On Wednesday night we hosted Growing the AGO Collection, a Curators Circle panel talk and reception, whose purpose is to bring key supporters of the AGO together to hear from our Curatorial team about the acquisitions that have grown and shaped our current collection. The event was incredibly well-received, and I want to thank Julian Cox, Caroline Shields, Alexa Greist, Georgiana Uhlyarik, Renée van der Avoird, Julie Crooks, Adam Welch, John Zeppetelli, Sophie Hackett, and the rest of the Curatorial team for bringing the content of the event to life. There are also many of you who support the acquisitions that inspire this annual event that I’d like to thank, including (but not limited to) art handlers, photographers, registrars, collections staff, and curatorial coordinators.
For this month’s RBC Art Pick, we turn our attention to The Antique Pottery Painter: Sculpturæ vitam insufflat pictura (1893), an oil on canvas painting by French painter and sculptor Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904).
In this behind-the-scenes look at a fictional artist’s studio, a woman is seated and surrounded by objects and artworks on the left side of the canvas. She holds a small figurative sculpture in one hand and in the other, a thin paintbrush. On the table in front of her is a row of other small figurative sculptures painted in bright colours. On the right side of the canvas, another woman stands facing a large shop window as she sells artworks to passerby shoppers in the courtyard. There are many different works placed around the studio including sculptures, paintings and masks.
An influential 19th century artist and sculptor, Gérôme’s works all boast meticulous attention to detail, effectively pulling viewers into their narratives. He became famous for his artworks depicting mythological and historical scenes, as well as portrayals of the Middle East. Gérôme was one of the most popular and sought-after artists of his time; he received honours and awards across Europe, his paintings achieved record-breaking sale prices, and as a professor at the prestigious École des Beaux-arts, he trained thousands of students.
Find this painting on view on Level 1 in the Carol Tanenbaum Gallery (gallery 116), at the AGO as part of the exhibition Steam: Impressionist Painting Across the Atlantic. For many more secrets of the painting, read the full text, in this week’s Foyer, linked HERE.
We’ve had a big week starting off with Family Day, new installations on view, and a Board of Trustees Meeting. Let’s not forget the massive snowstorm that derailed some planned programming for last Sunday. I want to thank everyone for pivoting on Sunday, especially E&P staff, and for providing our public with an amazing day of activities on Monday. I think we made the right call to close on Sunday – my priority was to keep everyone safe.
I have enjoyed viewing a few new exhibits this week, including Letendre/Morrisseau on Level 1 (Fudger Rotunda), which features works from our permanent collection. Also, Oluseye: Orí mi pé in the Murray Frum Gallery on Level 2. Through an exquisite interdisciplinary art piece featuring cowrie shells, Nigerian-Canadian artist Oluseye brings together spiritual, mythological, and biographical elements that shape his worldview. Please take a moment to explore these and other new collection rotations and exhibits.
We are pleased to offer this informal volunteer meet and greet with one of the Gallery’s newest Leadership Team members: Robert Durocher
Friday, February 28 from 2 – 3:30 pm in Seminar Room 1
2 – 2:45 pm – Meet and greet with all volunteers
2:45 – 3:30 pm – Focused time with Gallery Guides
About Robert: Robert Durocher joined the AGO in 2024 as the Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief, Education & Programming. In this role, he leads the Education & Programming Division. Robert believes all people should have access to arts education, play, and programming that reflects and affirms diverse learners and communities, including intergenerational programs.
Before joining the AGO in this role, Robert was a Centrally Assigned Vice-Principal, Indigenous Education at the Urban Indigenous Education Centre at the Toronto District School Board. He was also an Instructional Leader, supporting teacher learning for the Grade 9 art course Expressions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Cultures. Before this, he was a K-12 Learning Coach, engaging educators to integrate equity and anti-oppression strategies into their teaching practices. Robert was seconded faculty at York University’s Faculty of Education where he led courses in Visual Arts Education, Arts Integration, and Inclusive Education.
Robert is also an Associate at the Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD U), where he specializes in printmaking. He also holds a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from York University, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master of Arts from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto.
A quick and important note to let you know the Gallery will NOT be open on Sunday due to forecasted severe weather conditions. If you are scheduled to volunteer on Sunday, please do not come in. The Gallery will be closed.
