Private Group Tours and Workshops
The McMichael offers a suite of virtual and in-person experiences to inspire your friends, family and colleagues with the art of Canada! Whether you’re planning a corporate meeting, birthday party or wine-and-cheese event, add an artistic touch with a paid private guided tour of one of our current exhibitions or have your guests explore their creative side with an in-studio workshop. All tours are led by an experienced McMichael docent.
Our interactive and inspiring programs will rejuvenate and entertain your group.
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Virtual Adults Group Tours
“A Like Vision”: The Group of Seven at 100
Celebrate the centenary of the Group of Seven’s 1920 inaugural exhibition by exploring popular masterpieces and hidden gems by every member of the Group.
Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment
Gathering more than 200 pieces of art by a generation of extraordinary women painters, photographers, weavers, bead workers and sculptors from a century ago.
Indigenous Art at the McMichael
Explore the McMichael’s extensive collection of Indigenous art, highlighting the cultural and stylistic diversity of Indigenous artists.
Private In-Person Group Visits
Bring your group to experience the spirit of Canada at the McMichael. We will be thrilled to plan a day that meets your group’s interests, providing a unique art-viewing experience in a natural setting. Choose a tour of the permanent collection or special exhibitions, enjoy an art workshop or a presentation. Customized itineraries with specially tailored workshops can be arranged for groups of 10 or more.
In-Person Adult Gallery Tours
Introduction to the McMichael Tours
Discover what’s new at the McMichael with one of the following in-person tours. Each tour provides an overview of artworks, great for guests new to the gallery and for frequent visitors wanting to revisit their favourite artists and artworks.
McMichael Highlights
Enjoy this in-person gallery tour of the McMichael’s exhibitions. Covering both the permanent collection and special exhibitions, this tour engages guests with a sample of the best artworks that highlight curatorial themes and motifs.
Art of Canada: Discovery Tour
Designed for English language learners, this in-person guided tour engages guests in gentle conversation about the art of Canada. Guests will enjoy the opportunity to practice vocabulary in a gallery setting while learning about artworks in the McMichael collection.
Special Exhibition Tours
Corresponding with the special exhibition currently on view at the McMichael, choose from the following in-person tours to explore the artworks and discover a new favourite artist:
A Like Vision”: The Group of Seven at 100
Enjoy this in-person guided tour of “A Like Vision”: The Group of Seven at 100, which celebrates the centenary of the Group of Seven’s first exhibition. The exhibition curated by Ian Dejardin, the McMichael Executive Director, provides an opportunity to explore the works of individual artists of the Group of Seven within the context of the time and discuss their legacy in modern-day Canada. Please note: a tour of the Tom Thomson gallery is available as a 30-minute add-on to the “A Like Vision” tour.
Margaux Williamson: Interiors
This highly interactive art chat, led by an experienced McMichael Docent, will allow participants to engage in lively conversations and explore the themes found in the special exhibition, Interiors, including Williamson’s distinctive way of understanding and depicting space and a woman’s place within it.
In-Person Adult Art Workshops
Watercolour Painting Studio
Explore the medium of watercolour paint with a McMichael instructor who will guide your group through techniques, tips and tricks to create their own unique artwork. Choose from the following themes to focus artmaking on specific genre or painting skill: seasonal landscape painting, still life or colour theory.
Acrylic Painting Studio
Follow along with a McMichael Instructor as they guide your group through the steps of making a creative acrylic painting. Painting techniques and methods will be put into practice with the creation of your own artwork. Choose from the following themes to guide your artmaking: explore the genre of landscape painting, try your hand at a still life, or dive deeper into colour exploration by focusing on colour theory.
Oil Pastel Studio
Engage with the versatile medium of oil pastels with an experienced McMichael Instructor to create your own artwork inspired by your choice of theme. Explore how oil pastels can transform a still life, express a seasonal landscape, or help develop your sense of colour theory with this creative and expressive medium.
Art & Nature Meditation Workshop
This unique stress-relieving outdoor/indoor workshop is inspired by the Japanese tradition of shinrin yoku (forest bathing). The workshop begins with a silent meditation walk on the McMichael’s grounds, combined with en plein air sketching activities. Back in the studio, participants will reflect on their outdoor experience by using their preliminary sketch to create a polished painting during an instructor-led watercolour workshop.
In Person Adult Outdoor Programs
Art & Nature, Well-being Workshop*
Based on a direct interaction with art and nature, this workshop encourages relaxation along with art and nature appreciation. Participants will enjoy a short silent meditation walk/observation on the gallery grounds followed by a discussion circle and an en plein air sketching activity will allow participants to reflect on their observations.
*Please note, this program can be adapted to accommodate any individuals living with cognitive and/or mobility needs.
Outdoor Discovery Tour
This accessible stroll will cover several historic landmarks of the McMichael’s grounds, such as the original McMichael home, Thomson Shack and Cemetery, as well as outdoor sculptures and art installations. The conversation will revolve around the presence and legacy of various Indigenous communities in the Humber River Valley corridor known as The Carrying Place Trail, and address the cultural and environmental impact of the settler politics. Guests will also explore Signe and Robert McMichael’s vision of the grounds surrounding their home from the perspective of their planting and outdoor art strategy. The tour will stop at the newly named Minokamik Garden to introduce a new ecological approach in the cultivation and maintenance of the gallery grounds.
Picnic Permits
To host a group of 10 or more people on our grounds, you will have to purchase a Picnic Permit.
To start the conversation about how to create the perfect programming according to your group’s interests, please contact our Sales Manager, Angela Poletto at 905.893.1121 ext. 2536 or by email.