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AGO Youth Council: Eleanora & Adib
May 29th, 2009
It is our pleasure to introduce the members of the AGO Youth Council.
Week 9: Eleanora Simmons and Adib Tanbir.
Eleanora Simmons
Since a young age, Eleanora Simmons has been interested in various forms of art and movement. She is very community based; spreading deep roots wherever she lands. She is a current member of The Beach Heritage Community. Attending Rosedale Heights School of the Arts for the past 3 years, Eleanora is involved in the RHSA Dance Company, Anvall Dance Performance Choreographic Workshop, and the Improv team at her school. She majors in art, strongly infatuated with photography, life drawing and non-traditional forms. Eleanor is interested in artists like Joseph Beuys, Kara Walker and James Nachteny. Interested in different cultures, Eleanor is mixed Bermudian and Welsh. Eleanor yearns to visit Egypt, India and Singapore.
Adib Tanbir
Adib is a high school student. He is in grade 11 and attends Birchmount Park C.I. Although he was born in Texas, and has spent a substantial portion of his life in Bangladesh, he currently resides in Toronto. Adib loves music and believes that it is a very strong form of art, i.e. music has the power to make changes in society. He likes to listen to music that has a message in it. Adib plays the guitar and tabla. Adib also enjoys volunteering at interesting places. Adib enjoys designing posters. He designs posters for various events held at his school by the student council. Adib wants to pursue a career related to the medical sciences in the future. He is a huge fan of Manchester United F.C, which is a soccer club based in England.
Find out about Youth Council projects and activities and how to get involved.
AGO Youth Council: Liselle & Kateryna
May 22nd, 2009
It is our pleasure to introduce the members of the AGO Youth Council.
Week 8: Liselle Sambury and Kateryna Shipir.
Liselle Sambury
Age 16. I have been drawing since I was 12 and since then have been expanding into different types of art. I really enjoy writing prose and hope to be published one day soon. Out of all the books I have read I would say that my favorites are all by Augusten Burroughs, who trumps over Stephanie Meyer as my favorite author. On the AGO Youth Council I hope to expand my knowledge of art and make a difference with the artistic talents I have now.
Kateryna Shipir
Defined by curiosity, imagination and ambition, this only child is a walking sculpture of randomness. She is spontaneous and loves show-downs with challenges of different sizes and forms that test her mentally and physically. Her most recent projects are DJ-ing her own radio-show, hosting her own television show and writing articles to numerous newspapers. She is a student at Glendon where she studies Business Economics and French. Her hobbies include planning, organizing, working-out and playing with her cat.
Find out about Youth Council projects and activities and how to get involved.
AGO Youth Council: Bailey & Monica
May 15th, 2009
It is our pleasure to introduce the members of the AGO Youth Council.
Week 7: Bailey Marion-Williamson and Monica Moraru.
Bailey Marion-Williamson
Bailey M.W is the bassist and occasional vocalist for the bands Last Minute (Who Split up last year), Fo Shizzle, and Orange Banana. She recently made her stage debut as the Officer/Chauffer in A.Y Jackson’s 2007 fall comedy The Borderline Crazies. And avid reader since childhood, she’s read the first five Harry Potter books 47 times in English and twice in French. Her current favorite novel is Sarah Ryan’s, Empress of the World. She hopes to one day work as a general contractor or carpenter.
Monica Moraru
My name is Monica Moraru. I’m 15 years old, and come from Romania as a first wave immigrant. I love Toronto and also love making any form of art possible. My favorite thing right now is taking Polaroids with my friends and laughing! I’m a universally floaty person who loves painting, fashion journalism and music. I believe in saving the planet so please recycle! I cannot remember people’s names, but I can always remember people’s birthdays. Id love to move to the states to become a surgeon. I find Grey’s Anatomy inspiring!
Find out about Youth Council projects and activities and how to get involved.
AGO Youth Council: Monika & Kathy
May 8th, 2009
It is our pleasure to introduce the members of the AGO Youth Council.
