Earlier in the week we had a massive rainstorm. I know it is odd because I wrote about torrential rain only recently. It is clear that extreme weather is becoming more common.
When I looked out of my office window I saw Grange Park fill with water – a literal lake was created. By the next morning the center of the park was back to being a green lawn. When the AGO renovated Grange Park (yes, the AGO owns the park and we have a partnership with the City who manages it), we considered climate change. The main lawn is designed to become a reservoir when there is extreme rain. It holds the water until flood water in the storm drains subsides and only then releases the water on the main lawn. It is an example of how good design and helping to mitigate the impact of climate change can go hand-in-hand.
As we know, construction of the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery is underway. The building has been designed to very high environmental standards by the architects and engineers. Indeed, the expansion will operate without burning fossil fuel. In the future, I can share more about how we are making the building more green.
Several weeks ago, Dr. Audrey Hudson let me know that she will be leaving the AGO to take on the role of Kathleen C. Sherrerd Deputy Director, Learning and Engagement at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Audrey joined the AGO in 2017 and was appointed Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief, Education & Programming in 2020.
Of course we all have mixed emotions. On one hand, I am very proud to see Audrey’s career blossoming. On the other hand, I will miss Audrey, both professionally and personally. Audrey has had a profound impact on the AGO, and her leadership and legacy has changed the AGO for the better.
Dr. Audrey Hudson
There are many achievements. She has deep knowledge of art and a passion for the many communities we serve. There are too many achievements to list, but one example stands out — Audrey was the driving force behind the Virtual School Programs. We estimated we would get 55,000 students, and we were way off! In the first year of the program, we served over 750,000 students! I think a hallmark of her legacy is high quality and popular educational programs that have that wonderful mix of rigor, innovation, and levity.
One of the many things Audrey and I shared was our honesty with each other, even in the toughest of times. We also had big laughs and a common vision to elevate the museum globally and an emphasis on different ways to bring audiences into the AGO.
Leadership is a team sport, and I know that she will be missed by members of the Leadership Team, the Board of Trustees and of course, all the staff and volunteers at the AGO. She is always herself which usually means a blend of candor and humor.
Audrey’s final day with the AGO will be August 23, 2024. Until then, I know you will join me in wishing Audrey well in her new role. Philadelphia is lucky to have her, and I know she will bring wonderful things to the organization, as she did here at the AGO.
Most recently, Audrey has been co-leading the Joint Working Committee with Board Member Liza Mauer. This was not small undertaking, but both of us agreed it was essential to the organizational healing of the AGO. It is still in progress, and Audrey will come back to conclude this chapter in the Fall.
In the coming weeks, we will share next steps to find a suitable replacement who can build on Audrey’s legacy.
Exhibition Dates: October 9, 2024 – January 19, 2025
The exuberant and wide-ranging works of the late Philippine-born artist Pacita Abad make their Canadian debut as part of her first retrospective. This acclaimed exhibition includes more than 100 artworks showcasing Abad’s experiments in different mediums: textiles, works on paper, paintings, prints, and a range of archival material and studio ephemera. Much of Abad’s work is defined by her engagement in social justice and her exploration of materials. She is best known for her large-scale hanging trapuntos, a form of quilted painting made of stitched and stuffed canvas.
Pacita Abad, European Mask , 1990. Acrylic, silkscreen, thread on canvas.
Fleeing the Marcos regime in the Philippines, Abad arrived in the United States in 1970. Largely self-taught, her work resonates with the various artistic communities she encountered on her global travels, incorporating a diversity of cultural traditions and techniques—from Korean ink brush painting to Indonesian batik. Under-recognized in her lifetime, her work is defined by her engagement with social justice and evolving material exploration. Organized by the Walker Arts Center in collaboration with Abad’s estate, the exhibition is curated by Victoria Sung, Phyllis C. Wattis Senior Curator at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), and former associate curator, Visual Arts, Walker Art Center; with Matthew Villar Miranda, curatorial associate at BAMPFA, and former curatorial fellow, Visual Arts, Walker Art Center. The AGO presentation will be organized by Renée van der Avoird, Associate Curator, Canadian Art.
Pacita Abad is organized by the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.
Sonia Boyce, Feeling Her Way, 2022. Commissioned by the British Council for the British Pavilion for the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2022.
Recipient of the prestigious Golden Lion prize at the 2022 Venice Biennale, acclaimed British artist Sonia Boyce makes her Canadian debut with an installation combining video, collage, music and sculpture.
Feeling Her Way centers the vocal performances of four Black female musicians: Jacqui Dankworth, Poppy Ajudha, Sofia Jernberg, Tanita Tikaram in a playful and thought-provoking visual and auditory experience. Brought together by Boyce at Abbey Road Studios in London and Atlantis Studios in Stockholm, the vocalists were guided by composer Errollyn Wallen through improvisation, imagination, and exploration.
