City: Vaughan

Site-Specific Installation
This spring: Using drawing and photo-based gel transfer techniques, Toronto based Sandra Brewster’s installation will depict the Essequibo River in Guyana and its distinctive fish species, evoking the fluidity and dynamism of water as a metaphor for migration and transformation.

Sandra Brewster is a Canadian artist whose work explores the nuanced interplay between identity and environment. Her multidisciplinary practice—spanning drawing, photography, and sculpture—examines the lived experiences of movement and migration, often using gel transfer techniques to create textured, layered surfaces that reflect the unfixed, dynamic nature of diasporic identity.

Brewster’s installation offers a transformative, relational perspective on land, water, and history—one rooted in the diasporic experience.

The McMichael proudly presents Morrice in Venice, an exhibition celebrating James Wilson Morrice’s evocative depictions of one of Europe’s most enchanting cities. Inspired by the pioneering research of Sandra Paikowsky, this exhibition showcases a stunning selection of Morrice’s canvases, pochades, and sketches, revealing his unique vision of Venice.

James Wilson Morrice (1865–1924) was the first Canadian artist to make regular visits to Venice, traveling there frequently from the mid-1890s to around 1908. In an era when Venice was the premier destination for artists across Europe, Morrice distinguished himself as one of the few foreign painters who returned repeatedly to its storied canals and piazzas. His Venetian works earned widespread acclaim, appearing in exhibitions throughout Europe, including Paris and London, as well as in Toronto and Montreal, his hometown.

In June 2025, Toronto-based conceptual artist Iris Häussler undertook an artist residency in the historic Tom Thomson Shack at the McMichael. Häussler is known for her immersive installations, often created in non‑traditional museum spaces, that revolve around fictitious personae and their artistic legacies.

Häussler’s installation at the McMichael, Divided Heavens, invites visitors into the fictitious world of German-born twin brothers, Kurt and Carl Pfister. Separated as young children shortly after the Second World War, the twins grew up unaware of each other’s existence, while sharing a deep interest in and empathy for the fragile lives of migratory birds. Visitors are invited to explore both sides of the shack where these interconnected stories are told through glass and mirrors engraved with bird silhouettes and the imprints of bird collisions. Also displayed are a mobile of paper birds cut out from Kurt’s collection of ornithology books, two illuminated globes with handmade strings tracing major global bird migration routes, and other belongings.

The Tree Planters is a striking photographic series by award-winning Canadian photographer Rita Leistner. Through large-scale, painterly portraits captured in real-time, Leistner documents the gruelling and heroic labour of professional tree planters in British Columbia. Her work explores themes of human endurance, environmental stewardship, and Canada’s evolving relationship with its forests.

Between 2016 and 2019, Leistner embedded herself off-grid with planting crews, living for months at a time in remote camps. Immersed in the physically demanding world of seasonal tree planting, she documented workers as they planted thousands of saplings each day across the rugged, clear-cut terrain. Her photographs reveal both the intensity of the labour and the resilience of the planters, transforming them into luminous, almost mythic figures.

Using dramatic lighting and dynamic compositions, Leistner elevates scenes of physical toil into compelling visual tributes—portraits that highlight the planters’ deep, often spiritual connection to the land. Having planted more than half a million trees herself, Leistner brings a rare, firsthand understanding and deep reverence to her subject.

The Tree Planters stands as a tribute to the generations of Canadians who have reshaped the nation’s geography and contributed to its cultural identity—one tree at a time.

After a landmark international tour, Early Days: Indigenous Art at the McMichael returns to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. First presented in 2020-2021, this critically acclaimed exhibition has become a defining exploration of the depth, diversity, and vitality of Indigenous art in Canada. This re-presented version is expanded including new and never before exhibited works.

