Weekly Message from Our Director & CEO, Stephan Jost

Hello everyone,

It feels like spring is finally here. I hope you take a moment to enjoy the sunshine this weekend. 

This evening, we have a tribute to the exhibition, Making Her Mark, with a musical performance of Tafelmusik: Making Herself Heard in Walker Court. The performance will celebrate the creativity and artistry of women in the 17th and 18th centuries.

We are open throughout the Victoria Day long weekend. A special thank you to everyone who will be on-site welcoming our public and to everyone who maintains our spaces for that welcome.

Take care,

Stephan

Weekly Message from Our Director & CEO, Stephan Jost

Hello everyone,

It is great to see our public enjoy the AGO. Again, thank you to everyone who helped make last weekend a tremendous success. With more than 24,000 people attending, it was the perfect way to get the word out about the AGO and what we have to offer our public. Do take time to see Making Her Mark when you have a moment – it is a quiet and ambitious exhibition.

Take care,

Stephan

The Volunteer Endowment Trust:  An Illustrated presentation to this year’s projects for support,- Tuesday May 14, via Zoom

Join Volunteer President Barbara Glaser; Coordinator, Volunteers Holly Procktor; and Special Guest Erin Thadani, Senior Manager, Philanthropy & Planned Giving; as we share this year’s projects especially selected for AGO volunteers as projects for support for this year’s disbursement of volunteer funds.

TUESDAY MAY 14, 5:30pm – 6:30pm, online via Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83602213458?pwd=UmN1aU1tTjNES2Jjdkw0cytsQm0wZz09

Meeting ID: 836 0221 3458
Passcode: 791806

  • Get a sneak-peek of 4, especially selected upcoming projects, including upcoming exhibitions, yet to be announced – with visuals!
  • Learn the history of the Volunteer Endowment Trust, and how funds are used to support the Gallery
  • Volunteer Voting – we’ll share how all volunteers have a say in how funds are distributed
  • Question and Answer Period

Following this Zoom presentation, we’ll launch this year’s vote. (All volunteers can vote by email). We look forward to announcing this year’s “winning” project in June.

A recording of the presentation will be shared for those who can’t attend.

Spaces Still Available – Exclusive tour of the Koffler Centre of the Arts – DECADE: 10 Years of Creation at Youngplace, with Curator David Liss

Monday May 13, 1pm

For 10 years Toronto’s Youngplace at 180 Shaw St. has been a crucial community hub for artists, arts groups, and engaged audiences. DECADE: 10 Years of Creation at Youngplace celebrates the role the building’s tenants have played within the cultural ecology of Toronto.

The exhibition features eight contemporary artists currently or recently working in the building and whose work offers an exciting range of media from painting, textiles and sculptural installation to video and photography: Ruth Adler, Barbara Astman, Shabnam K. Ghazi, Vid Ingelevics, Gillian Iles, Carolyn Murphy, Midi Onodera, and Matthew Schofield.

Join Volunteer President Barbara Glaser and your fellow volunteers for an informative tour with exhibition Curator David Liss at 1pm, followed by an opportunity to gather locally for coffee, snacks and good company!

  • DATE: Monday May 13th, 1pm
  • ADDRESS: Artscape Youngplace – 180 Shaw Street, Suite 104-105
  • Duration: One hour, plus questions

RSVP/ Registration is requiredPlease email [email protected] to sign up. In your reply, please additionally indicate if you plan to join the group for coffee/snacks so that reservations can be made.      

DRMC Update: Construction Safety Reminders

Site mobilization for the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery is starting soon.

Construction Safety Reminders  

As site mobilization begins, the laneway between the AGO and OCAD U (the driveway to the AGO’s Shipping Dock) and the Jackman Hall Entrance will become congested with EllisDon construction and AGO delivery vehicles.  Staff and volunteers are reminded to continue to use the Dundas Street (main entrance to enter and exit the building, as the Jackman Hall/ McCaul Street entrance remains closed)>

For safety reasons, staff and volunteers are encouraged to:  

  • Observe all signs and safety perimeters established around the construction site. 
  • Use designated travel paths during construction. 
  • Pay attention when walking, running, or cycling near the construction zone entry on McCaul St.  
  • Pause headphones and device use while walking, running, or cycling near the construction site entrance. 
  • Use alternate routes when entering the main doors on Dundas St. W. 

Questions?  Reach out to Lenore McMillan, Project Coordinator, Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery at [email protected]

Weekly Message from Our Director & CEO, Stephan Jost

Hello everyone,

This week, we re-opened to the public and will be free all weekend. It is clear our audiences are happy to be back. It was a huge effort to get things ready by Tuesday and I want to thank all of you for helping make this happen.