The audience will encounter colour-tinted videos that take centre stage among immersive and tessellating wallpapers, created by Boyce, as well as golden 3D geometric structures and a reflective display of music memorabilia.
Sonia Boyce: Feeling Her Way is presented at the AGO in partnership with the Toronto Biennial of Art 2024. The Canadian presentation of Sonia Boyce: Feeling Her Way is initiated and organized by the PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Sonia Boyce OBE RA (London, UK) emerged in the 1980s as a key figure in the Black British Art Movement. Her recent art practice is primarily concerned with the production and reception of unexpected performative gestures, with an underlying interest in how the personal, the aesthetic, and the political intersect. In 2019, the artist received an OBE for services to art in the Queen’s New Year Honours List, as well as an Honorary Doctorate from the Royal College of Art. In 2016, Boyce was elected a Royal Academician, and received a Paul Hamlyn Artist Award. Between 2012 – 2017, Boyce was Professor of Fine Art at Middlesex University and since 2014 she has been a Professor at University of the Arts London, where she holds the inaugural Chair in Black Art & Design. A three year research project into Black Artists and Modernism culminated with the 2018 BBC Four documentary Whoever Heard of a Black Artist?, exploring the contribution of overlooked artists of African and Asian descent to the story of Modern British art.
AGO campers are here! It gives me great joy to see so many children creating art and having fun together. I’d like to thank Education & Programming staff, camp leaders and volunteers for all their hard work to make the camps safe and organized.
It is also wonderful to see new acquisitions on view in the Irina Moore Gallery. These works have recently been acquired through the Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora (AGAD) curatorial department. Please take a moment to view the works, which are now part of the AGO’s collection. Also opened this week is Bright Signs: Spotlight on Video Art on the 5th floor. Some of the installations have been on view previously, such as Lisa Reihana’s Venus Infected and Theaster Gates’ Baby Neon, but several pieces have never been displayed. Again, like the new AGAD acquisitions and art featured in Moments in Modernism, all works are from our collections. In many ways these are a gift to future generations.
I am very proud of the quality of content we are offering our public. Last fiscal year, we went all in on exhibitions and programs in an effort to build back our audience from the previous pandemic years. I am pleased to acknowledge that our attendance was 871,152 – the 5th highest attendance in the AGO’s 124-year history. Thank you – everyone – for helping achieve this historic outcome.
Finally – many of you have been directly impacted or have friends and family impacted by Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean. Islands like Grenada, Carriacou, Petite Martinique, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and others have been hit hard. It has caused massive destruction and hardship. The changing weather patterns and the intensity of these storms is in large part due to human impact on the environment. Please check in on one another and offer support. There are many ways one can help, including contributing to this fund established by the Government of Grenada: https://pay.gov.gd/ and the Canadian Red Cross.
Hello everyone, please see the following invitation from Alain Graham, Chief, People Division (Human Resources). An interesting opportunity to engage with the Gallery – Holly
Hello Volunteers,
We are excited to announce the next phase of our work on developing the AGO’s organizational values; a project of the Gallery’s Joint Working Committee (JWC) – a group recently brought together to provide clarity to governance, policies, and values alignment in a way that generates engagement and intentionality at the AGO.
This phase involves conducting focus groups with both staff and volunteers to delve deeper into the themes that emerged from the recent values survey (volunteers received via email May 24). These focus groups will help us gain a more comprehensive understanding of the values identified.
We have engaged Silvia Presenza, an external consultant with extensive facilitation experience, to lead these focus groups over the coming weeks and consolidate all the feedback. Silvia has been working with the AGO’s JWC to provide strategic counsel throughout the process, bringing an independent perspective to this work.
Key details about the focus groups:
Number of Groups: 10 focus groups
Participants per Group: Each group will consist of 10 people
Focus Group Time Slots:
Monday July 8
1:30pm – 2:30pm or
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Tuesday July 9
11:00am – 12:00pm
2:00pm – 3:00pm
5:00pm – 6:00pm
Friday July 12
1:30pm – 2:30pm
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Tuesday July 16
11:00am – 12:00pm
2:00pm – 3:00pm
5:00pm – 6:00pm
Important Notes for Volunteers re: How to Sign Up
You will be asked for your team – please enter your volunteer placement
You will be asked for your AGO email address- please use your personal email address
ADDITONAL TIPS ON HOW TO FILL-IN the FORM:
Some early users had trouble with the form (it’s the form – not you!) – some help:
if you get stuck after entering your name, volunteer placement and email (and can’t see any timeslots options) – you need to scroll down the form window (which doesn’t include a scroll bar – so it’s hard to find) – just put your mouse beside the form window (not the page window) and scroll down and additional fields will appear
If you still have issues, try signing up on your mobile phone – all fields appear on mobile devices
Our groups will be designed to ensure cross-divisional representation and a mix of staff and volunteers at each session. You will be able to select your preferred times for attending. Once the focus groups have been, determined you will receive an email /calendar invite to confirm the timeslot you are invited to attend, with meeting room details. (Please note: it is important to register as each group is purposefully designed – these are not drop-in sessions).
