Hello Volunteers , a reminder that your Volunteer President, Barbara Glaser has organized a tour of Charles Pachter’s studio for AGO volunteers. This is a popular outing, but there are still spaces to join, see below: – Holly

A Message from the Volunteer President, Barbara Glaser: Next Group Volunteer Excursion: Charles Pachter Studio. Registration required.

Please mark your calendars for the launch of our first fall excursions. Pleased to relay that the next group outing since the summer will be on:

• Wednesday September 18, 10:30am
• to Charles Pachter Studio (near the Gallery)

This is an opportunity to personally meet one of Canada’s leading artists and see his studio, artwork and where he creates these glorious works of art! There will also be socializing time with Charles and fellow volunteers from different departments and shifts.

Meeting details to follow closer to the date, this excursion is open to 50 volunteers for space requirements in Charles’ studio.

Afterwards we will get together for an optional lunch (at volunteers’ own expense) and an opportunity to meet fellow volunteers from various shifts and days. Registration is required, please sign up and confirm your attendance (and also please note if you are interested to join for lunch) at my email address: [email protected]

Tucked away in nooks and crannies, this week’s article highlights out-of-the-way /hidden and lesser known works, including:

• Evan Penny, 17 of the Artists Production Plasters, 2001-2006 – Weston Family Learning Centre (Concourse)
• Fisher-boy Dancing the Tarantella (1883) by Francisque Joseph Duret – Concourse Level
• Portrait of Henry VII (1537) by Circle of Hans Holbein  – Level 1 
• The David Milne Centre – Levels 1 and 2 
•  A work of art in the form of a quantity of coins equal to the number of months of the statistical life expectancy of a child born January 6, 1995 (1995) by Micah Lexier – Level 2  (note: the unique opportunity to move a coin and become part of the art’s history!)

Read all about them, HERE.

Hello everyone,

Today is the last day of AGO Camps. To say the summer sessions have been successful is an understatement. The team beat their enrolment goals and received amazing feedback from campers and parents – I’ve included a few quotes from a survey below. THANK YOU to everyone involved, especially E&P staff, along with all of the camp counsellors and volunteers.

The Foyer team wrote about the next generation of camp leaders and you can read about it here: The next generation of leaders in the arts

Quotes from the question “Tell us something that your camper loved about participating in AGO Art Camp”:

Making art and sculpture with different materials. Learning about colours. Visiting the gallery and learning about different artists and their art work In the words of my 6 year old camper “I loved EVERYTHING about AGO!”

Fun projects, supportive counsellors, safe space to be themselves!

Counselors were incredible – fun and kind and inclusive. My kids loved learning new animation techniques.

The kindness of the counsellors made a significant impact on my son. Thank you for selecting your staff so well!

This is not art-related but as a Filipino-Chinese child, my daughter rarely sees volunteers/ counsellors who look like her. She was extremely excited to have met two Filipino volunteers who spent some time with her and told her that they know her lunch! She was extremely happy about it and it is a moment she will never forget. Please continue hiring volunteers/ counsellors from diverse backgrounds. It means a lot to the next generation.

This wonderful feedback makes me so proud of the AGO.

Take care and enjoy Labour Day weekend,

Stephan  

Eagle eyes will notice the AGO rebrand (which started with our new lanyards and signage) continues to be unveiled. Our website looks different! Check out the art and artists page, HERE, for a detailed listing of exhibitions opening this Fall and Winter season, including:

• Sonia Boyce: Feeling Her Way (opens September 19)
• Pacita Abad: October 9 – January 17, 2025
• Lucy Qinnuayuak (opens October 9)
• Light Years (opens November 2024)
• The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary art in the 21st Century (December 2024)
• Tissot, Women and Time (opening December 21, 2024)

Hello everyone,

On Tuesday, we launched the AGO’s new customer relationship management (CRM) platform, Tessitura. A banner day. The Tessitura launch marks a long overdue transition from 30-year old legacy systems to a fully-integrated CRM that is designed to help us better serve our audiences, and raise more revenue across especially Admissions, Membership, and Development. Tessitura is the #1 software used by over 800 arts organizations globally. Our software has been designed for our needs and over the coming months we will start to see its impact, as improved data gives us a deeper understanding of how to engage our community.

It takes a village, and this project is certainly an example of that. I want to thank the Tessitura team, led by Deanna Underwood and Paul Lai, who have worked closely together over many months to make a smooth transition possible. The Tessitura team includes:

Tessitura Steering Committee

Andrea Seaborn, Catherine Thomson, Chris Steele, Cindy O, Herman Lo, Kristine Medeiros, Kyle Fraser

Tessitura Working Committee

Brieanna Ivany, Camellia Kazi, Christine Endrulat, Cristina Dias, Curtis Lindsey, Dahee Song, Deanna Dick, Mark Dos Reis, Michael Ladd, Nicole Ascroft, Sneha Gaikwad, Trish Popkin, Victoria Bautista-Hodgson

I also want to thank the many Subject Matter Experts who helped along the way.

Take care,

Stephan

This is a reminder that Library & Archives will be closed for annual collections maintenance from Monday, August 19 to Friday, August 30.  

Hello Volunteers

Hope you’re all enjoying the beautiful summer we have been experiencing!

I’m writing with some exciting updates that have been busily working on. First, however in gratitude and thanks to all the staff; Debbie Johnsen, Holly Procktor, Paola Poletto and Natalie Lam for the enriching actives and talks they have arranged for us as we have had recently from Moment’s in Modernism, to Bright Lights, to a visit with Artist in Residence Michelle Peraza, can’t wait to see what she will create! It’s always wonderful to learn, be together as a community and a pleasure to see everyone! In our mutual volunteer work together, enrichment activities and socially.

