Go wild with Arty Animals
Image by the AGO
Feeling cooped up at home? We can help. Bring your little ones to the AGO for a hooting good time, thanks to our self-guided Arty Animals Family Activity Tours. From wings to fins, we’ve got all sorts of wild things in the AGO Collection.
To get started, stop by the Dr. Mariano Elia Hands-On Centre where kids can try on animal costumes and you can pick up the guide for the Arty Animals tour. The self-guided tour will lead you to animals hiding in art throughout the museum, and it has fun activities to get the whole family moving and drawing.
Here are two of the artworks you’ll see:
Take Flight!
Get a bird’s-eye view of the amazing sculpture Owl by Kenojuak Ashevak. The internationally acclaimed Canadian artist is known for her tremendous contributions to Inuit art, especially her beautiful artworks of birds. This past summer, extraordinary prints and drawings by Ashevak, and her nephew, Tim Pitsiulak were highlighted in our exhibition Tunirrusiangit: Kenojuak Ashevak and Tim Pitsiulak. See who-ooo in your group can do the best owl impression. You can spot Owl on Level 1 near Walker Court, Gallery 105.
Kenojuak Ashevak. Owl, unknown. White Andrew Gordon Bay marble, Overall: 41.7 × 44.5 × 26.3 cm, 128 lb. Gift of Samuel and Esther Sarick, Toronto, 2001 © Estate of Kenojuak Ashevak 2001/301
Something Fishy
This still-life painting by Dutch painter Johannes Pietersz Fabritius depicts a fishing wharf with freshly caught and hooked fish. The tangle of eels, laying on top of a freshly filleted salmon, look like they could wriggle right off the canvas. These detailed textures bring the artwork to life and make you wonder how this painting might smell. Count how many sea creatures are in this astonishing work. Find this fishy painting on Level 1 in E.R. Wood Gallery, Gallery 121.
Johannes Pietersz. Fabritius. Still Life: Fish, 17th century. Oil on canvas, Overall 110.5 x 150.5 cm. Purchase, Laidlaw Foundation, 1966. © Art Gallery of Ontario 65/55
Looking for more family-friendly fun? The Hands-On Centre is open 10:30 am-2 pm, Tuesday through Friday and 10:30 am–4 pm, Saturday and Sunday. Family Sundays are every Sunday 1 – 4 p.m. until April 28, 2019 (March Break Drop-In Family Fun Sundays will be on March 10 and 17, 2019).
Both the Hands-On Centre and Family Sundays are included with General Admission. AGO Members always visit for free.
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