During the focus groups, you will have the opportunity to discuss questions designed to explore your perspective on organizational values, your reaction to the survey findings shared, how values impact your work and interactions at the AGO, and more.
We want to note that the feedback collected in these focus groups will remain anonymous and will not be attributed to any individual. Silvia will focus on consolidating themes from the discussions, so we encourage everyone to be candid and open.
We look forward to your participation and insights as we work together to shape our organizational values. Please reach out if you have any additional questions.
Hope you’re all well and enjoying these glorious summer days and everything the city has to offer with the abundance of art and cultural activities. We have exciting news and are writing with these updates. One, premiering in the fall we will be starting an AGO Volunteers Artist collective, this will take the shape of volunteers showcasing their artistic vision, works as a community with fellow volunteers. You will be able to meet and hear about your fellow volunteer’s art and serve as inspiration and as form of a creative community.
This idea came about with the many conversations I’ve had with you all, which always appreciate in addition to hearing about your artwork! I’m so impressed with the pool, level of talent and feel it’s important to highlight, share this as your Volunteer President part of the larger mandate of our volunteer community and coming together, while also interacting and finding inspiration from your fellow volunteers and artists peers. Please see details below on how to get started and be part of this Volunteer program.
Secondly, we will continue our successful excursions as a social component of coming together outside the gallery walls interesting talks, cultural activities. Thank you to the volunteers who have participated and submitted your suggestions on this. There will be a poll to fill out for you to participate in soon on any ideas, including excursions.
Thirdly, there will be recognition events for the volunteers and an exciting opportunity to join a hands on watercolor class with the Education & Programming department, most grateful and many thanks to Holly and Mellisa Smith for orchestrating this for us!
Stay tuned for further updates as we enter this exciting chapter of 80 years of Volunteering. In the meantime, enjoy the summer!
Calling all Artists! We know there is a pool of so many talented artists within our volunteer community, and this new program aims to provide everyone with an opportunity to show and share your work, with our larger goal of supporting and connecting AGO volunteers.
Here’s How It Works:
The goal here is to enlighten, present your art, philosophy-creative mission, thought process to discuss and bring light to your work. We’ll host a get together with a participating AGO Artist volunteer either via zoom or in person. This is your opportunity to share a little bit about your background, work, process, philosophy – creative mission, inspirations with fellow volunteers. Your artwork can be any medium, style, or simply your passion.
Volunteers should be able to provide some type of presentation/visuals for us all to enjoy – be that photos, original artwork, a PowerPoint presentation, etc.
Casual format, approximately 30 – 45 minutes, with opportunity for questions.
We’re looking to kick of a series, this Fall, with Barbara Glaser, Volunteer President and Holly Procktor, Coordinator, Volunteers, with an AGO artist volunteer. Our first AGO Artist to be featured is Janne Reuss! (SAVE-THE-DATE: Wednesday October 30, 10:30am via Zoom)
To Apply (and if you have further questions): Please send an email to Barbara Glaser at [email protected] cc’ing Holly at [email protected] to express your interest. Please include a few samples of your work (jpeg or photos, link to a website if you have one), after which we will reach out to schedule you in.
Jinny Yu makes her AGO debut with an exhibition of new works, including oil on aluminum paintings and works on paper. Born in Korea and now based in Ottawa and Berlin, for the past twenty years, she has been an active professional artist and educator, using abstract and geometric forms to consider the implications of mass migration and rapid social change. In a departure from her usual practice of exclusively using black paint, here Yu uses vivid colours, transparency and distorted forms to continue questioning what it means to be a guest and a host. This exhibition is curated by Georgiana Uhlyarik, Fredrik S. Eaton Curator of Canadian Art, AGO.
Volunteers may be interested to know that Jinny Yu uses Beam paints in this latest series of her work. Beam paints is an Indigenous pigment company, founded by Anong Beam, the daughter of Artists Carl and Ann Beam. Just after the Gallery’s pandemic closure, the AGO hosted an amazing talk with Anong in Baillie Court (my favourite AGO talk of all time!) so I’m linking to the talk, still available to view on the AGO Youtube’s channel, HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EshXCEwnY6A
It’s not to be missed! And a wonderful connection to the exhibition on now.
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