Robert Diament and Russell Tovey. Photo by Tom Lardner.
Podcasting about art isn’t an obvious choice. No pictures, for starters. But what if a more accessible way into contemporary art isn’t through looking, but by listening?
It’s a proposition that British actor Russell Tovey and art dealer Robert Diament, the hosts and creators of the podcast series Talk Art, have brought joyously to life – and now to the page.
Propelled by the pair’s enthusiasm, each hour-long episode (listen, here) features them in conversation with a contemporary artist, curator or collector. Minus the big words and conceptual framing devices typical of art world chatter, Tovey and Diament give their guests a place to talk in depth about what they do. Launched in August 2018, what began as a lark has blossomed into more than 150 episodes, one million downloads, listeners in over 60 countries, and most recently, a book to recap the journey thus far. Read more, here (via AGOinsider)
In celebration of National Indigenous History Month, our latest quiz tests your knowledge of an essential cornerstone of the AGO Collection: Indigenous art.
Koomuatuk (Kuzy) Curley is sculptor, director and videographer from Kinngait, NU. Curley’s grandparents taught him how to carve during the summers he spent as a child at their outpost camp near Kinngait and began his professional carving career while in junior high school, becoming the third generation carver of his family. In 2014 Curley directed his film Kiawak Ashoona and has exhibited his work across Canada including iNuit Blanche in 2016, St. John’s, NL. Curley was part of the Inuit curatorial team for the exhibition Tunnirrusiangit: Kenojuak Ashevak and Tim Pitsiulak at AGO in 2018.
Georgiana Uhlyarik is Fredrik S. Eaton Curator, Canadian Art, and co-lead of the Indigenous + Canadian Art Department at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. She co-curated: Tunirrusiangit: Kenojuak Ashevak and Tim Pitsiulak, the J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous + Canadian Art, Introducing Suzy Lake, among several international collaborations. Originally from Romania, she lives in Toronto with her twin sons.
Join artist Shuvinai Ashoona in conversation with Wanda Nanibush, the AGO’s Curator, Indigenous Art, for a conversation about her work and the exhibition Shuvinai Ashoona: Beyond the Visible. Ashoona is the descendant of a deep artistic legacy through her grandmother Pitseolak, a widely revered illustrator. Ashoona’s work is characterized by a confident sense of colour, a sure hand, and a unique vision.
Shuvinai Ashoona received the 2018 Gershon Iskowitz Prize at the AGO, which is awarded each year to recognize an individual’s contribution to Canadian art and to support their future work. One such work is Curiosity (2019), a drawing acquired by the AGO at Art Toronto 2020, measuring an astonishing 8.7 feet (2.65 metres) wide. Offering a bird’s eye view of her hometown of Kinngait, seven giant monsters in soft pastels crawl with great curiosity over houses and buildings.
Wanda Nanibush is Curator, Indigenous Art at the AGO. Selected AGO exhibitions include Karoo Ashevak (2019), Rebecca Belmore Facing the Monumental (2018), JS McLean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art (2018), Rita Letendre: Fire & Light (2017), Toronto: Tributes + Tributaries, 1971-1989 (2016).
We are honoured
to continue this series of Diversity & Inclusion recordings, part of the
Gallery’s commitment to building a more diverse and inclusive staff and
volunteer community.
In this session, we meet two of the AGO’s Indigenous Art Educators, Louise Miteouamigoukoue Spiritcougar Lefevre and Mahlikah Awe:riEnml’ga’t Saqama’sgw, who so generously share their teaching expertise with us. In this discussion, they share how Indigenous art education is presented in school programs at the Gallery. This is particularly in relation to “NAC 10” – a course for Grade 9 TDSB students that frames an expression of First Nations, Inuit and Metis culture in an immersive experience at the Gallery.
This presentation helps us to deepen our understanding of indigenous art history, and build on parts of the conversation started by Wanda Nanibush and Dr. Duke Redbird, in our last session.
Louise Miteouamigoukoue Spiritcougar Lefevre (left, image Artist’s own), and Mahlikah Awe:ri Enml’ga’t Saqama’sgw (right, image Toronto Arts Council)
Agenda/ Here’s What
to Expect in this Recording:
Land Acknowledgment by Melissa Smith, Assistant Curator, Community Programs
Welcome by Stephan Jost, Director and CEO [5mins]
Learning Objectives and Framing of NAC10 by Audrey Hudson, Chief of Education and Programming [5mins]
Introductions by Audrey Hudson [5mins]
Questions posed by Paola Poletto [10mins]
Presentations by Louise Miteouamigoukoue Spiritcougar Lefevre and Mahlikah Awe:ri Enml’ga’t Saqama’sgw [20mins each, =40mins]
Questions posed by Paola Poletto, Director, Engagement & Learning [8mins]
Enter
Passcode: D&ITrainingSession4 (hint:
copy and paste this link for ease!)
You will be asked to
enter your name and email to gain access to the recording
Things
to Keep in Mind:
These videos are pre-recorded
webinars, not live.
A tip: when you register for the
webinar, use Google Chrome (instead of Explorer) to watch. If your computer
defaults to opening in Explorer, copy the link and re-open in Chrome (you may
need to re-register) but it makes for much smoother viewing!
If you need more support, please
reach out to [email protected]
for assistance.
