I’m sad this week to share the news that AGO volunteer Barbara Taylor, has passed away. Barb was a treasured member of the tight-knit Thursday information guides, a former day captain, who has been volunteering with us since 2008. I know this comes as a great shock to many.
Barbara had been unwell lately, but was on the road to recovery and we were eagerly looking forward to her return. When we were last in contact in early January, she was full of her usual gusto! (“Holly, you cannot keep me away!”) And I was so looking forward to seeing her for a proper catch up. I have always admired Barbara’s zest for life, optimism and companionship with her fellow volunteers; every birthday was celebrated with a cake and all the trimmings (though we could never pin down her own, to reciprocate – we tried!); every milestone acknowledged – she was always checking in to ask about family and plans. She was truly joyful, a strong and supportive friend, and reveled in others’ good news. She loved her volunteer community here, (as much as her beloved Haliburton cottage and summers spent there), and we will miss her so. Barbara was a very private person, and her family, equally so. A private memorial will follow in the spring, but no formal, public service is planned.
A short summary from Alieh: I’m an Iranian artist based in Toronto and this artistic journey began in my teenage years. I hold a master’s degree in fine art. My paintings delve into themes of identity, dislocation, transformation, and vulnerability.
My artwork serves as a means of healing and self-discovery. I think that my job is to observe people and the world. Every day presents a challenge for me as I navigate my emotions. Particularly as an immigrant, I continually encounter situations that require me to confront my fears and learn from difficult experiences. I’ve come to realize that with each instance I overcome a fear and venture beyond my comfort zone, I gain valuable insights.” In the Volunteer Artist Collective, you will hear the story of my artistic journey from its early years to the present. I enjoy sharing my thoughts and inspirations throughout the creative process. I will also discuss my current project that is a new experience for me since I am approaching self-discovery from a new perspective. I really appreciate you taking time to hear about the experiences that has shaped my style and artistic life until today.
Please join us to view and participate as Volunteers in seeing Alieh’s artwork and presentation. So looking forward to this!
As a reminder, all Volunteers of all levels are welcome to participate in the Volunteer Artist Collective. Simply fill our this form and will get back to you at a later date in the planning phases. https://forms.gle/EoLH8e9AoHASDovb9 The AGO Volunteer Artist Collective initiative idea was born out of conversations I had with fellow volunteers in the lounge and the incredible pool of creative talent of volunteers that we can highlight and showcase, as a community. This is a form of Volunteer recognition and bringing our community together across various roles, while building a strong Artist Collective with your fellow volunteers.
Recently, we mourned the passing of Pat Munson, a dedicated Marvin Gelber Print and Drawing Study Centre volunteer, with nearly 15 years of service.
Fellow volunteers have expressed interest in collecting donations in Pat’s memory, which will go toward the purchase of book(s) in memory of Pat for the AGO Library and Archives.
If you’d like to make a donation, in memory of Pat, there are several ways to do so:
The easiest and fastest way is to make a donation on the website at www.ago.ca/donate. There is a tribute gift option. If you select this option, please make sure to indicate the gift is “in memory of Pat Munson.” Here is a screen shot, for reference:
2. If you are more comfortable with writing a cheque, you can send one in the mail to the Development Department. Please use the following mailing address:
Art Gallery of Ontario, Development Department, 317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, M5T 1G4 (attention: Michelle Greenspoon)
3. If you are on-site, you can also drop off a cheque with Holly Procktor in the volunteer resources office (volunteer lounge) and she will ensure its delivery to Development.
Please save-the-date for the next installment of the AGO Volunteer Artists Collective. This month, we’ll be joined by AGO Gallery Guide and Artist Alieh Akbarzadeh:
A big thanks to all staff and volunteers who were here over the holiday period to welcome our public. Our attendance numbers were strong, and our strategy of focusing on Members and Annual Passholders for early viewing of The Culture helped drive sales. The galleries were buzzing with activity. We ended the year on a high note, and started off 2025 in terrific fashion. I hope many of you were able to take a well-deserved break. Personally, I went back to Honolulu (where we moved from almost 9 years ago!) to enjoy the place and to visit close friends. We’ve been through a lot together at the AGO, and the AGO remains an incredibly resilient museum.
