Hello everyone,

Today is National Day of Truth & Reconciliation. It is also Orange Shirt Day. It is a day to reflect on Indigenous culture and history, and to honour those who experienced or were impacted by residential schools. It is a day to truly remember “every child matters.”  

Take some time to wonder through the AGO’s galleries and view extraordinary works by Indigenous artists. Read about Caroline Monnet’s sculpture The Flower Between Hard Places in this AGOinsider story and see it the J.S. McLean Centre of Indigenous + Canadian Art. Head to our library and have a look at A Treaty Guide for Torontonians or Please consider reading (or re-reading) the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action Report. Consider exploring The Witness Blanket, part of an interactive website that invites visitors to explore stories and items displayed in a large-scale digital artwork.

The are many ways to reflect and learn about the significance of reconciliation through art.

Lastly – a big thank you to EVERYONE for helping pull off an incredible party last night. AGO Art Bash was a HUGE success, which pretty much involved each of you in some way. Congratulations to the fundraising team for a record-breaking event – more than $1 million dollars was raised for the AGO. These funds go straight to the AGO to help support our operations, including our education programs, our exhibitions, maintenance of our building, and all of our salaries. A wonderful evening and our guests had fun!

Take care,

Stephan