Beat the heat and #seeAGO! AGO Community Gallery presents an interactive project by Hanif Janmohamed, art carts return every weekend for families and summer art courses begin July 2
TORONTO — In-person events are back at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) this summer with a dynamic line up of live music, in-person studio art courses, hands-on activities and talks. The all-ages fun continues when the AGO’s hugely popular installation INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM - LET'S SURVIVE FOREVER re-opens June 14 to AGO Members and June 22 to Annual Pass holders and the Public. On June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, the AGO celebrates with a digital presentation by Ojibwe artist Bomgiizhik (Isaac Murdoch) in Walker Court, and the Concourse Level of the museum re-opens Tuesday, July 5 with a new maker space in the AGO Community Gallery.
Registration is now open for all summer programs. For a full list of all upcoming AGO events and programs, including online talks, visit ago.ca/events.
For AGO x RBC Artist-in-Residence updates, visit ago.ca/artist-in-residence.
And for details about upcoming free Virtual School Programs, including a virtual trip to Singapore and Pride month celebrations, visit ago.ca/learn.
AGO SUMMER 2022 PUBLIC PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
The Stories of the Seven Grandfather Drums
Admission to the AGO is always free for all Indigenous Peoples, and on June 21, the AGO marks National Indigenous Peoples Day with a pre-recorded presentation in Walker Court by Ojibwe artist Bomgiizhik (Isaac Murdoch). Follow along as he looks through the work of Anishinaabe artist Robert Houle’s Seven Grandfather Drums. For more details, visit https://ago.ca/events/artist-isaac-murdoch-and-stories-seven-grandfather-drums.
INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM - LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER
Thanks to the generosity of over 4,700 #InfinityAGO donors who participated in the AGO's ambitious crowdfunding campaign and the David Yuile & Mary Elizabeth Hodgson Fund, Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM - LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER is now part of the AGO Collection. It will re-open to AGO Members on June 14 and to Annual Passholders and the public beginning June 22. Entrance to INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM - LET'S SURVIVE FOREVER is included with admission, but a timed reservation is needed. For more details, visit https://ago.ca/exhibitions/yayoi-kusamas-infinity-mirrored-room-lets-survive-forever.
Artist Talks
The AGO welcomes curators and artists from Toronto and around the world this summer. Upcoming talks include:
- On Saturday, June 25, at 2 p.m., join artist Ed Pien and guest curator Catherine Sicot for an opening celebration of Ed Pien: Present:Past/Future, featuring remarks, in the J.S. Mclean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art. A book signing will follow in shopAGO. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/ed-pien-present-past/future-opening.
- On Saturday, July 16 at 2 p.m., join artists ᓛᒃᑯᓗᒃ Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory and Jaime Griffith in Jackman Hall for a free screening of their short films, followed by a Q&A, celebrating the opening of Naak silavit qeqqaa? This event will also celebrate the publication of Qummut Qukiria! co-edited by Dr. Anna Hudson, Dr. Heather Igloliorte and Jan-Erik Lundström.
AGO Live: Small World Music Series
Beginning June 17, and continuing on select Fridays through July, the AGO in partnership with Small World Music, presents musical performances in Walker Court. Inspired by the AGO exhibition Faith and Fortune: Art Across the Global Spanish Empire, visitors will experience music from artists Karla Garcia and Jeimmi Carrasco, Tocani, and Beny Esguerra and New Tradition at 7 p.m. Performances are free with general admission. For details on the first upcoming performance, visit https://ago.ca/events/ago-live-karla-garcia.
Courses
Studio art courses for the entire family expand this summer with both virtual and in-person offerings. For full course listings, fees and materials, 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.
New this year, the AGO is offering in-person Summer Intensive Courses for families, children, youth and adults beginning in July. Each course is four days in length and runs Monday to Thursday, with new courses beginning each week, July 2 through August 14. Children and their caregivers are invited to sign-up for mixed-media explorations, youth can explore life drawing and cartooning, and introductory painting and drawing classes are available for adults. To register for classes, visit https://ago.ca/learn/courses/children-youth
AGO COMMUNITY GALLERY
The AGO Community Gallery re-opens on July 5 with the interactive maker space Brain Terrains – Inner Selfies with Vancouver-based artists Hanif Janmohamed and Maria Lantin. Inviting visitors to explore #selfie culture, the installation features a selection of reimagined MRI-style brain scans and invites people of all ages to imagine and represent their inner selves. The AGO Community Gallery is located in the Concourse level and is always free for visitors. This artist project is presented with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Acknowledgments
The AGO is grateful to the following for annual support of Education & Programming:
Virtual School Programs generously supported by:
Lead Support:
The Michael Young Family Foundation
Generous Support:
The Azrieli Foundation
Generous Assistance:
Liza Mauer & Andrew Sheiner
The Schulich Foundation
Additional Support:
Chubb Charitable Foundation
Gale M. Kelly
DH Gales Family Foundation
Family Programs generously supported by:
The Mariano Elia Foundation
Janis Rotman
Youth Programs generously supported by:
The Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation
Accessibility Programs generously supported by:
Greenrock Charitable Trust
With additional assistance from Matthew Teitelbaum Fund for Community Access Initiatives
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.
AGO x RBC Emerging Artists Program generously supported by:
RBC
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 Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. 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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Wendy So; Communications Officer
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Andrea-Jo Wilson; Manager, Public Relations
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