Organized in close collaboration with Indigenous artists, scholars, and knowledge keepers, Early Days presents more than 100 works from the McMichael’s permanent collection. Works on view span over two centuries- from 18th-century ceremonial regalia and trade items to the groundbreaking work of artists from the 1960s through the 1980s, and powerful contemporary pieces by leading voices today. The exhibition showcases work by Norval Morrisseau, Robert Houle, Carl Beam, Alex Janvier, Shelly Niro, Faye HeavyShield, Rebecca Belmore, Kent Monkman, Meryl McMaster, and many others. Their works—including painting, sculpture, printmaking, textile, and video— reveal the cultural continuity, resilience, and innovation of Indigenous artistic practices across generations.

As the only museum in Canada devoted exclusively to Canadian art, the McMichael collection offers a unique platform to explore the evolving story of Indigenous art in Canada today. Early Days invites reflection on our relationships to land, to ancestors, and to one another, while confronting the complex tensions between past and present.

The exhibition is accompanied by an award-winning catalogue edited by Anishinaabe artist and scholar Bonnie Devine. Gathering insights from myriad Indigenous cultural stakeholders, informing us on everything from goose hunting techniques to the history of Northwest Coast mask making to the emergence of the Woodland style of painting and printmaking to the challenges of art making in the Arctic, the publication offers a wide-ranging lens into Indigenous artistic practices. Collectively, these voices illuminate the enduring vibrancy of Indigenous art across Turtle Island, past and present.

Site-Specific Installation
This spring: Using drawing and photo-based gel transfer techniques, Toronto based Sandra Brewster’s installation will depict the Essequibo River in Guyana and its distinctive fish species, evoking the fluidity and dynamism of water as a metaphor for migration and transformation.

Sandra Brewster is a Canadian artist whose work explores the nuanced interplay between identity and environment. Her multidisciplinary practice—spanning drawing, photography, and sculpture—examines the lived experiences of movement and migration, often using gel transfer techniques to create textured, layered surfaces that reflect the unfixed, dynamic nature of diasporic identity.

Brewster’s installation offers a transformative, relational perspective on land, water, and history—one rooted in the diasporic experience.

The McMichael proudly presents Morrice in Venice, an exhibition celebrating James Wilson Morrice’s evocative depictions of one of Europe’s most enchanting cities. Inspired by the pioneering research of Sandra Paikowsky, this exhibition showcases a stunning selection of Morrice’s canvases, pochades, and sketches, revealing his unique vision of Venice.

James Wilson Morrice (1865–1924) was the first Canadian artist to make regular visits to Venice, traveling there frequently from the mid-1890s to around 1908. In an era when Venice was the premier destination for artists across Europe, Morrice distinguished himself as one of the few foreign painters who returned repeatedly to its storied canals and piazzas. His Venetian works earned widespread acclaim, appearing in exhibitions throughout Europe, including Paris and London, as well as in Toronto and Montreal, his hometown.

In June 2025, Toronto-based conceptual artist Iris Häussler undertook an artist residency in the historic Tom Thomson Shack at the McMichael. Häussler is known for her immersive installations, often created in non‑traditional museum spaces, that revolve around fictitious personae and their artistic legacies.

Häussler’s installation at the McMichael, Divided Heavens, invites visitors into the fictitious world of German-born twin brothers, Kurt and Carl Pfister. Separated as young children shortly after the Second World War, the twins grew up unaware of each other’s existence, while sharing a deep interest in and empathy for the fragile lives of migratory birds. Visitors are invited to explore both sides of the shack where these interconnected stories are told through glass and mirrors engraved with bird silhouettes and the imprints of bird collisions. Also displayed are a mobile of paper birds cut out from Kurt’s collection of ornithology books, two illuminated globes with handmade strings tracing major global bird migration routes, and other belongings.

The Tree Planters is a striking photographic series by award-winning Canadian photographer Rita Leistner. Through large-scale, painterly portraits captured in real-time, Leistner documents the gruelling and heroic labour of professional tree planters in British Columbia. Her work explores themes of human endurance, environmental stewardship, and Canada’s evolving relationship with its forests.

