AGO employees, volunteers and interns are encouraged to attend Art Toronto, an important fundraiser for the AGO, with a 20% discount on general admission tickets.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Art Toronto is Canada’s international fair for modern and contemporary art features exceptional artwork and programming by a diverse roster of galleries and arts & cultural institutions. This year’s art fair runs from October 25 to 27.

• Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building 255 Front Street West, Toronto

• Dates: Friday, October 25: Noon to 8 pm, Saturday, October 26: 11 am to 8 pm, Sunday, October 27: 11 am to 6 pm

To purchase tickets using the discount, click here use the AGO promo code: AT19AGO

In the earlier draw for tickets, winners are: Gillian McIntyre, Joleen Sadler and Catherine Morelli, (volunteer!) 

The Public Programs & Learning team has launched a pop-up drawing studio in Walker Court that will run through to January. Below is a list of frequently asked questions. The PP&L team would like your help in sharing this information.

What is happening in Walker Court?

From now through to January 4, the AGO has set up a drop-in drawing studio in Walker Court inspired by the Rubens exhibition. A tableau with chair, drapery and still life objects are set-up for all visitors to draw. Newsprint paper and pencils are provided. A box of additional paper is available for people to draw on at the donkeys or at the easels. Visitors may also sit at the chair for others to draw them. Visitors may stay as long as they like and all ages are welcome. As custodians of artworks in the galleries that surround us, we uphold conservation practices that ensure the utmost safety of both the artworks in our galleries and our visitors. Please refrain from using any other drawing supplies in this space.

Is there a live model?

During specific hours, there will be a live model in the space as well. The model will be in the space on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays from noon to 3 pm, and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 to 9 pm. The model is clothed and will provide a series of 10 to 15 minute poses.

Is there an instructor?

These are unfacilitated experiences – there is no instructor except on Sundays. Please encourage visitors to stay as little or as long as they like when the studio is present, apart from Sundays 2 to 5 pm. On Sundays starting in November, from 2 to 5 pm, there will be pre-registered workshops facilitated by an instructor. These workshops are open to ages 10+ and visitors can sign up online or at front desk. Visitors can reserve a spot for these Sunday workshops.

Is this free?

The pop up studio is free with admission Tuesday through Saturday. There is a registration fee for the Sunday workshop with an instructor.

I really like this – can I sign up for life drawing?

We offer life drawing classes for children, youth and adults. Classes run seasonally and you can sign up any time.

Who is leading this project?

The Public Programs and Learning team is leading this project. Gallery School Technicians will be escorting our models and replenishing paper and pencil supplies. The studio will stay up for the duration of the exhibition, and will be taken down and reinstalled should there be other events in the space.

If you have any questions, please contact Paola Poletto, Director, Engagement & Learning, at 416 979 6660 ext. 6361.

Early Rubens is officially here – and will soon be coming to caféAGO!

On Tuesday, October 29, caféAGO will launch a new menu featuring “The Rubens Sandwich”. Enjoy a combination of pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing on rye bread with a side salad for $15 ($12 with your 20% off discount). The new menu will also feature a Tofu Banh Mi wrap with marinated tofu, pickled carrot, cucumber, cilantro, hoisin, sriracha mayo and lettuce. Add a side salad and you have lunch for $14.50 ($11.60 with discount).

Love the new dishes? The Food and Beverage team invite you to share your feedback by emailing [email protected] for a chance to win a free lunch!

Longtime AGO volunteer and VCAM representative Michelle Abrams bids farewell to a beloved organization:

After 67 years of operation, the VCAM Board of Directors unanimously voted yes on a motion to dissolve VCAM this past July, due to lack of sustainability. Raising costs, declining funding, and the changing volunteer environment, led to this difficult decision.  The board, and I personally, recognize Peter Milne, VCAM’s president, for his stewardship and commitment to VCAM and volunteerism over the years.

Background: Volunteer Committees of Art Museums (VCAM) was founded in Toronto in 1952 by a group of Women’s Committees from across North America, including the Art Gallery of Ontario (then known as Art Gallery of Toronto) Women’s Committee. Their goal was to educate, engage and improve the volunteer experience for all volunteers; regardless of their role.  It was the only organization established for, and run by, art museum volunteers for the mutual education of volunteers through tai-annual conferences and newsletters.

