Hello Everyone,

With lots going on, there are two moments from this week that stand out for me. The first was a presentation by three of our conservators (Lisa Ellis, Sherry Phillips and Shu-Wen Lin) speaking to a group of AGO Trustee Emeriti. Our conservators are incredibly specialized, and the trustees were captivated by their work and the way they spoke about it with such authority and knowledge.

The second was the spectacular opening event for Robert Houle: Red Is Beautiful. Robert is a leading contemporary artist who deftly blends modernism with a First Nations perspective. All of us are familiar with Seven Grandfathers in Walker Court and now we have much to learn and take in from this retrospective, which includes more than 100 works. A special dinner was held in Galleria Italia last evening and curator Wanda Nanibush read a message from Governor General Mary Simon to acknowledge aabaakwad, which is taking place this weekend at the AGO (both onsite and virtually). Thank you to Wanda and other educators and staff who have played a role in bringing aabaakwad together.

An update regarding the Volunteers of the AGO: We have developed a phased approach of returning a small group of volunteers back to the Gallery this month. Our goal is to begin with an initial small cohort of Information Guides to support wayfinding over the busy holiday season while having three major exhibitions on view. Within this phased approach, we are planning for Gallery Guides to be back in the museum at the end of January. If you see one of our volunteers onsite, please welcome them back!

Take care and stay safe,

Stephan

P.S. Our public statement on Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Accessibility has been updated on ago.ca. Here is the link: https://ago.ca/about/ago-for-all