This spring: AGO Virtual School Program Zooms to NYC and Singapore for global art conversations

“Art is an incredible way to learn and get inspired. We have seen how important our virtual programming is, as we welcomed audiences of all ages to make a connection to art and wellness,” said Audrey Hudson, the AGO’s Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief, Education & Programming, “Our aim is to continue to boost access to art for local and overseas audiences, no matter offline or online. We invite to you join us!”

AGO Virtual School Programs

Free of charge to students, parents, educators and caregivers everywhere, the AGO’s Virtual School Program is here to stay. Live 30-minute field trips, Monday to Friday via Zoom, welcome special guests highlighting selected works from their own exhibitions and co-led sessions.

• In April, students take a trip to New York to explore collections from museums from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) and Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on April 7 and 28 respectively.
   
• On May 5 and 12, sessions for JK to Gr. 3 travel across the globe to the National Gallery of Singapore to experience art and imaginative storytelling inspired by their collections.
   
• On May 19, 26 and June 2, the AGO welcomes students to join colleagues at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal to explore object based art and material culture.

To see the schedule of sessions, learn more about the thematic topics and to register for one or all of these free sessions, visit ago.ca/visit/group-visits/virtual-school-programs.

AGO X RBC Emerging Artists Program
In 2022, thanks to the generous support of RBC, the AGO presents a lineup of exciting digital programs designed to celebrate and support early-career artists. Programmed and presented online, they include three paid artist residencies, three research residencies and a series of free mentorship workshops. This year, the AGO welcomes Eric Chengyang & Mariam Magsi, Ivetta Sunyoung Kang and Shion Skye Carter as AGO x RBC Artists-In-Residence.

• On Friday, March 25, the AGO X RBC Emerging Artists Exchange issued a call for proposals to its artist exchange program. Open to early-career artists and held virtually over the summer, three paid one-month research residencies are available. The application deadline is April 25. Details about the program and how to apply are available at ago.ca/emerging-artists-program.
   
• Recognizing the importance of mentorship for early-career artists, the AGO X RBC Emerging Artists Workshop series presents free professional workshops this spring offering practical advice and tips from professional artists and industry professionals.  Open to artists of all ages, these free workshops are happening Thursday, April 14, Friday, April 22 and Friday, April 29. Visit ago.ca/emerging-artists-program#events-workshops for more details about how to register. 
   
• Responding to the theme of Friendship Near and Far, the AGO welcomes Ivetta Sunyoung Kang as AGO x RBC Artist-In-Residence from April 25 to July 19. Her proposed artwork, entitled String Figure, aims to bring together six friends who have experienced severe lockdowns across the globe. Stay tuned for more details about when this work will be made public. For more details on the artist project, visit ago.ca/ago-x-rbc-artist-residence-ivetta-sunyoung-kang.

Foodways: Caribbean Flavours
This past January, the AGO brought three chefs with ties to the Caribbean and its Diaspora to reflect on their own Foodways for Foodways: Caribbean Flavours, a three-part talk series hosted by AGO’s Executive Chef Renée Bellefeuille. Participating chefs include Roger Mooking, La-toya Fagon and Selwyn Richards. On Friday, April 29, the AGO Bistro is offering a unique four-course dinner experience co-created by all participating chefs. It will conclude with AGO Curator of Global Africa and the Diaspora, Julie Crooks’ own treasured family recipes. Dinner is $65 per person + HST, with beverage pairings also available. Advance tickets purchase is required for this special culinary event. For more details visit ago.ca/foodways-chef-series-caribbean-flavours.

Talks
This spring, the AGO continues to lead global conversations, connecting emerging artists, curators and content creators to Toronto. Upcoming free talks include:

• Close Looking, the AGO’s bi-weekly online discussion series highlighting works from the AGO collection airing on the AGO Facebook page, continues this spring and summer. On Monday, April 11, the AGO will discuss Robert Houle’s The Pines (2002-2004), before returning Monday, May 2, to discuss Anna Boberg’s Sunlight and Showers (1901-1912).
   
• On Thursday, April 21 at 4 p.m., archivist and filmmaker Rick Prelinger discusses his film background, love for "ephemeral films", the Internet Archive and his multimedia installation PANORAMA in I AM HERE: Home Movies and Everyday Masterpieces. To register to this free Zoom talk, visit ago.ca/events/i-am-here-rick-prelinger.  
   
• On Tuesday, April 26 at 5 p.m., join AGO X RBC Artists-In-Residence Mariam Magsi and Eric Chengyang for The Dawat Yan Banquet, featuring a conversation about the work they have created and developed during their digital residency at the AGO this year. Free via Zoom. To register, visit ago.ca/events/ago-x-rbc-artists-residence-conversation-mariam-magsi-and-eric-chengyang.
   
• On Tuesday, May 3 at 4 p.m., join Kokum Elsie Paul, Catluminati, Dutch, some of the world’s most captivating and endearing TikTokers, for a conversation about the universal need to capture, share and cherish the everyday. Presented in conjunction with the AGO exhibition I AM HERE: Home Movies and Everyday Masterpieces. To register for this free Zoom talk, visit ago.ca/events/i-am-here-tiktok.
   
