Continuing Dispatches from the AGO: Volunteer Experience Managers’ Update

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Hello everybody!

This week we are moving forward by focussing on more artists of colour in the newsletter to more accurately reflect and celebrate the diversity that exists in our city and to give more of a platform to people of colour. Please read on!

Sandra Brewster

We have all seen Sandra Brewster’s mural Untitled (Blur) that greets visitors as they enter the J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous and Canadian Art on the second floor. Learn more about the artist, her influences of growing up in Toronto to Guyanese parents and about her artistic process in this in-depth Art Talk that took place last October which is linked here.

Learn about how Sandra Brewster uses a photography technique of “blurring” of the subject that encourages the viewer to step closer and ponder what they are actually seeing in front of them. She also discusses her technique of using gel overlays (the process used in the piece above) – and how even when this exhibition is closed and “taken down” that some of the art will still remain forever within the fabric of the wall! 

AGO From Home

The AGO hosted another AGO from Home event on Thursday. Stephan interviewed Anne Pasternak, Director of the Brooklyn Museum. If you missed the talk, you can click on the YouTube video at the bottom. Here are some highlights from the discussion: 

-Social change is built into the fabric of the Brooklyn Museum
-Anne discusses the future of the Brooklyn Museum and looks towards contributing to meaningful social change
-Brooklyn is the only museum in NYC that is pay what you wish, which continues to attract younger audiences
-Encouraging younger more diverse audiences, museums need to consider what kinds of shows and what kinds of conversations they are having and if the audience feels seen and engaged
-Making the museum experience more joyous will encourage younger audiences to come as well
-Advancing structural change – Brooklyn Museum has very far to go still – certain exhibitions they invite community members to advise but they don’t always do this and they need to do this more consistently 
-Museums are accountable to the public
-Central Brooklyn is one of the hardest hit areas in NYC and in the USA – that tells us that Covid-19 it is hitting Black and Brown communities – reflection of systemic racism with high levels of death, housing anxiety, job insecurity, food insecurity 
-Brooklyn museum is currently partnering with Campaign Against Hunger and providing fresh produce for approximately 300 families per week
-Anne was previously involved with Creative Time, which is a public arts organization that commissions artist projects in public spaces and helps artists realize their dream projects

The next AGO from Home has yet to be announced at the time of writing, there are many talks and events going on that you can find out about by clicking here.

Armchair Traveller – Let’s visit the Pérez Art Museum Miami! 

This week we travel to sunny Miami’s Pérez Art Museum of Miami (PAMN). Did you catch the talk last week between Stephan and Franklin Sirmans, Director of PAMN? Linked here. Then you may have learned that PAMN has one of the largest Caribbean and Latin American modern and contemporary art collections in the world. Started in 1984, PAMN aspires to reflect the diversity of the city of Miami while embracing the power of art and creativity. Here are some highlights of the museum that you can explore from the convenience of your own home:

Be well and stay healthy. 

Jonathan, Christine, Trish and Nicole