Week 6: Monika Lemke and Kathy Ma.
Monika Lemke
Monika is a Canadian with Polish background. She is currently studying at Don Mills Collegiate Institute. She paints, draws, sculpts, photographs, and acts. She has directed the play, Dyke at the Sears Drama Festival. She has a passion for music, reading and Karate. Currently a brown belt teaching Karate, she aspires to become a black belt before going to university to study politics, law and governance. She hopes to contribute to the proportional representation of women in Canadian politics.
Kathy Ma
I first met YuQi when she arrived in Canada seven years ago from mainland China. A year later, YuQi and I dubbed ourselves Katherine. Kathy loves to immerse in nature’s wonders and journey via the printed word. Currently a music major at Earl Haig Secondary School, Kathy worships creativity in the arts and sciences. Our dream is to become a world renowned architect someday…like Antoni Gaudi!
Find out about Youth Council projects and activities and how to get involved.
AGO Youth Council: Kenneth & Jamie
May 1st, 2009
It is our pleasure to introduce the members of the AGO Youth Council.
Week 5: Kenneth Koo and Jamie Kwan.
Kenneth Koo
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Toronto, Kenneth Koo is currently a high school student attending Earl Haig Secondary School. With a strong interest in graphic design and typography, Kenneth is also a member of the AGO Youth Council. Kenneth’s favorite font at the moment is Geneva Now. Concerned with social issues such as animal rights and the alleviation of poverty, Kenneth aids in organizing and running the Global Affairs Conference and “Me to We” week annually at his school.
Jamie Kwan
Jamie Kwan is currently a grade 11 student at Harbord Collegiate Institute, moving along in pursuing a career in architecture. He absolutely loves the visual arts course at his school, even though his high school is mostly known for academics. He is also a competitive swimmer with the Toronto Swim Club, taking in chlorine almost 15 hours a week. Outside of school and in his “tons” of spare time, he enjoys reading, drawing, and just playing some video games to relax. Although he doesn’t have tons of time for the arts, he tries his best to get involved at school by submitting work to exhibitions. He loves working with clay, painting, and just drawing with other mediums. By becoming involved with the AGO Youth Council, he hopes to expand his interests in visual arts all over the community.
Find out about Youth Council projects and activities and how to get involved.
AGO Youth Council: Helen & Charu
April 24th, 2009
It is our pleasure to introduce the members of the AGO Youth Council.
Week 4: Helen Han and Charu Jaiswal.
Helen Han
My name is Helen and I am from South Korea. Here’s something interesting about me, all my names in Korean, Japanese, and English has the same meaning, which is “light”. I love music and history and I despise math! I love learning other languages and cultures!
Charu Jaiswal
Hello! I’m Charu and I was born in Nairobi, Kenya. I came to Toronto when I was 4, and ever since then I’ve loved this city! I’m a fanatic vegetarian- for social and environmental reasons. Because I’m really environmentally conscious, I like to recycle things to make art. My specialty is jewelry, especially earrings. My most ‘bizarre’ pair was made from pine cones that I literally found in a forest. I love to create and hopefully you’ll see some of my stuff someday!
Find out about Youth Council projects and activities and how to get involved.
AGO Youth Council: Celine & Morgan
April 17th, 2009
It is our pleasure to introduce the members of the AGO Youth Council.
Week 3: Celine Fletcher and Morgan Gibson.
Celine Fletcher
My name is Celine Fletcher. I was born and raised in Scarborough Ontario, near the Cathedral Bluffs. I have two natural languages: French and English. I’ve also learned Spanish! My hobbies include sketching, reading, writing poetry, singing (But I don’t perform!), and playing the piano. My favorite thing to do is write and drawl in my journal. I have British heritage, but I feel extremely proud to be Canadian because I firmly believe that Canada is the most beautiful and multicultural country in the world.
