Meet the guy you already know

Does this face look familiar to you? If you’re an AGO Member, you not only know this man, but you can pick him out of a crowd. Gary Bercovitch—our longtime Membership Assistant, and so much more—has become such a staple at the AGO that he gets recognized inside our walls and outside them, too.

If you know Gary best behind a desk, read our interview with him to get to know him a little better. And if you don’t know Gary yet, meet one of the friendly people you get to know when you become a Member.

AGO: How long have you worked at the AGO in Visitor Services?
Gary: I started in Visitor Services in March, 1997 as a Ticketing Information Officer, and have moved around several times since then. When Transformation AGO began 14 years ago, I moved to Membership as the full-time Membership Assistant.

AGO: What do you do?
Gary: My primary role is in increasing Membership to the AGO, servicing Members and other visitors, and since I’ve been here for so long, providing “corporate memory”. I'm kind of unique in the department. And although it’s not technically part of my duties, for the past ten years I have organized a staff and volunteer art exhibition called Artists of the Gallery.

AGO: Can you tell us more about Artists of the Gallery? How did it start and why?
Gary: Eleven years ago, as the building was closing down for Transformation AGO, I was very active with a group called The Artists Network. This group had a gallery space and I mentioned the opportunity to several colleagues here at the AGO – about six volunteered. In the days leading up to the show opening, I was very happy to discover a growing sense of enthusiasm amongst our colleagues, and wondered whether this would be of interest to the AGO staff as a whole. In the next month I put out a call and 50 of our colleagues responded. There were so many bodies at the opening that we could not get any more into the gallery. Subsequently each year I’ve run the show with participation varying from as few as 20 to well over 40 people.  Since the loss of the original gallery space, we were at the Gladstone Hotel, followed by two years at Art Square, across the street from the AGO. I’m currently working on a space for 2017.

AGO: What do you love about being on the front lines of the AGO experience?
Gary: I get to welcome our various publics into the AGO as if it were my home. I've been at it so long that almost everywhere I go – art shows, movie theatres, even restaurants ­­– I'm recognized as the “AGO Membership Guy”. On my first visit to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, I was recognized and engaged by a group of AGO Members.

One time, before a performance at the Canadian Opera Company, a Member accosted me and loudly expressed disappointment with what was the current exhibition. Three other seated AGO Members all responded to her, lauding the show and how much they enjoyed it; that felt good. It is always a bit of a thrill to be recognized. It also reminds me how much a village the cultural scene in Toronto can be.

AGO: What do you want a visitor’s first impression of the Gallery to be?
Gary: I want them to feel welcomed and confident.

AGO: What’s a great memory from your time working at the AGO?
Gary: In the 22 years I've worked here there are many, but I think my favourite has to be at the Arts Beats and Eats Festival was a city-run event in Pontiac, Michigan. Tourism Ontario, recognizing the visitor potential from the Detroit area, took a block of the booths and got a number of Ontario institutions and attractions to present at the event. The AGO's coordinator had a traffic accident at the last minute and I was asked to take her place at the festival. I got to present the AGO and talk up the upcoming Catherine the Great show. As an adopted Torontonian, I enjoyed the chance to represent the city and even more the Gallery. The most fun was that I'd arrived with thousands of green ART MATTERS buttons and by the end of the festival everyone was wearing one.

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