Between 2016 and 2019, Leistner embedded herself off-grid with planting crews, living for months at a time in remote camps. Immersed in the physically demanding world of seasonal tree planting, she documented workers as they planted thousands of saplings each day across the rugged, clear-cut terrain. Her photographs reveal both the intensity of the labour and the resilience of the planters, transforming them into luminous, almost mythic figures.

Using dramatic lighting and dynamic compositions, Leistner elevates scenes of physical toil into compelling visual tributes—portraits that highlight the planters’ deep, often spiritual connection to the land. Having planted more than half a million trees herself, Leistner brings a rare, firsthand understanding and deep reverence to her subject.

The Tree Planters stands as a tribute to the generations of Canadians who have reshaped the nation’s geography and contributed to its cultural identity—one tree at a time.

After a landmark international tour, Early Days: Indigenous Art at the McMichael returns to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. First presented in 2020-2021, this critically acclaimed exhibition has become a defining exploration of the depth, diversity, and vitality of Indigenous art in Canada. This re-presented version is expanded including new and never before exhibited works.

Organized in close collaboration with Indigenous artists, scholars, and knowledge keepers, Early Days presents more than 100 works from the McMichael’s permanent collection. Works on view span over two centuries- from 18th-century ceremonial regalia and trade items to the groundbreaking work of artists from the 1960s through the 1980s, and powerful contemporary pieces by leading voices today. The exhibition showcases work by Norval Morrisseau, Robert Houle, Carl Beam, Alex Janvier, Shelly Niro, Faye HeavyShield, Rebecca Belmore, Kent Monkman, Meryl McMaster, and many others. Their works—including painting, sculpture, printmaking, textile, and video— reveal the cultural continuity, resilience, and innovation of Indigenous artistic practices across generations.

As the only museum in Canada devoted exclusively to Canadian art, the McMichael collection offers a unique platform to explore the evolving story of Indigenous art in Canada today. Early Days invites reflection on our relationships to land, to ancestors, and to one another, while confronting the complex tensions between past and present.

The exhibition is accompanied by an award-winning catalogue edited by Anishinaabe artist and scholar Bonnie Devine. Gathering insights from myriad Indigenous cultural stakeholders, informing us on everything from goose hunting techniques to the history of Northwest Coast mask making to the emergence of the Woodland style of painting and printmaking to the challenges of art making in the Arctic, the publication offers a wide-ranging lens into Indigenous artistic practices. Collectively, these voices illuminate the enduring vibrancy of Indigenous art across Turtle Island, past and present.

Site-Specific Installation
This spring: Using drawing and photo-based gel transfer techniques, Toronto based Sandra Brewster’s installation will depict the Essequibo River in Guyana and its distinctive fish species, evoking the fluidity and dynamism of water as a metaphor for migration and transformation.

Sandra Brewster is a Canadian artist whose work explores the nuanced interplay between identity and environment. Her multidisciplinary practice—spanning drawing, photography, and sculpture—examines the lived experiences of movement and migration, often using gel transfer techniques to create textured, layered surfaces that reflect the unfixed, dynamic nature of diasporic identity.

Brewster’s installation offers a transformative, relational perspective on land, water, and history—one rooted in the diasporic experience.

The McMichael proudly presents Morrice in Venice, an exhibition celebrating James Wilson Morrice’s evocative depictions of one of Europe’s most enchanting cities. Inspired by the pioneering research of Sandra Paikowsky, this exhibition showcases a stunning selection of Morrice’s canvases, pochades, and sketches, revealing his unique vision of Venice.

James Wilson Morrice (1865–1924) was the first Canadian artist to make regular visits to Venice, traveling there frequently from the mid-1890s to around 1908. In an era when Venice was the premier destination for artists across Europe, Morrice distinguished himself as one of the few foreign painters who returned repeatedly to its storied canals and piazzas. His Venetian works earned widespread acclaim, appearing in exhibitions throughout Europe, including Paris and London, as well as in Toronto and Montreal, his hometown.

