Hello volunteers, with a new ticketing system in place, it’s time to update the process for requesting complimentary admission tickets for AGO staff and volunteers. Key points:
Visiting by yourself – just wear/show your badge
Visiting with your family (you will be with them during the visit) – come to the Welcome Desk same day to get tickets for your guests. Everyone needs a ticket to enter the gallery (other than the staff/volunteer showing their ID)
Booking in advance for family/friends – email the Contact Centre – [email protected].
a date is required
can be booked up to 3 months in advance
not applicable during the Winter break (December 23, 2024 – January 5, 2025)
4 tickets per year are available
If you have further questions, please reach out to the Contact Centre at [email protected] or by calling 416 979 6608.
As I look out the window admiring the lush fall colours and changing light, I’ve been on holidays and hope you’re all well, also taking in the season, look forward to catching up. Writing with upcoming volunteer community programming and exciting launch of the Volunteer Artist Collective. We have a lot to look forward to as we launch the fall Volunteer lineup. As always, many thanks to Holly for our joint work and support.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR WITH THESE SAVE THE DATES:
POSTPONED: – Please note: Our original October 30 date is being rescheduled to a later date in November, stay tuned!Launch of volunteer artist collective / Zoom presentation with AGO volunteer Janne Reuss
REGISTRATION LINK UPCOMING (not yet available):Tuesday November 12th, 11:00am private, in-person tour of theLee Miller exhibition (Lee Miller: A Photographer at Work, 1932 – 1945) at the Image Centre, Toronto Metropolitan University. Registration for this outing will be required with Volunteer President Barbara Glaser, first come, as space is limited. Please note: Registration details will be sent next week.
More on the AGO Volunteer Artist Collective:
JANNE REUSS, AGO Gallery Guide volunteer and our first Guest Artist
Janne Reuss and her work
This presentation (watch for a new date in late November) will be on zoom and recorded. Janne will showcase her art of photography and the unique personal meaning behind her works, for reference here is Janne’s website https://janneartdot.wordpress.com/. I first viewed Janne’s photography at Art Toronto last year and so thrilled to see her launch this important volunteer artist collective.
In the new year, we look forward to learning more about Aliye Akbarzadeh’s artwork! Aliye is the second artist joining us for the AGO Volunteer Artist Collective programming. Her art is equally unique in a stylistically 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.
The AGO Volunteer Artist Collective initiative was born out of conversations I had with volunteers in the lounge and the incredible pool of creative talent we can highlight and showcase, as a community.
We, Holly, I and the artists, are excited to launch this initiative. Equally as Volunteer President, I’m so thrilled to see this idea come to life, and highlight the talents of so many of our volunteers, and what we create outside the gallery wall; as artists, our visions and mandates. This will give us all, volunteers over different days, shifts and placements, an opportunity to come together, beyond institutional silos, to learn, be inspired, and see our cohorts in a different light. Please submit your interest to participate in the collective, with Holly or myself.
COMING UP:
Our next excursion:
TuesdayNovember 12th, 11:00am (registration link upcoming, has not been released yet) will be to The Image Centre-Lee Miller exhibition private tour. Many thanks to the volunteers who suggested this outing, and to the staff at the Image Centre for graciously welcoming us and my request for a visit.
Lee Miller: A Photographer at Work (1932 – 945) installation view
This will be a private tour exclusively for our volunteer group outside of public hours. If you’re not familiar with Lee Miller’s photography, please see below. Being a fan, I’ve followed since my OCAD days, capturing the epitome of elegance, style, character, and vision. Linked here as well: https://theimagecentre.ca/exhibition/lee-miller/
Registration to come soon. This is space limited tour and first come.
