It’s time to add more books to your reading list this Fall. The Toronto Book Awards recently announced its 2023 shortlist of literary titles. Established by Toronto City Council in 1974, the award recognizes books of literary merit that are evocative of Toronto. 

Out of the record-setting 105 submissions, we’re thrilled to share that Moving the Museum by AGO Curators Wanda Nanibush and Georgiana Uhlyarik, made the top 5!

Documenting a pivotal chapter in the AGO’s history as an art museum in Canada, Moving the Museum is a publication that takes readers through the renovation and reopening of the J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art. It highlights the appointment of Wanda Nanibush and Georgiana Uhlyarik as curatorial co-leads of the Indigenous & Canadian Art department, walking through their revitalization of the AGO Collection. With text in English and passages in Anishinaabemowin and Inuktitut, the catalogue showcases essays and over 100 vibrant reproductions of Indigenous and Canadian artworks at the AGO. The book underscores the nation-to-nation treaty relationship that is the foundation of Canada by inviting all to connect with art that addresses issues distinct to the Indigenous experience in Canada.  

Read about the four other shortlisted nominees HERE, this week’s Foyer magazine.

We’re looking forward to meeting once again with Cian Knights, our Manager of Diversity & Inclusion. Cian will be presenting an overview of the Gallery’s current DEIA initiatives and progress, which will help set the stage for our continued learning, this Fall. Thank you to Cian for joining us! (note: this session will be recorded and shared, for those that cannot attend)

It’s been some time since we’ve had the opportunity to meet with Cian directly, and I realize she may be a new face for some of you – with that in mind, you can read her AGOinsider profile, HERE, which announced her appointment at the AGO, in 2021.

Thank you to everyone who completed our recent poll re: timing for upcoming and continuing DEIA training. Though we had hoped to continue with sessions in October, we’re finalizing dates for November instead, with Harmony Movement – who have been wonderful to plan with thus far! We are so looking forward to hosting both interactive and online sessions with this impressive group as facilitators. Hold tight, thank you for your patience in this busy Fall season, and we’ll share confirmed November dates when we have them. – Holly (volunteer resources)

From Tuesday, September 19, to Wednesday, September 20, the AGO’s outdoor bronze sculptures will be receiving some TLC!  

Brian Jungen’s Couch Monster: Sadzěʔ yaaghęhch’ill (2022), located on Dundas and McCaul, and Henry Moore’s Two Forms (1996-1969), located in Grange Park, will be receiving routine maintenance from the Conservation Team in the form of: 

• Graffiti and sticker removal  
• Cleaning and waxing  
• The documentation of the sculptures   

Please be aware that the Conservation Team will be working with ladders to perform this maintenance.

Staff and the public are welcome to ask questions while the Conservation Team is at work!

Questions? 

• Reach out to Lisa Ellis, Conservator, Sculpture and Decorative Arts at [email protected]

Hello Everyone,

Every morning when I walk into the museum, I am often greeted by Facilities Services staff who are working hard to present a beautiful and clean AGO for our public. A big part of the visitor journey includes experiencing a pristine, well-maintained building. The fact that this is what our visitors encounter does not happen by accident – it takes a ton of sustained effort. I also see Facilities colleagues throughout the day in our office spaces. It helps all of us to be more productive when we work in areas that are refreshed and cleaned regularly.

A big thank you to the Facilities team for all that you do to make the AGO great. I appreciate it!

Take care,

Stephan

Hello volunteers! I’m excited to share this video of the KAWS Family Exhibition Launch. These meetings are new to the Gallery, and an opportunity for staff and volunteers to see the work it takes to bring an exhibition to life. In this video, we meet the project management and design team, preview the layout, and get insight into the gallery’s approach to advertising, promotion and programming – all while enjoying a sneak peak of what to expect.

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.

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.) ,

One final but important note: 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!

VIEW THE VIDEO, HERE:

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

More updates about KAWS: Family will follow in the coming weeks, as the exhibition draws nearer.

Happy viewing!

Holly (-volunteer resources)

The Métis artist discusses using family photo albums to explore her identity in new exhibition

A stroll through the latest exhibition in the AGO’s J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous + Canadian Art is an intimate experience, almost like you’re walking through a family photo album or a personal journal. That’s because, in a sense, you are. Portraits of Desire features 22 photographs and three oil paintings by Métis artist Rosalie Favell. With the works on view spanning 24 years of her portfolio, Favell’s solo exhibition highlights her career-long diaristic exploration of sexual and Métis identity.

Illustrating Favell’s personal approach to photography, this exhibition features works incorporating Favell’s family photo albums, self-portraits, and the artist’s own handwriting brought together in her signature collage style. The exhibition also features three oil-painted self-portraits of Favell, which were recreated from earlier photography work.

Favell’s collage technique began with I Dreamed of Being a Warrior (1999) (image at top), currently on view in this exhibition. After being taught Photoshop by a friend, Favell collaged her head onto the body of Xena from the TV show Xena Warrior Princess.

“I was a ‘straight’ photographer in that I learned photography formally and for me, the idea of defacing an image was problematic,” she said. “But in this work, I took a leap and started collaging on the computer. That opened a whole new world for me.” Read more, in this week’s Foyer profile, linked HERE.

