Hello Everyone,

• Thank you to the OPSEU and AGO teams who met earlier this week to begin the bargaining process for the next OPSEU contract. There is a generous amount of good will heading into these discussions and I appreciate everyone’s focus.

• Earlier this week I met the new federal Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Hon. Steven Guilbeault, at an event in the home of Finance Minister, the Hon. Bill Morneau. It was a pleasure to meet him and his wife, who enjoyed a tour of the AGO earlier in the day while in town. They are both passionate climate activists in addition to being lovers of culture. We should always been mindful that we receive a significant amount of public funds (mostly from the Province but also from Canada Council) to fulfill our mission.

• Yesterday afternoon’s performance in Walker Court by Zadie Xa. Grandmother Mago (2019) was a moving and wonderful experience introducing our audiences to a contemporary interpretation of a Korean creation story by a Canadian artist working internationally. 

Enjoy the weekend,

Stephan

Have you ever wanted to connect with more AGO volunteers outside of your regularly scheduled shift?

Well here is your chance!

The Volunteer Council is excited to bring you our first round of Random Coffee, where the coffee isn’t random, but who we match you up with to enjoy it is! It’s a simple initiative designed to help create and strengthen connections and to network with colleagues you may not get to work with or see on a regular basis. We love this idea a latte!

Here’s how it works:

1. Opt in for Random Coffee by filling out this online form. Printed copies will also be available on the bulletin board in the Volunteer Lounge, though you only have to submit the form once. The deadline to opt in for this round is Wednesday February 12 at 5:00 pm.
2. On Tuesday February 18, those who have opted in will receive an introductory email to your Random Coffee buddy
3. Once matched up, you will have 1 month to find a 30 minute window to have a coffee. This is your responsibility and at your own cost.

(Reminder: If you bring your own mug to cafeAGO, you can get a brewed coffee (or tea) for just $1! Espresso not included).

• Be sure to take a selfie/photo with your new friend during your Random Coffee and we’ll share it on the Volunteer Blog in a special recap post!

We hope that you take advantage of this opportunity to brew some connections with your fellow volunteers and espresso yourself!

Americano-t wait to hear your stories!

This chilly season, our amazing culinary team at the AGO Bistro presents an artful Winter Warm-Up Menu to help you escape the cold. Starting January 17, enjoy a two-course meal with a glass of wine.

We invite you to enjoy these mouth-watering dishes available until January 31! Make your reservation online or by phone at 416-979-6688.

For more information visit the AGO Bistro webpage.

This week, caféAGO is rolling out new, environmentally friendly coffee cups. The new double-walled compostable cups replace our previous single-walled cup with sleeve. This change is a result of the café’s commitment to making more environmentally conscious choices to lessen our environmental impact.

Double-walled cups eliminate the need for a sleeve or a doubling up of cups. As always, bringing your own mug is the most effective way to combat waste but these new options are a step in the right direction.

Here’s a recap of current sustainability initiatives in place at caféAGO

• Installed new water dispensing system, eliminating plastic water bottles
  
• Introduced new glass-bottled, locally-sourced sparkling and flavoured water
• Eliminated pre-packaged salads and sandwiches, offering freshly made to order options
  

More eco-friendly initiatives to come!

For questions, contact Renée Bellefeuille, x6275.

Hello Everyone,

First of all – Happy 2020!

And a big “thank you” to everyone who was here during the final days and weeks of the Rubens exhibit to welcome guests through line-ups and throughout the galleries. Lots of work continues to happen behind the scenes as numerous large scale paintings are returned back to their homes throughout Europe and North America. All of this takes a huge amount of coordination and I appreciate everyone’s efforts.

• After an incredible 44-year career at the AGO, Librarian Larry Pfaff (Head, Reader Services) is retiring from the AGO on January 24. A reminder that there is a reception for Larry today from 2-4pm in the Marvin Gelber Print and Drawing Study Centre. Larry has played a significant role in library expertise, research, mentoring and relationship building. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Larry – he is a fascinating person and I’m deeply grateful for the way he has transformed our library’s collection.

I am a believer in New Year’s resolutions. In 2019, I picked a word to focus on throughout the year – “conviction.” I encourage you to think about a word – or an achievement – that you would like focus on in 2020. I’ll share my word with you at this time next year!

Enjoy the weekend,

Stephan

Looking to enrol your kids in summer camp? Sign them up for Summer Art Camp at the AGO and receive a 50% discount off the public price.

Employee, volunteer and member registration for Art Camp Summer 2020 opens Tuesday, Jan. 14. Spaces are limited so act soon!

Some things to note:

• This discount applies to children of a current employee or volunteer.
• Discount valid for up to 2 weeks of camp per child, per summer (either one 2 week camp or two 1 week camps) – maximum of four discounts per family per summer.
• Discount applies to the Camp fee and Extended Care fee (new this year).
• Meal Plans are not included and can be purchased at regular cost.
• Additional camp sessions for which the discount doesn’t apply may be booked at the Member price.

