The Ontario government announced Tuesday it will spend up to $50 million over three years to “update and expand” the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ont.
The province said the funds will help the gallery expand and conduct “much needed” repairs on the 70-year-old facility. It comes after the federal government announced last month that it would separately allocate $25 million to fund site upgrades that will see the gallery meet net-zero environmental standards.
“Our government’s investment will help McMichael modernize and grow, protect the gallery’s $750-million collection and secure the institution’s status as a world class cultural tourism attraction for generations to come,” Stan Cho, minister of tourism, culture and gaming, said in a press release.
The museum is the largest publicly funded gallery dedicated to Canadian and Indigenous art. It’s home to more than 7,000 works, including a significant collection of art by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven and contemporary Indigenous artists.
“In the coming years, we will be restoring and revitalizing this national treasure, ensuring its long-term sustainability and prosperity for the benefit of all Canadians,” said Sarah Milroy, executive director and chief curator at McMichael, in a statement. “In a time when our nation seeks spaces to come together, the McMichael is that place — a place to share our stories, embrace our differences and celebrate the connections between us.”
Originally constructed in 1954, the museum building was previously the home of art enthusiasts Robert and Signe McMichael, who later donated their home and art collection to the province in 1965. The gallery opened as the McMichael Conservation Collection of Art the following year, and the organization is now considered an agency of the ministry of tourism, culture and gaming. Tuesday’s funding announcement marks the province’s first capital investment in the site in more than four decades.