Lee Miller: A Photographer at Work (1932–1945) September 11–December 7, 2024 Main Gallery Curator: Gaëlle Morel
This exhibition explores one of the most intense and productive chapters in the professional life of American photographer Lee Miller. Between 1932 and 1945 Miller was simultaneously a renowned portrait photographer running her own studio in New York (1932—1934), a photographer for perfume and cosmetic brands in advertising (1932—1945), and a fashion photographer and war correspondent for the British edition of Vogue (1939—1945). This short time span encompasses a rich history in which the photographer moved between and linked her various practices. Miller’s diverse professional activities, and the ease with which she stepped from one context to another, reveal a photographer whose work was defined primarily by its exchange and commercial value. Lee Miller, A Photographer at Work reveals the inner dynamics of managing a photography career amid the myriad challenges facing professional women at the time. The exhibition offers a rich and complex portrait of this important figure, previously known best for her collaboration with American artist Man Ray and her close ties to the Surrealist movement of the 1920s.
Organized in collaboration with the Lee Miller Archives, England. Originally produced and presented during Les Rencontres d’Arles, France, 2022.
This event has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.
Barbara Glaser (She/Her) Volunteer President Art Gallery of Ontario [email protected]
Pacita Abad was an amazing artist. It is obvious when one walks into the Zacks Gallery – I could not be prouder of how it looks. Like most things here at the AGO that are great, it was a team effort. Please take some time to visit the exhibition – notice the curatorial work, the lighting, the graphic design, the installation, the interpretive plan and, most of all, the art.
Taking a bit of time out of a busy schedule to look at art is something I try to do every day. It helps me to connect to our mission and brings me joy. There are periods when work gets hard (like when we do not have WiFi, which I am grateful is no longer the case!) and going into the gallery is a reminder why we do what we do. This week I saw engaged school groups, I attended a great talk about Pacita Abad by Renee van der Avoird, and I showed the AGO to donors with pride.
I will be at the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) Annual Convening over the next several days in Denver. I will give an update on the meetings in next week’s message.
AGO Staff and volunteers are invited to attend an exhibition preview for Pactia Abad:
Tuesday October 08
2:30pm – 4:30pm
Zacks Gallery (second floor)
Please bring your ID badge to gain entry to the exhibition preview. Installation photography is scheduled to happen during the preview, so, once inside the exhibition, please refrain from having your ID badges visible when moving through the exhibition.
Pacita Abad, European Mask , 1990. Acrylic, silkscreen, thread on canvas. Tate: Purchased with funds provided by the Asia Pacific Acquisitions Committee 2019. Courtesy Pacita Abad Art Estate and Tate. Photo: At Maculangan/Pioneer Studios.
Can’t make it? Not to worry, Members’ Access is October 9 – 11 and Public (staff and volunteer) and Annual Passholder access begins Tuesday October 12!
The AGO’s IT issues have been causing a lot of stress for all of us. I know it hasn’t been easy to pivot without the tools we are used to accessing. We are doing everything possible to get things back up to speed as quickly as we can. I appreciate your patience as the IT team continues to assess the situation and bring things back online. A big thanks to Chris and Kyle for all the work they and their colleagues are undertaking to get us back on track. IT folks have been going full speed, and I appreciate their efforts. Talking to experts, managing a cyberattack can often take weeks. We have very good cyber security consultants and legal advice. I believe the WiFi issue is on track to be resolved soon.
This weekend, Toronto celebrates Nuit Blanche. It is a marvelous community event. To staff who are working this weekend at the AGO, showcasing the Sonia Boyce exhibit, I want to say thank you.
Our ongoing conversations with the province are productive. Without going into specifics, we will not need to restructure the museum this fiscal year. Interpret this as good news. We will, of course, need to maintain fiscal discipline and adherence to our operating budget. Please say “thank you” to Jay Xie (Manager, Government Relations) if you bump into him.
I want to thank everyone who made ArtBash 2024a success. It was a sold-out event with 400 donors sitting down for a delicious dinner in Baillie Court and 700 guests dancing and exploring the museum for a lively after party. Brianna Chase and the Development team lead the efforts – and almost every department was involved – the beautiful décor, the fine food, the great artwork, the professional security, the PR, the on-point music, the many, many details! And over night the Facilities staff transformed the museum back so we can be ready to welcome visitors! The event raised a record $1.2 million and these funds go straight to our bottom line – they help pay for operational expenses such as salaries, programs, and utilities. Thank you to EVERYONE for helping make it a wonderful success.