• On Wednesday, June 1 at 7 p.m., legendary feminist artist, art educator, and writer Judy Chicago joins Toronto Biennial of Art Senior Curator Candice Hopkins for a conversation moderated by AGO Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Xiaoyu Weng, in AGO’s Baillie Court. The talk is free, presented in partnership with the Toronto Biennial of Art. Tickets can be reserved at ago.ca/events/judy-chicago-conversation.

Pop-up Studio
The AGO invites artists of all ages to join a weekly series of free interactive art-making sessions happening Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m., from April 13 to June 1. Each 30-minute Zoom session focuses on a specific artwork in the exhibition I AM HERE: Home Movies and Everyday Masterpieces. For more details and to register, visit ago.ca/events/online-all-ages-pop-i-am-here.

Community Programs
The AGO works with community partners to provide art education and make art accessible for all. That commitment continues this spring with a new Mindfulness Series, and return of Seniors Social and Art Enables Workshops.

• On Friday, April 8 at 6 p.m., Workman Arts and the AGO invites participants to Inward Lens, a free online artmaking workshop inspired by the exhibition Matthew Wong: Blue View. Focused on creative making as a form of wellbeing, artist Esmond Lee will lead participants through the art of photography via Zoom. Beginning to experienced photographers are welcome. For more details and to register, visit ago.ca/events/inward-lens-workman-arts-photography-workshop-inspired-matthew-wong.    
   
• The AGO presents a new Mindfulness Series on May 20, June 17 and July 15 at 2 p.m., where participants are introduced to the principle of mindfulness, engaging in body awareness exercises and practices followed by examining one work of art for an extended period. Facilitated by mindfulness ambassador Karmit, the sessions are free via Zoom. To register and for more details, visit ago.ca/events/mindfulness-series-fostering-connection-through-canadian-art.     
   
• The AGO’s popular Seniors Social program returns on May 13, June 10, July 8 and September 9 at 2 p.m. with free virtual conversation and artmaking activities for older adults. Pre-registration is recommended and each session is unique. To register for one or all of these sessions, visit ago.ca/learn/ago-makes/virtual-seniors-social.

For more details about these and other accessibility programs, visit the AGO’s Access to Art Resource webpage: ago.ca/visit/accessibility-ago/access-to-art.

Family Programs
Storytelling continues its artful play this spring at the AGO. Family Programs are free and open to parents, children and caregivers of all ages.

• On April 9, May 14 and June 11 at 2 p.m., the AGO partners with the Toronto Public Library for Family Fireside Chats. A free fun family experience, mixing storytelling and artmaking, inspired by works from the AGO Collection, each 30 minute session will be presented free via Crowdcast. For more details and to register, visit ago.ca/events/fireside-family-chat-art-and-storytelling-toronto-public-library.  

Indigenous Education and Programming
The AGO presents dynamic programs supporting and highlighting Indigenous art and culture. Admission to the AGO is free for all Indigenous Peoples.    

• Beginning May 3, join the AGO every Tuesday at 1 p.m. on AGO’s Facebook Page to learn the sacred teachings of the Seven Grandfathers with Ojibwe artist Bomgiizhik (Isaac Murdoch), through the work of Anishinaabe artist Robert Houle’s Seven Grandfather Drums. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/artist-isaac-murdoch-and-stories-seven-grandfather-drums.   

Youth Programs
In addition to providing free admission to all visitors aged 25 and under, check out @AGOYouth for the latest original programming by and for youth.

• Inner Space, an original web series curated by the AGO Youth Advisory for Inner Space and AGO staff, continues throughout this spring and summer. Each episode presents a personal tour of an artist’s studio and practice. A new video is presented each month on ago.ca/innerspace, where you can also find more details about the participating artists and the AGO Youth Advisory for Inner Space. The next episode featuring artist duo Whak and Mo launches Wednesday, April 27 at 3 p.m.
   
• On May 4, May 11 and May 18 at 4 p.m., the AGO introduces Print Jam, a series of workshops on risograph printing created in partnership with and led by Colour Code, an independent print studio and publishing platform based in Toronto.  To register for the free Zoom workshops series, visit ago.ca/events/print-jam.

Courses
Studio art courses for the entire family continue this spring with virtual offerings including courses on watercolour, life drawing and street photography. 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. Highlights from the 2022 spring online course schedule include: 

• Mixed up by mixed-media? Challenge yourself with a new online adult course inspired by I AM HERE: Home Movies and Everyday Masterpieces. Beginning Thursday, May 5 and continuing all month long, this five-week foundational course will introduce students to a range of mixed media techniques including collage and journal sketching, as well as black and white techniques such as pen and ink and paper cut.  For more details and to register, visit ago.ca/learn/courses/online-mixed-media-explorations-i-am-here.
   
• New this spring is Online Painting Explorations: Portraits – Facial Interpretations & Masking. Inspired by the AGO’s painting collections and special exhibitions and beginning May 8, this four-week adult online course explores the art of masking and looks at the concepts of form, colour, light, shade and texture. Led by artist instructor Gomo George, students are invited to choose a masking subject of their choice. For more details and to register, visit ago.ca/learn/courses/online-painting-explorations-portraiture-facial-interpretations-masking.

Acknowledgments

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
Nordstrom 

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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