Bunch Family

The brand new Weston Family Learning Center is now open at the AGO!

A hub for creative family fun, the new space includes:
The Dr. Mariano Elia Hands-On center for Kids and Parents — This room really steals the show, complete with funky costumes and hats, oversized stuffed creatures and blocks, and a cubby wall full of trinkets. The space will be open Tuesday – Sunday, 10 – 2 PM.

A  Community Gallery — A project space that aims to provide a platform for experimentation. It is currently showing “A Place Called Lovely” by Sadie Benning, co-founder of Le Tigre. The multimedia exhibit features video clips she filmed on a Fisher Price video camera when she was 18, and juxtaposes images from yearbooks, tabloids, and movies including Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

A Youth Center for Young Adults — A space for teens to get involved in workshops and homework and arts groups, as well as a DJ booth for tune-spinning practice. The space will be hosted by the AGO youth council open every day from 3 – 6.

A Gallery School: A 6000 square feet of studio which will be used for workshops and classes.

An “Emily Carr” — The AGO’s efficient and futuristic coat rack solution. Seven hundred fifty hooks hang from a snake-like piece of stainless steel that gets fixed to the ceiling, eliminating the need for dozens of coat racks and cubby’s. Every morning, the AGO staff pulls it to the floor, stocks it up, then pulls it back to the ceiling in one space-optimization move. Emily Carr used to use this technique in her studio to make room for her paintings, and do away with unwanted guests!

… and sprawling picnic benches, ping pong tables, and a wall of framed pictures that all made their way out from the halls of different schools.

Fall Events at the Weston Family Learning Center:
Friday, September 30 – 7 pm to 12 am- Youth Centre Launch Party presented with Manifesto Community Projects and Manifesto’s 5th year anniversary. There will be 3 special guest DJs, There will be performances by Harmony Movement’s Arts For Equity Showcase, and cake!
Saturday, October 1 – 7 pm – 7 am – Nuit Blanche Party! This all-night art event will feature with film screenings, guest DJs and more.
Also: Family Sunday’s are back! On the last Sunday of every month from 12 pm to 4 pm, take advantage of family activities in the studio and gallery. The first one is on October 30th. “Monster Madness” will offer Halloween themed art-making inspired by the works of Chagall and works from the Inuit and permanent collection. Come dressed in your costume!
November 27 – “Kids Colour Bar Lounge” The AGO’s first queer family Sunday! This event will feature a fantastical fashion show – showcasing wearable art from non-traditional materials, and the creation of a community paper quilt.