The first VCAM Conference was held in 1956, and hosted by the Saint Louis Art Museum. Since then there have been 21 conferences in Canada and the United States. The Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum, jointly hosted a successful conference in 2003.  Attendees were impressed with the quality of the presentations and the professionalism and friendliness of AGO volunteers and staff. They still are.

Conferences: As a Director of the Canadian Great Lakes region, I have had the opportunity of attending three conferences:  The Cleveland Museum of Art (2012), The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (2015) and the Detroit Institute of the Arts (2018).

We learned from each other by sharing information through presentations and dialogue, on topics relevant to volunteers.  We discussed a wide range of topics, including engagement , leadership, volunteer recognition and training, to adapting to the needs of today’s museum, society, and technology—just to name a few. Volunteers were engaged and energized with conversations often continuing into into the night.  It was a pleasure to tour each of the conferences host cities, exploring their respective museums (not to mention the art!) and speaking to their enthusiast committed volunteers.

Today: VCAM may have dissolved, but the discussion continues through other AGO initiatives such as Volunteers Connect.  Founded in 2011 at the AGO, volunteers and volunteer coordinators from art and cultural organizations from across the Greater Toronto Area, meet twice a year to discuss and exchange best practices and initiatives relevant to today’s volunteers.

It has been a privilege over the years to be a part of VCAM and to meet so many enthusiastic volunteers from across North America who share the same passion as the AGO’s volunteers for their respective organization, art and volunteerism. 

–Michelle Abrams, VCAM Region Director 13: Great Lakes Canada

This monthly drop-in hosted by AGO librarians and archivists gives visitors a first-hand glimpse of highlights from the AGO Library & Archives collection.

When: Saturday, November 2, 1-4 pm (drop in)
Where: Marvin Gelber Print & Drawing Study Centre

For this installment, Librarian Larry Pfaff looks back over his forty-four year tenure at the AGO and selects some of his favourite rare books from the vaults.

Please visit at any point from 1 to 4 pm to enjoy a personalized encounter with this collection.

This year, the Volunteer Executive evolved into the Volunteer Council. We’re excited to introduce our new members:

The Volunteer Council (VC) represents and advocates for every voice in the volunteer community, honouring the volunteer legacy while evolving into the future. We are committed to open communication, transparency, and inclusive decision-making. The VC will support, recognize, and celebrate the contributions of all volunteers through our diverse experiences and shared passion for the AGO.

Here’s a brief bio of each of our members, in their own words (following picture order, above)

Barbara Glaser

While working professionally as a Creative Art Director-Communications Designer I came to volunteer at the gallery ten years ago and started out in the Education Department as 

Co-Chair, and serving on the Volunteer Executive. A fellow volunteer urged me to pay a visit to Prints & Drawings where I viewed a solander box full of Rembrandt works and I was mesmerized! Now, I am thrilled to be volunteering in P&D.

I’m excited to join the new Volunteer Council, a commitment I take seriously. I’m eager to hear what our community of volunteers has to say, and I’m looking forward to what we can accomplish together.

I have many “favourite” works in the gallery, but if I had to choose just one, it would be Augustus John’s portrait of the Marchesa Casati for her fiery energy. I also love the recently exhibited Kathe Kollwitz works, which speak to the soul of the artist and captures the essence of the subject matter. To add to the mix, I enjoy photography, especially works by Diane Arbus and Edward Steichen.

While I’m not at the AGO, I volunteer in other leadership roles, and look after my family; balancing all of that with yoga, meditation, and cooking.  I enjoy any and all cultural pursuits – especially film, literature and music. And I love travel; France and Italy especially!

Maya Kotlarenko (Volunteer President)

I’ve been a volunteer at the AGO for just over 10 years, joining first as an Info Guide during TransformationAGO and then transitioning to Gallery Guide a few years later. What I love most about interacting with guests of the gallery is getting glimpses into who they are, what they love, which pieces they’re drawn to and even what they hate! It’s so subjective and fascinating and everyone’s views are valid one way or another, offering perspectives I may not have considered. 

Similarly, as Volunteer President, I’m excited to hear from volunteers across all of our programs at the AGO about what matters most to them, where they’d like to see changes and improvements, and how we can communicate most effectively among our ever-growing teams. In recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to get more deeply involved in Corporate Social Responsibility, Diversity & Inclusion, Accessibility and Sustainability. My passion is in creating safe, open spaces where people can be their authentic selves and thrive. 

