Congratulations to Margaret Johnston for her winning Bright Idea:
The People’s Choice!
A Chartered Professional Accountant by training, Margaret has been a volunteer at the AGO since 2011. She started as a School Programs Gallery Guide and now works with Syrus Ware in the Free After Three program. Before the AGO, she was a Docent at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio for five years; prior to that she worked at the Hudson’s Bay Company head office in Toronto for 13 years.
“I enjoy learning about artists and art history, the different art movements and art education,” says Margaret. “I am especially interested in visual art, architecture and photography. I love the discovery and challenge that comes with sharing and communicating this appreciation with others especially young people.”
Margaret’s Bright Idea involves inviting visitors to vote on their favourite work of art on display in the collection over the course of one or two months. At the end of the voting period, a winning piece of art will be chosen from the top votes. A top 10 list of visitor favourites may subsequently make up a highlights tour.
“I’m curious to see which work will win,” she said. “I haven’t even picked my own favourite yet.”
Bright Ideas was launched in November 2013, and will become an annual contest. Submissions had to support the AGO’s Strategic Plan pillars of Be the Experience or Sell the Experience – and were to be implementable affordable, and outside of the scope of normal activities.
Participation in the contest was high, with 109 ideas submitted from both staff and volunteers in 18 departments Gallery-wide. All ideas were evaluated independently and confidentially by members of the Internal Communications Team (ICT), a cross functional team of 13 people. Submissions were judged on addressing the pillars of focus, cost and feasibility, benefit to the AGO, and originality.
What’s next? A working committee will be formed to develop the scope and timing of the idea, which will be implemented by the end of the calendar year. Thanks from ICT to everyone who submitted their ideas. Stay tuned for more information!