Hello Everyone,

• An installation of works by Toronto artist Margaret Priest is now on view in the Joan & Jerry Lozinski and the R. Samuel McLaughlin Galleries on Level 2. Her Construction Series and other Concrete Matters etchings evoke the ornamental patterns of building materials like marble and concrete quite beautifully.
• Last night I gave a talk at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery. I enjoy visiting other museums throughout the province and am impressed by the dedicated teams of professionals.

• Winter is here! I know this because A) it snowed yesterday and it’s FREEZING today, and B) the AGO’s Holiday Bake Sale has begun! More information is available on Dartboard.

Enjoy the weekend,

Stephan

The most recent biannual National Docents Symposium (NDS) took place October 24-27 in Washington DC, hosted by the Smithsonian’s Freer/Sackler Galleries of Asian Art. Five AGO volunteers attended this year, including Barbara Keilhauer, who made a presentation on Visual Thinking Strategies, as well as Fran Bleviss, Bev Biderman, and Margaret Johnson. Over the next few weeks we will feature their reports on this important event – this week Shelagh Barrington, NDS Council Regional Director for Canada, describes her experience.

Fifteen Canadians from across the country were among the 450 delegates who gathered in this city of cultural and historic delights to share and grow together. Washington DC knows how to celebrate its heritage – no matter your opinion on the political front, the city aims to inform, educate and entertain its visitors.

This year’s NDS, Capitalizing on Our Experience, was a wonderful mix of stimulating speakers reminding us that the future is here now:

Dr Augustus Casley-Hayford, Director of the Smithsonian Museum of African Art, gave the keynote address. Many of you may remember his talk around the installation of the AGO’s Frum Gallery of African Art. (NB: He is coming to Toronto to speak at the Aga Khan Museum on December 1 – details here.)

Susan Fisher Sterling, Alice West Director of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, spoke to women’s representation both in art museums and in the leadership of cultural institutions.

Karleen Gardiner, Director of Learning at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, spoke on ways of partnering with the community to foster empathy.

Delegates were welcomed by Chase F Robinson, Jillian Sackler Director, to the stunning Freer/Sackler Galleries. The museum staff hosted an elegant reception and treated the delegates to “Ask Me” talks in the galleries, including the fabulous Peacock Room. (Originally designed in 1876 as a family dining room for Frederick Leyland’s London home, and moved to the US by art collector Charles Freer in 1904, this interior masterpiece was decorated with an amazing amount of gold leaf by James Whistler; Leyland objected to this extravagance and the ensuing payment dispute led to Whistler’s financial ruin!)

Professionally presented workshops motivated us to consider how we can better engage our guests. A workshop on Visual Thinking Strategies was presented by our own Barb Keilhauer to a large, receptive, and very appreciative audience.   

No NDS is complete without tours of the host city and its cultural institutions. I enjoyed a night-time tour of historical monuments commemorating leading American citizens, including the moving Martin Luther King Memorial, “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope”. I also went off the beaten path with a tour of the American Visionary Arts Museum. Established in 1995 in Baltimore by current director and chief curator Rebecca Alban Hoffberger, this museum of “outsider art” collaborates with industry and community to assist youth at risk.

An unexpected bonus was the coincidental timing of the symposium with the 2019 World Series, where the Washington Nationals outlasted the favoured Houston Astros. (As you may know, the Nationals used to be the Montreal Expos – you can guess who the Canadians were cheering for!)

The next NDS will take place in 2021 in Kansas City MO. Those interested in learning more about NDS or sharing in between events can visit the NDS Council site or contact NDS regional directors Shelagh Barrington or Fran Bleviss.

The One Of A Kind Show is one of the largest and best-attended craft shows in North America, featuring unique, handmade crafts and the talented, dedicated artisans who make them. This event brings together makers and buyers who share a commitment to handmade excellence and a passion for buying local.

Please use the code AGO2019 for the discounted adult ticket of $12.00 (Regular Price: $15). (Note: This discount is applicable for standard adult admission. If you are a youth, student or senior, your regular admission price is better than the discount offer).

For adults accessing the discount, once you have selected your ticket, the the AGO discount code can be applied on the third page of the OOAK ticketing site found here (look for the prompt for a promo code) https://purchase.growtix.com/eh/One_Of_A_Kind_2019_Winter_Show

The discount will be applied at checkout.

Enjoy the Show & Sale!

Hello volunteers,

A reminder re: changes to our Wednesday night admissions. Some have asked for refresher; thank you! See below:

We’re introducing some changes to Free Wednesday Nights. As always, admission to the AGO Collection is free on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 pm but beginning Sept. 25, visitors on Wednesday evenings will require a free ticket to enter.

When being issued a free ticket, visitors will be asked for their name and email address. Connecting with our visitors will help us know them better and communicate with them about things that might interest them.

More info about this change:

• Free tickets are available on site at the AGO Welcome Desk every Wednesday beginning at 6 pm.
• Each visitor can claim up to 4 free tickets.
• A new ticket will be required for each visit on a free Wednesday night.
• AGO Annual Pass holders and AGO Members and can skip the ticket line by scanning their card or pass at the entrance.
• Visitors who are not yet Members or Annual Pass holders can become a Member or an Annual Pass holder on site, by visiting ago.ca, or by speaking with an AGO representative.