My absolute favourite piece at the AGO is Kent Monkman’s Academy and one of the highlights of my LIFE was bringing Kent into my office last year as a guest speaker to talk about his ‘Shame and Prejudice’ exhibit around the context of Pride and Canada150. I don’t even know if Kent would have been on my radar if it wasn’t through my experience at the AGO and getting the opportunity to tell him in-person how much the volunteers love his work was a truly special moment I will never forget. 

When I’m not at work or volunteering, I’m taking in everything this amazing city has to offer (especially in the summer!) – concerts and live music, outdoor art fairs, marches and parades – you name it!

Sari Snyder

In 2014 I felt that I needed a different focus in my life, so I decided to do some volunteering. I had two choices and I wanted to follow something that would give me some teaching experience and something that would be more culturally inclined. For the teaching I started as a tutor at the public library and for the cultural aspect I began volunteering at the AGO.

I started as an Audio Guide and joined the Information Guide team a little over a year later.

In my life I am passionate about my family my friends and the desire to always provide the best customer service possible in whatever I am doing.  I also love to teach. By nature I am a “people person” and so the AGO was a perfect match for me.

Joining the Volunteer Council seemed to be a natural progression for me to learn more about how the gallery works, and our roles as volunteers within it.

My favourite memory at AGO is volunteering on Family Day, where I found myself working alone for the afternoon shift! Busy as it was, it was a great experience.  

My favourite piece of art is The Burghers of Callas.  I had the privilege of seeing the full burghers of Calais in London several years ago and it took my breath away.  I had the same feeling when I saw them for the first time here at the gallery.

Holly Procktor (Coordinator, Volunteers)

It’s hard to believe I have recently celebrated 11 years at the gallery! I love my work with the volunteers, and my role with the VC is helping to provide administrative support. I tend to be a bit of a cheerleader as well, and really love working in a group.

My favourite artist is Louise Nevelson, known for her monochromatic wooden shadow boxes. I read somewhere that she started working with wood when she was six, scavenging small pieces from her parents’ lumber yard. As a lifelong crafter, that sounds pretty dreamy to me.

Jonathan Love

I’ve been an AGO Information Guide for just under two years, starting during the wonderful del Toro At Home With Monsters exhibition; to this day, I love being able to interact with patrons throughout the gallery, learning their interests, and providing options for how they might best enjoy their visit.

As someone who had no art knowledge prior to joining, becoming an AGO volunteer helped me develop a deep appreciation for art of all kinds. Perhaps the biggest change for me was understanding the progression of modern art, how and why it came to be – and now both the first floor Modern, and the J.S. McLean Centre for Modern and Contemporary Canadian and Indigenous Art, are my favourite collections in the gallery.

The AGO has been an immense boon to my personal growth and I’ve joined the VC in the hope that I can help every volunteer get equally as much out of their experience

Reni Packer

After a career in social work, I graduated from OCAD and practiced as an artist and co-director of a women’s gallery and archive, and retired three years ago. I volunteered at the AGO for many years in Art Rental & Sales, and am currently an Information Guide.  

Joy Bullen

Throughout my years as a student, mother, and corporate person, I found solace and inspiration in art galleries, museums and concert halls.   It was inevitable therefore that as I planned the phase of my life that followed a full-time career in Banking, I looked to the Art Gallery of Ontario as that place where I could not only surround myself with beauty and inspiration, but also make a contribution.  It has been 18 years since I joined the team of volunteers at the AGO as a Volunteer Recruiter, and I continue to value the time I spend interviewing prospective volunteers; participating with like-minded art lovers on projects and discussions; and witnessing the passion, intelligence and wonder of so many young students as they start their own journey of volunteering at the gallery.

I embrace the opportunity for an expanded role working on behalf of gallery volunteers, with the VC, to research, plan and execute initiatives that serve to enhance the volunteer experience while supporting the corporate goals of the AGO.

There are many pieces in the gallery that I love and can get lost in, but always, as I wander through the gallery, I find that place that allows me to exhale and be transported into the beautiful Canadian landscape, among the collection of the Group of Seven. Some years ago, I was moved to gift myself with a limited edition print of A.J. Casson’s White Pine.

Veronica Ha

My journey with the AGO begins nearly 15 years ago in my very first role as a March Break volunteer. Since then, I have volunteered and worked with our youngest visitors in the Education Department and then transitioned to assisting visitors to the AGO as part of the Information Guide Team. I was an Information Guide for a period of time and am currently an Information Guide Lead on Sundays. 

