Hello Everyone,

In a couple of weeks, we will be opening Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm. I have been watching our extraordinary crew install the show and I believe it will prove to be popular.

Take care,

Stephan

P.S. We are currently constructing the bridge between the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery and the top floor of the existing Gehry building, and this week some blue titanium panels were removed in preparation for this step. 

Hello Volunteers, 

Coming soon! 

The AGO is the latest organization to partner with Bloomberg Connects – a free digital guide to hundreds of cultural organizations around the world that makes it easy to access and engage with arts and culture from mobile devices, anytime, anywhere.

Simple and easy to download via a new app (& also available on a web browser) launching February 18, AGO content will include:

• A listing of current exhibitions and event details 
• A Collection Highlights audio tour (10 feature works across the collection)
• A Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64 : Eyes of the Storm audioguide, with 37 stops (produced by the National Gallery, London, UK) 
• Multi-language support 
• Accessibility features like larger-style text, audio transcripts, subtitles and captions
• Digital maps
• Facility information and routes (washrooms, elevators, coat rooms etc.)

The goal of Bloomberg Connects is to connect all of us, staff and volunteers, with additional, more advanced and accessible resources – so that we can better help and support our visitors, with diverse needs, interests, languages, and learning styles. You’ll hear more about Bloomberg Connects when it launches February 18, and we encourage you to try it out for yourselves (free via the app), which is designed to be useful and interesting both on- and off-site. Stay tuned! 

David Ruben Piqtoukun ᑎᕕᑎ ᐱᑐᑯ ᕈᐱᐃᓐ (1950-2026) was an acclaimed Inuvialuk sculptor. His works ranged in scale and material – from intimate figures to three-meter installations, incorporating steel, stone, whale bone, Italian alabaster, computer parts and Brazilian soapstone.

The Gallery’s online magazine, Foyer revisits this 2023 interview with Piqtoukun, where he shared details about the process and meaning behind his work in preparation for his January – July 2023 exhibition at the AGO – Radical Remembrance: The Sculptures of David Ruben Piqtoukun. Piqtoukun died in January 2026. We extend our condolences to his family, friends, and community.  Full story, linked HERE.

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The Norma Ridley Members’ Lounge will be temporarily closed for refurbishment starting Sunday, February 8, until Tuesday, March 17. The Members’ Lounge will re-open on Wednesday, March 18.  

How will this impact staff and volunteers?  

• Access to the Members’ Lounge will be restricted during the temporary closure. This includes the Grange Meeting Room, which will be unavailable.  
• The basement of the Grange will remain accessible during this time. 

Questions?  

Please reach out to Herman Lo, Senior Director, Visitor Experience & Commercial Enterprises, at [email protected] or Warren Wilson, Director, Facility Services, at [email protected]  

Hello everyone,

I am writing from New York City where I spent part of the week with the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) at the annual Director/Trustee Summit. In a turbulent time, these meetings provide perspective. We are all navigating uncertainties in the cultural sector.

We discussed topics such as resilience, strategic thinking, creative leadership, and effective communication of mission and values. I look forward to putting key takeaways into practice.

Take care and stay warm!

Stephan

Art historian Emma Rutherford traces the history of English portrait miniatures at the AGO

Hello volunteers! Sharing notice of this upcoming free-with-admission (free to volunteers!) talk at the Gallery (Feb. 4) which I know will be of special interest to many of you! – read on, Holly

Highly sought after in Europe for nearly four hundred years, portrait miniatures were once deeply personal objects—small enough to be held in the hand or slipped into a pocket. Often exchanged as tokens of love or remembrance, these jewel-sized paintings carry emotional weight, capturing likenesses, relationships, and moments in time with delicate precision. Because of this, they sit at the intersection of fine art, jewellery, and reliquary objects within the arts market.

The AGO is home to nearly 100 English portrait miniatures in its Thomson Collection of European Art. Dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, the works are displayed in a three-sided, jewel-box gallery on Level 1 in Gallery 110. Entering through a darkened doorway, visitors encounter a display of rare miniatures by artists such as Nicholas Hilliard and John Smart. Mostly painted in water-based pigments on vellum or ivory — along with some in oil on metal or wood panel — these works showcase masterful technique on an astonishingly small scale.

On Wednesday, February 4 at the AGO, art historian and portrait miniature specialist Emma Rutherford will present a talk exploring this remarkable collection of nearly one hundred English miniature paintings at the AGO. Through the lens of these intimate works, Rutherford traces the history of miniature painting and shows how they offer insight into artmaking, politics, and personal relationships across centuries. READ MORE in this week’s Foyer, linked HERE.

