Hello Volunteers!

Earlier this month, you’ll recall we shared the exhibition launch video for KAWS: Family. Exhibition launch videos are new to the Gallery, and share the main messages behind each exhibition; providing a chance to meet the project team, explore “the big idea” with curators and interpretive planners, and more. They’re intended to help prepare us all for our upcoming exhibitions, by providing sneek-peeks.

We don’t currently have access to space at the Gallery that can accommodate all staff and volunteers – so these videos are being recorded and shared, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to view.

This week, we’re excited to share the exhibition launch video for Building Icons: Alfred Newman’s Magazine World, opening next week (October 18 for members, staff and volunteers; October 21 for Annual Pass holders).

These opportunities to view Exhibition Launch meetings include confidential material that is not intended to be shared with the public. The Gallery is trusting all of us – staff and volunteers – to keep these details confidential and not share this link outside of our community. Thanks in advance for your agreement and support! One final note: this is new technology for the Gallery – the Newman video includes a slight echo throughout the recording that can’t be removed here, but will be addressed for future recordings. Thanks for your patience!

VIEW THE VIDEO, HERE: https://artcloud.ago.ca/index.php/s/SEtf4csoqGrfey8

PASSWORD: NewmaN@AGO

Moving the Museum documents the reopening of the AGO’s J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous + Canadian Art

So much excitement this week as Curator of Indigenous Art, Wanda Nanibush and Fredrik S. Eaton Curator of Canadian Art, Georgiana Uhlyarik, have been awarded the 2023 Toronto Book Award for their book, Moving the Museum.  Documenting the reinstallation of the AGO’s J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous + Canadian Art in 2018 and its renewed focus on Indigenous art, Moving the Museum, describes through text and more than 100 images, how art by Indigenous, Inuit and Canadian artists can be put into conversation across time, to better reflect the Nation-to-Nation relationship that Canada was built upon.  

The 2023 Toronto Book Awards volunteer jury described Nanibush and Uhlyarik’s book as “revelatory,” saying the book “kicks the colonial gaze to the curb, insisting instead that museums and galleries radically shift what they’ve been doing and offers page after page enacting the potential of Indigenous art to empower, inspire, and create community.” 

Moving the Museum was one of five books shortlisted for this year’s award, and is the first AGO publication to receive the award, published by AGO in association with Goose Lane Editions.

Hello All,

I wanted to reach out and acknowledge that the events in Israel and Gaza over the past several days are impacting many members of our community who have family and ties to the region. The violence is horrific. The loss of life is heartbreaking. The impacts of war are massive. My only suggestion is to please reach out to folks who may be impacted, tell them you care, and listen. Please be kind and thoughtful to one another.

Sincerely,

Stephan

Hello Everyone,

Our fall season is rolling. With KAWS: FAMILY now open to our public, next up is Arnold Newman in two weeks and then Keith Haring a few weeks later. There is A LOT going on. I wish you all a joyful and restful Thanksgiving. I am thankful for the AGO!

Take care,

Stephan

Hello everyone,

Last night’s Art Bash fundraiser was a huge success, thanks to the incredible efforts of many across the museum. This was on the heels of a complex installation of KAWS: FAMILY, spanning numerous gallery spaces; a media and influencer preview; Members’ Preview; and also Nuit Blanche last Saturday night, which brought in nearly 7,500 visitors to see Tillman’s Moon in Earthlight film in Jackman Hall. It’s been a HUGE week!

Art Bash, our annual signature fundraiser, brought in more than $1.1 million to support exhibitions and programs at the AGO. It also featured amazing artist installations and performances and was a terrific party (including a fantastic meal!), with real buzz and liveliness throughout the evening. There are too many people to list but I would like to call out Brianna Chase, Manager, Development Special Events, for her unflappable disposition and hard work; her colleagues in Development; and the folks in Food & Beverage, Facilities, IT and Communications and Brand, among many others.

And let’s all take a moment to reflect on tomorrow’s National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. For Foyer, Charlotte Big Canoe, Program Curator, Indigenous Projects, created an itinerary of events for people to commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. You can read it here: Commemorating National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Take care,

Stephan

Hello volunteers! I just met with Cian Knights, our Manager of Diversity & Inclusion, to go over Tuesday’s presentation. This is going to be a wonderful, grounding session. Cian’s presentation is full of facts and figures, and plainly suggests what we’re doing, and where we need to go. Milestones, celebrations, areas to work on, and next steps. I hope you’ll join us! This presentation sets the stage for volunteer training to come.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 3, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Via ZOOM: please click on the link to join (no more than 5 minutes prior to the session):

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84666594981?pwd=SjhVenZQVTMvcERQajZZOGZHemQ3Zz09

If prompted, please enter:

Meeting ID: 846 6659 4981 and
Passcode: 368081

(please make sure to log on no more than 5 minutes before the session, which will be recorded for those who can’t make it)

Looking forward to seeing you all then,

Holly (- volunteer resources)

Making his Canadian museum debut, Brooklyn-based artist Brian Donnelly (1974), better known as KAWS, bridges the worlds of art, popular culture and commerce with sophisticated humour and insightful appropriation. Renowned for his larger-than-life sculptures of cartoon-inspired characters and exuberant hard-edge paintings that playfully emphasize line and colour, much like 1960s Pop artists, he blurs the boundaries between populist and elite art, bringing mass media imagery into traditional art spaces.  Straddling the world of art and design, KAWS has forged a large international following both inside and outside the art world.  

