In recent weeks the AGO has seen an increase in insects and rodent activity in the building. Facility Services and Conservation are currently reviewing all of our pest control measures, including how waste is stored and moves throughout the building.

We need everyone’s help to keep pests out of the Gallery. Here are some easy ways to help deter and control pests:

• Keep snacks in sealed metal or hard plastic containers. Plastic bags are not sufficient.
• Do not leave shared snacks and old coffee cups out overnight
• Return dishes from the café immediately after use. Return them to the cafe.
• Dispose of all food waste – coffee cups, muffin wrappers, and food scraps – in the large black topped containers on each floor, never in the garbage bin under your desk.
• Use recycling containers in your personal workspace for paper only.
  
• Throw rinsed out drink bottles and cans into the large black topped recycling containers.
• Wash dishes in the Employee Lounge or at home – do not wash in washrooms as food and grease can cause plumbing issues.
• Do not store clothing, gloves, scarves, and other items made of natural fibres in the building long term as they are food for moths.
• If you see pests of any kind, please contact Facility Services. If possible, catch insects intact for identification purposes.
  

Other waste reminders: 

• Please dispose of paper towels and other non-flushable items in washroom garbage cans. If flushed down toilets, they can cause a serious risk to the Collection due to flooding.
  

Here are some pest facts you should know:

• Mice can pass through gaps as small as 3/8″. That is the thickness of your pen.
• Infestation may be caused by insects, rodents or microorganisms.
• Webbing clothes moths can be carried in on woollen clothing.

If you have any questions, please contact Facility Managers Michelle Noel, ext. 6245 or Warren Wilson, ext. 6466.

Thank you to all of our volunteers (who joined us this week to support busy Rubens member previews), as well as everyone who will joining us over the Thanksgiving Weekend. The Gallery is open on Monday October 14, from 10:30am – 4:00pm. This season, we’re extra-thankful for all of YOU! Happy Thanksgiving.

Hello Everyone,

• I am very pleased with activities this week related to the Early Rubens exhibition and it’s been wonderful to see all the Members enjoying their early preview during the past few days. We open to the public tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who will be here during the long weekend for the opening and public programming including the Curator’s Talk tonight and AGO Live: Songs of Heaven on Saturday and Sunday.

• Several times this week, I have popped up to see how the Hito Steyerl: This is the Future installation is coming along. It is a complicated installation and I am grateful for the team’s efforts. Hito’s work pushes me to examine my largely unexamined relationship to technology.

• Congratulations to Chef Renée and the AGO Bistro team for winning the bronze medal in the Toronto competition of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party. Chef Renée’s winning dish was inspired by Early Rubens and included braised beef cheek, various preparations of heirloom carrot and sumac. Sounds delicious!

Enjoy the weekend, Happy Thanksgiving,

Stephan

Congratulations to Chef Renée Bellefeuille and her team for securing a third-place win in the Toronto competition of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party.
For the Toronto leg of the competition, competitors were challenged to prepare 700 tasting sized portions for the guests to sample and eight full-sized plates with all garnishes for the judges. Chef’s winning dish was inspired by Early Rubens and included braised beef cheek, various preparations of heirloom carrot and sumac.

Competition judge, James Chatto, said, “The look of her dish was inspired by the coming Rubens exhibition at the AGO – full of rich autumnal colours and with a final garnish of gold leaf to represent the gilded frames of the paintings. Chef braised a beef cheek, first marinating it in yoghurt and sumac, giving it a hard sear then slow-braising in beef stock flavoured with onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Finished with a carrot-and-sumac glaze, the meat was impeccably cooked – tender but not gummy the way beef cheeks can be, and full of deep beefy flavour.

All around the protein we found an exploration of carrots – as a purée, sweetened with caramelized onions; as crispy ribbons perched on top of the cheek; and as an orange-spiked foam which Chef spooned onto our plates at the table. Dots of sumac yoghurt were an extra treat around the side of the plate.