The Gallery plans to reopen on Monday for Family Day.
Remember to call the Gallery’s Emergency Line for updates. This line will always be updated in the event of changing hours or closure. 416 977 5249
I hope everyone is keeping warm, safe and cozy this weekend! Holly (-volunteer resources)
A big thank you to all staff and volunteers helping to support Family Day Weekend! The Gallery has (free with admission) programming all weekend long, which began today, Friday Feb. 14. Of particular note, we’re open Monday, 10:30am – 4:00pm. Some highlights:
DJ OAKEVE all day dance party in Walker Court!
Trading Cards: Collect, trade and colour these unique cards featuring 10 original designs by local artist Rachel Joanis – all inspired by artworks in The Culture exhibition. Pick up your own souvenir set in Education Commons, or Walker Court.
Storytime with children’s author Nadia Hohn at 11 am in Galleria Italia.
Artmaking activities including Hands- On Center activities and Art Cart activities on the Concourse Level and in Walker Court.
The Bistro is offering a special kids and family menu (all you can eat pancakes!) all weekend long
Read more about all the activities and events, HERE.
In past weekly messages I shared that, once the steel goes up, the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery (DRMCG) will start to take shape. You may remember that the first piece of steel arrived in August 2024, and now in February 2025 you can see from McCaul St. and Grange Park that the expansion is taking shape. This is the time when the project will start to become real for people and the public will take notice. See below for a photo of recent construction.
This weekend is the Family Day long weekend, and we are open on Monday. We anticipate lots of activity in the galleries and Weston Family Learning Centre (WFLC). Thank you to everyone, staff and volunteers, who are working hard to make this weekend memorable for families!
Join artist Oluseye and Julie Crooks, Curator, Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora, in the gallery to celebrate the opening of the exhibition, Oluseye: Orí mi pé. Inspired by merindinlogun, a Yoruba divination ritual, Oluseye presents a new installation that illustrates the spiritual, mythological, and biographical elements that have shaped his worldview and art practice:
Saturday February 15
Remarks at 2 pm (No need to register, just drop in!)
Level 2, Gallery 249
Oluseye (b.1986, London, UK) is a Nigerian-Canadian artist. His practice embraces Blackness and blends the ancestral with the contemporary and the physical with the spiritual. Oluseye has exhibited at the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Fransisco (2024); Daniel Faria Gallery, Toronto (2024); Southern Guild Gallery, Cape Town (2023); the Gardiner Museum, Toronto (2023); Albright-Knox Museum, Buffalo (2022); Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (2021); Agnes Etherington Art Center, Queen’s University, Kingston (2021); and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (2015).
In 2022, his first public art commission, Black Ark, was installed in Toronto’s Ashbridge’s Bay Park, and in Fall 2024 will embark on a tour of the Maritimes with stops at the Owens Art Gallery and The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. His first permanent public sculpture will be unveiled in Toronto in 2026.
With the weather forecast calling for a winter storm, the AGO is monitoring its potential impact on AGO operations. The AGO is currently scheduled to operate business as usual.
AGO’s emergency phone number is (416) 977-5249
The emergency phone number will be updated if a decision is made that will affect the AGO’s hours or operations. If you are curious about whether or not the Gallery is open (during or after a big dump of snow!), please call the Gallery’s emergency phone number as your first point of reference. This line is updated first, and acts a central point of information for all staff and volunteers.
Should there be a change to AGO operations, the message will explicitly indicate that the building is closed due to weather conditions. Otherwise, the AGO will be open for business as usual.
We are happy to share this exhibition talk with Curator Alexa Greist, on Tissot, Women and Time, on now until June 29. This tight little show (galleries 139 – 141 on the main floor, just outside the entrance to Prints and Drawings) has some real gems, and their installation on blue and pink walls is striking! Some volunteers have been asking recently where The Shop Girl had been moved to, and it’s here! You’ll note it’s lower hanging height really invites you into the painting, like never before. Make sure to check it out!
Enjoy this behind-the-scenes (unedited) talk with Alexa, (thank you to Natalie Lam, for sharing this recording with us all!) Please note, the video does take a moment to start, so don’t be alarmed if you experience delay. Watch, HERE