Next week we will see an important milestone for the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery project as steelwork begins. As the steel goes up, we will start to see the building take shape. A reminder that the area around the entrance to the site on McCaul St. is quite busy, so please take care when walking in that area.
Wishing you all a Happy Holiday season, a peaceful time with family and friends, dear loved ones. With thanks for all you do, the gallery and visitors are so fortunate to have you fellow volunteers on the front line as Information Guides, Gallery Guides, Prints and Drawing volunteers. You are the backbone, first encounter with the visitor, that is so integral to the gallery space and the visitor experience and interaction.
All Volunteers are intellectual, know so much about the works, collection and the artists. The visitors come away with a rich experience as a result of the exchange between Information, Gallery Guides and Prints and Drawing volunteers.
Barbara Glaser, Volunteer President
End of year summary and thanks acknowledgements,
It’s hard to believe it’s been a year taking on the role of Volunteer President and getting to know many of you over the year, has been one of the highlights. All Information and Gallery Guides with fellow Prints and Drawings volunteers on planned excursions. Over the year, we’ve attended four excursions I’ve created and organized, with attendance as fellow volunteers interacted with close to 120 volunteers from all placements. Met with curators, artists, the incredible Charles Pachter, David Liss (Koffler Gallery) and fellow guides and docents with rich discussions who imparted our shared knowledge and passions over art, thanks to all the volunteers for coming together and the strength in community.
The connections with our cultural partners and there staff for planning these excursions together with myself from the Koffler Gallery, Gardiner Museum, MCU The Image Centre, fellow gallery docent Aisling Joe for her impactful tour of the Queens Park Collection where she also has a professional role and additionally hosted us with a wine and cheese! Showing us the vast collection and ties with Queens park collection and library has with the AGO, was also a rich memory.
Look forward to future excursion events and meeting more artists, plans which are underway to come in the new year and also tying in with our AGO anniversary. Importantly speaking on the horizon, looking forward to hearing your thoughts, ideas, as a team on the 80th year of AGO Volunteer anniversary, coming to fruition this summer with further details to come.
As Volunteer President, one of the mandates established is being present, listening and a bridge with staff as a team, I have set “making every moment count” for the volunteers and building connecting memories across all placements at the core is essential. Building a strengthened community, creating new ideas and platforms for the volunteers be recognized, have an opportunity to build on that community and connect support with all volunteers, including hands on artistic opportunities. Connecting with staff and curators on enrichment opportunities as we’ve had recently on the tours and talks.
Volunteer Artists Collective
Number of Volunteers have expressed interest in participating in the Volunteer Artist Collective, which I’ve recently established to highlight the skills, creativity and talents of fellow volunteers while also another layer of building on our volunteer community an opportunity for volunteers to get to know your cohorts on another level. This initiative will be rapidly expanding in the new year. Holly and I can’t wait to see it grow, for you all to showcase your talents, your works with fellow volunteers and building the collective together. Volunteer artworks will be displayed in the volunteer lounge adding another layer in addition to your presentation. The collective is open to all levels of artists, be that amateur or professionals, any medium, all are warmly welcome and continuous encouragement! Just simply fill out the form and will be in touch. https://forms.gle/hyYg9cNufBbBo9aH7
Recognition events
Just this month we have had three recognition events, surrounded by the holidays planned by Holly and myself. I’m grateful to Holly for being a staff partner, as a Volunteer and President. Thank you Holly for all you do for us volunteers, behind the scenes, your dedication, effervescent energy, your smile and enthusiasm your wisdom. We are all lucky to have you by our side and ensuring volunteers are together and recognized as we share the mandate of the volunteer community.
Our first holiday recognition event this past November was the outing to the Lee Miller exhibition at the MCU Image Centre where we had the opportunity to interact with fellow volunteers and view the exhibition with Susan, a wonderful, well versed docent on a guided tour who imparted Lee Miller’s life through such a vast lens that we had a broad understanding and stroke of the artist and her back story-life. While taking in the works, the exhibition was beautifully curated by Dr. Gaëlle Morel, giving subtext and division on the history of Lee Miller’s works and the breadth of her life and career.
