Hello Volunteers! This National Volunteer Week, we are so excited to once again be hosting the Volunteer Annual Party, in honour of your commitment and contributions to the Gallery:

Wednesday April 30

5:30pm -7:30pm

AGO Bistro

Please join me, Volunteer President Barbara Glaser, your fellow volunteers, staff supports and special guests as we come together to recognize and celebrate your volunteer service.

Please click on the link below to view the full invitation, and RSVP your attendance by April 14 (we want to be sure we have enough food and drink for everyone!)

On behalf of everyone that works with volunteers across the Gallery, we are looking forward to celebrating YOU!

PLEASE RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/mFkQ7VLyzVSNiGsD9

With thanks for joining us for a celebratory evening of food, drinks and merriment

The award-winning image-maker looks back on 50 years of practice before his solo exhibition opens at the AGO

After 50 years of practice, Tim Whiten reflects on his body of work with a succinct understanding: “They are living organic materials that are informing us about what we are and how we do things.” Since the 1970s, the acclaimed multi-disciplinary image-maker has been exploring naturally occurring materials, turning bone, leather, glass and coffee into monuments that fuse the physical and spiritual realms.  

Opening at the AGO on Saturday March 29, Tim Whiten: A Little Bit of Light marks Whiten’s 2022 Gershon Iskowitz Prize for his outstanding contribution to Canadian art. With over 30 key works on display, the exhibition ranges from works on paper and cotton, other three-dimensional objects, and mixed media installations.

A Little Bit of Light is curated by Julian Cox, the AGO’s Deputy Director and Chief Curator. “Attuned to the transcendent potential of objects, and drawing upon various spiritual traditions, mythologies, and rituals, Whiten invites viewers to sense, rather than overtly read, his artworks,” says Cox. “Whiten’s practice prompts audiences to explore the depths of spirituality, the nature of consciousness and the importance of ancestral knowledge.”  

During the installation of the exhibition, AGO Foyer writers met with Whiten for a conversation. Read more, HERE.

Hello Everyone,

Since Wednesday, Tim Whiten: A Little Bit of Light has been on preview to AGO Members. It will open to everyone on Saturday, with at talk at 2pm with Tim and the exhibition’s Curator, Julian Cox. It is an exquisite exhibit featuring lots of glass (thank you Security!). Tim was the winner of the Gershon Iskowitz Prize awarded in 2022. Do take a few quiet moments to walk through and view the art. Thank you to everyone involved with Tim’s show. 

Values: Let’s remember that while we all have our own personal values, the AGO Values guide how we show up for one another and commit to working together:

Respect: We foster belonging and appreciate each other.

Openness: We interact with an open mind and thoughtful engagement.

Collaboration: We believe in the power of together.

Accountability: We own our actions and outcomes.

We will continue to discuss and communicate our Values so that everyone has a shared understanding of their meaning and purpose. It’s very important work and I appreciate everyone’s involvement and attention to our Values.

With March Break, the final weeks of The Culture, and the arrival of Spring, I want to acknowledge our Facilities crew for the amazing work they do maintaining our building and keeping it clean and safe for our public – and all of us – especially during busy periods when we have lots of visitors onsite. They do an amazing job, and their work is invaluable to maintaining a positive visitor experience. Thank you, everyone in Facilities, and across all areas of building maintenance. We appreciate you!

Take care,

Stephan

Hello Everyone,

We are coming off of another successful March Break, and I know that many of you have been receiving well-deserved positive feedback. The interactive textile installation was a hit (see attached), and I want to thank Artist-in-Residence Laura Carwardine for being here throughout March Break to engage our public. Thank you again to all of you who ensure that busy periods like this one run smoothly.

For anyone who grew up watching MuchMusic, we are hosting a talk, Remembering RapCity: The Legacy of Canadian Hip Hop Television, in celebration of its 35th anniversary this Saturday at 1pm in Baillie Court. We also have a new exhibition, Tim Whiten: A Little Bit of Light, opening to Members next Wednesday. I dropped by installation several times and Julian and the entire team have created a most beautiful exhibition of Tim’s artwork.

Take care,

Stephan

Hello Volunteers!

Please Save the Date for this year’s Volunteer Annual Party:

• Wednesday April 30
• 5:30pm – 7:30pm
• in the AGO Bistro

Join your Volunteer President, Barbara Glaser, myself, your volunteer friends and colleagues, staff coordinators and special guests from the Management and Leadership Teams, as we come together for an evening of food & drink, recognition and merriment, in thanks for all you do for the Gallery. We’ll share more details, and a formal RSVP, soon.

