AGO Hires Andrew Hunter to Lead its Canadian Art Department

Toronto, - – The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) has hired Andrew Hunter as its new Fredrik S. Eaton Curator, Canadian Art. With over 20 years experience, Hunter, an accomplished curator, artist, writer and educator, joins the AGO’s curatorial team on May 1, 2013.

Currently the co-founder and co-principal of DodoLab, an international program of community collaboration and interdisciplinary creative research, Hunter will oversee the Canadian art department and the presentation of the Gallery’s prized collection, develop exhibition programs, elevate the Gallery’s works of art to local and international audiences, and work with colleagues to cultivate synergies between collecting areas across the institution.

“Andrew is known for embracing a broader vision of Canadian art and culture,” explained Matthew Teitelbaum, the AGO’s director and CEO. “He will be a great addition to our team and has the right combination of leadership and expertise to create compelling art experiences for audiences of all ages.”

Born in Hamilton and a graduate of Nova Scotia College of Art & Design (NSCAD), Hunter has held many curatorial positions, including roles at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Kamloops Art Gallery, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and Charlottetown’s Confederation Centre Art Gallery to name a few.

He has taught at OCAD University, the University of Waterloo (Faculty of Arts and School of Architecture) and lectured on curatorial practice across Canada, the United States, England, China and Croatia. As an artist and independent curator, Hunter has exhibited widely, including solo projects at the National Gallery of Canada, Dubrovnik Museum of Modern Art (Croatia), The Rooms Art Gallery (Newfoundland), the Walter Phillips Gallery (Banff Centre), the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Yukon Art Centre, the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery (Concordia University) and with Proboscis (London, UK).

“We are delighted to have Andrew on board,” said Elizabeth Smith, the AGO’s executive director, Curatorial Affairs. “He brings a fresh perspective to the AGO’s extensive engagement with Canadian art. His work has consistently emphasized and animated collections in innovative ways, making scholarship accessible and interweaving the historical and contemporary, including First Nations and Inuit art.”

Hunter has contributed to numerous exhibitions including acclaimed retrospectives Tom Thomson and Emily Carr: New Perspectives. Other major projects include The Other Landscape; Come A Singin’; Northern Passage: The Arctic Voyages of Jackson, Harris and Banting and The Road: Constructing the Alaska Highway (Art Gallery of Alberta); To a Watery Grave and Dark Matter: Remembering the Great War (Confederation Centre Art Gallery); Lawren Harris: A Painter’s Progress (Americas Society Art Gallery); Ding Ho Group of 7 (with Gu Xiong, McMichael Canadian Art Collection and Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon); and Thou Shalt Not Steal: Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun and Emily Carr (Vancouver Art Gallery).

“I am very excited to be joining the AGO,” said Hunter. “To work with such a phenomenal Canadian collection and to develop a dynamic program that is collaborative and has a strong presence in the community is a remarkable opportunity.”

The AGO’s Canadian collection comprises close to 16,000 works of art, which vividly document the development of the nation’s art heritage since pre-Confederation, and includes the Thomson Collection of Canadian Art and one of the largest and finest Inuit art collections in the world. The collection includes pivotal works by Cornelius Krieghoff, Lucius O’Brien, James Wilson Morrice, Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, David Milne, Emily Carr, Paul-Emile Borduas, Joyce Wieland and Kenojuak Ashevak.

ABOUT THE AGO
With a collection of more than 80,000 works of art, the Art Gallery of Ontario is among the most distinguished art museums in North America. From the vast body of Group of Seven and signature Canadian works to the African art gallery, from the cutting-edge contemporary art to Peter Paul Rubens’ masterpiece The Massacre of The Innocents, the AGO offers an incredible art experience with each visit. In 2002 Ken Thomson’s generous gift of 2,000 remarkable works of Canadian and European art inspired Transformation AGO, an innovative architectural expansion by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry that in 2008 resulted in one of the most critically acclaimed architectural achievements in North America. Highlights include Galleria Italia, a gleaming showcase of wood and glass running the length of an entire city block, and the often-photographed spiral staircase, beckoning visitors to explore. The AGO has an active membership program offering great value, and the AGO’s Weston Family Learning Centre offers engaging art and creative programs for children, families, youth and adults. Visit ago.net to find out more about upcoming special exhibitions, to learn about eating and shopping at the AGO, to register for programs and to buy tickets or memberships.