KLEINBURG.- The McMichael Canadian Art Collection announced the presentation of Early Days: Indigenous Art at the McMichael, following a landmark international tour with stops in Phoenix, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, Norfolk, VA, and Québec, QC.

This critically acclaimed exhibition of more than 100 works is a resounding affirmation of the depth, diversity, and vitality of Indigenous art in Canada, and includes many acquisitions new to the McMichael’s permanent collection. The presentation spans more than two centuries — from 18th-century ceremonial regalia and trade items to the groundbreaking work of artists from the 1960s through the 1980s, to powerful contemporary pieces by the leading artists of today. The exhibition showcases work by Norval Morrisseau, Tim Pitsiulak, Robert Houle, Carl Beam, Shelly Niro, Faye HeavyShield, Rebecca Belmore, Duane Linklater, Jeneen Frei Njootli, Kent Monkman, Meryl McMaster, and many others. Including painting, sculpture, printmaking, textile, and video— the exhibition reveals the cultural continuity, resilience, and innovation of Indigenous artistic practice across the generations. This is a repeat presentation of Early Days, which initially opened during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the exhibition was unable to be experienced by many visitors due to prolonged gallery closures during its original run.

As the only museum in Canada devoted exclusively to Canadian and Indigenous art, the McMichael collection offers a unique lens on Indigenous art in Canada, past and present. Early Days invites visitors to explore relationships to land, ancestry, and community, while also engaging with the challenges, tensions and transformations that have shaped—and continue to shape—Indigenous experience today.

The exhibition is accompanied by an award-winning catalogue co-edited by Anishinaabe artist and scholar Bonnie Devine, McMichael Executive Director and Chief Curator Sarah Milroy, and McMichael Associate Curator, John Geoghegan. This landmark publication brings together the voices of more than 60 Indigenous artists and cultural stakeholders, offering insights into topics ranging from goose hunting techniques and Northwest Coast mask making, to the rise of the Woodland style and the challenges of artmaking in the Arctic. Collectively, these contributions illuminate the enduring richness and diversity of Indigenous art across Turtle Island.