For the first time in 47 years, Joyce Wieland’s monumental quilt Barren Ground Caribou (1977-78) has left Spadina subway station 

“Barren Ground Caribou is a continuation of the ecological theme in my work… [It] expresses aspects of the public’s growing awareness of their environment and its preservation. A subway station is an obvious place to make an offering to nature.” – Joyce Wieland, 1975  

Picture this, if you can: Toronto in the mid-1970s. Like Montreal and New York City, it’s a burgeoning metropolis that necessitates rapid expansion. To meet the moment, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) plans for nine new subway stops reaching north from the city’s core, each station to include public art commissions by Canadian artists.  

Toronto born and raised, Joyce Wieland (1930 – 1998), was one of these selected artists. For her commission, the renowned artist chose to locate her artwork at Spadina subway station’s unassuming Kendal Avenue entryway (a late 19th-century house repurposed by the City). Measuring a massive nine meters long and two and a half meters tall, Barren Ground Caribou (image at top) is the largest quilt Wieland ever made, extending the width of the two subway tracks beneath it.  

In her 1975 proposal to the TTC she wrote, “While running towards the lower level to catch a train in a subway, one is confronted with a depiction of a group of Barren Ground Caribou in quilted form. Like prehistoric beasts, they are placed in the modern technological cave of the subway. (Altamira) Let us remember these marvelous beasts before they are no more.” 

READ MORE in this week’s Foyer, linked HERE

Hello Everyone,

With the volatile global situation and news of tariffs, it has been a choppy week! In terms of tariffs, we simply do not have enough information to determine scope of impact yet because every day seems to have a different news lead. At this point, we do not anticipate a significant impact on Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery construction. Fortunately, the steel required is already here. These forces are out of our control and, until more information is shared, we just need to stay calm and focus on our work.

In good news – next week is March Break! The AGO will be hosting lots of kids and their families, including on Monday, March 10. Our Artist in Residence, Laura Carwardine, created an interactive textile installation for artmaking in Walker Court, our AGO PLAY book is in both English and French this year, and there is still some space left in our child and youth courses. Thank you to all staff who are coordinating these activities and everyone who will be onsite next week to ensure a positive experience for all.

See you soon and take care,

Stephan

March 03 2025

Dear Volunteers,

The Gallery is pleased to be recruiting for a volunteer representative to serve on the AGO Board of Trustees, beginning this Fall (September 2025). The Board is responsible for the effective governance of the Gallery.

This position is open to all current AGO volunteers, with two or more years of service.

Please read more about this role in greater detail, and find a link to apply, here: AGO Board of Trustees Ex-Officio Volunteer Representative | Art Gallery of Ontario

Please note the deadline for application is March 17, 2025.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. – Holly (volunteer resources) [email protected]

Departures: Paola Poletto, Director, Engagement and Learning

Hello Volunteers, we are sharing news of the departure of Paola Poletto, Director, Engagement and Learning. Paola’s last day at the Gallery was February 27. Here in the volunteer program we were thankful for Paola’s recent work with the Gallery Guides. Paola is an amazing Artist and creative, and we often talked about our shared love of textiles. I am looking forward to seeing the next steps in her journey. Please see the Gallery’s announcement below:

Paola was instrumental in transforming the AGO x RBC Artist-in-Residence Program, supporting the development of emerging artists and engaging them with the AGO. Her work with adult courses lived our E&P mission to nurture life-long learning and connection with art. We thank Paola for her contributions and wish her well in all her future endeavours. While the next steps are being determined, please reach out to Robert Durocher for questions: [email protected]

Hello Volunteers! AGO Gallery Guide volunteer Alieh Akbarzadeh joined us back in February for our second installment of the AGO Volunteer Artist Collective. Thank you to everyone who attended this wonderful talk online, in real time. Though we had trouble with our Zoom recording that day, a video link is now available to enjoy (most of) Alieh’s presentation. The video starts with an introduction from our Volunteer President, Barbara Glaser, who created the AGO Volunteer Artist Collective initiative. Please enjoy this insight into Alieh’s life and work:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/192oqGCrkw0OrLwcHeHNw_zX9-1eC5-uc/view?usp=sharing

Though we had a fulsome conversation that day, we had to end our zoom recording early due to technical difficulties, (and without a proper goodbye or wrap up). For more on what Alieh is up to today, including a recent solo show at sahar K. Boluki Gallery, please see Alieh’s instagram, which also links current works and sketchbooks: https://www.instagram.com/aliye_akbarzade/

Thanks so much for sharing your work with us, Alieh! and for your patience as we worked to recover this partial video file to share.