The Tree Planters is a striking photographic series by award-winning Canadian photographer Rita Leistner. Through large-scale, painterly portraits captured in real-time, Leistner documents the gruelling and heroic labour of professional tree planters in British Columbia. Her work explores themes of human endurance, environmental stewardship, and Canada’s evolving relationship with its forests.

Between 2016 and 2019, Leistner embedded herself off-grid with planting crews, living for months at a time in remote camps. Immersed in the physically demanding world of seasonal tree planting, she documented workers as they planted thousands of saplings each day across the rugged, clear-cut terrain. Her photographs reveal both the intensity of the labour and the resilience of the planters, transforming them into luminous, almost mythic figures.

Using dramatic lighting and dynamic compositions, Leistner elevates scenes of physical toil into compelling visual tributes—portraits that highlight the planters’ deep, often spiritual connection to the land. Having planted more than half a million trees herself, Leistner brings a rare, firsthand understanding and deep reverence to her subject.

The Tree Planters stands as a tribute to the generations of Canadians who have reshaped the nation’s geography and contributed to its cultural identity—one tree at a time.

After a landmark international tour, Early Days: Indigenous Art at the McMichael returns to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. First presented in 2020-2021, this critically acclaimed exhibition has become a defining exploration of the depth, diversity, and vitality of Indigenous art in Canada. This re-presented version is expanded including new and never before exhibited works.

Organized in close collaboration with Indigenous artists, scholars, and knowledge keepers, Early Days presents more than 100 works from the McMichael’s permanent collection. Works on view span over two centuries- from 18th-century ceremonial regalia and trade items to the groundbreaking work of artists from the 1960s through the 1980s, and powerful contemporary pieces by leading voices today. The exhibition showcases work by Norval Morrisseau, Robert Houle, Carl Beam, Alex Janvier, Shelly Niro, Faye HeavyShield, Rebecca Belmore, Kent Monkman, Meryl McMaster, and many others. Their works—including painting, sculpture, printmaking, textile, and video— reveal the cultural continuity, resilience, and innovation of Indigenous artistic practices across generations.

As the only museum in Canada devoted exclusively to Canadian art, the McMichael collection offers a unique platform to explore the evolving story of Indigenous art in Canada today. Early Days invites reflection on our relationships to land, to ancestors, and to one another, while confronting the complex tensions between past and present.

The exhibition is accompanied by an award-winning catalogue edited by Anishinaabe artist and scholar Bonnie Devine. Gathering insights from myriad Indigenous cultural stakeholders, informing us on everything from goose hunting techniques to the history of Northwest Coast mask making to the emergence of the Woodland style of painting and printmaking to the challenges of art making in the Arctic, the publication offers a wide-ranging lens into Indigenous artistic practices. Collectively, these voices illuminate the enduring vibrancy of Indigenous art across Turtle Island, past and present.

In a world filled with challenges, this Family Sunday invites visitors of all ages to explore their inner strengths, talents, and the courage to stand up for themselves and others. Through art-making, storytelling, and performance, the day celebrates resilience and the transformative power of creativity—culminating in The Schoolyard Carmen, a lively and inspiring production by Shoestring Opera.

– Drop-in Art Making Workshop: The Art of Self-Portraiture
– Storytelling Circle: Images of Hope, Images of Strength
– Performance by Shoestring Opera: The Schoolyard Carmen

Site-Specific Installation
This spring: Using drawing and photo-based gel transfer techniques, Toronto based Sandra Brewster’s installation will depict the Essequibo River in Guyana and its distinctive fish species, evoking the fluidity and dynamism of water as a metaphor for migration and transformation.

Sandra Brewster is a Canadian artist whose work explores the nuanced interplay between identity and environment. Her multidisciplinary practice—spanning drawing, photography, and sculpture—examines the lived experiences of movement and migration, often using gel transfer techniques to create textured, layered surfaces that reflect the unfixed, dynamic nature of diasporic identity.