Morgan Gibson
Morgan Gibson is a Hong-Kong raised Canadian who returned recently to study history and art history at the University of Toronto. Excited and passionate about American politics, fashion and Surrealist art, she is looking forward to a life full of discussion, reading and talking to interesting people! Morgan is a big fan of collage, anti-rhythm dancing and her twin sister Scotti.
Find out about Youth Council projects and activities and how to get involved.
AGO Youth Council: Natalie & Catherine
April 10th, 2009
It is our pleasure to introduce the members of the AGO Youth Council.
Week 2: Natalie Dunn and Catherine Eun bin Whang.
Natalie Dunn
My name is Natalie Dunn. I was born in Canada, but I am half Australian and half Columbian. I have been described as a walking exclamation mark. I am a very positive, bubbly person. I love to laugh. I make art with all mediums, ink, pop cans, acrylic paint- anything! I love to travel, read and to write. I am obsessed with fashion. I want to be a journalist. I love to have fun, and I look forward to tomorrow. I am an environmentalist!
Catherine Eun bin Whang
Catherine was born in Korea. She moved to Canada when she was in grade 6. Catherine has organized and participated in many activities related to art and design, such as art shows, exhibitions and concerts. Her interests are in fashion design and fashion photography. Her favorite designers are Marc Jacobs, John Galliano and Tom Ford. Her favorite photographer is Steven Meisel. She is hoping to be a leading fashion designer in the future.
Find out about Youth Council projects and activities and how to get involved.
AGO Youth Council: Daniel & Nusrat
April 3rd, 2009
It is our pleasure to introduce the members of the AGO Youth Council.
Week 1: Daniel Adonai and Nusrat Ali.
Daniel Adonai
Waz up people? My name is Daniel Adonai. Currently 16 years old and going to Victoria Park C.I. 11th grade. I am from the mother land Africa, born in Eritrea from two caring and loving parents. I have a little sister and brother. About art, my mom told me that I have been drawing since I was able to hold a pencil. And plus it’s in the family blood to draw so I couldn’t avoid it, not that I that I wanted to. But I do drawing, scratchboards, paintings, pottery, and much more other stuff I don’t remember the name of. One interesting form of art I do is designing and customizing shoes and I also love Hip Hop so most of my designs are inspired by it. At the moment I am practicing on my water-colour skills and getting into abstract painting, which was inspired by my uncle because most of his work is abstract. Ok, that’s all I can think of and if you got more questions, ask me.
Nusrat Ali
Hi, my name is Nusrat Ali. I am currently in Grade 11 and am attending an I.B. League program. I am interested in everything, basically! I love the Sciences, the Languages, the Arts and Math. I am an outspoken and enthusiastic person who really dislikes depressing situations. I believe that with only one life to live, one should always live every moment to its fullest, without any regrets. I am currently confused on whether I want to be a doctor or a lawyer in the future. I love singing and am working on a CD, which is hopefully coming out this summer. I love to talk and hope to get to know everyone better by the end of this year.
Find out about Youth Council projects and activities and how to get involved.
AGO Youth Council shifts our understanding of change
October 6th, 2008
Photo courtesy artist Dan Bergeron.
Change is everywhere. The city is in the midst of a major refurbishment. The historical boundaries of neighbourhoods are being reshaped and redefined, while the facades of the city’s major cultural institutions are responding with their own changes, contributing further to this process of transformation. Meanwhile, OHIP has announced that coverage will now be provided for sex reassignment surgeries.
In the midst of this shifting cultural and urban landscape, the 2008 AGO Youth Council has collaborated with guest artist Dan Bergeron (www.fauxreel.ca) and the Trans_Fusion Crew at the Supporting Our Youth organization (www.soytoronto.org) to create a photographic campaign exploring the notion that CHANGE is the only constant. Shift Change implores people to rethink what change means to them and to recognize that it isn’t something to fear or resist.
