The Volunteer Endowment Trust (VET) was established in 2001 with a Letter of Agreement between the AGO, The AGO Foundation and the Volunteers of the AGO. The original capital that created the fund continues to remain invested and, each year, an annual distribution of 4% of the fund (approx. $50,000) is made available in order to fund a project.
Each year, the AGO Development team identifies 3 projects for consideration that reflect the gallery’s strategic priorities: (1) Art, (2) Access, (3) Learning.
As part of the Volunteer Council’s (VC) ongoing mission to demonstrate transparency in our decision making, we are creating a voting process for the volunteer community to help us choose the project we care about most.
The 3 options are listed below in greater detail and you can only choose one project to support with your vote. To ensure only one vote per volunteer, we are asking you to include your name, email and placement type at the end of the survey. This will also help us to identify trends in volunteer priorities!
Voting is open to volunteers from March 5 to March 26 (3 weeks)
#1: AGO Exhibition: “I am here: home movies and everyday masterpieces” (Nov 7, 2020 – Jan 31, 2021)
Our compulsion to record our daily lives is ubiquitous, universal, and seemingly eternal. In our current age, this habit borders on the fanatical. By intermingling home movies, diaries, letters, lists, photo albums, snapshots, social media and celebrated works of art, “I Am Here” explores this documentary drive across media, cultures, space, and time – illuminating our collective verve to seize and share moments of personal history. Organized thematically, the exhibition takes its cue from recurring everyday subjects such as Our House, Food Glorious Food, Almost Famous and Dance to the Music. Interactive components will encourage audience participation and a creative exhibition publication will be produced. Curated by the AGO’s Alexa Greist, Associate Curator and R. Fraser Elliott Chair of Prints & Drawings; and Jim Shedden, Manager, Publishing.
Donor Recognition and Stewardship:
- Recognition would appear on the exhibition title wall, banners and select advertisements and acknowledgement would take place at exhibition-related events such as press previews
- Recognition on AGO website
- Recognition in related print materials (such as the catalogue)
- Listing on the Annual Donor wall and the on-line Year in Review for the 2020-2021 fiscal year
- Exclusive tour for volunteers with Curators
#2: Access Initiative
In May 2019, the AGO launched the game-changing Access initiative to remove financial barriers and open our doors wide to the public. This new model offers free admission to those 25 and under; and a $35 Annual Pass that makes visiting the Gallery throughout the year affordable. The AGO believes in making art accessible and increasing the diversity of our visitors by age, geographic, ethno-cultural and socio-economic background, engaging with audiences that are more reflective of the people of our city. To sustain this great initiative, the AGO is seeking philanthropic support to ensure that affordable access to the gallery remains available for years to come.
Donor Recognition and Stewardship:
- Recognition on AGO website
- Recognition on onsite signage in coat check area
- Listing on the Annual Donor wall and the on-line Year in Review for the 2020-2021 fiscal year
#3: Public Programs and Learning
As the AGO community grows, we reflect the diversity of our audiences and develop programs that spark curiosity and wonder in visitors of all ages, backgrounds and cultures. The AGO is seeking philanthropic support for the following programs:
Talks, Films and Performances: Films often complement current exhibitions and a dynamic lecture series features today’s leading artists and thinkers like Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith and Naomi Klein to name just a few. In addition, performances are experimental and flexible in format, featuring local and international artists’ creative journeys in music, dance and visual art. Recent examples include the commission and performance of Baroque-inspired choral works by leading Canadian musician Owen Pallett. Equally compelling was a night of dance performances in Walker Court to celebrate the 100th birthday of ground-breaking American choreographer Merce Cunningham.
Family Programs: The AGO is committed to developing programs that are engaging for children and families. Research is revealing what we all already know: art and artmaking is vital to children’s development. It develops creativity, teaches children to think openly and promotes self-esteem. Family Sundays, the Mindful Maker space, mobile Art Carts that pop up throughout the Gallery, and the Dr. Mariano Elia Hands-On Centre feature a range of artmaking activities for young visitors and their caregivers.
Donor Recognition and Stewardship:
- Recognition on AGO website
- Recognition at the introduction of Talks and Performances
- Recognition in related print materials, including pull-up banners
- Listing on the Annual Donor wall, and the on-line Year in Review for the 2020-2021 fiscal year
TO CAST YOUR VOTE: please do so by clicking on this link
Don’t have an email account? Paper ballots can be submitted via the comment box, located between the computer terminals in the volunteer lounge. This option is provided for our small number of volunteers who do not have email addresses. Online voting is preferred.
Please cast your vote by Thursday March 26.
Thank you volunteers! We look forward to seeing what you choose!