The McMichael’s art collectors and founders of the McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg

Toronto-born Robert McMichael and his Danish-born wife, Signe, shared a deep passion for art and Canadian landscape painting. Together, they not only ran Robert McMichael Studios in Toronto and Travel Pak Ltd. in New York, but also became the quiet champions of what would become one of Canada’s most treasured art collections.

In 1951, the couple purchased a 10-acre plot of land in Kleinburg, just northwest of Toronto, and built a modest cabin they named “Tapawingo”—an Indigenous word meaning “Place of Joy.” What began as a weekend retreat soon evolved into something much more.

By 1954, their home began doubling as an art gallery, housing their growing collection, primarily focused on works by the Group of Seven. At a time when the artists’ popularity had faded among collectors, the McMichaels provided critical financial support by purchasing their paintings—helping preserve a vital part of Canada’s artistic identity.

Their love for Canadian art wasn’t something they kept to themselves. They generously opened their home to the public, and as the collection expanded, so did the space. What started as a cabin eventually grew into a facility housing fourteen galleries.

In 1965, in an extraordinary act of generosity, Robert and Signe donated their home, the land, and their entire collection to the Government of Ontario, laying the foundation for what is now known as the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

Robert McMichael passed away on November 3, 2003, and Signe on July 4, 2007. Fittingly, both are buried on the grounds of their beloved Tapawingo, surrounded by the landscapes and artwork they so deeply cherished.

Tom Thomson’s In Algonquin Park (1914) was one of Robert and Signe’s early purchases.

McMichael Gallery grew from a small cabin to present day.

Entrance of The McMichael and the grave site of where Robert and Signe McMichael are interred.