Hello everybody!

How are you all doing on this steamy hot weekend? I know many of you are well traveled and we would love to hear how you are spending your summer!  Are you becoming a tourist in your own city? Working from the cottage? Discovering a different part of the province? Help us plan our own vacations with your wonderful ideas!

The Gallery has now been re-opened for 3 weeks and we have got a sense of the rhythms of the day. This may change, as this week the general public returns with timed-entry tickets! We also announced the AGO is offering a special Front Line Workers Annual Pass, as a way to thank Ontarians who work in health care and emergency services, grocery stores, public transit, and sanitation services, so they can rest, recharge and enjoy art!

Finally, some you have been inquiring with Holly or myself about how you can visit the gallery. If you are a Member or Annual Pass holder, timed-entry tickets can easily be booked online for any day that we are open. We are currently looking at sustainable booking processes that would allow volunteers to book a timed-entry ticket from home. Thank you for your patience as we work this out – we will let you know once we know! 

Please read on!

A Day in the Life …

Art in the Spotlight: The Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs

The AGO hosted an Art in the Spotlight conversation with artist and Toronto Photo Laureate Michèle Pearson Clarke for a conversation with AGO Associate Curator of Photography Julie Crooks about The Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs, a singular collection of more than 3,500 historical images from 34 countries. Here are some highlights from the discussion: 

• Sophie Hackett and Julie Crooks learned about this collection of photographs while at an exhibition in NYC – they where then able to arrange a visit to the collection in the collector’s home!
• They realized how extraordinary the collection was and Julie and Sophie worked hard to convince the collector to offer the collection to the AGO (it could have as easily gone to the Brooklyn Museum or the British Museum!)
• The collection opens a conversation of the history of photography
• The massive collection is currently been indexed and catalogued (which will probably take more time with our reduced staff)
• Julie will be curating the exhibition and is still determining how the exhibition will be shown- this will be open to the public in 2021!

Be well and stay healthy. 

Jonathan, Christine, Trish and Nicole