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Cheers to Friday at the AGO

Open until 9 pm every Friday, the AGO is the perfect place to start your weekends with vibrant art, happy hour specials and exciting programs.

Cornelius Krieghoff's The Winetasters

Cornelius Krieghoff. The Winetasters (after Hasenclever), c. 1846. Oil on canvas, Overall: 35.3 x 50.8 cm. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario. © Art Gallery of Ontario 2009/397

Resolved to change up your routine in 2020? Shed those winter shivers and bask in the warm glow of the AGO on Friday evenings until 9 pm. No matter the occasion – date night, Galentine’s Day, or a bit of self-care after a long week – the AGO is the perfect cozy destination to mix things up this winter, alive with vibrant art, delicious drinks and exciting programming.

Meet at AGO Bistro for cocktail specials and small bites during Happy Hour from 4 to 7 pm. There’s still time to get in on Winter Warm-Up, an artful two-course meal paired with a glass of wine, available until Friday, January 31. Or get a cup of coffee at the Espresso Bar in Galleria Italia, open till 7 pm. An architectural marvel of glass and wood, it’s the perfect spot for a selfie at sunset as you unwind for the weekend or get revved up for a fun night ahead.

Up your game at the Monday watercooler chat by visiting one of the AGO’s current exhibitions, including the acclaimed Hito Steyerl: This is the future and the compelling installations of Sandra Brewster: Blur. And don’t forget the AGO’s vast collections, which offer more than enough to see something different each time you pop by.

A 20-minute walk from Union Station, and located just west of St. Patrick Station on Line 1, the AGO is an easy to get to destination. Once you arrive, there are lots of things to experience on Friday nights throughout the winter:

  • Show off your knowledge of contemporary art after visiting one of the AGO’s current exhibitions, including the acclaimed Hito Steyerl: This is the future and the compelling installations in Sandra Brewster: Blur.
     

  • Nothing says cozy Friday like a movie night, and on January 31, the AGO’s Jackman Hall is showing critically acclaimed titles like Citizenfour at 6:30 pm and The Oath at 8 pm.
     

  • Fell like getting creative? Check out the next installment of the monthly Art & Ideas: Drawing. Drinks. Social, happening Thursday, February 6. This instructor-led workshop starts in AGO Bistro with a cocktail and tapas before heading out into the galleries for guided drawing lessons.
     
  • Make a memory with loved ones this Valentine’s Day (or get an art-filled minute away from all the romantic hype) with a visit to Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM - LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER. Free with admission, timed-entry reservations can be booked on-site. The last entry on Friday is 8:45 pm.
     
  • Get to know the late, legendary photographer Diane Arbus on Friday, February 21 with a very special screening of A Slideshow and Talk by Diane Arbus. Originally recorded in 1970, this narrated slideshow features the artist discussing her own works, as well as photographs, snapshots and clippings from her personal collection. Screenings take place at 6 and 8 pm in Jackman Hall.
     
  • What is the subversive potential of the selfie? Find out this and more by booking your free tickets now for a conversation with N.Y.C. photographer and filmmaker Hobbes Ginsberg, happening on Friday, February 28 at 7 pm.
     

With so much to do, making Fridays at the AGO a habit has never been easier. Admission to the AGO is always free for AGO Members and all visitors 25 and under, and holders of the $35 AGO Annual Pass.

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