Alex Colville: Cinema and Swimming Caps 

First Thursdays returns this fall with a special celebration of the exhibition Alex Colville, featuring more than 100 works by  the internationally renowned Canadian painter. Colville’s paintings offer a haunting mix of the ordinary and the extraordinary, provoking us to face the uncertain realities that lie beneath everyday appearances and experiences. Within this rich landscape, you will find unique, one-night-only artist projects, stimulating tours and talks, plus an opportunity to engage with Colville’s oddly familiar scenes in surprising ways, including balloon-making and Colville-inspired school portraits!

The night will feature the music of The Weather Station, presented in partnership with SappyFest, the beloved music festival in Colville’s adopted hometown of Sackville, NB; and headliner Bry Webb, frontman of the newly reunited band The Constantines.

Toronto-based artists Alex Beriault and Shannon Lea Doyle will present a three-hour durational performance balancing on a two-sided diving board. Hamilton-based musician and artist Tor Lukasik-Foss will perform with Gary Baldwin as part of an interactive life-drawing station, with a mise-en-scène inspired by Colville’s sometimes provocative and chilling imagery.

And speaking of chilling, Guelph-based contemporary dancer Katie Ewald and Mairéad Filgate will animate some of Colville’s works featured in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, with the paintings themselves as a backdrop.

Plus, one of the most talked about public destinations at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, Grolsch Open House, brings its creative spirit to First Thursdays. A dynamic Grolsch Open House teaser, including music by River Tiber and live art-making, will take place in the AGO's Galleria Italia.

Want some expert, on-the-spot info on Colville? The night will feature pop-up speakers including the exhibition’s curator, Andrew Hunter; artist Simone Jones, whose video installation is a contemporary response to Colville; urban geographer Amy Lavender Harris on Colville as an important “small town” guy; and AGO curator Georgiana Uhlyarik on why Colville didn’t care much for the Group of Seven.

And as always First Thursdays includes Out of the Vaults — a behind-the-scenes glimpse at rarely seen works from our collection — local DJs with hip-swaying beats and delicious food and drinks. Don’t miss it!

Follow the #AGO1st hashtag on Twitter for updates on AGO First Thursdays. RSVP and invite your friends to this event on Facebook.