Bergeron has worked with the AGO Youth Council to design photographic installations that depict minor everyday transformations – shaving a beard, straightening hair, and cinching one’s waist – along with images of the less commonly portrayed act of binding one’s chest, preparing for plastic surgery and changing into drag. The images suggest that all these changes are fundamental parts of human existence in today’s society, yet they still elicit as many complications as they do rewards.
Photo courtesy artist Dan Bergeron.
Bergeron has encouraged the group to think of the project as a means to engage the viewer and be self-reflective. Some of the questions already generated amongst the participants of this project include: What are the social implications of black women being encouraged to straighten their hair? What does it mean to choose to be genderless in a gendered world? What is the significance of the desire to alter one’s natural body?
The life-sized images of Council members and local personalities embodying their daily transformations is being mounted in unexpected public places across the city, including on the Beverley Street hoarding outside the AGO. This installation is the first exhibition encompassing all seven elements of the project.
About the Artists
Dan Bergeron, recently profiled in Toronto Life, is known for the life-sized “paste-ups” he mounts in urban settings including New York, Vancouver and Toronto. “Paste-ups” are part of the street art tradition that evolved out of graffiti and hip hop culture. Streetscapes is a recent example of Bergeron’s work and was part of Toronto’s Luminato festival. Partnering youth from Regent Park Focus with local residents, Bergeron created 20-foot portraits, which were then “pasted-up” onto the remaining buildings of the changing neighbourhood. Part document, part celebration of resistance and resilience, Streetscapes has renewed interest in the politics of rezoning the area by demystifying a segregated community that has long been maligned by negative media representation. Read more about Bergeron articulating his artistic process.
Trans_Fusion Crew (TFC) is comprised of youth who identify as genderqueer, transgendered, two-spirited, transsexual, or are simply questioning. Meeting weekly at Supporting Our Youth, they engage in social activities and educational arts-based workshops designed to create a space in which they can explore themselves and their experiences. TFC members are engaged with specific experiences of transition and change, and provide alternative perspectives that challenge traditional concepts of gender, identity and social roles.
Featured Content
AGO Podcasts
Features recordings of AGO events, discussion with artists, analysis of works and exhibitions, and original material created exclusively for this podcast. Subscribe today!
Tut With Us!
The King Tut exhibition makes us want to get up and dance. But not just any dance ... we want to Tut! And we want you to join us!
The Anubis Photo Challenge
Dress the Anubis for a chance to win 2 tickets to King Tut! Use your favourite photo editing software to give Anubis some clothes.
King Tut: Memories of '79
AGO members and friends everywhere to share their memories of the 1979 King Tut exhibition.
What's On at the AGO
A playlist highlighting recent and upcoming events at the Gallery.
Art, Artists and Ideas
A playlist featuring artists, curators and other encounters with Art.
King Tut Podcast
Discover objects from King Tut, the Golden King and Great Pharaoh with David Silverman, Curator of the exhibition
Edward Steichen Exhibition Microsite
This online exhibition features galleries of high-quality images, audio guides, and in-depth analysis.
Image: Actress Joan Bennett, 1928 (detail). Gelatin silver print. Courtesy Condé Nast Archive, New York. © 1928 Condé Nast Publications.
Beautiful Fictions Audio Tour
See the late 1960s to the present through the lens of 60 Canadian and international photographers. Bring this podcast along on your next AGO visit!
Image: Axel Hutte, Audubon Swamp, 2005, chromogenic print. © Axel Hutte and Schirmer/Mosel, 2009
The Thomson Collection of Ship Models Audio Tour
Join Simon Stephens, curator at the National Maritime Museum in London, England, as he guides listeners through the world of British ship models spanning 350 years.
Image: Troop Landing Craft, Georgian Model; made in Great Britain; around 1755 - 1760; wood, painted and varnished; metal (including iron and copper), painted; 16.0 x 36.0 x 42.0 cm; The Thomson Collection © Art Gallery of Ontario
Director's Highlights Audio Tour
Join Matthew Teitelbaum as he talks about the art and architecture that he finds the most interesting and engaging.
