AGO Friday Nights returns with music, art making and art hangs, featuring the Canadian Chamber Orchestra and Sample Chief
Melissa Auf der Maur to launch memoir at the AGO on March 21 at 3 p.m.
TORONTO — This winter, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is exploring the many ways music inspires great art – through live performances, talks, workshops and maker nights. Inspired by an exciting line up of exhibitions, including Edna Taçon: Verve & Decorum, Jesse Mockrin: Echo, Melissa Auf der Maur: My 90’s Photographs, and Ranbir Sidhu: No Limits, the AGO is Toronto’s Friday night destination for dates and catch-ups, as Walker Court stays up late till 9 p.m. Tickets for most events are on sale now – for a full list of courses and programs, visit ago.ca/events.
“Music inspired many of the artists on view this winter and it’s with great pleasure that we kick off the season with a night of live music in celebration of Ranbir Sidhu: No Limits. The diversity of the musical program – from chamber music, Afro-Diasporic beats to a 90’s rock n’ roll, reflects both our collection and our city,” says Robert Durocher, Richard and Elizabeth Currie Chief, Education and Programming. “Time spent creatively is time well spent - the AGO invites Toronto to spend time making or learning this winter, be it as part of a studio course or with friends.”
AGO Members and Annual Passholders receive discounts on all adult programs. For more information on how to become a Member or Annual Pass holder, visit ago.ca/membership/become-a-member.
Winter 2026 Highlights:
OPENINGS
- On Friday, January 16, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the AGO celebrates the opening of Ranbir Sidhu: No Limits with a night of music and art. Featuring a live performance by Hamilton-based music collective ShaaMaa, this event is open to all ages and free with General Admission. A cash bar will be available. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/no-limits-public-opening.
- On Saturday, January 31, at 1 p.m., join Sophie Hackett, AGO Curator of Photography, and contributors for the launch of Collective States: Worlds of Photography, co-published by the AGO and Goose Lane Editions, at Stephen Bulger Gallery. This event is free. For more information, visit ago.ca/events/collective-states-worlds-photography-book-launch.
- On Saturday, February 28, at 2 p.m., join Renée van der Avoird, AGO Associate Curator of Canadian Art for the opening celebration of Edna Taçon: Verve & Decorum, an exhibition of artworks by one of Canada’s foremost non-objective painters. Free with General Admission. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/edna-tacon-verve-and-decorum-public-opening.
TALKS
- On Wednesday, January 21, at 7 p.m., join Cecily Fields, acting Research and Collections Coordinator in the Marvin Gelber Prints & Drawing Study Centre for Close Encounters: Charles Myron, a talk about the etchings of famed French printmaker Charles Myron. Tickets are on sale now, and AGO Members and Annual Passholders receive a discount. For tickets and more information, visit ago.ca/events/close-encounters-charles-meryon.
- On Wednesday, February 4 at 7 p.m., join Art Historian Emma Rutherford for an illustrated talk A History of English Portrait Miniatures told through the Thomson Collection. AGO Members receive a discount. To purchase tickets and for more details, visit ago.ca/events/history-english-portrait-miniatures-told-through-thomson-collection
- On Saturday, February 28 at 2 p.m., don't miss artist Jesse Mockrin in conversation with Adam Harris Levine, AGO Associate Curator of European Art, about her career, her process, and her current AGO solo exhibition Echo. AGO Members receive a discount. To purchase tickets and for more details, visit ago.ca/events/jesse-mockrin-conversation.
- On Tuesday, March 10 and Wednesday, March 11, the AGO and MOCA Toronto will present a two-day gathering bringing together photography scholars, practitioners, and community members to reflect on Toronto and its relationship to photography. This symposium is organized on the occasion of the exhibitions Collective Visions: Celebrating 25 Years of Photography at the AGO and Jeff Wall Photographs 1984–2023 at MOCA. Stay tuned to ago.ca/events for more details.
