Hello Everyone,

The AGO has received a monumental $35-million lead gift from Dani Reiss that will launch our museum’s expansion project – the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery. Today we are publicly announcing this exciting news.

If you’d like to see more detail about the project and view the design renderings, they are up on our website https://ago.ca/dani-reiss-modern-and-contemporary-gallery

Dani is the Chairman and CEO of Canada Goose and an art collector. This generous donation is among the largest gifts in the AGO’s history and the size and timing of this gift will help the AGO move forward this expansion with confidence.

In the past decade we’ve welcomed more than 20,000 artworks into the collection and now thanks to both Dani Reiss and the vision of our architect partners Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects and Two Row Architect, we’re set to display them in a thoughtful, dynamic, and truly beautiful space. 40,000 new square feet of gallery space across five floors and more than 13 new galleries will increase the AGO’s total space available to display art by 30%. The design will be dynamic enough to display the works of today’s great modern and contemporary artists, and adaptable to the needs of future generations of artists working across all media.

This moment marks a major milestone for the project with the announcement of our lead donor. We are also submitting initial designs to the City of Toronto. Fundraising is continuing and the city consultation process will begin shortly.

I want to take this moment to thank everyone who has gotten us to moment, but particularly thank Rupert Duchesne, Board President and Co-Chair of the Board, and Jay Smith, Co-Chair and Campaign Chair. Board leadership is critical to the success of this project. I also have to thank Mike Mahoney and Jessica Bright, who are leading the project with the project team, and Kate Halpenny and Andrea Orr, who are leading our fundraising efforts. This expansion project will truly be a team effort and there will be much more to share in the coming weeks and months.

Sincerely,

Stephan

Kent Monkman’s solo exhibition closes at the ROM next month. Read our October 2022 story before it does.

On October 8, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) unveiled a brand-new major exhibition conceived by acclaimed Cree artist Kent Monkman. Being Legendary places 35 new paintings by Monkman alongside fossils, meteorites and other select pieces from the ROM’s collection in a grand re-telling of history – from an Indigenous perspective.     

“With Being Legendary, I am exploring how Indigenous presence and knowledge is embedded in this land much longer and deeper than how it’s been presented in the colonial version of history here on Turtle Island,” says Kent Monkman. “Using storytelling, this exhibition refers to the interruption of knowledge caused by the colonial attempts to erase us, but it also talks about life before Europeans arrived and how leaders in our communities shine a path for us to move forward into the future.”

As in several Monkman’s earlier works, Being Legendary casts his alter ego – Miss Chief Eagle Testickle – as the story’s narrator and central character. In the exhibition’s first section, visitors enter the cosmos via two large-scale works depicting Miss Chief floating through the stars at the moment of her inception. On accompanying panel text, she explains that the subsequent journey through Being Legendary will tell the acimowin (story that carries history and knowledge) of her people. Monkman’s works from this section are presented along with the St. Robert meteorite from the ROM collection.    

Being Legendary is on view until March 2023 at the ROM. Did you know? As an AGO volunteer, you can visit the ROM for free as part of the Reciprocal admissions agreement. Just show your volunteer badge at the front desk (you cannot reserve free tickets online).

Hello everyone,

Last weekend’s Family Day programming was phenomenal. The galleries were bustling with over 14,000 visitors — for context, 67% of our attendance last week came in on Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Thank you to all staff who not only worked over the weekend, but came together as a team to welcome our audiences for a full weekend of programming.

Many staff came out to enjoy events with their friends and family, not only for Family Day weekend, but throughout Black History Month. We have our last event with RISE Edutainment today (February 24), and a marketplace tomorrow (February 25) with 25 vendors set up on the concourse level in partnership with Black Owned Toronto.  Special thanks to the Black Employee Resource Group for coming up with the marketplace idea.

Just a note that if you’ve been hearing some construction noise outside of your work spaces, it is likely from the Beverley Street Stair & Railing Rehabilitation Project. This is a major emergency exit, so having it in good repair is important. The project also includes work further along Beverley, across the front of the building on Dundas, and near the Jackman Hall pit at McCaul. Project completion is scheduled for May 18, 2023. For project-related questions or concerns, please contact Michael Peroff, Director, Plant & Building Infrastructure.

Take care,

Stephan  

Saturday February 25, 11am – 4pm in the (WFLC) Weston Family Learning Centre

To close out Black History Month, the AGO has partnered with Black Owned Toronto to host a marketplace. The market will feature 25 Black owned local businesses, with a range of products including candles, hair care, children’s books, scents and more. In this exciting partnership, Kerin John, founder and CEO of Black Owned Toronto says she aims to create “a bright, punchy gathering spot for Black entrepreneurs”. This unique marketplace at the AGO will do just that and is open to all.

Special thanks to our Black Employee Resource Group for bringing this event to the AGO!

Keith Haring: Art Is for Everybody is making its only Canadian stop at the AGO in November 2023! Find out more on our website and stay tuned for more details. Keith Haring: Art Is for Everybody is organized by @TheBroad.

