Admission is always free for visitors under 25, including special exhibitions and the Dr. Mariano Elia Hands-On Centre
TORONTO — Kids are always free at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) this winter, as the museum celebrates artmaking and discovery! On any given weekend, families can see great art, play and create a masterpiece. Family Day and March Break offer even more opportunities as the museum hosts additional programming – including tours, screenings and scavenger hunts, all art-inspired, all for free.
“Our programs spark new ideas and encourage learning, exploration and fun. We love seeing families in all shapes and sizes! Bring your grandpa, your aunties, and your chosen families—we have something for everyone,” said Audrey Hudson, the AGO’s Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief, Education & Programming.
“The AGO is hosting exciting and educational programming this winter season,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “I encourage everyone to bring their family and experience its winter line-up, with special programming scheduled for Family Day and March Break.”
Admission to the AGO is always free for Indigenous peoples, AGO Members, Annual Pass holders and visitors aged 25 and under, and includes all special exhibitions, including Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows. Registration is now open for all courses. Visit ago.ca/events and ago.ca/learn for more details.
2023 FAMILY PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
All year, the AGO’s Weston Family Learning Centre located on the concourse level is dedicated to creative play. From Wednesday to Sunday, families can escape the winter in the Dr. Mariano Elia Hands-On Centre with art-making activities, stories and play recommended for children aged 0 to 6. New this winter is an interactive magnet wall with a puzzle activity inspired by the Thomson Collection of Ship Models. Find Art Carts every weekend inviting visitors of all ages to draw, sculpt, build and explore art and art making. The AGO Community Gallery’s interactive maker space Inner Selfies with Vancouver-based artists Hanif Janmohamed and Maria Lantin also remains open for visitors to explore #selfie culture both in-person and online.
Family Day Weekend
Plan to spend Family Day weekend at the AGO and get the entire family out for four days of storytelling, artmaking and fun from February 17 to 20. A series of events will run daily between 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Join us as we mark the closing weekend of Denyse Thomasos: just beyond with family-friendly tours exploring large-scale works by the artist – every hour from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. As part of programming for Black History Month, join storyteller and author Valene Campbell as she shares story time and a dance-along inspired by her acclaimed series The Amazing Zoe! in Walker Court at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Drop-in Jackman Hall for a screening of the documentary Girls/Museum by Shelly Silver, co-presented by the Goethe-Institut in collaboration with the AGO. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/family-day-weekend.
March Break at the AGO
Make March Break an art break – and pick up your free AGO Kids guide. The kid-friendly activity booklet outlines adventures to see and do inside the museum -- from art making challenges to a scavenger hunt and close-looking activities. From 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily between March 11 and 19, families can enjoy nine full days of art making and adventure! Kid-focused March Break programming includes art making, daily family-friendly tours of AGO’s Collection of Indigenous and Canadian Art, a drop-in film screening in Jackman Hall and ongoing maker stations throughout the Weston Family Learning Centre on the Concourse Level. All programs are included in General Admission and admission is always free for Indigenous Peoples, AGO Members, Annual Pass holders and visitors age 25 and under. For a complete list of March Break programming, visit ago.ca/events/march-break.
Courses
Studio art courses for the entire family continue this winter with one-day family workshops and children, youth and adult courses. Registration now open for all winter courses at ago.ca/learn/courses-and-workshops.
For more learning opportunities at the AGO, visit ago.ca/Learn. AGO Members receive a discount on courses. For more information on how to become a Member, visit ago.ca/membership today.
Art Camp 2023
This summer, the AGO is bringing back its fan-favourite art camp for young people age five to 13. Our summer program is a fun mix of a studio experience and a day camp, led by a team of artist instructors and counsellors. AGO campers get a chance to develop artistic skills, explore new ways of creative self-expression and enjoy outdoor playtime while developing new friendships. Sessions are one or two-week between July 4 and September 1. Camps are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. AGO members receive a discount on camps and enjoy early registration beginning January 31. General public sale begins February 2. For more details and to register, visit ago.ca/learn/camps/summer-art-camp.
Acknowledgments
Family Programs generously supported by:
Janis Rotman
Dr. Mariano Elia Hands-On Centre generously supported by:
The Mariano Elia Foundation
Art Cart
Lead Sponsor:
Cricut
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.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Wendy So; Communications Officer
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Andrea-Jo Wilson; Manager, Public Relations
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