Hello Everyone,

• Last Saturday’s Art Bash! The Factory was a great success, raising $1,000,000 in support of AGO activities. This huge undertaking involved many staff from across the Gallery led by William Craddock, Manager, Development Special Events. It also included dedicated volunteers who sell all the tables, the fundraising team, and Food & Beverage staff. Thank you everyone for your contributions.

• At the gala, we announced an amazing gift of Andy Warhol’s iconic Campbell’s Soup 1, featuring 10 different flavours. (Tomato is my favourite.) Thanks to conservators, framers, and installers, the prints were on view in Baillie Court in time for the event. We are grateful to Margaret and Jim Fleck for their donation – Jim bought the prints directly from Warhol himself. Here is a pic of Jim at the gala.

• The E.P. Taylor Library & Archives was filled to capacity on Wednesday evening for the first of a series of free and open sessions to read and discuss the summary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Adrienne Connelly, our new Programming & Outreach Librarian, initiated the program. It was a moving and inspiring event.

• I will be spending the next few days in Vienna, Austria, along with Sasha Suda, Curator, European Art. We are meeting with museum directors to try to secure important loans for the upcoming Rubens exhibition. (Remember, not public yet!) On Monday, I travel to Berlin, Germany to spend a week with donors on the Contemporary Circle, a group of supporters who contribute to contemporary exhibitions and programs at the AGO. Curator Kitty Scott will be taking the group to numerous exhibitions and artist studios. I’ll be back at the AGO on Monday, December 4.

Enjoy the weekend,

Stephan