Hello Everyone,

I am pleased to let you know that we’ve hired our new Chief, Finance & Operating Officer. This is a very large and important portfolio that comprises Financial Services, Information Technology, Protection Services, Facility Services, and Plant & Building Infrastructure.

Linda Coslovi will be joining the AGO on Monday, September 18^th. She holds a CPA designation and is deeply experienced in both finance and operations within the broad corporate and public sectors, including a significant leadership role at McMaster University where she contributed to the construction of two buildings while leading the Faculty of Engineering. Linda is very highly regarded by her peers as an exceptionally talented and sincere leader, adept at supporting and bringing team members together to innovate and solve problems. She is excited about coming to the AGO and I’m confident she’ll be a stellar contributor.

Earlier today I met with Linda’s direct reports to share some background on her. I also thanked them for the amazing job they’ve all been doing in the absence of a permanent CFOO. Our interim CFO, Refat Jiwani, will be available over the next few weeks to help orient Linda and work with me on a couple of projects until he departs the AGO in November. I’m grateful to Refat for the valuable contributions he has made to the AGO since the beginning of the year.

We are still in the market for our new Chief, Brand & Business Officer. I want to make sure we find someone with the right skill set and passion for art. Herman Lo, who has represented Communications & Brand on Leadership Team (LT) for the past few months, will continue to sit on LT until we’ve hired our new person. I should say that Herman’s team is performing very well on all fronts. As you might recall, it is my intention to move Retail and Food & Beverage into the Chief, Brand & Business Officer portfolio so that all aspects of the visitor experience are aligned within the same area. Last week, I decided to move Retail into this area now, rather than wait. Retail is playing a very active role in terms of revenue potential with our upcoming slate of exhibitions, and I want the team to be closer to the work we are doing with our brand revitalization. Carlos Mera, Director of Food & Beverage, will continue to report to Linda in the meantime.

Welcome, Linda!

Take care,

Stephan

A new release on the National Film Board’s online site, watch this documentary about incredible Toronto ink maker, Jason Logan.

Hello volunteers! I thought you might all enjoy this amazing documentary about how ink is made! 1 hr, 49 minutes, of pure wonder. Enjoy! – Holly

Click on the link, HERE to watch at your leisure!

Produced in 2022, this article by CBC delves deeper into the movie’s content, and filmmaker’s motivation (read, HERE)

Artist Otobong Nkanga highlights the cost of deep-sea resource extraction  

Around four degrees Celsius, pitch-black, and unbearable pressures — the ocean’s bathypelagic zone seems inhospitable.  

Yet, life persists in what is more commonly known as the midnight zone, an ocean area 1,000 to 4,000 meters below sea level. In Unearthed – Midnight (2021), currently on view on the fourth floor, multidisciplinary artist Otobong Nkanga transports viewers underwater into the transition to the midnight zone, the background of the 11 x 18-foot tapestry a gradual gradient from light to dark blue. This underwater scene is filled with multi-coloured jellyfish and air bubbles.  

Aquatic life is not the only thing adapting to the conditions in the midnight zone. Humans are also present at these depths in deep-sea mining, adapting technology to extract minerals from the ocean floor. While the nature and location of deep-sea mining renders it unseen, in this work, Nkanga brings visibility to the exploitation of underwater resources.  

Resource extraction foregrounds the tapestry — a large fishnet spans much of it and two orange ropes suspend vertically into the midnight zone, each carrying what looks like clusters of minerals. Another rope crosses the scene horizontally, hands and spears resembling fishing lures attached to it. The hands on the rope look rusted, two already broken off and slowly disintegrating as they fall to the ocean floor. 

What a wonderful work to base a Walking Chat, or Dot conversation around! Read more in this week’s Foyer, linked HERE.

Hello everyone,

As we get ready for a busy fall season I am reflecting on the change that is happening at the AGO. Five years ago we launched our 10-year strategic plan. Think about what we’ve accomplished in the past 5 years in terms of collection growth, changes to our exhibitions and programs, and the development of the Dani Reiss Modern & Contemporary Gallery. Perhaps the most significant change is reflected in our audience. The launch of the Annual Pass and other strategies we’ve acted on have helped shift our audience to become much younger and more diverse. All of this change is tremendously relevant to achieving our vision of leading global conversations and reflecting the people who live in our city. Now we must focus on the next 5 years, including revitalizing our brand and deepening relationships with our audience. At a Town Hall to be scheduled later this Fall I will talk more about AGO 2028 and where we are going from here, the half-way point.

One thing I know for sure is that there will always be change. Carol Rapp and Phil Lind embraced change and thirsted for fresh ideas and contemporary thinking. They also represent part of our loyal audience that has been with us for decades, like many of our trustees, volunteers and members. Carol and Phil believed in the AGO and its promise for the future. Since the AGO was founded, it has gone through extraordinary change as our city grew – numerous expansions, thousands of high quality acquisitions, pivoting when needed during challenging and opportunistic times alike. The AGO has always changed as Toronto has changed.  

We will continue to rely on our core values of being inclusive, adaptable and flexible. I am tremendously excited about this upcoming fall season. If we stick to our mission of great art and focusing on our audience, I’m confident we’ll succeed together.

Take care,

Stephan