What has kept me energized and excited to volunteer over the years is being a part of a community that wants to promote the enjoyment and experience of art. Each AGO volunteer I have met has their own unique relationship to art and has given me the opportunity for me to learn and expand my horizons. My interest in joining the Volunteer Council is to celebrate this community of volunteers whose commonality is art, and to ensure the community continues to thrive and inspire new volunteers. 

It’s hard to pick only one piece of favourite art in the Gallery. However, the piece that captivates me every time is the very dramatic Massacre of the Innocents by Rubens. I’m looking forward to seeing his early works in the current feature exhibition.

Hanna Schacter

I started volunteering at the AGO in 2013 as an Audio Guide Volunteer for The Great Upheaval: Masterpieces from The Guggenheim Collection, 1910 – 1918. I have also volunteered during the Anthropocene exhibit and as an Information Guide. I am currently the Secretary for the Volunteer Council and have loved getting to work with this group! I have a strong interest in the arts and love getting to share my passion with fellow volunteers and visitors to the gallery. My absolute favourite exhibit at the AGO has been Mickalene Thomas: Femmes Noires. When I’m not at the gallery I am busy studying at U of T as I am in my first year of the Master of Museum Studies program. I am excited about getting to apply all that I have learned as a volunteer to my studies!

Contacting the Council:

Please reach out to Maya Kotlarenko, President, at either [email protected] or [email protected]   You’ll hear more from us, soon!

NOTE: the Volunteer Council was asked to extend their term during the pandemic, with members serving until July 2023. We thank this Council for their dedication and flexiblity during a challenging time!

Hello Everyone,

• The renovated Museum of Modern Art opened earlier this week and I was pleased to attend one of the opening events. The installation is much more inclusive and diverse and there were many works on view by artists I hadn’t heard of but look forward to learning more about. The main lobby displays sculptures by Hague Yang and Hito Steyerl was one of the featured artists.

• The Norma Ridley Members’ Lounge is open for extended hours on Friday evenings for AGO Members who are here to explore Early Rubens. The lounge is open until 8pm now through till January 2020. With about 100,000 Members, we have one of the largest memberships of any museum in North America.

• The pop-up life drawing in Walker Court for Early Rubens is a great way to engage visitors and looks fun! If you want to practice drawing, feel free to join in.

• Next week is a busy one as we open Hito Steyerl: The Future is Now and celebrate 20 years of Art Toronto. Thank you to everyone who has been busy preparing for these two key activities.

Enjoy the weekend,

Stephan

Thinking of getting a Costco membership? Stop by and speak with a representative to get more information about the offer for AGO employees and volunteers.  

• Thursday, October 24
• 11 am to 2 pm
• Near the Chalmers elevator by the Library (Concourse Level)

A representative will be available with goodies to sample; information about Costco products, services and memberships; and the opportunity to sign up for a yearly personal membership.

Sign up for a Gold Star membership for $60 (plus tax) per year, or an Executive membership for $120 (plus tax) to receive special rewards and discounts. Both memberships include a FREE spouse card for anyone over 18 years of age and living at the same address.

A promotional offer will be given for each new application. Cash, debit or MasterCard accepted.

If you have questions, please contact Kathleen Ginson at 416 979 6660 ext. 6241.

 Mary Rochon, one of our gallery guides, is looking to start a book club for AGO volunteers who are bereaved. Whether you have lost a spouse, child or loved one, coming together to discuss grief with others can help.

The Book she’d like to begin with is C.S. Lewis’ book on grieving, “A Grief Observed.” Meetings could take place weekly or monthly, and Mary is open to ideas.

If you are interested in joining Mary, please email her directly, at [email protected].

She looks forward to hearing from you.

Join us in celebrating the opening of Early Rubens, the once-in-a-lifetime exhibition of Peter Paul Rubens’s masterpieces! Featuring over 30 large-scale paintings – including several that have never left Europe before – and more than 20 works on paper.

Employees and volunteers will each receive two complimentary AGO Admission passes, which can be exchanged for tickets to the recently opened exhibition, Early Rubens.

Complimentary passes:

• Volunteers: all tickets will be distributed by your coordinator in the next few days.
• You will receive two free passes to give to family and friends, which they must redeem for Early Rubens timed-tickets at the Welcome Desk.
• Passes are valid until Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019.

Although the exhibition has timed entry, employees, volunteers, and interns (no guests please)may enter the exhibition at any time during public hours by presenting their I.D. badge if capacity permits.

If you have any questions, please contact Kathleen Ginson, ext. 6241.