City: Woodbridge

John Scott: Firestorm presents the work of the late Canadian artist John Scott (1950–2022), gathering paintings, drawings, and sculptures made by Scott from the 1980s through the 2010s.

The exhibition focusses on works that explore machine imagery, conflict, violence, and surveillance. Growing up on the Canadian/American border in Windsor, Ontario, in the 1950s and 1960s, Scott developed an acute awareness of American politics and militarism. Depictions of stealth bombers, firearms, and tanks were used by Scott to comment on human vulnerability and the threat of nuclear arms, violence, and the threat of tyranny – all subjects expressed in his raw and urgent graphic style.

Firestorm is guest curated by Dr. John O’Brian, who has undertaken new research to position Scott’s accomplishment within a global context. The exhibition celebrates a unique and singular voice in the history of Canadian art, one grappling with the acute threats to humanity in our times.

This solo exhibition highlights a recent body of work by the leading Toronto-based conceptual artist Derek Sullivan. The works were inspired by Sullivan’s twelve-month site-study of Shift, a landart work by the American sculptor Richard Serra long-hidden in a field in King, Ontario.

The exhibition features a series of Sullivan’s signature large-scale drawings responding to this important site of international modernism in rural Ontario, not far from where the artist grew up. For Sullivan, walking around the site was central to his research, as was note-taking, taking pictures, collecting stones, and researching in archival collections. His thoughtful drawings consider the history of Serra’s work, and the present context in which it exists.

“I used Serra’s Shift 1970 as an orienting device for me to consider networks of interconnection encountered in this location (colonial expropriation of land, agricultural impacts, property development, tactics of preservation, trespassing, community use, imported artistry), but it also drew forth my own tangled histories in this region,” says Sullivan. “The project aimed to put Serra in his place, so to speak, whilst better understanding my own.”

The recent digitization of the Kinngait Drawings Archive—89,000 works strong and held by the McMichael for more than three decades—has allowed unprecedented curatorial access to the origins of this now world-renowned graphic tradition.
Curated by Emily Laurent Henderson, Associate Curator, Indigenous Arts and Culture at McMichael, this once-in-a-generation exhibition of more than 200 works will foreground the cultural continuities of life in Kinngait in the face of dramatic societal change over more than five decades. The adaptability and resilience of this unique community has been documented in works that depict intergenerational knowledge transfer, community building, and boundless imagination.

This exhibition will reveal overlooked bodies of work by some of the country’s most beloved artists including Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Kananginak Pootoogook, and Pudlo Pudlat as well as introduce audiences to hitherto unknown artists whose work was suppressed by the aims of the print program that prioritized the tastes of settler markets in the South.

Since the 1990 transfer of 90,000 works on paper from the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, new generations of Kinngait artists have emerged onto the contemporary art scene, capturing visions of their community into the new millennium.

From the exacting, illustrative style of artists such as Itee Pootoogook and Tim Pitsiulak, to the dreamscapes of Ooloosie Saila and Shuvinai Ashoona, Kinngait artists have continued to innovate with drawing as a medium unto itself—moving beyond its role as a preparatory step in the printmaking process. In the 2000s, artistic practice shifted with the introduction of large-scale works on paper and an embrace of candid, often humorous depictions of contemporary Inuit life. Prefabricated houses, snow machines, and trips to the co-op store mark the established way of life in the hamlet today, but the values of cooperation and care remain the same.

Curated by Emily Laurent Henderson, Associate Curator, Indigenous Arts and Culture at McMichael, this exhibition is presented in dialogue with Worlds on Paper: Drawings from Kinngait.

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.

This solo exhibition highlights a recent body of work by the leading Toronto-based conceptual artist Derek Sullivan. The works were inspired by Sullivan’s twelve-month site-study of Shift, a landart work by the American sculptor Richard Serra long-hidden in a field in King, Ontario.

The exhibition features a series of Sullivan’s signature large-scale drawings responding to this important site of international modernism in rural Ontario, not far from where the artist grew up. For Sullivan, walking around the site was central to his research, as was note-taking, taking pictures, collecting stones, and researching in archival collections. His thoughtful drawings consider the history of Serra’s work, and the present context in which it exists.

“I used Serra’s Shift 1970 as an orienting device for me to consider networks of interconnection encountered in this location (colonial expropriation of land, agricultural impacts, property development, tactics of preservation, trespassing, community use, imported artistry), but it also drew forth my own tangled histories in this region,” says Sullivan. “The project aimed to put Serra in his place, so to speak, whilst better understanding my own.”

The recent digitization of the Kinngait Drawings Archive—89,000 works strong and held by the McMichael for more than three decades—has allowed unprecedented curatorial access to the origins of this now world-renowned graphic tradition.
Curated by Emily Laurent Henderson, Associate Curator, Indigenous Arts and Culture at McMichael, this once-in-a-generation exhibition of more than 200 works will foreground the cultural continuities of life in Kinngait in the face of dramatic societal change over more than five decades. The adaptability and resilience of this unique community has been documented in works that depict intergenerational knowledge transfer, community building, and boundless imagination.

This exhibition will reveal overlooked bodies of work by some of the country’s most beloved artists including Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Kananginak Pootoogook, and Pudlo Pudlat as well as introduce audiences to hitherto unknown artists whose work was suppressed by the aims of the print program that prioritized the tastes of settler markets in the South.

Since the 1990 transfer of 90,000 works on paper from the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, new generations of Kinngait artists have emerged onto the contemporary art scene, capturing visions of their community into the new millennium.

