Hello Everyone,

We’ve had a big week starting off with Family Day, new installations on view, and a Board of Trustees Meeting. Let’s not forget the massive snowstorm that derailed some planned programming for last Sunday. I want to thank everyone for pivoting on Sunday, especially E&P staff, and for providing our public with an amazing day of activities on Monday. I think we made the right call to close on Sunday – my priority was to keep everyone safe.

I have enjoyed viewing a few new exhibits this week, including Letendre/Morrisseau on Level 1 (Fudger Rotunda), which features works from our permanent collection. Also, Oluseye: Orí mi pé in the Murray Frum Gallery on Level 2. Through an exquisite interdisciplinary art piece featuring cowrie shells, Nigerian-Canadian artist Oluseye brings together spiritual, mythological, and biographical elements that shape his worldview. Please take a moment to explore these and other new collection rotations and exhibits.

Take Care,

Stephan

Hello Volunteers!

We are pleased to offer this informal volunteer meet and greet with one of the Gallery’s newest Leadership Team members: Robert Durocher

• Friday, February 28 from 2 – 3:30 pm in Seminar Room 1
• 2 – 2:45 pm – Meet and greet with all volunteers
• 2:45 – 3:30 pm – Focused time with Gallery Guides

About Robert: Robert Durocher joined the AGO in 2024 as the Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief, Education & Programming. In this role, he leads the Education & Programming Division. Robert believes all people should have access to arts education, play, and programming that reflects and affirms diverse learners and communities, including intergenerational programs.

Before joining the AGO in this role, Robert was a Centrally Assigned Vice-Principal, Indigenous Education at the Urban Indigenous Education Centre at the Toronto District School Board. He was also an Instructional Leader, supporting teacher learning for the Grade 9 art course Expressions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Cultures. Before this, he was a K-12 Learning Coach, engaging educators to integrate equity and anti-oppression strategies into their teaching practices. Robert was seconded faculty at York University’s Faculty of Education where he led courses in Visual Arts Education, Arts Integration, and Inclusive Education.

Robert is also an Associate at the Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD U), where he specializes in printmaking. He also holds a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from York University, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master of Arts from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto.

Saturday February 15

Hello Volunteers,

A quick and important note to let you know the Gallery will NOT be open on Sunday due to forecasted severe weather conditions. If you are scheduled to volunteer on Sunday, please do not come in. The Gallery will be closed. 

The Gallery plans to reopen on Monday for Family Day. 

Remember to call the Gallery’s Emergency Line for updates. This line will always be updated in the event of changing hours or closure. 416 977 5249

I hope everyone is keeping warm, safe and cozy this weekend! 
Holly (-volunteer resources) 

A big thank you to all staff and volunteers helping to support Family Day Weekend! The Gallery has (free with admission) programming all weekend long, which began today, Friday Feb. 14. Of particular note, we’re open Monday, 10:30am – 4:00pm. Some highlights:

• DJ OAKEVE all day dance party in Walker Court!
• Trading Cards: Collect, trade and colour these unique cards featuring 10 original designs by local artist Rachel Joanis – all inspired by artworks in The Culture exhibition. Pick up your own souvenir set in Education Commons, or Walker Court.
• Storytime with children’s author Nadia Hohn at 11 am in Galleria Italia.
• Artmaking activities including Hands- On Center activities and Art Cart activities on the Concourse Level and in Walker Court.
• The Bistro is offering a special kids and family menu (all you can eat pancakes!) all weekend long

Read more about all the activities and events, HERE.

Hello Everyone,

In past weekly messages I shared that, once the steel goes up, the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery (DRMCG) will start to take shape. You may remember that the first piece of steel arrived in August 2024, and now in February 2025 you can see from McCaul St. and Grange Park that the expansion is taking shape. This is the time when the project will start to become real for people and the public will take notice. See below for a photo of recent construction.

This weekend is the Family Day long weekend, and we are open on Monday. We anticipate lots of activity in the galleries and Weston Family Learning Centre (WFLC). Thank you to everyone, staff and volunteers, who are working hard to make this weekend memorable for families!

Take Care,

Stephan

Join artist Oluseye and Julie Crooks, Curator, Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora, in the gallery to celebrate the opening of the exhibition, Oluseye: Orí mi pé. Inspired by merindinlogun, a Yoruba divination ritual, Oluseye presents a new installation that illustrates the spiritual, mythological, and biographical elements that have shaped his worldview and art practice:

• Saturday February 15
• Remarks at 2 pm (No need to register, just drop in!)
• Level 2, Gallery 249

Oluseye (b.1986, London, UK) is a Nigerian-Canadian artist. His practice embraces Blackness and blends the ancestral with the contemporary and the physical with the spiritual. Oluseye has exhibited at the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Fransisco (2024); Daniel Faria Gallery, Toronto (2024); Southern Guild Gallery, Cape Town (2023); the Gardiner Museum, Toronto (2023); Albright-Knox Museum, Buffalo (2022); Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (2021); Agnes Etherington Art Center, Queen’s University, Kingston (2021); and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (2015).