Image: AGO Photographer Sean Weaver © 2008 Art Gallery of Ontario
Collection X: Indian Church
This online exhibition examines the Indian Church as a symbol for the rapid encroachment of Western modernity on First Nations.
Image: Arthur Renwick, Canadian, born 1965, Nlaka'pamux BC (left), Git'ksan BC (right), 2005, archival inkjet print, edition 1/5, Collection of the artist, courtesy of Leo Kamen Gallery © 2007 Arthur Renwick
Collection X: Come Away With Me: Japan, China and Hong Kong, 1890s
Through this selection of images, you will encounter a typical travel album of its day, at a particular moment of cultural upheaval and exchange.
Unknown photographer (active China, 1890s), From the album Views of Japan, China and Hong Kong, 1870s–1890s, albumen print, 21.3 x 26.5 cm, [2007/275.46], Art Gallery of Ontario, Gift of Neil B. Cole, 2007, © 2009 Art Gallery of Ontario
Collection X: Come Away With Me: European Travels
This exhibition explores a personal travel album, which charts a trip through several European cities during the spring and summer of 1936.
German photographer, Album: European Travels (detail), around 1936, 16 gelatin silver prints in a 48-page cloth- and paper-bound album, album: 12.7 x 15.8 x 2.3 cm; prints: 8.8 x 11.8 cm, [103545.a03], Art Gallery of Ontario, Gift of David Moore and Ross Winter / Camera Lucida, 2007 © 2009 Art Gallery of Ontario
Collection X: The Art of Collection Building
This exhibition explores the evolution of the print and drawing collection through the personalities, artworks and stories that make it unique.
Image: François Boucher (French, 1703 - 1770), Young Country Girl Dancing (Detail), c1765 - 70, black, red and white chalks and stump on buff laid paper, 46.2 x 29.2 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario, Purchased as a gift of The Salamander Foundation and the Marvin Gelber Fund with a generous grant from the Department of canadian heritage on the recommendation of the canadian Cultural property Export review Board under the terms of the Cultural property Export and Import Act, 1998 © 2009 Art Gallery of Ontario
Slideshow: Isaak Massa - A Man of the World
Isaak Massa ( 1586–1643) was a self-made businessman, diplomat, map-maker and author from the Netherlands. Massa commissioned three portraits from Frans Hals, who was a close friend.
Slideshow: Childhood to Old Age
Could this young girl of four already be engaged? Her ring, the little statue (symbol of fertility), the carnations, the fan and the peacock (symbol of Juno, goddess of child- birth) all refer to love and marriage.
Recent comments on Sunday Concert: Pianist Connie Kim-Sheng:
“I have seen your photo on the web, and your piano performances; wish you the very best. Your Mom and Brother must be really proud of you. My Best Wishes for continued success. My Regards, Bill Davisson”
— Bill Davisson
“Is there some video of Connie performing solo?”
— Robert Smith
Recent comments on Memories of King Tut: “I saw this when…”:
“Went with grade 4 class in 1979, and will be going this month. Still have my souvenir t-shirt, obviously it doesn’t fit. Oh well! Fun for show and tell.”
— Anne Waller
Recent comments on Memories of King Tut: Nieces and Nephews:
“The over all experience of visiting this exhibit was very poor. The exhibits themselves are excellent but the staging of the exhibit and the flow of traffic was atrocious. Right from the start it is ill conceived. 50 or so attendees crammed together listening to a superfluous video preamble by Harrison Ford simply served to create a bottle neck wave of jostling viewers and created an atmosphere akin to P. T. Barnum’s museum of oddities. Allowing...”
— George Countryman
“I was at the exhibit 30 years ago when I was only 8 and I still remember it vividly. So now I am bringing my 3 children to see it so they can have a memory that will last a lifetime.”
— Frank Dos Santos