Artist-in-Residence
The Artist-in-Residence program in the Weston Family Learning Centre forges a new channel of creativity and audience engagement for the Art Gallery of Ontario. The first of its kind at a major Canadian art institution, the program engages with the art community directly and meaningfully, whilst creating an experience for visitors that is intimate and unique. Drawing on links to partners in the contemporary art scene including practitioners, curators, and galleries within Toronto, nationally and internationally, the residency program allows the AGO to contribute significantly to the evolution of individual artistic endeavours, leading the way for experimentation and growth in the field of contemporary art practice.
The Anne Lind AiR Studio is a dedicated space within the Learning Centre for the Artist-in-Residence, allowing visitors access to the creative process. Each residency lasts for up to 8 weeks, and grants the artist institutional support, access to facilities, and a stipend covering materials and living costs. Whilst the residencies are fundamentally artist-driven, each practitioner is invited into the AGO to create and develop new work and ideas that leave a lasting legacy in keeping with the mission and mandate of the gallery. Drawing on the possibilities within the collections and exhibitions, artists are also invited to work with all media including painting, film, video, drawing, performance, architecture, and sound. In doing so, the residency becomes a platform from which the artist can transform the AGO in a powerful way, and develop outcomes including (but not limited to) community partnerships, exhibitions, classes, workshops, family and children’s activities, online projects, interventions, publications and products.
Our first seven Artists-in-Residence were Paul Butler, Margaux Williamson, Hiraki Sawa, Heather Goodchild, Mark Titchner, Jo Longhurst, Life of a Craphead and Jason Evans.