- On Saturday, March 21, at 3 p.m., join Canadian musician Melissa Auf der Maur, former bassist for Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins for the Toronto launch of her new book Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A ‘90s Rock Memoir (Da Capo Press). Auf der Maur will be joined in conversation by Jim Shedden, AGO Curator of Special Projects and Director, Publishing, and Sophie Hackett, AGO Curator of Photography, co-curators of her forthcoming AGO exhibition Melissa Auf der Maur: My 90s Photographs. Co-presented by Wavelength Music, this all-ages event is free with an advance ticket. Tickets will be available to AGO Members on February 3, and to the Public on February 10. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/melissa-auf-der-maur-book-launch-and-signing.
STUDIO COURSES & WORKSHOPS
- Studio art courses continue this winter for artists of all skill levels at the Anne Tanenbaum Gallery School. New this winter are the four-week courses Art Journaling, Comics, Posters & Zines and Sculpture Explorations: Illuminated Forms. Browse weekday and weekend course and workshop offerings. Courses are on sale now. To register, visit ago.ca/learn/courses-and-workshops. AGO Members receive a discount on courses.
- Happening on the first Friday of every month, Drawing. Drinks. Social invites visitors to spend an evening over drinks and conversation while an AGO artist-instructor leads through an artmaking session. Gallery admission, sketching supplies, and a drink are included in the fee. AGO Members and Annual Pass holders receive a discount. For more details and to register, visit ago.ca/events/drawing-drinks-social.
AGO FRIDAY NIGHTS
Grab a drink, explore, and connect every Friday night as the AGO stays open late. AGO Friday Night programming is included in General Admission, which is always free for Ontarians under 25, Indigenous Peoples, AGO Members and Annual Passholders.
- Returning January 23 from 6 to 9 p.m., AV LIVE: Sonic Convergence brings Walker Court to life with a dynamic live set by DJ Litewrks accompanied by custom generative visuals from artist Hagop Ohannessian. This multisensory journey through sound, light, and movement is free with General Admission. For more information, visit ago.ca/events/av-live-sonic-convergence
- Beginning January 30 from 6 to 9 p.m., and continuing the last Friday of every month, the AGO presents Art Hangs, a 30-minute guided romp for visitors of all ages. Bring your friends or make some new ones, as you explore a handful of the AGO Collection’s iconic works with games, and insights, and conversation. This event is free with General Admission. Space is limited – registration is onsite, day of, beginning at 5:30 p.m. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/art-hangs
- Beginning February 6, and continuing March 6, and April 10, from 6 to 9 p.m., the AGO welcomes members of the Canadian Chamber Orchestra for a series of free performances in Walker Court. For each performance, various CCO musicians will take the stage in smaller ensembles, blending bold classical masterworks, contemporary music, original compositions by our own players, and fresh, inventive arrangements of popular favourites. This event is free with General Admission and suitable for all ages. Cash bar will available. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/cco-x-ago-friday-night-series.
- On Friday, February 20, from 6 to 9 p.m., Afro-diasporic collective Sample Chief takes over the AGO’s Walker Court for a night of diasporic music and community. Free with general admission. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/friday-night-sample-chief-takeover
ARTFUL DINING
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Beginning Saturday, January 24 at 11:30 a.m., and continuing monthly, AGO Bistro presents Brunch Club, a unique twist to the weekend classic – featuring guided art instruction and conversation followed by a prix-fix brunch menu. Gallery admission, art materials, coffee/tea and pastry, brunch prix fixe and complimentary coat check are included in registration. AGO Members and Annual Pass holders receive a discount. To register, visit ago.ca/events/brunch-club.
- Returning March 4, 2026, the AGO’s historic Grange library transforms once again into a classic speakeasy, this time serving 1960s-inspired cocktails and small bites. Seatings start at 5:45 p.m. Reservations will open in February. Check ago.ca/bistro for menu and details.
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 to European masterpieces. The AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, including solo exhibitions and acquisitions by diverse and underrepresented artists from around the world. The AGO is embarking on the seventh expansion it has undertaken since the museum was founded in 1900. When completed, the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery will increase exhibition space for the museum’s growing modern and contemporary collection. With its groundbreaking Annual Pass program, the AGO is one of the most affordable and accessible attractions in the GTA. Visit ago.ca to learn more.
The AGO is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. 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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Andrea-Jo Wilson | Manager, Public Relations
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