Next Group Volunteer Excursion: Charles Pachter Studio. Registration required.

Please mark your calendars for the launch of our first fall excursions. Pleased to relay that the next group outing since the summer will be on Wednesday September 18th at 10:30am to Charles Pachter Studio, (near the gallery). This is an opportunity to personally meet one of Canada’s leading artists and see his studio, artwork and where he creates these glorious works of art! There will also be socializing time with Charles and fellow volunteers from different shifts. Meeting details to follow closer to the date, this excursion is open to 50 volunteers for space requirements in Charles studio. Afterwards we will get together for an optional lunch and an opportunity to meet fellow volunteers from various shifts and days. Registration is required, please sign up and confirm your attendance (and for lunch if interested to join) at my email address [email protected]

AGO Volunteer Artist Collective:

A reminder our AGO Volunteer Artist Collective launches on Wednesday October 30th with our first artist Janne Reuss, our second artist is scheduled for Tuesday November 19th with Aliye Akbarzadeh.

These presentations will be on zoom and recorded and shared. Janne will showcase her art of photography and the special personal meaning behind her works, for reference here is Janne’s website https://janneartdot.wordpress.com/. Aliye’s art is equally unique in a stylistic manner capturing a creative vision drawings and paintings via a contemporary style, her past life stories and deep philosophical meanings. Aliye’s artwork, technique features, collage, drawing and painting.

As Volunteer President, I’m so excited to launch this initiative idea, showcase and highlight the talents of so many volunteers as to what we create outside the gallery walls as artists our visions and mandates as well as contributing to the gallery. This will also give us all including fellow volunteers over different day shifts break down the silos and an opportunity to learn, be inspired and seeing your cohorts in a different light, commonalties and the hope of building a strong artistic community to be recognized and inspired by staff alike. Please submit your interest to participate in the collective, with Holly or myself at the email address above.

On the horizon in the fall:

We are most grateful to Melissa Smith, who will be arranging a watercolor studio workshop lead with a Gallery school facilitator for volunteers. This is a collaboration between staff and volunteers coming together in the studio, as part of a community to simply learn, and hands on create and have fun!

Volunteer Recognition:

There will importantly be a volunteer recognition event coming up around the late fall into the holiday season, this will also give us an opportunity to come together and socialize as well. With warm thanks to Holly for brilliantly organizing all factors of this recognition event for volunteers. We look forward to celebrating you!

Look forward to all these activities and seeing you all in the near future, until then I will be on summer break mid to late August and as always, my door is open with any suggestions, questions or concerns via email ([email protected]) or in person. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the summer!

All my best,

Barbara Glaser

AGO Volunteer President

Hello volunteers! Last week, Debbie Johnsen, Manager, Modern and Contemporary Collections, joined us for a lively and informative Zoom presentation on Moments in Modernism. Debbie is a huge fan of the behind-the-scenes work of artists and her presentation is informed by beautiful studio shots of artists and their works. Sharing the link here for all to enjoy:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T3ZuctIQmjZsud60daivQWY-YVmLQkDw/view?usp=sharing

Note: this is an unedited video, and intended for AGO volunteers, only. Please do not share or distribute this link.

Moments and Modernism has been the talk of the Gallery this summer, as it unearths from the vault many classics of the Collection. Curator Debbie Johnsen is our Manager of Modern and Contemporary Collections, and those of us who have worked with Debbie for a long time know her as the glue that keeps this department running! She holds a wealth of information, and is not someone who usually gets the spotlight, so we’re thrilled she is joining us to share all of her insights into this show she co-curated with Director & CEO, Stephan Jost.

We’re grateful Debbie’s able to join us in a busy summer season to share all the behind-the-scenes information that volunteers love. This talk is for all volunteers! We know timing is tight, so please rest assured this talk will be recorded and shared for those who can’t make it.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86538431876?pwd=14BiPd8EYnK8wC6qd4OFa6CbaGZxUb.1

Meeting ID: 865 3843 1876
Passcode: 736314

Debbie Johnsen

Manager, Modern & Contemporary Collections

Selected AGO exhibitions:
Moments in Modernism (2024)
Bright Signs: Spotlight on Video Art (2024)

Background: Prior to becoming the Manager, Modern & Contemporary Collections at the AGO in 2023, Debbie Johnsen worked in various roles in the Gallery’s Department of Modern & Contemporary Art since 2011, most recently as Curatorial Coordinator. She provided key support for major exhibitions such as Brian Jungen: Friendship Centre (2019), Vija Celmins: To Fix the Image in Memory (2019) and Theaster Gates: How to Build a House Museum (2016). As Manager, Modern & Contemporary Collections, Debbie is responsible for the custodianship, research, and installation of the Modern & Contemporary Collections. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Art History from the University of Toronto.

Hello everyone,

This is the last week of the exhibition KAWS: Family. I will sincerely miss the show, but it must continue onto the next venue, which is Chrystal Bridges Museum in the US. I want to thank everyone who was involved in making this exhibition a success, and particularly give a shout-out to Julian Cox.

Yesterday the first piece of steel arrived for the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery – see images below. Once the foundation is complete, the building will start to be erected. The massing and scale of the structure will take shape once steelwork is done later this fall. There is a new banner over the Jackman Hall entrance that shows a rendering of the building.

I will be off for the next two weeks visiting family in Switzerland. My family comes from two small alpine towns, and it will be good to practice my Swiss-German!

Take care,

Stephan

P.S. To those of you who will be celebrating the richness of Caribbean culture this weekend – enjoy!