Hello Volunteers, with the recent winter storm closing the Gallery last Thursday (the only snow day I can remember in recent memory!), I wanted to post this timely reminder that volunteers can always call the AGO’s Emergency Hotline for updates. Save this number in your contact list!

AGO’s emergency phone number is (416) 977-5249  

This emergency phone number will be updated if a decision is made that will affect the AGO’s hours or operations. If you are curious about whether or not the Gallery is open (during or after a big dump of snow!), natural disaster etc., please call the Gallery’s emergency phone number as your first point of reference. This line acts a central point of information for all staff and volunteers.

Should there be a change to AGO operations, the message will explicitly indicate that the building is closed due to weather conditions. Otherwise, the AGO will be open for business as usual.

Beginning Monday, January 26, the AGO Bistro will adjust its hours to better streamline operations while still meeting the needs of our visitors. 

The AGO Bistro’s New Hours: 

• Tuesday: Lunch – 11:30 am to 2 pm. 
• Wednesday: Lunch – 11:30 am to 2 pm. Dinner – 5 pm to 7:30 pm. 
• Thursday: Lunch – 11:30 am to 2 pm. 
• Friday: Lunch -11:30 am to 2 pm. Dinner – 5 pm to 7:30 pm. 
• Saturday: Brunch -11:30 am to 2 pm. 
• Sunday: Brunch – 11:30 am to 2 pm. 

What is the Difference Between the AGO Bistro, Espresso Bar and Members’ Lounge? 

The AGO Bistro is the Gallery’s main “meal” destination, and these new hours better align with that guest experience.  

Visitors looking for snacks and coffee between meals should be directed to the Espresso Bar in the Sculpture Atrium or the Members’ Lounge if they are a Member. The hours of these F&B outlets remain the same. For Espresso Bar hours, see here. For Members’ Lounge hours, see here.  

Questions?  

If staff have questions, please reach out to Anthony Bullock, Manager, Revenue, Outlets Operations and Service, at [email protected]. 

Looking to enroll your kids in camp this summer? Sign them up for our AGO Art Camp!  

Staff and volunteers receive a 50% discount on the public price for camps. Camps sell out quickly, so act soon!The full camp schedule and Camp Handbook with FAQ are online now. 

Keep reading below for important instructions on how to redeem your discount.   

Registration Dates  

• STAFF registration opens on Wednesday, January 28, at 10 am.
  • This is the same registration period as the Members’ early registration period which runs from Wednesday, January 28, to Thursday, January 29. 
  • Staff do not need to be members to register their children during the Members’ early registration period. When asked for your AGO membership during registration, you can click NO, and you will still be able to register for camp.  

• VOLUNTEER registration opens Friday, January 30, at 10 am.  

Important Details   

• This discount applies to children of a current staff member or volunteer.  

• The discount is valid for up to two weeks of camp, per child, per summer
  • This means either one two-week camp or two one-week camps.  

• There is a maximum of four discounts per family per summer
  • Example: if you have four children, they can each receive this two-week discount per summer.  

• The discount applies to the Camp Fee and Extended Care Fee.  

• To receive the discount, you need to register and pay in full. The Contact Centre Team will then apply the 50% discount to the appropriate camp and refund the balance. Follow the registration instructions below.
  • Please allow up to 7 days for the refund to be processed  

• Additional camps for which the discount doesn’t apply may be booked at the Member price.   

How to Register   

• Starting on Wednesday, January 28, at 10 am, staff can visit the Summer Art Camp page on ago.ca and follow the registration link.  

• Follow the process on AGO’s CampBrain registration site by creating a login and household and camper profiles (Pro tip: This step can be done before the on-sale date).
  • If you have created an account on AGO’s CampBrain website before, just log in to your account.  

• IMPORTANT: When selecting camps, select the Non-Member price for the camp and/or Extended Care you would like the discount applied to.
  • If you sign up the same child for more than two weeks of summer camp, please use the Members’ price for those additional camps and for Extended Care.  

• Once you’ve completed your registration and payment, email [email protected] and identify which child(ren) and camp(s) the 50% discount should be applied to.   

• The Contact Centre team will then apply the 50% discount to the appropriate camp and refund the balance.
  • Please allow up to 7 days for the refund to be processed 

Questions?   

If you have any questions, please call the Contact Centre at 416-979-6648.  

Hello everyone,

Big winter storms and AGO closures are infrequent. I am grateful the weather has calmed in time for a special Friday night. 

Tonight is the opening celebration for Ranbir Sidhu: No Limits. The event is free with admission, we look forward to welcoming many community members, and the Hamilton-based music lineup promises to create an atmosphere in Walker Court. I hope you get the chance to attend if you are in the area tonight.

Try to enjoy a safe and snowy weekend while the snow lasts.

Take care, 

Stephan