Today in Walker Court, look up to the sculptural staircase and you will see a Toronto Raptors basketball jersey – iconic player Vince Carter’s number is being retired and his jersey will be making appearances at various Toronto landmarks today. It is of a partnership with the Raptors to celebrate Carter’s contributions to the game, and to our city. I remember when the Raptors won the NBA title a few years back – there was a massive parade and a great sense of pride for Toronto and its first ever world championship.
Alain sent out an email earlier this morning about Monday, September 30 as it is Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Please take a moment to read the e-mail (volunteer blog post) and reflect on how you can acknowledge this important day. Thank you.
Finally – Thanks for your ongoing patience with our IT situation, and many thanks to our IT team for their continued hard work.
Monday, September 30 is Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It’s a day of remembrance, reflection, and learning truths to enact reconciliation, and a day to recognize First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures, identities, and historical and contemporary realities. We are all treaty peoples, and reconciliation is the responsibility of all of us.
Monday is an intentional moment for all of us to reflect, learn, and take action. There is no one way to approach this. These discussions are not easy, and the topics involved may be triggering for some staff. It is important for us to recognize that there are different facets each of us use to move towards learning truths as we move towards reconciliation – on September 30, and beyond.
At the most basic level, take a moment to walk and to reflect. Personally, I love to take walking meetings across the museum galleries and outside Grange Park. One of my favorite pastimes is to view Robert Houle’s Seven Grandfathers in our Walker Court space and reflect on Elder Duke Redbird’s teachings of the Seven Ancestors and the Food Forest. A snippet can be found here: The Seven Ancestor Teachings, from Elder Duke Redbird youtube.com.
A short walk from the AGO is a new Spirit Garden at Nathan Phillips Square that will be open to the public on Monday, September 30. The space is a partnership between the City of Toronto and Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre. Our colleagues at Two Row Architect, who are part of the DRMCG design team, worked on the Spirit Garden’s design. There are many events celebrating the Garden’s opening this weekend – including remarks from Two Row Architect Brian Porter — and you can learn more here.
Something to remember is that part of the Truth is that First Nations, Métis and Inuit people are joyful, brilliant, creative, and thriving.
I am happy to share news about our new Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief, Education & Programming with you.
Robert Durocher will be joining the AGO starting Monday, September 23.
Robert has deep experience in education. He joins us from the Urban Indigenous Education Centre (Toronto District School Board (TDSB)) where he was the Centrally Assigned Vice-Principal, Indigenous Education, and Instructional Leader supporting teacher learning for the Expressions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Cultures Grade 9 art course.
Welcoming Robert Durocher
Many of you may know Robert – he has worked closely with Elder Duke Redbird and the AGO on aligning our programming with the TDSB curriculum, and co-hosted the March 2023 Indigenous Hip Hop Symposium.
Robert is an artist, with a focus on drawing and photography, and encourages engaging students in learning through the arts for well-being and engagement. He is Education Associate of the Ontario College of Art (Printmaking), BFA York University, BEd and MA from OISE/UT.
Robert is a talented educator and will be an important voice on the AGO’s Leadership Team. I’m so looking forward to having Robert join our team at the AGO.
Thank you for the work you do for the AGO. I know that you will make Robert feel at home here.
Earlier today, Friday September 13, the AGO experienced a cyberattack which targeted a number of our core services and resources. To ensure the integrity and security of the AGO Network all core services and remote access will be offline to perform an audit and determine root cause.
The AGO is open for business as per scheduled hours of operation, though there is currently no access to phone service, VPN, printers, or network drives.
The I.T Team is working diligently on the restoration of these services and will be using a phased approach for bringing resources back online.
If you a volunteer trying to call the AGO by phone, you may not be able to reach anyone at the Gallery. Many staff will not be able to access information they need from home. So please be patient if you are trying to reach someone – with thanks, Volunteer Resources
