McMichael Canadian Art Collection

06/16/2026

06/15/2026

This explosively colourful large-scale photograph by the Vancouver-based artist Stephen Waddell depicts an urban garden, well known in the city's Point Grey neighbourhood.

The remarkable display was developed for the pleasure of passersby—the owners cannot see it from their house.

Like J.E.H. MacDonald, whose sunflower studies are featured nearby in 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘈𝘪𝘳, Waddell is intrigued by the interplay between urban life and the natural world, as manifested here in a garden lovingly cultivated for human pleasure as well as for insects, birds, and other urban wildlife.

See 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 on view now in 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘈𝘪𝘳 → https://mcmichael.com/exhibition/fresh-air/

𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘈𝘪𝘳: 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘈𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 is generously sponsored by 407 ETR

Stephen Waddell (b. 1968), 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴, 2018, printed 2021, archival pigment print, Gift of the artist, 2021.18

J.E.H. MacDonald (1873–1932), 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯, c. 1915, oil on paperboard, Gift of Walter and Jane Stewart, 1968.8.1

06/13/2026

The Moonlight Gala made the pages of The Globe and Mail — and we couldn't be more grateful to everyone who joined us under the full moon last month to support the McMichael and the art of Canada. 🌙

More than 600 guests came together to raise funds for exhibitions, education and outreach. Read more about the evening and the Canadian artists who joined us in today's Globe and Mail.

Read the full feature in print or online. → https://lnk.bio/mcmichael

Moonlight Gala Presenting Sponsor: CIBPA of Toronto & Generation Capital
Moonlight Gala Platinum Sponsor: 407 ETR

📸 Valeria Mitsubata Photography

06/12/2026

We have FIFA at home! 🎨🤭

Forgive our acrostic attempt at getting in on the FIFA excitement.

As Toronto welcomes visitors from around the world, we'd like to extend a warm welcome to FIFA fans looking to explore beyond the city. Just a short drive north, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection is home to iconic Canadian art, stunning exhibitions, and 100 acres of forested grounds and hiking trails.

Whether you're here for the beautiful game or beautiful paintings, we've got you covered.

Open Tues-Sun 10- 5. Come visit us!

06/12/2026

Our Living with Art program offers studio-based art classes for young adults (18+) living with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other exceptionalities. Participants are invited to explore exhibitions, create their own artwork, and build connections with others in a welcoming, supportive environment.

Our next session takes place on Sunday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Learn more and register → https://mcmichael.com/event/living-with-art-mcmichael-accessible-program-for-adults-living-with-exceptionalities-3/2026-06-28/

06/10/2026

Now streaming: 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 Curatorial Talk 🌲

Curator John Geoghegan takes you inside 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 — exploring the artists who helped shape Canada's visual identity and the enduring legacy they left behind.

Whether you've already visited the exhibition or are planning your trip, this talk offers fresh insights into the paintings, stories, and ideas at the heart of 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩.

Watch the full curatorial talk on YouTube →

Curatorial Talk — Old Growth: Masterworks by the Group of Seven and...

06/09/2026

Celebrating with a luminous Emily Carr. 🌊

𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘶𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘦 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘢 — now on view in 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘈𝘪𝘳 — captures the sweeping waters that stretch between Vancouver Island and Washington's Olympic Peninsula, curving around Carr's hometown of Victoria, BC, before opening out to the vast Pacific Ocean.

In the 1930s, encouraged by Lawren Harris, Carr turned her attention to the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. Seeking to express not just what she saw, but what she felt, she painted the region’s towering forests, expansive skies, and restless waters with a profound sense of wonder and reverence.

To evoke the movement and light of the coast, Carr experimented with an innovative technique: diluting oil with gasoline and applying it to paper. The result is fluid and atmospheric, hovering between oil painting and watercolour—alive with energy, light, and air.

Experience 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘶𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘦 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘢 in 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘈𝘪𝘳: 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘈𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵, on view now. → https://mcmichael.com/exhibition/fresh-air-new-acquisitions-in-context/

Emily Carr (1871–1945), 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘶𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘦 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘢, c. 1936, oil on paper laid down on paperboard, 60.7 x 91.3 cm, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Max Stern, Dominion Gallery, Montreal, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1974.18.2

06/07/2026

Poet and artist Zachari Logan comes to the McMichael on June 28 to celebrate 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 — his newly published collection of poetry and luminous green-toned sketches inspired by travel, the natural world, art, and architecture 🌿

Join us for a conversation with McMichael Deputy Chief Curator Jennifer Withrow, followed by a reading by Logan set against the backdrop of the McMichael's beautiful grounds in summer.

June 28, 2026 | 1–2 PM | Free with admission

🎟️ Book your tickets → https://mcmichael.com/event/artists-talk-zachari-logan-green/

06/06/2026

From quick sketch to finished canvas — glimpse Arthur Lismer's process up close. 🌿

Painted on Georgian Bay and later developed in his Toronto studio, 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘤 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯, 𝘎𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘺 reveals how Lismer transformed a spontaneous plein air sketch into a richly detailed finished canvas.

The original study, created quickly outdoors, is alive with loose brushwork and broad gestures. In the painting, Lismer expands the composition, adding more sky and trees while carefully refining every detail—from the shadows cast across individual sumac leaves to the plants that carpet the forest floor.

See both works side by side in 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 and discover how an artist’s first impression evolves into a finished vision.

On view now → https://mcmichael.com/exhibition/old-growth-masterworks-by-the-group-of-seven-and-their-contemporaries/

1/ Arthur Lismer, 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘤 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯, 𝘎𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘺, 1933 or 1935, oil on canvas, 52.9 x 65.6 cm, Purchase 1986,1986.54.2
2/ Arthur Lismer, 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘤 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯, 𝘎𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘺, oil on hardboard, 29.2 x 38.9 cm, Purchase 1986, 1986.54.1