Hello Everyone,

First of all – Happy 2020!

And a big “thank you” to everyone who was here during the final days and weeks of the Rubens exhibit to welcome guests through line-ups and throughout the galleries. Lots of work continues to happen behind the scenes as numerous large scale paintings are returned back to their homes throughout Europe and North America. All of this takes a huge amount of coordination and I appreciate everyone’s efforts.

• After an incredible 44-year career at the AGO, Librarian Larry Pfaff (Head, Reader Services) is retiring from the AGO on January 24. A reminder that there is a reception for Larry today from 2-4pm in the Marvin Gelber Print and Drawing Study Centre. Larry has played a significant role in library expertise, research, mentoring and relationship building. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Larry – he is a fascinating person and I’m deeply grateful for the way he has transformed our library’s collection.

I am a believer in New Year’s resolutions. In 2019, I picked a word to focus on throughout the year – “conviction.” I encourage you to think about a word – or an achievement – that you would like focus on in 2020. I’ll share my word with you at this time next year!

Enjoy the weekend,

Stephan