Members Access starts September 27 (staff and volunteers can visit now!)
Annual Pass Access starts October 4
General Admission starts October 11

If you haven’t watched it yet, our KAWS: Family launch meeting gives a good overview of the main messages of the exhibition; you can watch it here:

https://artcloud.ago.ca/index.php/s/9GiGdmLs9MKxrTK

Important notes for viewing:

• The video takes a moment to get started, so be patient – you will hear the voice of Melissa Ramage, Project Manager, begin about 20 seconds after the video starts.
• Full recording is about 50 minutes.
• You will be asked for a password in order to view the video. The password is: KawsFam@AGO!
• Please copy and paste the password, or, if you type it in yourself, make sure you enter the password exactly as it reads (note capital letters, exclamation mark etc.)

I’m so looking forward to hearing what you think about the show! On opening day, the real phenomenon for me was seeing the Retail shop swarmed with KAWS collectors – already, the small figurine/action figures we had in limited quantity have all sold out!

COVID-19 cases are on the rise and are expected to continue in autumn along with flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The Safety & Wellness Team would like to remind AGO staff of the current provincial guidelines and best practices to protect yourself this season. 

Current Provincial Guidelines 

• Individuals that test positive with symptoms are recommended to self-isolate and stay at home until their fever is resolved and symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours.  
• Asymptomatic individuals with a positive test result do not need to self-isolate unless symptoms develop. If symptoms develop, they should self-isolate immediately. 
• For a total of 10 days after the date of testing or symptom onset (whichever is earlier/applicable), individuals should continue to wear a well-fitted mask in all public settings.  
• If you are uncertain of what steps to take, take this self-assessment if you have any symptoms of illness or tested positive for COVID-19: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/self-assessment/ 

Symptoms Similar to COVID-19 

• A runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and headache may also be symptoms of other non-COVID-19 respiratory infections.  
• To prevent community transmission of all infectious diseases, all individuals with new symptom(s) of any infectious illness should stay home when they are feeling sick. 

Protect yourself and others by: 

• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands 
• Washing your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds 
• If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol 
• Coughing and sneezing into the bend of your arm, not into your hand 
• Staying home if you are sick 
• Staying up to date on vaccinations. Health Canada recently approved a COVID-19 vaccine that better protects against the new Omicron XBB variant. 

Questions? 

• Reach out to Kyle Nhan, Manager, Safety & Wellness, at [email protected]  

Hello AGO Volunteers,

We’re excited to be recruiting for our next Volunteer President!

Do you have more time to give, and want to play a leadership role in our community?

Working together with Holly Procktor, Coordinator, Volunteers and reporting into the People Division, led by Alain Graham, Chief, People, we’re looking for a Volunteer President to help us enhance the volunteer experience, with a focus on volunteer enrichment/engagement, and connecting our community – across shifts and placements. 

We’re looking for someone who considers themselves a champion of the AGO, and who is passionate about what we can do together, to support and rebuild our community, “post-pandemic”:

• A committed, caring individual in our current volunteer community, with strong interpersonal skills, who has demonstrated experience in:
  • Leading, engaging and inspiring others
  • Fostering a collaborative, diverse and inclusive culture, and
  • Building positive relationships with trust and patience
• An understanding of confidentiality
• *Applicant should be comfortable working with Microsoft Office suite (email / word processing etc.)

Commitment:

• The Volunteer President is asked to commit to a 2-year term
• Regular meetings with Holly Procktor and Alain Graham (People Division)
• Time commitment outside of these meetings varies, depending on priorities, but generally falls between 3-5 hours per month

Please make sure to read the extended placement description (attached to the email sent directly to volunteers on Tuesday September 26 – please contact Holly if you require an additional copy) which gives you a much more fulsome sense of this role.

How to Apply:

Sound like you? Please send an email and current CV/resume (or statement of interest), with an accompanying cover letter, and please be sure to let us know:

• Why you are interested
• How your skills and interests match what we’re looking for

Please email to [email protected] (preferred) or drop off a paper copy to Holly’s (new!) office in the volunteer lounge.

Application deadline: Wednesday October 11

Thank you so much for considering this opportunity! We look forward to hearing from you!

– Holly & Alain

Hello Everyone,

The museum is ramping up to full speed, with crews busily installing KAWS: FAMILY. This will be followed by a huge amount of effort to uninstall the Wolfgang Tillmans show and to prepare for the upcoming Arnold Newman, Keith Haring and Life Between Islands shows. These are all very important exhibitions!

The fall will be a tremendously busy and exciting period. I acknowledge the hard work and dedication this demands of all of us. With all-hands-on-deck, I appreciate what each of you are doing to make this season a success for the AGO.

So far this year, things are on track. I just got our financial year-to-date budget results up to August 31, 2023, and we are on budget – pretty much exactly where we planned to be. Thank you! Let’s keep it up.

Take care,

Stephan

P.S. A reminder that this Saturday is Nuit Blanche – we will be featuring a screening of Wolfgang Tillmans: Moon in Earthlight in Jackman Hall from 7pm to 7am. A big thank you to staff who will be on-site throughout the night!