The McMichael Canadian Art Collection, which houses one of the world's most important collections of Canadian and Indigenous art, has officially announced plans for a major transformation of its campus in Kleinburg, Ontario. The ambitious redevelopment project will be led by Toronto-based Hariri Pontarini Architects (HPA), marking the first significant investment in the museum in more than 40 years. The McMichael is the only museum in Canada dedicated exclusively to Canadian art.
While the selection of HPA for this nationally significant project had been widely known within Canada's art community, museum leadership chose to make the formal announcement during the opening night of the Art Toronto fair, where they also hosted a fundraising event. The institution is home to the world's most comprehensive collection of works by the famous Group of Seven artists, making this renovation particularly important for Canadian cultural heritage.
The project has secured substantial government funding, though additional support is still needed. In April, the province of Ontario committed up to C$50 million (approximately $35.7 million USD) for the project, with the funding contingent on matching support from both the federal government and private donors. This provincial commitment followed a C$25 million (approximately $17.9 million USD) investment from the federal government through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program in March. However, Grace Johnstone, the McMichael's communications director, confirmed that no additional public funding has been announced since April, and the museum continues to seek additional financial support for the comprehensive renovation.
The McMichael's expansive property spans 100 acres in rural Kleinburg and includes the museum's 85,000-square-foot main building, which currently houses a permanent collection of more than 6,500 works by Canadian artists. The campus also features walking trails, a sculpture garden, and a unique cemetery where six members of the Group of Seven are buried, creating a deeply meaningful connection between the artists and the land that inspired their work.
The museum has a rich history dating back to 1965, when Group of Seven collectors Robert and Signe McMichael formally donated both their extensive art collection and their Kleinburg property to the government of Ontario to establish an art museum. The institution opened to the public as the McMichael Conservation Collection of Art in 1966, and was later formally incorporated as the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in 1972. Since its founding, the museum's mission has expanded significantly from its original focus on the Group of Seven to embrace contemporary and Indigenous Canadian art, including an important archive of works on paper by Inuit artists from Kinngait.
The architectural vision for the renovation respects the building's distinctive character while modernizing it for contemporary needs. A museum spokesperson described how the current building, nestled in the Humber River Valley, features modernist timber-and-stone architecture with low rooflines that integrate seamlessly into the natural landscape. This design has come to represent "a deep sense of place and connection for many Canadians," according to the spokesperson. The new design by HPA will honor this architectural legacy while expanding and modernizing the facility to serve diverse 21st-century audiences.
The renovated and expanded McMichael will include significantly more space dedicated to exhibitions, education, conservation, and public programming. New facilities will feature modern classrooms and studios, as well as purpose-built spaces for events, concerts, lectures, and conferences, including a brand-new indoor theater. All construction will meet the Canada Green Building Council's Zero Carbon Building standards, reflecting a commitment to environmental sustainability.
Conceptual renderings released by Hariri Pontarini Architects show a thoughtfully designed expansion that maintains the building's character while adding contemporary elements. The architectural firm, whose Gibson Art Museum recently opened at Simon Fraser University near Vancouver, has proposed a slightly altered roofline and a reimagined outdoor plaza that still honors the original building's design principles. However, since the current designs are only conceptual, specific details about the square footage of new facilities and structures are not yet available.
Siamak Hariri, HPA's founding partner, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, explaining the architectural philosophy behind the design. "We have fallen in love with the vision set before us by the McMichael, as home to the art of Canada," Hariri said. "The big, sturdy roof automatically says home, but it also says longhouse or cabin in the woods. From the approach, the roof hugs the ground making it welcoming, intimate, warm and inviting. But as you enter, the experience explodes, engaging the extraordinary setting in a number of surprising moments with a rare and uniquely Canadian combination of nature and art."
Sarah Milroy, the museum's executive director and chief curator, outlined how the architectural renovation aligns with the institution's evolving curatorial vision. She emphasized that the McMichael will continue championing Indigenous art through an ambitious acquisitions program and exhibitions in the new spaces. Additionally, the institution plans to expand representation of the many diasporic cultures that make up modern Canada, while still honoring the legacy of the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. "Our new gallery spaces should allow us to show more art, embrace new media and foreground a new scale of artwork in our museum, as befits the moment," Milroy explained. "This will allow us to present a more confident and powerful expression of Canadian art and culture in our distinctive woodland setting."