Brewster’s installation offers a transformative, relational perspective on land, water, and history—one rooted in the diasporic experience.

The Tree Planters is a striking photographic series by award-winning Canadian photographer Rita Leistner. Through large-scale, painterly portraits captured in real-time, Leistner documents the gruelling and heroic labour of professional tree planters in British Columbia. Her work explores themes of human endurance, environmental stewardship, and Canada’s evolving relationship with its forests.

Between 2016 and 2019, Leistner embedded herself off-grid with planting crews, living for months at a time in remote camps. Immersed in the physically demanding world of seasonal tree planting, she documented workers as they planted thousands of saplings each day across the rugged, clear-cut terrain. Her photographs reveal both the intensity of the labour and the resilience of the planters, transforming them into luminous, almost mythic figures.

Using dramatic lighting and dynamic compositions, Leistner elevates scenes of physical toil into compelling visual tributes—portraits that highlight the planters’ deep, often spiritual connection to the land. Having planted more than half a million trees herself, Leistner brings a rare, firsthand understanding and deep reverence to her subject.

The Tree Planters stands as a tribute to the generations of Canadians who have reshaped the nation’s geography and contributed to its cultural identity—one tree at a time.

After a landmark international tour, Early Days: Indigenous Art at the McMichael returns to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. First presented in 2020-2021, this critically acclaimed exhibition has become a defining exploration of the depth, diversity, and vitality of Indigenous art in Canada. This re-presented version is expanded including new and never before exhibited works.

Organized in close collaboration with Indigenous artists, scholars, and knowledge keepers, Early Days presents more than 100 works from the McMichael’s permanent collection. Works on view span over two centuries- from 18th-century ceremonial regalia and trade items to the groundbreaking work of artists from the 1960s through the 1980s, and powerful contemporary pieces by leading voices today. The exhibition showcases work by Norval Morrisseau, Robert Houle, Carl Beam, Alex Janvier, Shelly Niro, Faye HeavyShield, Rebecca Belmore, Kent Monkman, Meryl McMaster, and many others. Their works—including painting, sculpture, printmaking, textile, and video— reveal the cultural continuity, resilience, and innovation of Indigenous artistic practices across generations.

As the only museum in Canada devoted exclusively to Canadian art, the McMichael collection offers a unique platform to explore the evolving story of Indigenous art in Canada today. Early Days invites reflection on our relationships to land, to ancestors, and to one another, while confronting the complex tensions between past and present.

The exhibition is accompanied by an award-winning catalogue edited by Anishinaabe artist and scholar Bonnie Devine. Gathering insights from myriad Indigenous cultural stakeholders, informing us on everything from goose hunting techniques to the history of Northwest Coast mask making to the emergence of the Woodland style of painting and printmaking to the challenges of art making in the Arctic, the publication offers a wide-ranging lens into Indigenous artistic practices. Collectively, these voices illuminate the enduring vibrancy of Indigenous art across Turtle Island, past and present.

This winter, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection is proud to present Stan Douglas: Tales of Empire, a focused survey of the acclaimed Vancouver-based artist’s career. For over four decades, Douglas has been recognized as one of Canada’s most important contemporary artists, with a significant international reputation across Europe, the United States, and beyond.

Tales of Empire presents bodies of work by Douglas that examine various colonization efforts globally, over time—an enduring theme that shapes much of his work. Curated by McMichael Executive Director and Chief Curator Sarah Milroy, the exhibition brings together five major photographic series that reflect Douglas’s incisive investigations into history, memory, and the impress of empire on both landscapes and lives.

Site-Specific Installation
This spring: Using drawing and photo-based gel transfer techniques, Toronto based Sandra Brewster’s installation will depict the Essequibo River in Guyana and its distinctive fish species, evoking the fluidity and dynamism of water as a metaphor for migration and transformation.

