Priyanka, Jónsi and Ningiukulu Teevee headline an artful spring season of talks and performances at the AGO

Music and art collide at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) this spring, as the museum celebrates new exhibitions and Pride Month with artist talks, performances and screenings. AGO Members receive free admission to all exhibitions and discounts on select ticketed events. For details on how to become a Member or Annual Pass holder, visit ago.ca/visit.

Tickets to see Jónsi in conversation on Wednesday, May 24 and Priyanka’s performance on Friday, June 9 go on sale to AGO Members on April 25, one day ahead of public. All other programs are on sale now at ago.ca/events.

For a full list of upcoming AGO events and programs at the AGO, visit ago.ca/events.

Season headliners
On Saturday, April 15 at 2 p.m., join Inuit artist and writer Ningiukulu Teevee in conversation with Taqralik Partridge, Associate Curator, Indigenous Art, AGO, about her work and solo exhibition Ningiukulu Teevee: Chronicles for the Curious. Advanced tickets required. AGO Members receive a discount. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/ningiukulu-teevee-conversation. 

On Wednesday, May 24 at 7 p.m., join Icelandic artist and acclaimed musician Jónsi as he discusses his experimental installation, Hrafntinna (Obsidian) with New York-based art critic and curator Gregory Volk in Baillie Court. Tickets go on sale April 25 to AGO Members and April 26 to the public. AGO Members receive a discount.  For more details, visit ago.ca/events/jonsi-conversation. 

On Friday, June 9 at 7 p.m., the AGO welcomes Pride Month with a one-night-only musical performance by Canada’s most famous drag artist Priyanka in Baillie Court. Along with special guest Yovska, Priyanka invites audiences to step into her world with dance, music and visuals. Tickets go on sale April 25 to AGO Members and April 26 to the public. AGO Members receive a discount. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/pride-extravaganza-priyanka.  

Friday Nights
Spend an artful night out at the AGO as the museum stays open until 9 p.m. every Friday. Save the date for these live performances and exhibition-inspired programs.  

• On Friday, April 14 at 7 p.m., AGO x RBC Artist-in-Residence Lauren Prousky presents Black Tie* Soup Night (BTSN) in Walker Court. This one night art happening, featuring a performance by Ben Gorodetsky and complimentary soups by Shalaka Jadhav is free with General Admission. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/black-tie-soup-night-lauren-prousky.
  
• On Friday, May 12 at 7 p.m., join us in Walker Court for a performance by famed Canadian percussion ensemble TorQ. Free with General Admission. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/ago-friday-nights-torq-percussion-start-new-year.   
  
• On Friday, May 26, beginning at 6 p.m., the AGO spotlights new exhibitions and artists in a gallery-wide celebration, featuring artist talks, curator-led tours, pop-up exhibitions, DJ’s and a cash-bar in Walker Court. Free with General Admission. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/ago-friday-nights-celebrating-new-exhibitions-0.   

Yoga in Galleria Italia
On April 22, May 22, June 4 and July 22, at 11 a.m., the AGO invites visitors to be restored and inspired by yoga in the AGO’s light filled Galleria Italia. Led by Karmit Ifrah, this gentle Hatha Yoga class is suitable for all levels and ages. Advanced registration required. AGO Members receive a discount. For more details, please visit ago.ca/events/yoga-gallery.

Talks, Performances and Screenings
Celebrating great art and creativity, this spring the AGO welcomes artists, curators and films from Toronto and around the world.

• On Saturday, April 15 at 1 p.m. the AGO celebrates Slow Art Day and invites visitors to join an AGO Art Educator for a one hour guided tour of the AGO Collection, where the focus is looking and loving art slowly. The tour will begin in Walker Court. Advanced tickets required. AGO Members receive a discount. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/slow-art-day-guided-visit.
  
• On Friday, April 28 at 6 p.m., join artists Louie Palu and Sanaz Mazinani, whose work is featured in the AGO exhibition We Are Story: The Canada Now Photography Acquisition, for a conversation with AGO Curatorial Fellow and exhibition co-curator Marina Dumont-Gauthier in Jackman Hall. Advanced tickets required. AGO Members receive a discount. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/artists-panel-louie-palu-sanaz-mazinani.

• On Wednesday, May 3 at 7 p.m., in conjunction with the exhibition Wolfgang Tillmans: To look without fear, the AGO will screen a selection of Tillmans’ video works from the past four decades in Jackman Hall. Advanced tickets are required for this free event. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/wolfgang-tillmans-video-work-0.  

• On Wednesday, May 10 at 7 p.m., see youth participants from the Vogue School Workshops slay and work in Walker Court, as part of a Vogue Dance Takeover, co-presented by Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance. Free with General Admission. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/vogue-dance-takeover.

• Beginning May 23 at 2 p.m., the AGO presents the film Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition by director David Bickerstaff in Jackman Hall. Advanced tickets required. AGO Members receive a discount. For full screening schedule and tickets, visit ago.ca/events/vermeer-greatest-exhibition.

• On Wednesday, May 24 at 5:30 p.m., Stephan Jost, Michael and Sonja Koerner Director, and CEO of the AGO will be in conversation with Brian Porter, Principal at Two Row Architect, and Donald Schmitt, Principal at Diamond Schmitt in Jackman Hall to discuss the  design for the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery. Advanced tickets are required for this free event. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/brian-porter-and-donald-schmitt-conversation.

• On Friday, June 2 at 7 p.m., join Toronto artist Bruce La Bruce in conversation with AGO Program Curator, Performance and Live, Bojana Stancic about photography as a form of visual autobiography. Advanced tickets required. AGO Members receive a discount. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/artists-talk-bruce-la-bruce.
  
• On Saturday, June 3 at 2 p.m., join Toronto artist Ed Pien and guest curator Catherine Sicot for a discussion about the exhibition Present: Past/Future in Jackman Hall. Advanced tickets required. AGO Members receive a discount. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/ed-pien-conversation.
  
• On Saturday, June 10 at 3 p.m., the Inner Space Youth Advisory presents season two of the Inner Space web series, screening all six new video spotlights in Jackman Hall. This event is free and a Q&A will follow with participating youth curators and artists. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/inner-space-season-2-screening.  

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 committed to being welcoming and accessible: admission is free for anyone under 25 years, and anyone can purchase an annual pass for $35. In 2022, the AGO began the design phase of an expansion project intended to increase exhibition space for the museum’s growing modern and contemporary collection. When construction begins in 2024, it will be the seventh expansion that the AGO has undertaken since it was founded in 1900.  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.