For questions, please contact Trish Popkin, ext. 849.

In this week’s AGOinsider, we look back at the reopening of the AGO in November 2008!

Plus – see our interview with harpsichordists Wesley Shen and Stephanie Chua, check out our Hito Steyerl book list and more – all in this week’s AGOinsider.  Subscribe to our e-newsletters and enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at news in and around the AGO each week.

If you’d like to submit a story to AGOinsider for consideration, complete the submission form and follow the prompts.

Hello Everyone,

• Congratulations to Kitty Scott, the new Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Canada. Kitty has made incredible contributions to the AGO including introducing our audiences to leading contemporary artists and acquiring significant works for our collection. I am grateful for Kitty’s leadership and wish her well.

• Approximately 5,500 guests attended AGO All Hours last Saturday. The theme of “gaming” drew a broad range of visitors including lots of guys who love video games. Not surprising when you fill Walker Court with an arcade! It was a delight to see young children and family members participate in Pac Man in the Weston Family Learning Centre.

• It is an interesting time to visit the AGO – from Old Masters to literary talks to contemporary art stars, there is a lot going on!

Enjoy the weekend,

Stephan

P.S.     Julie Crooks and I are away from the Gallery today making a quick trip to New Orleans for the opening of the Mickalene Thomas exhibit.

Kitty Scott, Carol and Morton Rapp Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the AGO, has decided to leave the AGO to take on a new role as Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.  Her last day at the AGO is Friday, November 22. She will commence her new role in Ottawa on January 6, 2020.

Since joining the AGO in 2012, Kitty has curated or overseen many of our most celebrated exhibitions by living artists, including Francis Alÿs, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Theaster Gates, Brian Jungen & Duane Linklater, Scott McFarland, Ai Weiwei, and Vija Celmins. She has distinguished herself by significantly expanding our collection including key acquisitions by Mohamed Bourouissa, Anne Collier, Moyra Davey, Tacita Dean, Luis Jacob, Pierre Huyghe, Duane Linklater, Silke Otto-Knapp, Frances Stark, Ron Terada, and Danh Vo.  

Her work outside the Gallery has been equally notable, including curating the Canadian Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale (2017) and co-curating the Liverpool Biennale (2018). Kitty has written extensively on contemporary art for catalogues, books and journals, and has lectured widely at art schools and curatorial programs throughout North America. Her international reputation has brought acclaim to the AGO in many ways over the past seven years.

On an interim basis, Kenneth Brummel, Adelina Vlas and Debbie Johnsen will report to Julian Cox, Deputy Director & Chief Curator.

Congratulations to Kitty on this special appointment. We wish her the very best in her future endeavours.

For questions, please contact Julian Cox, ext. 6584.

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: Jane Smith
Date: Friday, November 8
Time: 11 am (arrive at 10:30 to view works on display!)

In conjunction with the current Early Rubens exhibition, Jane Smith will talk about Rubens-related works on paper. A selection of old master prints and drawings will be on view, including works by Italian masters who influenced Rubens during his travels prior to his return to Antwerp, artists who worked in his studio (such as Frans Snyders and Anthony Van Dyck), and those he influenced in the following centuries (such as Johann Lindner and Jean Renoir).

*Please note: There is no Friday Morning P&D Talk in December*

Hello Everyone, 

In recognition of her many years of outstanding service, recently retired conservator Sandra Webster-Cook has been given the honorary title of “Conservator Emeritus.” She joins a small number of other former staff who have been recognized with emeritus status for their contributions. Congratulations Sandra!

Last night’s ArtToronto Opening Night Preview showcased a broad range of great art from local, national and international dealers and raised more than $600,000 for the AGO. Congratulations to the Development Special Events team and Advancement staff, the volunteer committee (including AGO trustees Liza Mauer and Jen Lee Koss), and the curators who selected works for the AGO’s collection with proceeds from the event (see below). 

At the Managers’ Meeting yesterday we heard an update from People about the AGO’s Culture, Diversity and Inclusion strategy including survey results, recent front-of-house training and next steps. We have made strides in this area through our content, organizational structure changes and the launch of the Access Pass and we need to do more to make our museum open and reflective of our city’s population. D&I is a key driver and institutional priority.

You might notice a couple of PSOs wearing new prototype uniforms. We want to ensure our staff feel comfortable (and stylish!) in what they wear to work every day so we’re giving the uniforms a test run. Thank you Natasha Trent-Rennick and Roman Baran for being our models!

P.S. Tomorrow the museum will be full of amazing activities for AGO All Hours. You can learn more here: https://ago.ca/ago-all-hours-october26-2019.  This is a huge undertaking lead by Public Programming & Learning that includes literally all staff from across the AGO. I look forward to attending tomorrow.

This is a huge undertaking lead by Public Programming & Learning that includes literally all staff from across the AGO. I look forward to attending tomorrow. P.P.S Here is a quick pic of one of the works purchased at ArtToronto – by Rajni Perera, Untitled

Enjoy the weekend, Stephan