An exciting partnership between the AGO and the Town of Newmarket offers Ontarians outside Toronto a new opportunity to engage with works from the AGO’s Collection.  

Launching with the opening of Mulock Park, AGO at Mulock House is a new partnership that will showcase select works from the AGO’s Collection of Indigenous + Canadian Art in the second-floor gallery space of the newly renovated and reimagined Mulock House. Shaped by Her Hands, the first exhibition in this partnership, is now on view, and admission is free to the public.  

Built in 1871, Mulock House was once the private residence of Sir William Mulock. A man of many titles, including lawyer, politician, and educator, Mulock was knighted for introducing imperial penny postage to Canada during his time as Postmaster General.  

The historic Mulock House framed in a stamp, inspired by Sir William Mulock’s role as Postmaster General of Canada. Credit: Town of Newmarket

In 2018, the Town of Newmarket purchased the private estate with the vision of transforming it into a vibrant community hub. Open now, Mulock Park offers 16 acres of green space featuring walking and skating trails, a greenhouse conservatory, artist studio and much more. Designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, the Mulock House now offers 17,000 square feet of community space, including a cafe on the first floor and a gallery space on the second floor — the home of AGO at Mulock House.  

Installation view, Shaped by Her Hands (AGO at Mulock House), opened September 18, 2026. Artworks © the artists. Photo by Jason Wighton. 

The inaugural exhibition for AGO at Mulock House was curated by Melissa Alexander, the AGO’s current W. David Hargraft Fellow for Canadian Art. Featuring 28 works by 10 artists, Shaped by Her Hands is primarily organized around four women artists who were deeply involved in their communities: Kenojuak Ashevak (1927-2013), Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok (1934-2012), Florence Wyle (1881-1968), and Frances Loring (1887-1968). 

Speaking on the inspiration for Shaped by Her Hands, Alexander shared that she was inspired by Mulock House’s history as a family home. 

“My first thought was about Frances Loring and Florence Wyle because they had a home studio. I found it really interesting to place their work within a domestic space,” she explained. “The idea for the exhibition slowly grew to focus on women artists who were central to their communities and exploring different conceptions of the home, as both a physical and emotional space.” 

Installation view, Shaped by Her Hands (AGO at Mulock House), opened September 18, 2026. Artworks © the artists. Photo by Jason Wighton. 

Shaped by Her Hands fittingly opens with Métis artist Rosalie Favell’s painting I awoke to find my spirit had returned (2018), which depicts the artist as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, waking up from her adventure and returning home. Installed as a series of poetic encounters across what were once the bedrooms of Mulock House, each of the central artists has a dedicated space that speaks to their exploration of home. Known as the “grandmother of Inuit Art,” Kenojuak Ashevak’s colourful bird sculptures represent how she drew inspiration from the land around her. Thinking about the strength of family, community, and tradition, Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok’s sculptures depict family groupings in a minimalist approach that accentuates the natural form of the stones she used. Frances Loring and Florence Wyle’s work is put into conversation with fellow artists they worked and collaborated with to reflect how their home was a site for artistic gathering. 

Another exciting first in this partnership, Shaped by Her Hands provides Mulock House visitors the opportunity to see never-before-exhibited works from the AGO’s Collection. This includes Loring’s monumental bronze work, Profile Relief of Woman (c. 1953). 

“It was one of Loring’s favourite works, and it wasn’t exhibited during her lifetime,” Alexander explained. “This exhibition was a great opportunity to pull works that haven’t been seen by the public before.” 

Installation view, Shaped by Her Hands (AGO at Mulock House), opened September 18, 2026. Artworks © the artists. Photo by Jason Wighton. 

After attending the opening of Mulock House, Alexander is excited to see how the community connects with the exhibition. 

“It was such a fun opportunity to think of exhibiting work in a domestic setting and to play around with traditional modes of presentation, such as ‘the painting over the fireplace,’” she expressed. “It’s wonderful to be able to show works of art in our collection to a wider audience.” 

Shaped by Her Hands is now on view at the Mulock House, located in Newmarket, Ontario at 33 Mulock Drive. Admission to the exhibition is free.