Join us for (the return of) the AGO Volunteer Annual Party!

• Thursday April 27
• 5:00pm – 8:00pm
• in the AGO Bistro

Enjoy an evening of light fare in the AGO Bistro in celebration of our volunteers! (charcuterie-style platters of cheese, antipasto, pastries and desserts (*cash bar)

Hosted by Director and CEO Stephan Jost, Volunteer President Maya Kotlarenko, Holly Procktor, Coordinator, Volunteers, your departmental Managers and Staff Supports, treasured friends and colleagues. We’ll also be distributing the (much-missed!) volunteer recognition pins and certificates to many of you who are celebrating milestones. All volunteers welcome!

AGENDA

5:00pm Guests Arrival/ Doors Open

(*feel free to enter through the Bistro main doors, or up the retail stairs from the concourse level if you prefer to get settled in the volunteer lounge, first)
5:30pm Remarks

6:00pm Recognition

8:00pm Evening Concludes

An invite has been sent directly to your email address; but if you have not RSVP’d already, you can do so at this link: https://forms.gle/u1qKWsSPgxgDsbpo6 Please RSVP promptly so that we can be sure to prepare enough food & drink for everyone. (If you do not receive an email invite, please contact [email protected] as we likely have to update the contact we have on file for you).

We are so looking forward to celebrating together!

Hello everyone,

Yesterday there were some “big vibes” (Audrey Hudson’s words) in the museum on all levels. There was a media preview for Wolfgang Tillmans: To Look without Fear. On the Concourse level, there were various courses in the Gallery School and disco dancing in WFLC. On the first floor Modern galleries, we had OCADU creative writing students sharing their pieces with one another. In Baillie Court, there was a book launch and talk at full capacity with a rush line. I love Wednesdays at the AGO!

Also last evening, we hosted a community open-house in The Annex with various visual boards on view telling the story of the Dani Reiss Modern & Contemporary Gallery. Please check them out – I welcome your feedback.

There is no shortage of activity at the AGO – and I know this is also a significant time of year for those who celebrate Ramadan, Passover and Easter. I wish you all much peace in the coming days as you step away from your professional lives to focus on faith, family, friends – and FUN!

Take care,

Stephan 

Hello volunteers! It’s that time of year again. After a pandemic hiatus, AGO summer art camps promise to be back in full force this year, and our Education and Programming team have asked for our help in collecting (clean) recycled supplies:

• Yogurt/plastic containers – big and small, with and without lids (for paint)
• Magazines (for collage)

Many thanks everyone! – Studio Programs

Hello Everyone,

What’s happening? 

• We are happy to announce that as of Thursday, April 27, the Espresso Bar in Galleria Italia will be move to and reopen in the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Sculpture Atrium for all AGO visitors and staff to enjoy. 
• We are also happy to announce that we are working towards a return to food and beverage service in the Norma Ridley Members’ Lounge for our AGO Members only beginning Wednesday, May 24. Note that this date may shift should there be delays in service or supply chain issues.
• As these reopening dates quickly approach, stay tuned to learn more about what AGO visitors and staff can expect in the upcoming weeks. Read below for some key details.
• Also, the AGO Bistro is now serving dinner on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until 8 pm. The restaurant will be open until 9 pm. 
• To celebrate these new extended Thursday night hours, AGO Members, staff and volunteers will enjoy a special 20% discount on dinner Thursdays in April at AGO Bistro.

The Espresso Bar in the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Sculpture Atrium – Reopening Thursday, April 27

• In preparation for this reopening, the Espresso Bar will close in Galleria Italia after service hours on Sunday, April 23.
• Once reopened in the Atrium, staff can still purchase drinks and snacks from the Espresso Bar.
• Because the Espresso Bar is located in the Gallery, there will be no takeout options, meaning drinks and snacks will be served in the Atrium. Takeout options are available from AGO Bistro.
• Haegue Yang’s Woven Currents – Confluence of Parallels (2020) will remain on view. 

The Norma Ridley Members’ Lounge – Reopening Wednesday, May 24

• The Norma Ridley Members’ Lounge is a dedicated space for AGO Members to enjoy the historical setting of the Grange House on Level 1 of the Gallery.
• A new food and beverage menu will be served to AGO Members only in the Members’ Lounge at the following times, as of Wednesday, May 24: 
• Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays: 11:30 am to 4:30 pm
• Fridays: 11:30 am to 7 pm
• The Members’ Lounge will still be open to AGO Members on days when food and beverage service is not being served (during Gallery hours):
• Mondays – Closed
• Tuesdays and Thursdays: 10:30 am to 4:30 pm
• Wednesdays and Fridays: 10:30 am to 8:30 pm
• Saturday and Sundays: 10:30 am to 5 pm.

Questions? 

• Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks to learn more about what staff and our visitors can expect in the Espresso Bar and Members’ Lounge.
• If you have an urgent question or concern, please email [email protected] (not Holly Procktor or volunteer resources- this is all the information we have been given to share – thanks!)

Hello everyone,

Earlier this week, I announced that Lisa Clements is leaving the AGO after almost 14 years. I really want to emphasize Lisa’s contributions to the organization and thank her for her incredible efforts. I also want to assure everyone that we’ll have a plan in place during the transition period when Lisa steps away.

