Royal Ontario Museum brings iconic Group of Seven artworks to Toronto in landmark exhibition

TORONTO, September 25, 2026 – For decades, art lovers have made their way to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ont., to marvel at some of the most renowned paintings in the Canadian visual canon.

Now, visitors will be able to see these extraordinary works in downtown Toronto as the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) presents This Land: The Group of Seven and their Contemporaries.

Running from November 22, 2026, to September 4, 2028, this extended special exhibition showcases 88 captivating paintings from the McMichael by the Group of Seven, Tom Thomson, and other notable landscape artists of the era – including Emily Carr, Yvonne McKague Housser, Anne Savage and Bess Harris. 

The McMichael’s recently announced transformational redevelopment project and related temporary three-year closure offered an unprecedented opportunity to share the historic heart of the gallery’s collection beyond its walls.

“In an era when the world wants more Canada, ROM is thrilled to host this landmark exhibition, which evokes the spirit of this country,” says Nicholas R. Bell, ROM Director & CEO. “Soon, thanks to our partnership with the McMichael, visitors will be able to see these iconic works of art here – at Canada’s largest museum, in the heart of Toronto.”

“We are delighted to be able to share some of our most beloved works with our colleagues at ROM and their audiences,” says Sarah Milroy, Frances and Tim Price Executive Director & Chief Curator at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. “From Emily Carr to Tom Thomson to Lawren Harris, this exhibition is a feast for all Canadians and visitors from across the country – and around the world. This is a time to celebrate Canadian culture, and we are proud to play a role in this elbows-up moment with our sister institution.”

“The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is a national cultural icon, and the Ontario government is proud to support its redevelopment,” says Zee Hamid, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “The gallery’s partnership with ROM has created a special opportunity for visitors to experience the distinctly Canadian vision of the Group of Seven in downtown Toronto over the next few years. I would like to thank ROM and the McMichael for ensuring ongoing public access to these important pieces of Canada’s artistic history.”

Through the exceptional support of Jeff Willner, Chair of the ROM Board of Governors, and his wife Stacey Madge, this unique partnership between the two institutions will enable these remarkable works to continue to be accessible to Ontarians, Canadians, and all visitors to Toronto.

“This partnership marks a significant national cultural moment, bringing together two of the country’s leading institutions and some of our most celebrated works of art,” says Jeff Willner. “ROM provides an extraordinary setting to share this artistic heritage with a broad audience and to celebrate the lasting influence of those who played a significant role in shaping perceptions of Canada’s landscape and identity. Our family is honoured to help make this historic collaboration possible,” adds Stacey Madge.

This Land brings together an outstanding collection of work by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. The Group – Lawren S. Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, Frederick Varley, Franklin Carmichael, Frank Johnston, J.E.H. MacDonald, and A.J. Casson – alongside Tom Thomson and Emily Carr – stand among the most significant figures in Canadian art history.

As visitors explore these enduring artworks, they will move through the shifting seasons that define Canada – luminous autumn forests built from layered brushwork, stark northern ice fields formed through sweeping tonal passages, the vast waters of Lake Superior shaped by light and movement, and remote wilderness scenes defined by the passage of time.

Adapted from the original presentation which ran at the McMichael earlier this year, the exhibition is organized in eight geographic sections (Georgian Bay, Algonquin Park, Algoma, La Cloche Mountains, Lake Superior, Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, and the Arctic), bringing visitors on a journey from the forests of Algoma to the peaks of the Rockies to the Arctic tundra.

“Works by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries dramatically altered the history of Canadian art and continue to inspire and challenge audiences today,” says exhibition curator John Geoghegan, Curator at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. “The exhibition provides the opportunity to engage with these works, revelling in their dynamic compositions and bold colour palettes, while also coming to better understand the historical context in which they were made. Viewing these paintings with fresh eyes brings deeper understanding of where we have come from as Canadians.”

While these beloved works are essential to the story of the art of Canada, they are also part of a larger, evolving conversation. This Land includes works by often-overlooked female contemporaries of the Group of Seven, including Anne Savage, Yvonne McKague Housser, and Bess Harris. Their contributions enrich the narrative and offer a more expansive understanding of Canadian art: one that honours the past while making room for other voices and viewpoints.

ROM’s presentation will introduce additional interpretation based on the Museum’s collections and expertise – providing new insights and perspectives on the landscapes, geography, and plants that are central to these paintings, and highlighting connections to Indigenous place names and narratives often omitted in the artists’ depictions of Canada.

The exhibition includes an interactive ‘I-Spy’ element, offering visual prompts throughout the gallery to encourage kids and adults alike to take a closer look from various perspectives at the works on display.

Special programming is planned throughout the run of the exhibition pairing ROM and McMichael experts to discuss the techniques, subject matter, and impact of the works from different curatorial perspectives.

The McMichael is known for the deep relationship between its collection and the natural landscape that inspired it. Now, through this partnership, their best-known works will travel from their forest setting to ROM, where they will reach a broader audience in the bustling city centre – a chance to engage with some of the most indelible imagery created in this country’s history, while also making space for new ways of thinking about Canadian art.

This Land: The Group of Seven and their Contemporaries runs at ROM from November 22, 2026, to September 4, 2028. Tickets are surcharged at $9 in addition to general admission.

Membership
ROM Members will have the first opportunity to see the exhibition during Member Previews on Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21, from 10 am to 5:30 pm. McMichael members will receive free access to the exhibition on select reciprocal exchange weekends, including January 16 and 17, 2027.

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Image credit: Lawren S. Harris (1885–1970), Mt. Lefroy, 1930, oil on canvas, 133.5 x 153.5 cm. McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1975.7 © Family of Lawren S. Harris