How to register for the discount:

• Visit Summer Art Camps on ago.ca, and follow the registration link.
• Follow the registration process by creating a login, and household and camper profiles (this can be done in advance of the on-sale date). If you have created an account on AGO’s CampBrain website before, just login to your account.
• When selecting camps, select the Non-Member price for the camp and/or Extended Care you’d like the discount applied to. If you sign the same child up for more than one camp, please use the Members’ price for those additional camps and for Extended Care.
• Complete registration and payment
• Email [email protected] and identify which child and camp should have the 50% discount applied.
• 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)

If you have any questions, please call the Contact Centre directly at 416-979-6608.

The AGO is always looking for ways to improve our visitors’ experience.

You may have noticed some renovations happening in the East end of the Concourse (the former home of Art Rental & Sales). The area is currently undergoing some changes to become a “rest and recharge” spot. Visitors will be invited to lounge, eat, and work as part of their overall museum experience. The new spot will include a stand-up bar area to relax with an caféAGO coffee, a farm table to work at with friends, charging areas for phones and other devices and soft furnishings and lighting to accommodate casual meetings, socializing and a place to hang out.

The goal is to open this space in January, with exact dates still to be finalized. Stay tuned for more about this new addition that will be a comfortable and friendly way to welcome our audiences!

Celebrate the year ahead at the AGO’s annual Winter Party:

• Date: Thursday, January 23
• Time: 5 to 8 pm
• Location: Baillie Court (AGO – Third Floor Event Space)

This year’s theme is This is the Future. Head into the next decade in a futuristic costume for a chance to win our costume contest! Tickets include entry, food stations, dancing, a photo booth, costume contest and door prizes. There will also be a cash bar.

All AGO employees and volunteers are invited to attend this FREE event (one ticket per person – we are a big group! We are sorry we cannot accommodate outside guests). Tickets are available until Thursday, January 16. Registration is required to attend.

To register, click here and follow these steps:

• Click on the green “Register” button

• Select General Admission and click “Checkout”

• Enter your details and click “Confirm Registration”

• You will receive a confirmation email from Eventbrite

To attend the party, you should be a current employee or volunteer as of January 23, 2020. To gain entry to the event, please ensure you register by January 16 and bring a valid employee or volunteer ID badge as a form of identification.

Questions? Contact Akilah Child (x6454) or Cassandra Engineer (x6378).

The second Friday of every month, one of P&D’s knowledgeable volunteers will give a talk that explores an area of the AGO’s P&D Collection.

Talk by: Brenda Rix, Manager, Print and Drawing Study Centre
Date: Friday, January 10
Time: 11 am (arrive at 10:30 to view works on display!)

Humour can be a powerful weapon to fight hypocrisy and corruption.  As political cartoons critique the antics of people in high places, they inspire debate and provoke a range of responses from amusement to outrage. While playful and witty, visual humour can also be biting and cruel.
This talk is related to the current exhibition: Crossing the Line: Political Satire from 1800 to Today and features works by James Gillray, Honoré Daumier and Walter Trier.

In 1976, the AGO received a gift from the Trier-Fodor Foundation of works by illustrator Walter Trier (1890–1951) along with an endowment fund that has supported the AGO’s purchase of satirical art.

Greetings, volunteers!

We wanted to share a number of updates that we’re working on for our volunteer community for the new year:

Margaret Machell Study Grant: We are pleased to let you know that we will be accepting applications for the Margaret Machell Study Grant in January of 2020. Look out for the application requirements and submission process in a future blog post as well as on the bulletin board in the Volunteer Lounge. 

Volunteer Meetups and Gatherings: We encourage volunteers to connect across shifts and placement types and we’ve come up with a few fun ideas to foster these connections further!

Random Coffee – Coming soon! Sign-up to be matched with another volunteer at random and get together at your mutual convenience for a coffee (or other beverage of choice)! It’s a simple initiative designed to help create and strengthen connections and help you network with volunteers you may not get to work with or see on an everyday basis.

Listening Campaigns – We know how important it is to feel heard, especially when you have lots of great ideas to share! We’ll be setting up meetings in the new year on focused topics and asking volunteers to take turns sharing and listening to one another.

Community Outings – If you’re attending a community event that you think other volunteers may be interested in too, consider sharing it on the Volunteer Blog or bulletin board and invite your fellow volunteers to join you! If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your VC President, Maya Kotlarenko, at [email protected] (please note that Maya will be on vacation from Dec 11-Jan 2 and will respond to your email upon her return).

We look forward to seeing you all at the Staff & Volunteer Party on January 23rd!