Her wine of choice proved a fine match – Thirty Bench 2017 Winemaker’s Blend, a ripe Bordeaux blend from the Beamsville Bench that worked well with the beef and handled the sweetness of the carrot with an easy grace.”(Are you hungry now?) … Well Done, Chef!

What do you do at the AGO?

I help design and engineer all the menus in the AGO Bistro, Norma Ridley Members’ Lounge, caféAGO, and Espresso Bar.  I do a lot of quality control and help supply guidance in the day-to-day work load.  I also try to make sure that everyone I work with knows that I appreciate them!

Is there something you can share that many people would not know about you? 
I’ve got an amazing, strong and supportive wife named Katie and two beautiful boys, William (4 years old) and George (4 months old). They are my world.

What is your all-time favourite movie, musical artist, or book, and why?
I am a comic book, Star Trek and Star Wars nerd! Katie is not – she just puts up with me.

Do you have a favourite work of art in the AGO Collection?
I love Claes Oldenburg’s Floor Burger!

In this week’s AGOinsider, excitement is building ahead of this weekend’s opening of Early Rubens!

Plus – read Stephan’s recent op-ed letter to The Art Newspaper, dive into our Q& A with Canadian Musician, Owen Pallett, ahead of AGO Live, 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,

• Tomorrow evening at 7pm through to early Sunday morning we will welcome thousands of visitors taking part in Nuit Blanche. “Unearthed,” a film component of Anishinaabe filmmaker Lisa Jackson’s Transmissions multimedia work, will be shown in Walker Court. Thank you to everyone who will be at the museum throughout the night to ensure a great experience for our public.

• Next week is a very big week for the AGO as we open our fall exhibit Early Rubens. There are several events scheduled including the press preview, Curators’ Circle talk and AGO Live performance. I am looking forward to seeing how our audience responds to the program and welcoming new Annual Pass holders.

• There is a message on Dartboard about possible school closures beginning on Monday. Hopefully the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the province can reach an agreement over the weekend although it’s possible we might not know until early Monday morning. Please talk to your manager about what to do if a strike happens and monitor Dartboard for further updates.

• I wrote an article in The Art Newspaper that you can read here: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/comment/a-victory-for-righteousness-or-just-a-performance-of-it. It is a response to political polarities and stresses the role that museums can play in building common ground for exploration of important issues of our time.

Enjoy the weekend,

Stephan

As you may know, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has served a strike notice for caretakers, office staff, early childhood educators and educational assistants who work in Ontario schools. They are set to strike on Monday, October 7, unless a deal with the province can be reached in time. Bargaining is ongoing, and nothing has been decided at this point.

Many of you have children in public schools and are wondering how this might affect you, especially if you are required to make child care arrangements in light of school closures.

Please talk to your Manager about what to do if a strike happens on Monday. We will continue to update Dartboard with more information as it becomes available.

All employees and volunteers are invited to a preview of the Early Rubens exhibition before it opens to members and the public.

The preview will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 8 between 12 and 3 pm. As this preview takes place while the Gallery is open to the public, please be sure to bring your I.D. Badge to present at the entrance.

We look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions about the viewing, please contact Trish Popkin, or call the AGO Contact Centre at 416-979-6648.

Did you know, exposure to perfumes and other scented products can trigger serious health reactions in individuals with asthma, allergies, migraines, or chemical sensitivities?

Fast Facts:

• Chemicals in your scented product can make some people sick, sometimes lasting for many days after exposure.
• Symptoms may include headaches, sore throat, runny nose, sinus congestion, wheezing and dizziness.
• If you have used a scented product for a long time, your own ability to detect the scent may be reduced.

How to Help:

• As a guideline, a scent should not be detectable more than an arm’s length away from you.
• Do not apply or spray any scented products in your work area or in public areas such as washrooms, change rooms or eating areas.
• Do not use air fresheners in your work area.
• If someone tells you that your scented product bothers them, please don’t be offended.

For more information, please see Vijay Patel, Manager, Safety & Wellness at 416 979 6660 ext. 532.