The Volunteer Endowment Trust stewardship meeting planned with Holly and our Development Team colleague Erin Thandani (Associate Director, Philanthropy and Planned Giving-Development). This was organized in recognition and with thanks to all the volunteers on the Volunteer Endowment Trust an important role volunteers play in this entire VET process. The winning vote this year and Volunteer Endowment Trust funds were distributed to the Joyce Weiland: Heart on Exhibition, coming to the gallery in June 2025 curated by Georgiana Uhlyarik, (Fredrik S. Eaton Curator, Canadian Art-Curatorial Affairs).
Many thanks for the generous time and presentations for the volunteers by Stephan Jost, (Michael and Sonja Koerner Director, and CEO), Georgina Uhlyarik on their enriching presentations to volunteers at the VET Stewardship Meeting. Stephan relayed to us all a wonderful presentation on the plans and new build on The Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Tower. Georgina gave us a sneak peek into the Joyce Weiland exhibition and further expanding into research and insights on the artist’s work and what we can expect in the upcoming exhibition.
To cap off our final event for the year, with a festive get together in the volunteer lounge with Holly’s decadent treats she made for us and we all gathered in good cheer and conversation. Holly had also coordinated and planned with curator Renée van der Avoird (Associate Curator, Canadian Art–Curatorial Affairs), a very special tour just for the volunteers of the exquisite Pacita Abad exhibition, Renée equally brought the artist and life to the works. With thanks to Renée and all the curators for what you do and for recognition of the volunteers in these talks and tour.
In closing, there will be a great deal of excitement as we approach the AGO 120th anniversary, and of the 80th year of the Volunteer program, to celebrate and look forward to in the new year. Stay tuned! As always, I have an open door policy, feel free to reach out. With many thanks and appreciation to all the Volunteers and who have connected, and built rapor with.
As you know, at the end of each week I send out a message to all staff. Doing this allows me to take a moment and reflect and communicate with everyone. Sometimes my message contains major news – sometimes it contains something more personal – but I do try to keep it real and sincere.
Reflecting on the past year, there were many real highs amidst some choppy moments. Here are some of my CURRENT highlights (in random order and certainly NOT an exhaustive list):
The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Artin the 21st Century. Last week, I encouraged everyone to go up and see the exhibition – it is bold, fresh and a match for the people of Toronto. It got off to a fantastic start with Michie Mee performing in Walker Court. It was an incredibly popular event — with about 2,500 people in attendance and lineups for the exhibition throughout the night. Curatorially, it is very strong (thank you Julie Crooks and the entire team, including Project Manager, Melissa Ramage), with art by artists that range from the emerging to the well-known.
Pacita Abad is such a beautiful exhibition. I love how it takes you on a journey from the overtly political, to wonderfully stylized graphic works, to immersive underwater art quilts. (Thank you Renée van der Avoird and the entire team, including Project Manager, Brittney Sproule).
Light Years: The Phil Lind Gift. This is personal for me as I knew Phil quite well. He had a great eye and built his collection over decades with the intention of giving it to the AGO. Many of the works are by some of the best-known Canadian artists as well as international artists such as Ai Wei Wei. (Thank you Adam Welch and the entire team, including Project Manager, Katarina Veljovic).
Sonia Boyce: Feeling Her Way. I saw this work a few years ago in Italy at the Venice Biennale and was pleased when it was proposed that it come to the AGO. I confess the first time I saw the work I was not immediately taken with it – but I went back again, gave it time and ended up really liking it. I love how the artist creates a world that is shiny and beautiful and blends in a complex sound scape (thank you Emilie Croning and the entire team, including Project Manager, Hillary Taylor).
The Collection. Because these works are on view all the time, sometimes I take them a bit for granted, but they are truly amazing: the Tom Thomsons in the Thomson Canadian galleries, the ivories in Thomson European galleries, the Marchesa Casati by Augustus John, the Mark Rothko on the fourth floor… just to name a few.