From the exacting, illustrative style of artists such as Itee Pootoogook and Tim Pitsiulak, to the dreamscapes of Ooloosie Saila and Shuvinai Ashoona, Kinngait artists have continued to innovate with drawing as a medium unto itself—moving beyond its role as a preparatory step in the printmaking process. In the 2000s, artistic practice shifted with the introduction of large-scale works on paper and an embrace of candid, often humorous depictions of contemporary Inuit life. Prefabricated houses, snow machines, and trips to the co-op store mark the established way of life in the hamlet today, but the values of cooperation and care remain the same.

Curated by Emily Laurent Henderson, Associate Curator, Indigenous Arts and Culture at McMichael, this exhibition is presented in dialogue with Worlds on Paper: Drawings from Kinngait.

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.

Friday, June 27, 2025 | 8 pm

Join acclaimed Canadian mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah for an enchanting evening of Italian music and song, set against the breathtaking backdrop of Morrice in Venice. This special concert will transport you through the melodies and landscapes that inspired James Wilson Morrice’s evocative paintings.

Presented in celebration of Italian Heritage Month in Ontario, this performance pays tribute to Italy’s rich artistic and cultural legacy.

PLUS! Arrive early for a special gallery tour of Morrice in Venice at 6:30 pm, included with admission.

Members: $40 | General Public: $50
Includes all-day gallery admission.

James Wilson Morrice (1865-1924) was the first Canadian artist to regularly visit Venice, and the first and only Canadian to have his work displayed at the prestigious Venice Biennale until some fifty years later. From his first trip in 1894 to his final visit by 1909, Morrice looked at this historic city with contemporary eyes, making the monumental intimate through glimpses of buildings and canals, streets and bridges — all seen through a distinctive modernist lens. Guest curator Sandra Paikowsky tours us through the highlights of Morrice’s own Venice.

Speakers
Sandra Paikowsky
Sarah Milroy

Price
Free with gallery admission. Registration required.

Sunday, June 29, 2025 | 2 pm

The recent digitization of the Kinngait Drawings Archive—89,000 works strong and held by the McMichael for more than three decades—has allowed unprecedented curatorial access to the origins of this now world-renowned graphic tradition.
Curated by Emily Laurent Henderson, Associate Curator, Indigenous Arts and Culture at McMichael, this once-in-a-generation exhibition of more than 200 works will foreground the cultural continuities of life in Kinngait in the face of dramatic societal change over more than five decades. The adaptability and resilience of this unique community has been documented in works that depict intergenerational knowledge transfer, community building, and boundless imagination.

This exhibition will reveal overlooked bodies of work by some of the country’s most beloved artists including Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Kananginak Pootoogook, and Pudlo Pudlat as well as introduce audiences to hitherto unknown artists whose work was suppressed by the aims of the print program that prioritized the tastes of settler markets in the South.

Since the 1990 transfer of 90,000 works on paper from the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, new generations of Kinngait artists have emerged onto the contemporary art scene, capturing visions of their community into the new millennium.

From the exacting, illustrative style of artists such as Itee Pootoogook and Tim Pitsiulak, to the dreamscapes of Ooloosie Saila and Shuvinai Ashoona, Kinngait artists have continued to innovate with drawing as a medium unto itself—moving beyond its role as a preparatory step in the printmaking process. In the 2000s, artistic practice shifted with the introduction of large-scale works on paper and an embrace of candid, often humorous depictions of contemporary Inuit life. Prefabricated houses, snow machines, and trips to the co-op store mark the established way of life in the hamlet today, but the values of cooperation and care remain the same.

Curated by Emily Laurent Henderson, Associate Curator, Indigenous Arts and Culture at McMichael, this exhibition is presented in dialogue with Worlds on Paper: Drawings from Kinngait.

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 recent digitization of the Kinngait Drawings Archive—89,000 works strong and held by the McMichael for more than three decades—has allowed unprecedented curatorial access to the origins of this now world-renowned graphic tradition.
Curated by Emily Laurent Henderson, Associate Curator, Indigenous Arts and Culture at McMichael, this once-in-a-generation exhibition of more than 200 works will foreground the cultural continuities of life in Kinngait in the face of dramatic societal change over more than five decades. The adaptability and resilience of this unique community has been documented in works that depict intergenerational knowledge transfer, community building, and boundless imagination.

This exhibition will reveal overlooked bodies of work by some of the country’s most beloved artists including Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Kananginak Pootoogook, and Pudlo Pudlat as well as introduce audiences to hitherto unknown artists whose work was suppressed by the aims of the print program that prioritized the tastes of settler markets in the South.

Since the 1990 transfer of 90,000 works on paper from the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, new generations of Kinngait artists have emerged onto the contemporary art scene, capturing visions of their community into the new millennium.

From the exacting, illustrative style of artists such as Itee Pootoogook and Tim Pitsiulak, to the dreamscapes of Ooloosie Saila and Shuvinai Ashoona, Kinngait artists have continued to innovate with drawing as a medium unto itself—moving beyond its role as a preparatory step in the printmaking process. In the 2000s, artistic practice shifted with the introduction of large-scale works on paper and an embrace of candid, often humorous depictions of contemporary Inuit life. Prefabricated houses, snow machines, and trips to the co-op store mark the established way of life in the hamlet today, but the values of cooperation and care remain the same.

Curated by Emily Laurent Henderson, Associate Curator, Indigenous Arts and Culture at McMichael, this exhibition is presented in dialogue with Worlds on Paper: Drawings from Kinngait.

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 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.