I am especially thrilled that we can now welcome visitors to Making Her Mark. A special thanks to those who finalized the installation in time for Tuesday’s opening. Congratulations to curator Alexa Griest and others for bringing the exhibition thesis to life – there are many, many incredible objects and art works in the show. A big congratulations to Alexa and the publishing team on the beautiful publication, which won a Canadian Museum Association Award of Outstanding Achievement for excellence in research.

While it is exciting to have people back in the building, I do acknowledge, again, that the last several weeks were very difficult for everyone, especially OPSEU members. The strike was hard. It will take time to feel like everything is back to normal.

This weekend, we are free. A big thanks to those staff and volunteers who will be on-site greeting and welcoming people back to the AGO. Having our public back is one big step towards normalcy and re-engaging with our mission. Word of mouth through our visitors is the best way to get more visitors. This weekend will jump start the buzz.

Take care,

Stephan

Barbara Glaser: Volunteer President Report and Update

Coming together: Exclusive tour for AGO Volunteers May 13th 1pm

One of my mandates as Volunteer President is I firmly believe in supporting our Volunteer community, crossing over with various volunteer groups to connect initiatives and even outside gallery walls socially with our cultural partners and personal artistic connections. This also falls under the umbrella of Volunteer Recognition and Appreciation in support for all you do, and we are so appreciative. Holly and I are working hard on this initiative. The 2024 theme for Volunteer Appreciation week is “Every Moment Matters” which we will carry through the year. Making new memories, coming together and creating connections with moments in our rich volunteer history.

On that note, I’m very pleased to share the exciting news that we will have the opportunity to have an exclusive tour of the DECADE: 10 Years of Creation at Youngplace (see details below) with Curator David Liss, on Monday May 13, at 1pm. They are opening their doors one more time- after the public closure – just for our AGO Volunteers group, which we are most grateful for! This is truly an exclusive opportunity that we hope you can join us in!

Afterwards there will also be an optional social component (following the format of our recent outing to the Gardiner). We will come together at one of the many eateries in the Queen West /Ossington area – please feel free to let me know any choices on that as well. Including any other excursion’s that are on your dream list, look out for further details on that coming up. Many thanks to the volunteers that have contributed those ideas. Stay tuned for further updates!

  • Date: Monday May 13th, at 1pm
  • Address: Artscape Youngplace. 180 Shaw St., Suite 104-105
  • Duration: one hour plus with questions

RSVP / Registration is required: Please email [email protected] to sign up. Additionally, in your reply, please indicate if you also plan to join us in coffee, snack after to make reservations.

Capacity: 50 volunteers, first come. (Note: they have portable chairs for 25 that can be taken around on the tour if you require seating)

Photo courtesy of kofflerarts.org

Given three short months to organize the exhibition, Curator David Liss researched and met with each of the artists, discussed their past and current work, and selected recent artworks that highlight their various media, methods and meanings. Participants will learn more about each of the artists’ works and have the opportunity to ask probing questions. 

David Liss (photo: Art Toronto)

David Liss is an independent curator, writer and artist currently living in Toronto. From 2000 to 2020 he was Director, Curator and Artistic Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto. From 1995 to 2000 he was Director and Curator of the Gallery of the Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts in Montreal. During the early 1990s he contributed art and music reviews to the Montreal Gazette, Vice, Canadian Art, and other publications. Since the late 1980s he has organized, curated, written texts and essays, published books and developed interdisciplinary programs for numerous exhibitions and projects in Toronto, Montreal, and venues across Canada and internationally.

https://kofflerarts.org/Exhibitions/Gallery/Gallery-Exhibitions/DECADE-10-Years-of-Creation-at-Youngplace

AGO Free Admission this weekend

The Gallery has decided to offer free admission this weekend, all weekend long!

It’s also OCAD Grade X: OCAD’s graduate exhibition and open house, featuring the work of OCAD U’s class of 2024 (always so inspiring!) The latter part of this week saw the Gallery filled with high school students, touring OCAD U campus (and the AGO). If this week was any indication, the whole neighbourhood should be popping on the weekend.

Enjoy the spring weather, and an extra special thank you to all the volunteers who join us this weekend to help welcome and support our new and returning visitors!

Welcome Back, AGO volunteers

Hello volunteers!

As the Gallery has now reopened, we are looking forward to welcoming you back this week, starting tomorrow – Tuesday April 30. All volunteer shifts can resume! Please join us this week if you can; we have missed you.

With thanks for your patience and support during this challenging time; we are so looking forward to seeing you.

A quick reminder: Jackman Hall Entrance remains closed for construction. Please use the main entrance (Dundas Street), to enter the Gallery. 

Welcome back!

Volunteer Update

Saturday April 27

Hello Volunteers,

The Gallery is very pleased to share that OPSEU Local 535 concluded their vote Friday, and an agreement has been ratified. The Gallery will reopen on Tuesday April 30. Please await additional messaging from me on Monday, about volunteer return.

Have a great weekend,

With thanks for your patience and support,

Holly