Hello Everyone,

• Earlier this week I attended the Association of Art Museum Directors annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. AAMD is an extraordinary network of Directors of the largest museums in North America. What was really clear is that last year’s hurricanes have deeply impacted Texas, and of course, also Puerto Rico. One of the things I enjoy most is hearing other Directors say how much their staff have had great experiences interacting with our staff at the AGO.
• Some of you might have noticed that our Curators, Educators and Conservators have been travelling  to Singapore, Japan and other parts of Asia. This an intentional move to make sure staff have real experience on the ground, in part through learning opportunities, but also to become more familiar with the different cultures of Asia. It is very important for us in terms of engaging our public here in Toronto.
• Related to this, I have been invited by the Canadian government to attend a creative industries trade mission to China in April. This is a good opportunity for me to deepen our relationship with government officials and to gain a greater understanding of Chinese culture.

Enjoy the weekend,

Stephan