In 2022, his first public art commission, Black Ark, was installed in Toronto’s Ashbridge’s Bay Park, and in Fall 2024 will embark on a tour of the Maritimes with stops at the Owens Art Gallery and The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.  His first permanent public sculpture will be unveiled in Toronto in 2026. 

With the weather forecast calling for a winter storm, the AGO is monitoring its potential impact on AGO operations. The AGO is currently scheduled to operate business as usual.  

AGO’s emergency phone number is (416) 977-5249  

The emergency phone number will be updated if a decision is made that will affect the AGO’s hours or operations. If you are curious about whether or not the Gallery is open (during or after a big dump of snow!), please call the Gallery’s emergency phone number as your first point of reference. This line is updated first, and acts a central point of information for all staff and volunteers.

Should there be a change to AGO operations, the message will explicitly indicate that the building is closed due to weather conditions. Otherwise, the AGO will be open for business as usual.

Hello Volunteers!

We are happy to share this exhibition talk with Curator Alexa Greist, on Tissot, Women and Time, on now until June 29. This tight little show (galleries 139 – 141 on the main floor, just outside the entrance to Prints and Drawings) has some real gems, and their installation on blue and pink walls is striking! Some volunteers have been asking recently where The Shop Girl had been moved to, and it’s here! You’ll note it’s lower hanging height really invites you into the painting, like never before. Make sure to check it out!

Enjoy this behind-the-scenes (unedited) talk with Alexa, (thank you to Natalie Lam, for sharing this recording with us all!) Please note, the video does take a moment to start, so don’t be alarmed if you experience delay. Watch, HERE

Dear Volunteers,

I’m sad this week to share the news that AGO volunteer Barbara Taylor, has passed away. Barb was a treasured member of the tight-knit Thursday information guides, a former day captain, who has been volunteering with us since 2008. I know this comes as a great shock to many.

Barbara had been unwell lately, but was on the road to recovery and we were eagerly looking forward to her return. When we were last in contact in early January, she was full of her usual gusto! (“Holly, you cannot keep me away!”) And I was so looking forward to seeing her for a proper catch up. I have always admired Barbara’s zest for life, optimism and companionship with her fellow volunteers; every birthday was celebrated with a cake and all the trimmings (though we could never pin down her own, to reciprocate – we tried!); every milestone acknowledged – she was always checking in to ask about family and plans. She was truly joyful, a strong and supportive friend, and reveled in others’ good news. She loved her volunteer community here, (as much as her beloved Haliburton cottage and summers spent there), and we will miss her so. Barbara was a very private person, and her family, equally so. A private memorial will follow in the spring, but no formal, public service is planned.

The family has asked if you would like to share memories of Barbara, please do so via the tributes page, linked to her obituary, which you can read in full, here: https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/barbara-taylor-obituary?id=57384913

Condolences have been shared on behalf of the Gallery, and our AGO volunteer community.

Excited to present our next Volunteer Artist who is a gallery guide: Alieh Akbarzade:

Tuesday February 11th 10:30am

Join Zoom Meeting

• https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82364109236?pwd=1H0qtUIL3KnGL8C7vmKmFr84fDuAPX.1
• Meeting ID: 823 6410 9236
• Passcode: 547554

A short summary from Alieh: I’m an Iranian artist based in Toronto and this artistic journey began in my teenage years. I hold a master’s degree in fine art. My paintings delve into themes of identity, dislocation, transformation, and vulnerability.

My artwork serves as a means of healing and self-discovery. I think that my job is to observe people and the world. Every day presents a challenge for me as I navigate my emotions. Particularly as an immigrant, I continually encounter situations that require me to confront my fears and learn from difficult experiences. I’ve come to realize that with each instance I overcome a fear and venture beyond my comfort zone, I gain valuable insights.”
In the Volunteer Artist Collective, you will hear the story of my artistic journey from its early years to the present. I enjoy sharing my thoughts and inspirations throughout the creative process.
I will also discuss my current project that is a new experience for me since I am approaching self-discovery from a new perspective. I really appreciate you taking time to hear about the experiences that has shaped my style and artistic life until today.

Please join us to view and participate as Volunteers in seeing Alieh’s artwork and presentation. So looking forward to this!

As a reminder, all Volunteers of all levels are welcome to participate in the Volunteer Artist Collective. Simply fill our this form and will get back to you at a later date in the planning phases. https://forms.gle/EoLH8e9AoHASDovb9
The AGO Volunteer Artist Collective initiative idea was born out of conversations I had with fellow volunteers in the lounge and the incredible pool of creative talent of volunteers that we can highlight and showcase, as a community. This is a form of Volunteer recognition and bringing our community together across various roles, while building a strong Artist Collective with your fellow volunteers.

Best,
Barbara Glaser
AGO Volunteer President