NEW! THROUGH THE WINDOW
GRADES JK – 3

Young learners will enjoy getting a different view of the world as seen through the artist’s window in a selection of artworks in the McMichael’s permanent collection. Interactive activities will introduce the elements of design including colour, line, and shape and collaborative storytelling will engage students’ literacy skills. A final artmaking activity will encourage students’ creative response and expression. 

Curriculum Connections: KP, VA, L

STYLE EXPLORATION:  THE GROUP OF SEVEN
GRADES 4 – 8

Explore some of the Group of Seven’s most iconic paintings from the McMichael’s collection during this guided viewing program. The tour will be followed by activities that will prompt student to identify the elements and principles of art while discovering the distinct style of each member of the Group of Seven. 

Curriculum Connections: VA, L, SS

SPECIAL EXHIBITION TOUR!
GRADES 7 – 12

These virtual programs explore the current special exhibitions on view and engage students with a discussion of exhibition themes and close looking at artworks. For more information on the current special exhibitions on view, please inquire at the time of booking. 

Curriculum Connections: VA, SS, CWS

STYLE EXPLORATIONS: NORVAL MORRISSEAU AND OTHER ANISHINAABE ARTISTS  
GRADES 1– 3, 4 – 8

Explore the artworks of Norval Morrisseau and other artists working in the unique style of the Anishinaabe School of Painting during this interactive, guided viewing program. Students will engage in activities to discover how Morrisseau employs the elements and principles of design and how his distinct style has influenced other artists, such as Carl Ray and Blake Debassige.

Curriculum Connections: VA, L, SS

 STORIES OF OUR LAND
GRADES 1 – 3, 4 – 6

Through storytelling and a guided viewing of artwork, students will discover the multicultural mosaic of Canadian art and explore the importance of different traditions and geographies in shaping identity. Hands-on activities will be used to further engage students in younger grades.  

Curriculum Connections: VA, SS

STORIES FROM CANADA
GRADES 7 – 8, 9 – 12

Students will explore art as an expression of personal experience and examine various Canadian social, political and cultural narratives of the past and present. Stories of resilience, pride, identity, and connection will encourage students to examine their own experiences, personal gifts, and community while cultivating a sense of belonging and reconciliation. 

Curriculum Connections: VA, SS, CWS, FNMI

INDIGENOUS ART AT THE McMICHAEL  
GRADES 9 – 12

This virtual overview of Indigenous art at the McMichael highlights the cultural and stylistic diversity of Indigenous art in Canada and how the challenges experienced by Indigenous communities –  including Canadian policies of cultural assimilation, the residential-school system, and forced displacement – have been addressed by Indigenous artists past and present. The discussion will encourage students to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural resilience of Indigenous communities and illuminate the role of art in advocating for civil and environmental rights.  

Curriculum Connections: VA, SS, CWS, FNMI

DISCOVERING THE GROUP OF SEVEN: 100 YEARS LATER
GRADES 9 – 12

This interactive virtual experience offers students an opportunity to discover the acclaimed exhibition A Like Vision”: The Group of Seven at 100, an exhibition that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Group of Seven’s first exhibition in 2020. Combining exhibition installation shots with a viewing of some of the most iconic artworks from the Gallery’s permanent collection, this tour will investigate the individual artistic styles of the Group’s members, explore the historical and political situation of their time, and reassess the Group’s legacy within contemporary Canada. 

Curriculum Connections: VA, SS, CWS

VIRTUAL ART-IN-ACTION

1-HOUR WORKSHOPS
Fee: $10 per student

These bite-sized virtual workshops offer students an opportunity to discuss artistic concepts and respond to what they see with artmaking. 

COLOUR CONCEPTS
GRADES 4 – 8

Students will investigate the colour connections between work selected from the McMichael’s collection. The activities will build an understanding of colour relationships, such as complimentary, monochromatic, and analogous, with an emphasis on the use of colour for expressive purposes. This drawing workshop includes a  40-minute artmaking activity inspired by colour theory. 

Curriculum Connection: VA

CROSSING-THE-LINE SKETCHING WORKSHOP
GRADES 4 – 8, 9 – 12

Students will explore drawings and other works of art from the McMichael’s collection and learn about drawing as fundamental tool in making art and as its own medium. This program includes a 40-minute drawing workshop that features an introduction to basic drawing techniques and a final critique.

Curriculum Connection: VA

VIRTUAL STUDIOS

2-HOUR WORKSHOPS
Fee: $16 per student

Conducted live through a virtual connection with a McMichael instructor, these process-oriented studio programs focus on skill development as students learn tips, tricks and techniques for creating their own unique works of art. The studio includes close-looking at works of art, pre-recorded videos, and live instruction culminating in a fun and collective art critique. 

Please note that the McMichael does not provide artmaking materials for the virtual studios. Upon booking, the Creative Education team will provide a list of suggested basic materials to supplement what participants have in the classroom. 

PAINTING WITH THE GROUP OF SEVEN, LANDSCAPE STUDIO
GRADES 4 – 12

Inspired by looking at nature and talking about various cultural concepts of landscape, this studio will focus on the modernist approach, emphasizing an emotional reaction to the land. Students will be start with an initial compositional study and work through to a final painting. This process-oriented studio explores colour gradation and space as students learn techniques for painting perspective, identifying a focal point, and working with a palette inspired by nature. 

Curriculum Connections: VA

STORYTELLERS & IMAGE-MAKERS ARTMAKING STUDIO
GRADES 4 – 8

This studio focuses on the rich tradition of Indigenous storytelling, stressing the connection between the natural and spiritual worlds. Students will be encouraged to look at and creatively respond to the visual patterns found in nature while reflecting on their personal relationship to the world around them.  This program was developed in collaboration with Don Chrétien, an Ojibwe artist, designer, and educator strongly inspired by trailblazing Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau.

Curriculum Connections: VA, SS, EE

 MAPPING LANDSCAPES WATERCOLOUR STUDIO
GRADES 7 – 12

Developed in collaboration with John Hartman—an Ontario-based artist known for his layered landscape paintings—this virtual watercolour studio invites students to investigate the notion of a cultural landscape and to create their own personal responses to the land while investigating its geography and history.

Curriculum Connections: VA, CWS

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