Sandra Brewster is a Canadian artist whose work explores the nuanced interplay between identity and environment. Her multidisciplinary practice—spanning drawing, photography, and sculpture—examines the lived experiences of movement and migration, often using gel transfer techniques to create textured, layered surfaces that reflect the unfixed, dynamic nature of diasporic identity.

Brewster’s installation offers a transformative, relational perspective on land, water, and history—one rooted in the diasporic experience.

The Tree Planters is a striking photographic series by award-winning Canadian photographer Rita Leistner. Through large-scale, painterly portraits captured in real-time, Leistner documents the gruelling and heroic labour of professional tree planters in British Columbia. Her work explores themes of human endurance, environmental stewardship, and Canada’s evolving relationship with its forests.

Between 2016 and 2019, Leistner embedded herself off-grid with planting crews, living for months at a time in remote camps. Immersed in the physically demanding world of seasonal tree planting, she documented workers as they planted thousands of saplings each day across the rugged, clear-cut terrain. Her photographs reveal both the intensity of the labour and the resilience of the planters, transforming them into luminous, almost mythic figures.

Using dramatic lighting and dynamic compositions, Leistner elevates scenes of physical toil into compelling visual tributes—portraits that highlight the planters’ deep, often spiritual connection to the land. Having planted more than half a million trees herself, Leistner brings a rare, firsthand understanding and deep reverence to her subject.

The Tree Planters stands as a tribute to the generations of Canadians who have reshaped the nation’s geography and contributed to its cultural identity—one tree at a time.

After a landmark international tour, Early Days: Indigenous Art at the McMichael returns to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. First presented in 2020-2021, this critically acclaimed exhibition has become a defining exploration of the depth, diversity, and vitality of Indigenous art in Canada. This re-presented version is expanded including new and never before exhibited works.

Organized in close collaboration with Indigenous artists, scholars, and knowledge keepers, Early Days presents more than 100 works from the McMichael’s permanent collection. Works on view span over two centuries- from 18th-century ceremonial regalia and trade items to the groundbreaking work of artists from the 1960s through the 1980s, and powerful contemporary pieces by leading voices today. The exhibition showcases work by Norval Morrisseau, Robert Houle, Carl Beam, Alex Janvier, Shelly Niro, Faye HeavyShield, Rebecca Belmore, Kent Monkman, Meryl McMaster, and many others. Their works—including painting, sculpture, printmaking, textile, and video— reveal the cultural continuity, resilience, and innovation of Indigenous artistic practices across generations.

As the only museum in Canada devoted exclusively to Canadian art, the McMichael collection offers a unique platform to explore the evolving story of Indigenous art in Canada today. Early Days invites reflection on our relationships to land, to ancestors, and to one another, while confronting the complex tensions between past and present.

The exhibition is accompanied by an award-winning catalogue edited by Anishinaabe artist and scholar Bonnie Devine. Gathering insights from myriad Indigenous cultural stakeholders, informing us on everything from goose hunting techniques to the history of Northwest Coast mask making to the emergence of the Woodland style of painting and printmaking to the challenges of art making in the Arctic, the publication offers a wide-ranging lens into Indigenous artistic practices. Collectively, these voices illuminate the enduring vibrancy of Indigenous art across Turtle Island, past and present.

This winter, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection is proud to present Stan Douglas: Tales of Empire, a focused survey of the acclaimed Vancouver-based artist’s career. For over four decades, Douglas has been recognized as one of Canada’s most important contemporary artists, with a significant international reputation across Europe, the United States, and beyond.

Tales of Empire presents bodies of work by Douglas that examine various colonization efforts globally, over time—an enduring theme that shapes much of his work. Curated by McMichael Executive Director and Chief Curator Sarah Milroy, the exhibition brings together five major photographic series that reflect Douglas’s incisive investigations into history, memory, and the impress of empire on both landscapes and lives.