AGO supports educators this fall with free art education programs online and in-person

Virtual School Programs resume October 12 with partners coast to coast, including Gurdeep Pandher of the Yukon and art educators from The Rooms in St. John’s, N.L.

TORONTO — This fall, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) continues to make great art accessible by offering even more opportunities for students across Canada to connect with the museum and the AGO Collection. Starting October 12, the AGO’s acclaimed Virtual School Programs return with more partners and more daily sessions to bring live curriculum-based art education into classrooms across the country — all free of charge.

For classrooms looking to visit the gallery in-person, group visits are back! New for this school year only and starting on September 27, self-led tours for AGO Teachers’ Access Program members and their school groups are free, every Tuesday to Friday.

“Expanding the AGO’s Virtual School Programs and removing financial barriers for students to visit the museum is about making extraordinary art accessible to an even wider audience,” says Audrey Hudson, AGO Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief, Education & Programming. “The demand for curriculum-based art education is real, and the AGO is uniquely positioned to deliver it. This year, we are increasing the number of sessions daily and partnering with exciting arts leaders across the country to bring the AGO Collection into even more classrooms. We hope you will join us – virtually or in person!”

AGO Virtual School Programs expands
Since launching in 2020, more than one-million people have participated in the AGO’s Virtual School Programs – making it the largest synchronous art education program in Canada. Sessions are conducted from the Art Gallery of Ontario’s new dedicated digital studio.

Led by AGO Art Educators, each daily session has a special theme inspired by artworks in the AGO Collection. These curriculum-based conversations for JK to Grade 8 emphasize art, wellness and creativity – essential skills for young people’s development and creativity.

Each Thursday features Art Beyond Borders -- a series of sessions co-presented by arts leaders across Canada. From October 20 to November 10, the AGO welcomes author, teacher and performer, Gurdeep Pandher of the Yukon. Renowned for his joyous Bhangra videos, Pandher will co-lead four sessions, bringing his unique message of movement, happiness and inclusion in conversation with art and identity. On November 17 to December 8, art educators from St. Johns, Newfoundland-based The Rooms — a provincial archive, art gallery and museum — will co-lead a series of four sessions, highlighting the relationships among art, land and the environment.

In-person field trips at the AGO are back
New for this school year only and starting on September 27, self-led tours for AGO Teachers’ Access Program (TAP) members and their school groups are free, every Tuesday to Friday. Advance reservations are required.

AGO TAP offers programming and resources for teachers from JK to Grade 12. Registration for AGO TAP is free with a valid Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) card or proof of full time teacher status. AGO TAP Members receive free year-around admission to the museum, invitations to educator events, a monthly Educators' eNewsletter as well as resources and tools for use in the classroom.

The AGO’s in-person teacher appreciation nights have also returned. On October 5 and 7 at 6 p.m., TAP members are invited to a Teacher's Preview of the AGO’s upcoming exhibition Denyse Thomasos: just beyond. Educators can walk through the exhibition, learn more about AGO school programs and pick up a swag bag. To register for this free event, visit AGO.ca/events/teachers-night-out-denyse-thomasos-just-beyond.

To register for TAP, visit tickets.ago.ca/events/teacher-access-program.

Guided Tours and Artmaking sessions
Beginning October 12, AGO welcomes guided tours and artmaking sessions for JK to Grade 12 school groups. Engaging tours are led by AGO Art Educators and highlight the AGO Collection. Facilitated artmaking sessions are delivered in the beautiful Dr. Anne Tanenbaum Gallery School, inviting students into the studio to learn about artmaking techniques and process.

Guided tours of the AGO special exhibition Denyse Thomasos: just beyond are available from October 12, 2022 to February 19, 2023. One of the finest painters to emerge in the 1990s, the late Trinidadian-Canadian artist Denyse Thomasos (1964-2012) used pattern, scale and repetition to consider events such as the transatlantic slave trade without exploiting the images of those who were most affected.

Register for paid admission to Guided Tours and Artmaking sessions at AGO.ca/visit/group-visits/school-programs.

@AGOToronto | #AGOSchools        

Acknowledgments

AGO Virtual School Programs generously supported by:

Lead Support:            
The Michael Young Family Foundation

Generous Support:    
The Azrieli Foundation
Volunteers of the AGO

Generous Assistance:
Liza Mauer & Andrew Sheiner
The Schulich Foundation

Additional Support:    
Chubb Charitable Foundation

School and Teacher Programs generously supported by:
The Weston Family Teacher Training Fund established by the Weston Family Foundation

Education programs at the AGO are supported by endowment funds from the Arthur Lismer Group, The Learning Circle, and the Learning Fund.

ABOUT THE AGO
Located in Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America, attracting approximately one million visitors annually. The AGO Collection of more than 120,000 works of art ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art to significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists and European masterpieces. The AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, including solo exhibitions and acquisitions by diverse and underrepresented artists from around the world. In 2019, the AGO launched a bold new initiative designed to make the museum even more welcoming and accessible with the introduction of free admission for anyone 25 years and under and a $35 annual pass. Visit AGO.ca to learn more.

The AGO is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Additional operating support is received from the City of Toronto, the Canada Council for the Arts and generous contributions from AGO Members, donors and private-sector partners.

-30-

For images and more information, please contact:

Andrea-Jo Wilson | Manager, Public Relations
[email protected]

Wendy So | Communications Officer
[email protected]