Hi Everybody!

Christine and I (Jonathan) are subbing in for Nicole this week.

I think that those of you who live in Toronto are faring decidedly better than those of us up here in the hinterland.   The old song misquoted above promises May flowers after all the rain that April usually gives us, I hope it is true for the snow as well.  Maybe old man winter just wanted to have a last hurrah and ensure that everyone is staying inside?   There will be warmth and sunshine again!

Please read on!

Favourites from the Collection: Guest Post

This week we get a visit from a very talented and friendly person, Holly Procktor, Coordinator, Volunteers (People Team- HR). Holly always says she functions like an umbrella across the volunteer program, supporting staff, volunteers & the Volunteer Council, alike. Over to you, Holly:

Last February, while wandering the galleries, I took a quick snap of William Kurelek’s Bowl Full of Tomatoes: One Bad Tomato Spoils the Whole Basket, 1969, when it was displayed at the entrance to the Thompson collection galleries on the main floor. 

Much is written about the religious and moralizing intent of Kurelek’s work, but that has never been the reading for me. I am attracted most to Kurelek’s still lifes, for their strong aesthetic qualities. I love a simple composition, built around a central image (think also of Andy Warhol’s iconic soup cans!) The volunteers also know I am a bonafide pattern-lover (I’ve never met a floral I didn’t like!) and that navy blue wallpaper in the background – against those gorgeous red tomatoes, my favourite colour – is so bright, warm and homey, well – it takes me right back to a prairie kitchen, full of old crockery and vintage tablecloths. Oh my heart!

Of course, it’s not lost on me that in this time of the pandemic, I’m finding even more comfort than usual in the domestic. I’m definitely on trend – baking bread, printing with potatoes, (it’s true- see my post on the volunteer blog!) and pursuing everything homespun. I find keeping my hands busy helps calm my mind, and allows me to focus on something other than the uncertainty of these strange days, at least for a few moments.    

Armchair Traveller – Let’s go to the Caribbean!

After all the cold, snow, sleet, and hail we had this week we thought it would be great to travel someplace warm and sunny. So get your tropical drinks and sunglasses ready and let’s go island hopping to visit some galleries in the Caribbean!
Our first stop is the Gallery of Caribbean Art in Barbados which promotes art from the entire Caribbean. Check out the art in either the Gallery view or by artist and experience the “countless expressions of colour”.  Next let’s jet to Puerto Rico and visit the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico.  The permanent collection exemplifies significant and representative examples of Puerto Rican art from the sixteenth century to the present. The third stop is the Caribbean Museum Centre for the Arts in the Virgin Islands where we agree with their motto that “Art Raises the Spirit”.
Finally we return to the AGO, where in 2019, with the support of a group of donors, we acquired the Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs. These photographs span 100 years of history and feature more than 3,500 photographs from the Wider Caribbean Region including Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad. We are looking forward to viewing this exhibition at some point in the future.

Be well and stay healthy,

Christine, Nicole, Trish and Jonathan