Keep a list of
questions/reflections you’d like to share in one of our Volunteer Connector
calls – these sessions are your opportunity to discuss and share what you’ve
learned with fellow volunteers
Related
Readings – Here’s a Resource List to Learn More About the Ideas and Issues
introduced in this recording:
A Continued Conversation on Residential Schools (originally broadcast Tuesday June 8, 1pm) Moderated by Audrey Hudson, Chief of Education & Programming with panelists, Robert Durocher, Vice-Principal, Wandering Spirit School, TDSB; Jenny Kay Dupuis, Author; and Lindsay “Eekwol” Knight, Hip Hop Artisthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKpYD1n9pag&t=2s
Most recently, Mahlikah Awe:ri Enml’ga’t Saqama’sgw joined AGOinsider for an interview on Indigenous art education, and its importance for generations to come: https://ago.ca/agoinsider/we-are-land
The University of Alberta offers a complimentary course on Indigenous Canada, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations.
SAVE-the-DATE: Our Volunteer Connector call to share what we’ve learned in this session will be held Wednesday June 30 at 5pm – zoom link to follow!
We
are all still grieving the deaths of 215 Indigenous children at the former
Kamloops Residential School, especially as more graves are expected to be
uncovered at sites across Canada. We want to
remember and honour all those who suffered trauma within the walls of those
schools and beyond.
Children’s shoes have become a powerful
symbol. We will be asking the public to help us build a visual memorial by
donating shoes on the steps of the Gallery, from tomorrow to June 20. This was announced on social media just a short while ago.
We
are still working on developing this tribute, which may include a ceremonial
element. Details are still being discussed, and I will share more information
as soon as possible.
The AGO is among the leading museums in our country and a home base for young, emerging and long-standing museum professionals dedicated to our craft. Today I call attention to Brenda Rix, a wonderful curator and colleague who has spent 40 years committed to her work at the Gallery. Brenda will be retiring at the end of next week and I am pleased to note some of her accomplishments in my message today.
Brenda joined the AGO as a summer student in 1980 and
has held various roles since then, becoming an essential part of our curatorial
team. She has shepherded much growth in the AGO’s print and drawing collection
and has been a part of many pivotal moments including the opening of the Marvin
Gelber Print & Drawing Study Centre and Transformation AGO.
Brenda’s output over the years has been remarkable. She curated and
wrote the catalogues for numerous exhibitions, among them Our Old Friend Rolly
Watercolours, Prints, and Book Illustrations by Thomas Rowlandson in the
Collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario (1987), Selections from
the Touche Ross Collection. French Nineteenth Century prints in the Collection
of the Art Gallery of Ontario (1988)
(exhibition catalogue written jointly with Katharine Lochnan), Walter
Trier: The Animals’ Conference (1988), and contributed an
essay on “Prints” to the
exhibition catalogue The Earthly Paradise. The Arts and Crafts of
William Morris and his Circle from Canadian Collections (1993). Most
recently Brenda edited and wrote for the catalogue Kathe
Kollwitz : According to the Truth (2018), celebrating one of the most
important holdings of works on paper by any artist in the AGO Collection. In addition to exhibitions too numerous to name, Brenda mentored
generations of fellows and interns with her generosity of knowledge and ability
to find projects well-suited to developing the skills of each
individual. She served the public through countless programs, provided
access to the Marvin Gelber Print and Drawing Study Centre, and helped shepherd
the activities of the Master Print and Drawing Society of Ontario throughout
its four decades of existence.
I have been struck by Brenda’s exceptional combination of curiosity and
humility that is foundational to the manner in which she shares her love for
prints and drawings. It is infectious.
Brenda’s last day is next Friday so please take a moment to share best
wishes with her. Thank you, Brenda!
One more point – the AGO’s Annual General Meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held next Wednesday, June 16th. If you are interested in attending the meeting please contact Amanda Dench, Manager, Board Relations & Corporate Secretary at [email protected]. Amanda will be pleased to assist (and she holds all the power!).
Sharing this invitation from Andrea Gumpert, Educator at the National Gallery: re an upcoming symposium on Rembrandt, via our Assistant Curator, European Art, Adam Levine. Enjoy!
Rembrandt van Rijn, Landscape with a Stone Bridge, c. 1638, oil on panel, 29.5 × 42.5 cm. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Purchased with the support of the Rembrandt Association and A. Bredius, Amsterdam (SK-A-1935). Photo: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Please join us for a live and free Virtual Symposium on Wednesday
June 16 from 11am-1pm EDT.
Amsterdam and Rembrandt: New Research
The Rembrandt in Amsterdam exhibition traces the central decades of Rembrandt’s career, from his arrival in Amsterdam to the emergence of his late style in the mid-1650s, in the transformative context of the dynamic city that became his home.
Join scholars Celeste Brusati, Jacquelyn N. Coutré, Weixuan Li, Suzanne van de Meerendonk and guest curator Stephanie Dickey as they share new research about Rembrandt and the lively milieu that pushed him to reach his full potential – a confluence of creativity, innovation and resilience that continues to inspire today.
This virtual event, hosted by Dr. Stephanie Dickey, Professor and Bader Chair in Northern Baroque Art, Queens University, and guest curator for Rembrandt in Amsterdam, will feature four presentations – read more, here.
Yesterday
in London, Ontario a deliberate attack was made against a family of Muslim
Canadians, killing four and injuring a child. It was motivated by anti-Muslim
hate. It is tragic. It is not okay. And it makes me again realize that we have
a lot of work to do to create the kind of society where we can ALL live
together in safety and with mutual respect.
I
am aware that there is a wide range of faiths practiced by people who work at
the AGO, including Islam. Faith is core to many of our identities, and learning
about – and respecting – different traditions is key. Faith, culture and art
are tightly intertwined. I am very aware that members of the AGO staff are
Muslim. We are a team, so let’s all be there for each other.
Let’s continue to think about what we as individuals and the AGO can do to reconcile with our history and current relationship with Indigenous peoples. We all need to take accountability for our learning.