Before travelling here, The Broad will present the first-ever museum exhibition in Los Angeles of Keith Haring’s expansive body of work and will feature over 120 artworks and archival materials. Known for his use of vibrant color, energetic linework and iconic characters like the barking dog and the radiant baby, Haring’s work continues to dissolve barriers between art and life and spread joy, all while being rooted in the creative spirit and mission of his subway drawings and renowned public murals: art is for everybody. Curated by Broad Curator and exhibition manager Sarah Loyer, the exhibition will explore both Haring’s artistic practice and life, with much of the source material for the exhibition coming from his personal journals.  

Something to look forward to this Fall!

“[As] a photographer … you try to obtain the best pose, the most advantageous profile, because photography is an art.” — Seydou Keïta

By the 1950s African studio photographers had begun experimenting with lighting and composition techniques, resulting in flattering portraits of their subjects. These images carried an air of optimism during the post-independence era in West and Central Africa.

Tracing the development of African studio photography from the 1860s to the mid-1980s, this exhibition features images by Cameroonian photographer Michel Kameni, Malian photographers Malick Sidibé and Seydou Keïta and Ivorian photographer Paul Kodjo, among others.

The exhibition title, You Look Beautiful Like That, is a translation of the Malian phrase “i kany¨ tan”—popularized by Bamako-born photographer Seydou Keïta—and captures the close collaboration between photographers and African clients in the creation of their likenesses.

Find this exhibition on Level 2, in Gallery 249

Good afternoon, everyone. As many of you may have read in the Globe & Mail today, we have sad news to share. Gallery Guide Mary Rochon has passed away. 

A most beautiful and insightful tribute to Mary and her life has been shared in her obituary, found here: https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/mary-rochon-obituary?id=47926194

Mary volunteered as a Gallery Guide with us for 25 years. When I think of Mary, I think of a grand dame and consummate host. She put so much attention and scholarship into her tours and enjoyed nothing more than a good chat in the galleries. She absolutely loved being a guide and spending time socializing with volunteer friends & colleagues around the table in the volunteer lounge. During the pandemic, Mary connected us with one of her daughters, Lisa Rochon, an author who who joined us on one of our early Zoom calls to chat about her book, Tuscan Daughter.  Previous to that, Mary started a small book club to help fellow guides through grief, when she lost her own beloved husband Joel after 62 years of marriage. Mary was all about family, and connection. 

As many of you know, Mary was also an artist and I have attached one of her most recent works here,  shared with me by her family, Mary loved to travel and paint en plein air. 

Family would welcome fellow volunteers to the funeral mass, to be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Toronto on Saturday February 25 at 11am, with a reception at Newman Centre to follow. 

Condolences will be shared on behalf of us all in the AGO volunteer community. 

Take good care everyone,

Holly

– volunteer resources 

Hello everyone,

2023 got off to a busy start for the AGO. It’s a good time for families and friends to re-charge and re-connect as we head towards the tail-end of the winter season. The sun is on the horizon… pretty soon it will be spring and we’ll have a new line-up of exhibitions and programs, including Wolfgang Tillmans and a wonderful Cassatt-McNicoll Impressionist show.

Thank you to those who are working hard on submitting budgets for 2023-24, those who will be onsite this weekend providing Family Day Weekend programs, and those who are working on upcoming activities. Please take a moment over the next few days to reflect on what we’ve done so far this year and what we can all look forward to, together.

Take care,

Stephan 

Hello Everyone,

As we head toward the end of this fiscal year, we are on track to end up pretty much where we projected. This took effort from everyone – such effort must continue as we plan for the 2023-24 budget and continue to re-build our operations. My main message is this: we need to focus on managing expenses and broadly appealing programming to increase revenue. Basically it’s a full court press on increasing revenue, especially from increased attendance and audience engagement. We have made changes to our exhibition schedule, adding in KAWS and a Keith Haring retrospective (this is CONFIDENTIAL), which will be incredible draws, in addition to this spring’s Tillmans show and this summer’s Impressionist exhibition featuring works by Canadian artist Helen McNicoll.

We remain in an environment where there are factors beyond our control – inflation, cost of operations, etc. – which means we will need to be very disciplined about the work that is within our control. I have much confidence in managers and teams to think creatively and strategically to help guide the AGO through another challenging year. I am optimistic and know we can do it together.

Take care,

Stephan

After 16 months at the AGO, Xiaoyu Weng has resigned from her role as the Carol & Morton Rapp Curator, Modern & Contemporary Art. As many of you know, Xiaoyu came to Toronto from New York, a city in which she has both professional and personal ties, and will be returning to spend more time there.

I would like to thank Xiaoyu for her contributions to the AGO, including the acquisition of important works of art, and stewardship of our Modern & Contemporary Committee and Contemporary Circle donors, among other accomplishments. As everyone knows, there is a great deal of activity happening at the AGO as we continue to re-build and fulfill our mission for our public.

I acknowledge that with Xiaoyu’s departure, there is a gap in staffing in the Modern & Contemporary area, something which Stephan and I are focused on. More news will be shared on that front in due course. 

Thank you,

Julian

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Julian Cox (pronouns: he/him/his)

Deputy Director & Chief Curator