the McMichael Canadian Art Foundation. It is the foremost venue in the country showcasing the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. In addition to touring exhibitions, its permanent collection consists of almost 6,000 artworks by Canadian artists, including paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, as well as First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists. The gallery is located on 100 acres of northern landscape and hiking trails at 10365 Islington Avenue, Kleinburg, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in the City of Vaughan. For more information:mcmichael.com.
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Media Contacts:
Daniela Travierso-Galati
Media Relations and Communications Coordinator
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
905.893.1121 ext. 2210
dtravierso-galati@mcmichael.com
Nick Foglia
Director, Communications, Marketing and Sales
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
905.893.1121 ext. 2265
nfoglia@mcmichael.com