Next Tuesday, we will be increasing our Single Admission price from $25 to $30 to continue to make great art accessible to more audiences The AGO remains among the most affordable culture experiences in the GTA: admission is free for anyone under 25 years, and anyone can purchase an annual pass for $35. Admission is free every Wednesday between 6pm – 9pm, and Toronto Public Library users can sign out free visits with the Museum + Arts Pass. We also believe this change will make the $35 annual pass even more attractive to our visitors.

Take care,

Stephan 

Wednesday, April 12, 6 pm

Walker Court

Join us for a special evening to celebrate the opening of internationally-renowned artist Wolfgang Tillmans‘ retrospective To look without fear.  We stay open late to dance the night away with Nino Brown of Yes Yes Y’all and DJ Robert Alfons of Canadian electronic ensemble TR/ST. Artist in attendance.

6 pm        Free Wednesday Nights begin
7 pm        Opening remarks
7-9 pm     DJ Nino Brown
9 pm        Exhibition and Gallery Close except Walker Court
9-11 pm   DJ Robert Alfons (TR/ST)

Nino Brown is a Toronto-based DJ and co-founder of one of the city’s most popular and inclusive party series Yes Yes Y’all. Her own sounds tend toward more experimental and electronic, garnering her multiple sets on global underground platform Boiler Room and stories in The Cut, New York Magazine’s fashion section.

TR/ST is the musical project led by Canadian artist Robert Alfons. Known for a sound that converges pop, dance and goth dynamics TR/ST has toured the world since originally forming in 2010.

Hello everyone,

I am writing to share that after nearly 14 years of amazing accomplishments and collaboration, Lisa Clements, Chief, Communications & Brand, has decided to leave the AGO.  

Those of you who know Lisa well will not be surprised that this decision did not come easily, given her extraordinary commitment to the AGO and fierce work ethic. Her large portfolio has been particularly demanding over these past few years and now that she has a full team in place (finally!), Lisa has decided to take some time for herself to consider the next phase of her impressive career. Big kudos to Lisa for building a truly stellar team, all of whom serve the critical functions of telling our story and advancing our Audience and Brand strategies. People have always been at the heart of Lisa’s approach to her work, and having the best people in place for these roles is the key reason why Lisa has decided to step away and focus on life outside of the AGO.

Some of the highlights that stand out during Lisa’s tenure include:

• Maintaining excellent government relations, resulting in ongoing stable funding from the AGO’s biggest funder, the provincial government
• Working with neighbourhood leaders to help revitalize Grange Park
• Leading the crowd-funding initiative for the acquisition of Kusama’s Let’s Survive Forever
• Launching the Insider, the AGO’s weekly newsletter that reaches approximately 235,000 people (close to the circulation of The Globe & Mail newspaper)
• Launching the Annual Pass, an initiative that has helped make the AGO more accessible and shift our audience to better reflect the people who live in our city
• With Leadership Team, helping to guide the AGO through the pandemic and keep our staff and visitors safe
• Re-building our business efforts post-COVID
• Announcing the exciting news of the Dani Reiss Modern & Contemporary Gallery

On a personal note, I have benefited immensely from Lisa’s advice since arriving at the AGO 7 years ago. Lisa is truly a person of integrity, and I have deep respect for her honesty and directness. She leads with her own personal values and high expectations for herself – a very high bar, indeed. I’m enormously grateful for everything that Lisa has contributed to the AGO and wish her well in every respect.

Lisa will be here for the next 3 weeks on a full-time basis and then on a consulting bases for a couple of months to help out during this transition period. You will hear more from me soon about interim leadership in Lisa’s absence so stay tuned.

Thank you, Lisa!

Stephan

Hello everyone,

A very big THANK YOU to all of you for contributing to a successful March Break last week – especially Education & Programming, Visitor Experience and Facility Services. Overall attendance was quite positive – close to 27,500 visitors in total, averaging 3,053 per day. This was considerably higher than last year and I am grateful for everyone’s efforts to make it a wonderful experience for our public, especially children and families.

Thank you also to those involved with installing the upcoming Wolfgang Tillmans show, To look without fear, a major retrospective organized by MoMA. It performed extraordinarily well at MoMA and I expect it to give us a lift here, too. Sophie Hackett is the AGO curator. Tillmans is a global art star, recognized broadly and also particularly within the queer community. We are having a very big public opening on Friday, April 12 and you are all invited. Here are the details:

https://ago.ca/events/wolfgang-tillmans-look-without-fear

Spread the word!

Take care,

Stephan

A quick note to remind volunteers we are in the final weeks of Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows. This exhibition closes April 10. We have a lot of Cohen notebooks left! So if you’re a gallery guide out on the floor, please feel free to share these widely, and a note to all volunteers: feel free to take some home for family and friends. They’re lovely little keepsakes.

And while you’re roaming the Galleries, make sure to see: Modern and Contemporary Prints from the Collection of Grant L. Reuber – on until April 2 in the first floor gallery, #140 (to help orient you – this is outside of Prints and Drawings). This is my favourite show at the moment – a colourful, impactful little gem!

Hello everyone,

March Break is ready to kick into gear this weekend at the AGO. The focus will be on artmaking and family friendly activities, with our Art Carts out in full force. For more information, check out https://ago.ca/events/march-break.

I hope that those who are taking vacation days over the next couple of weeks have a great break. March to me is that “in between” season – when the snow starts to recede (eventually!) and we have more hours of daylight, signaling the arrival of spring later this month.

I will be off for two weeks with my family visiting Hawaii, where we used to live. See you all soon!

Mahalo (which means “thank you” in Hawaiian),

Stephan