Thursday, October 4, 2012, 6:30 – 11:00 p.m.
ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO
317 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON M5T 1G4
T: 416.979.6648
www.ago.net
www.ago.net/1stThursdays.
AGO Lights Up 1st Thursdays with Art, Drinks, Music and Spectacle
Series debuts October 4 with tours by Evan Penny, nude life drawing and musical guest Bahamas
Bringing together an impressive roster of artists, live music and interactive art projects, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) invites you to experience your art gallery in a brand new way at 1st Thursdays. Designed to engage and entertain, these interactive art nights out will feature a variety of performances, pop-up bars, art-making activities, artist and curator tours, talks and live events.
Beginning October 4, 2012 and taking place on the first Thursday of each month, the AGO will open its doors to adults aged 19+ from 6:30 to 11 p.m. No two 1st Thursdays will be the same, with unique projects, activities and performances designed to make each evening memorable.
“Our aim is to be more than just a social destination,” said Kelly McKinley, the AGO’s executive director of education and public programming. “We want to give people the opportunity to see and make and do and hear as much art as they can every month.”
1st Thursdays kicks off on October 4 with a celebration of the exhibition Evan Penny: Re Figured. The internationally renowned Toronto-based artist Evan Penny will be present to speak about his larger-than-life sculptures, each painstakingly crafted from layers of pigmented silicone, human hair, fabric and resin. Blending abstraction and figuration, Penny’s hyper-realistic sculptures straddle the line between object and image, presenting the human form both as we see it and as it can be imagined through the distorting lens of photography and digital media.
Evan Penny at the installation of the show. Photo: Mauricio Contreras-Paredes
Installation view. Photo: Mauricio Contreras-Paredes
Music will be a cornerstone of every 1st Thursday program, and the AGO is delighted to announce that Bahamas will play an intimate solo set in Walker Court as part of the inaugural 1st Thursday. A Juno and Polaris Prize nominee, Bahamas is the recording name of Toronto based singer-songwriter Afie Jurvanen.
The party continues with DJs spinning and free nude life drawing classes offered throughout the Gallery. Cash bars will be set up in Walker Court and visitors are invited to explore and wander the AGO throughout the night.
In addition to the galleries remaining open, shopAGO will present DesignTALKS, a new series of lectures by leading local designers focused on small space design. The first in the series will be held on October 4 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and features Trevor Kruse, an award-winning designer and principal of Hudson Kruse Design. FRANKrestaurant at the AGO will provide a wine and champagne bar in shopAGO so visitors can enjoy a beverage while they browse.
Tickets for the inaugural 1st Thursday go on sale September 12. Regular-priced tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Admission for AGO Members is $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Tickets can be booked online at www.ago.net/1stThursdays.