TORONTO — The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is pleased to announce the endowment of the curatorial position of modern and contemporary art, hence to be known as the Carol and Morton Rapp Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art. The endowment is a meaningful expression of the Rapps’ longstanding leadership, advocacy, and support of the AGO, its programs and collection. Kitty Scott will be the first curator at the AGO to hold this title.
Commenting on their donation, Carol and Morton Rapp said, “We are pleased to endow this position at the AGO, and we are confident that the institution will continue to champion contemporary art and artists across Canada and the globe. We have cherished our relationship with the Gallery for many years, and are proud to see its collection expanding, its audience diversifying and its international reputation growing.”
“It is an honour to hold this newly endowed position,” said Scott. “It helps to ensure the AGO’s continued commitment to supporting the best of contemporary art here in Toronto.”
The Rapps share an abiding love for modern and contemporary art, and have donated many of works by leading international and Canadian artists including Lewis Baltz, Marcel Broodthaers, Jim Dine, Richard Hamilton, Barbara Hepworth, Jasper Johns, Suzy Lake, Andy Warhol and Joyce Wieland. In 1988 they endowed the Carol & Morton Rapp Gallery, which is now a beautiful contemporary prominent space in the Frank Gehry-designed south tower of the AGO.
Carol Rapp joined the AGO’s Board of Trustees in 1992, and has acted as its Vice President (1997-2000) and Honourary Chair (2001-2002). She has also chaired and participated on many committees over those 23 years, and is the current Chair of the Prints & Drawings Committee. She has been a highly influential and active AGO volunteer since the 1960s, when she was a member of the Gallery’s Women’s Committee, and was a volunteer founder of the AGO Jewelry Shop, nurturing its success into the full-fledged shop AGO that thrives today.
In 2009, Carol and Morton Rapp were honoured by the establishment of the Rapp Lecture in Contemporary Art, a fixture in the Toronto cultural calendar. The lecture series features distinguished international leaders in the contemporary art world, including artists, curators, critics, scholars and other luminaries, focusing on critical ideas in contemporary art and culture.
“There could not be a more fitting match than the Rapps’ name with our modern and contemporary curatorial department,” said Maxine Granovsky Gluskin, President of the AGO Board of Trustees. “Their leadership in the contemporary art community has been steadfast for many years, and is exemplified by this extraordinarily generous gift. Carol and Morton are among the AGO’s most generous patrons, and their passion and advocacy has been transformative for the Gallery for nearly 50 years. With the naming of this position, their legacy will live in perpetuity at the AGO, inspiring future generations.”
ABOUT THE AGO
With a collection of more than 90,000 works of art, the Art Gallery of Ontario is among the most distinguished art museums in North America. From the vast body of Group of Seven and signature Canadian works to the African art gallery, from the cutting-edge contemporary art to Peter Paul Rubens’ masterpiece The Massacre of The Innocents, the AGO offers an incredible art experience with each visit. In 2002, Ken Thomson’s generous gift of 2,000 remarkable works of Canadian and European art inspired Transformation AGO, an innovative architectural expansion by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry that in 2008 resulted in one of the most critically acclaimed architectural achievements in North America. Highlights include Galleria Italia, a gleaming showcase of wood and glass running the length of an entire city block, and the often-photographed spiral staircase, beckoning visitors to explore. The AGO has an active membership program offering great value, and the AGO’s Weston Family Learning Centre offers engaging art and creative programs for children, families, youth and adults. Visit ago.net to learn more.
The Art Gallery of Ontario 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.
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