F&B. December 11th was the single highest day of sales in AGO Bistro history! We love breaking records!
All these exhibitions and offerings create a beautiful tapestry for our visitors to enjoy. Everyone plays a role in making sure that the AGO is an extraordinary museum for the public. We all have different roles, staff and volunteer, but we all contribute to fulfilling the AGO’s mission of serving our public.
As the year ends, I just want to say thank you.
Stephan
P.S. I encourage you to think about your personal highlights of the year!
Last week was a banner week with opening events for The Culture on Wednesday and Friday evenings. The exhibition looks great and was beautifully launched. It gives me optimism for the holiday season – typically the busiest period of the year. Make sure you zip up to the 5th Floor and see the show.
As you may know, the Joint Working Committee (JWC) is a group of staff and trustees who have spent the past year or so creating a process to identify a new set of values for the AGO. Earlier this week, the JWC met for the final time to discuss these values, which have been informed by staff and volunteer input in last summer’s focus groups. Currently, Leadership Team is developing a roll-out plan to unfold in the first few months of 2025. I want to thank everyone on the JWC, and those of you who participated in focus groups. I am very pleased with how the process has gone.
In 1958, music photographer Art Kane brought together 57 prominent jazz musicians on the stoop of a Harlem brownstone to create one of the most important photographs in jazz history. That year, A Great Day in Harlem was published in Esquire magazine, earning Kane numerous accolades for his work. It was so influential that in 1998, XXL magazine commissioned a 40th-anniversary recreation of the seminal group portrait— this time focusing on hip hop. Shot by legendary African American photographer Gordon Parks, A Great Day in Hip Hop (1998) featured over 200 of the genre’s biggest names, from Rakim to E-40, and was published as the centrefold of XXL’s December 1998 issue.
In conjunction with the Toronto edition of the landmark exhibition The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, the AGO commissioned Canadian hip hop photographer Patrick Nichols to be the next torchbearer of the Great Day tradition. On August 14, 2024, Nichols gathered 103 key figures from three decades of Toronto hip hop for a massive group portrait on the steps of the Toronto heritage building, The Liberty Grand.
A Great Day in Hip Hop, with Patrick Nichols
Described by Nichols as “a way to give back,” A Great Day in Toronto Hip Hop features a diverse group of MCs, DJs, break dancers, graffiti writers, promoters, designers and media personalities— most of whom he considers personal friends. Among them are the founder of Canada’s first-ever hip hop radio show, Ron Nelson; gold record-selling artists Choclair and Saukretes; and owner of the iconic vinyl shop, Play De Record, Eugene Tam. This monumental portrait is the AGO exhibition’s grand finale, prompting visitors to witness and acknowledge the forebears of the Toronto hip hop community before they exit.
Annual Passholder and General Admission: Saturday December 21
Located on Level 1 in Gallery 139 – 142
EXHIBITION OVERVIEW
James Tissot. The Convalescent, 1872. Oil on wood, Overall: 37.5 x 45.7 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. Gift of R.B.F. Barr, Esq., Q.C., 1966. Photo AGO. 65/28
Exploring the many ways that the French artist James Tissot represented modern women and envisioned their relationship to time during the last decades of the nineteenth century, this exhibition presents two of the AGO’s most beloved Tissot paintings alongside a selection of more than 40 works on paper donated by Allan and Sondra Gotlieb. The contradiction of the period come alive in these works, as the quickness of modernity, exemplified by the newfound speed of travel, fashion and commodity culture, is juxtaposed against the constrained pace of women’s everyday lives, characterized by the wait to find a husband, caregiving, tending to customers or recovering from illness.
Curated by Mary Hunter, Associate Professor, McGill University and by Alexa Greist, AGO Curator and R. Fraser Elliott Chair, Prints & Drawings, and Caroline Shields, AGO Curator of European Art, this exhibition illustrates the many ways that time, and a gendered understanding of it, shaped women’s identities.
