Each year, the AGO Volunteer Executive (VE) has the happy task of choosing one AGO project to support with the interest earned by the Volunteer Endowment Trust (VET). For the last two years, the funds have been used to sponsor the Kids’ Activity Bags — with some 40,000 of them distributed each year, they are clearly a big hit with our youngest visitors (and their parents).
At its April 2 meeting, the VE made its decision for 2015.
VE Co-President Debbie Kennedy explains the process, and this year’s outcome: “The AGO Development department provided the Volunteer Executive with three great proposals, each one with a distinct ‘personality,’ ” she says. “Gwen [Yacht], Joy [Bullen] and Alex [Dabic], our Volunteer Endowment team, worked hard on their presentation to the VE and when the votes were tallied, Into the Woods: Two Icons Revisited came out on top.”
“Icons” is a big claim, but it is justified when you’re talking about this painting …
… and this one.
That’s right: two of Tom Thomson’s best-known works — West Wind (top) and Jack Pine (immediately above) — neither on view for years and both now meticulously restored. They will be a magnet for Canadian and international visitors alike.
The companion piece is a sculpture by Michael Belmore, in keeping with an AGO initiative to integrate contemporary with iconic works in the same exhibition.
On April 15, volunteers and Development staff met with AGO Director & CEO Matthew Teitelbaum to sign the documents for this initiative.
L to R: Corrine Rusch-Drutz, Angela Grabham, Amynah Jiwa, Barry Appleton, Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann Wilcox, Joy Bullen, Alex Dabic; absent, Gwen Yacht
“I’m sure the volunteer community will be proud sponsors of this iconic Canadian exhibit,” says Debbie. “To me, it is the perfect pairing with this season’s Emily Carr show.”
- Into the Woods, Two Icons Revisited: May 23, 2015 – February 2016, Gallery 229