Hello Everyone,
I am thrilled about the upcoming launch of our Access Model. We are breaking down barriers to art and making the AGO more welcoming and inclusive through the introduction of 25 and under free and our $35 annual pass. This initiative involves all AGO employees and volunteers.
Since you last heard about this initiative at the April Town Hall an amazing amount of progress has continued (see Key Facts and Messages, posted below).
Please remember this is still confidential. Once it becomes public on May 9, I encourage you to talk about the Access Model with people you know.
If you have any questions, or feel you need more information about how this will affect your area, please reach out to Andrea Seaborn, Manager, Advancement Special Initiatives.
Stephan
AGO ACCESS STRATEGY: KEY FACTS AND MESSAGES
THE WHAT
Less = more! The AGO is launching a bold and exciting new admission model. Starting on May 25, the new AGO Annual Pass offers a full year of unlimited access to the AGO Collection and all special exhibitions for only $35. Visitors 25 and under are free – all year, anytime. The AGO’s new admission model will help to make the decision to visit – and the visit itself – simple. Annual Pass holders don’t need to wait in line to book tickets; they simply present a digital card on their smart phones upon arrival. It has never been easier to make the AGO a habit.
THE WHY
The AGO’s mission is to bring people together with art to see, experience and understand the world in new ways. As a platform for global conversations and local community building, art is essential – and we believe everyone has the right to experience it. To be relevant to as wide an audience as possible, it is important that we continue to make the museum more accessible through our programs, exhibitions, and policies, and extend a special welcome to new and future generations of art lovers. Now the AGO will be able to better communicate all the exciting things we have to offer.
THE HOW
The AGO is a charitable organization that relies on the generosity of its supporters. AGO Members, donors, partners and sponsors provide critical support of the AGO’s mission, allowing us to break down barriers and ensure that art is for everyone. The new admission model is possible thanks in part to their contributions, which help us open our doors wider and extend a greater invitation than ever before.
THE WHEN
AGO Annual Passes go on sale on May 9, and can be used starting May 25 when the admission model comes into effect. To celebrate, a new multi-generational event series launches that same day called AGO All Hours, running from 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. The inaugural edition of AGO All Hours, which will be presented seasonally, includes the public opening of Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room – Let’s Survive Forever. Admission to all events taking place on May 25 is included for AGO Annual Pass holders and AGO Members, and is free for anyone 25 and under.
THE OUTCOME
We want to grow our audiences, learn more about them, communicate with them and build loyalty. Great cities deserve great civic spaces, and increasing access to the AGO will help make it the imaginative centre of Toronto. Growing our audiences ensures not only the health of the museum – positioning the AGO for a sustainable future – but also the vitality of our city and our wider cultural landscape. More people than ever will have extraordinary art in their lives.