Single tickets for the AGO’s must-see exhibition David Bowie is go on sale Aug. 23

Art Gallery of Ontario is first stop on world tour following record-breaking run at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum; gives fans unprecedented access to Bowie’s personal archive

TORONTO — Pop culture influencer, musical pioneer and style icon David Bowie will make his North American exhibition debut this fall at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) in the acclaimed retrospective David Bowie is, direct from its record-breaking run at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, England. Running from Sept. 25 to Nov. 27, 2013, the exhibition makes its first stop on a world tour in Toronto and offers Bowie fans a rare opportunity to view more than 300 objects—spanning five decades of Bowie’s extraordinary career—from the artist’s personal archive. Single tickets for the AGO’s run of the multimedia show, which was London’s hottest ticket of the year, go on sale Aug. 23, 2013.

Exploring how the multi-talented performer has both influenced and been influenced by movements in art, design, fashion and contemporary culture, David Bowie is attracted over 300,000 visitors during its debut at the V&A.

The first block of single timed-entry tickets for David Bowie is are $21.50 for youth ages 17 and under, $26.50 for seniors and $30 for adults. Admission is FREE for AGO members and for children five and under. Tickets in the first block offer one-time admission to the exhibition from Sept. 25 to Oct. 20, 2013. The second block will go on sale at a later date, to be announced.

David Bowie is tickets are already available in a special combo package with the AGO’s critically acclaimed exhibition, Ai Weiwei: According to What? Combo tickets offer timed-entry access to any time slot for Ai Weiwei: According to What? and the first block of David Bowie is. Combo prices are $31.50 for youth ages 17 and under, $36.50 for seniors and $40 for adults.

Single tickets for David Bowie is and combo tickets can be booked in person, by phone at (416) 979-6655 or online by visiting ago.net/david-bowie-is. For more information on becoming an AGO member to get free admission to all exhibitions at the AGO, please visit ago.net/membership.

“David Bowie is a profoundly visual performer, and the identities he has created for himself over the last five decades have had an enormous impact on contemporary art and culture,” said Matthew Teitelbaum, director and CEO of the AGO. “A master of sustained reinvention, Bowie has consistently collaborated with the most significant personalities in fashion, design, theatre and art. His willingness to defy genres has made his career a barometer for cutting-edge performance art.”

The exhibition features Bowie’s own handwritten set lists, lyrics, diary entries, instruments, music videos, sketches and highlights the many artists who have collaborated with the cultural phenomenon over the years. The collection offers:

• more than 50 stage costumes, including Ziggy Stardust bodysuits (1972) designed by Freddie Burretti;
• music videos by David Mallet, including Boys Keep Swinging (1979) and Let’s Dance (1983);
• set designs created for the Diamond Dogs tour (1974);
• Kansai Yamamoto’s flamboyant creations for the Aladdin Sane tour (1973);
• photographs by Helmut Newton, Brian Duffy and John Rowlands;
• album sleeve artwork by Guy Peellaert and Edward Bell; and
• excerpts from films and live performances including Top of the Pops (1972), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) and Saturday Night Live (1979).

The David Bowie Archive is home to more than 75,000 objects, collected by Bowie himself. Working with Sandy Hirshkowitz, the collection’s archivist, Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh (curators of theatre and performance at the V&A) carefully selected costumes, footage and objects for the exhibition, marking the first time a museum has been allowed to display items from the archive.

David Bowie is was organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. www.vam.ac.uk

In Partnership with: Holt Renfrew and RBC

Sound experience by Sennheiser

Leadership gifts in support of the Bowie Experience from La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso; The Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin Charitable Foundation; and Rob & Cheryl McEwen

Assistance from government partner: Government of Ontario

Hotel partner: Eaton Chelsea

Media partners: Q107 and NOW Magazine

ABOUT THE V&A
The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art and design with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity. It was established to make works of art available to all and to inspire British designers and manufacturers. Today, the V&A’s collections, which span over 2000 years of human creativity in virtually every medium and from many parts of the world, continue to intrigue, inspire and inform.
www.vam.ac.uk

ABOUT SENNHEISER
To ensure the best audio experience for visitors, the AGO is working in partnership with audio specialist Sennheiser. “We are extremely pleased to work with the renowned Art Gallery of Ontario on this outstanding exhibition,” said Paul Whiting, President of Global Sales at Sennheiser. “We will not only bring equipment to this exhibition but also our audio expertise offering visitors an immersive 3DAudio experience.” The Sennheiser Group, with its headquarters in Wedemark near Hanover, Germany, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. The family-owned company, which was established in 1945, employs more than 2,100 people worldwide, and has manufacturing plants in Germany, Ireland and the USA. Sennheiser is represented by subsidiaries and partners worldwide. Also part of the Sennheiser Group are Georg Neumann GmbH, Berlin (studio microphones and monitor loudspeakers), and the joint venture Sennheiser Communications A/S (headsets for PCs, offices and call centres).

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 Kenneth 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.

Aug. 17, 2013 – Oct. 27, 2013: Ai Weiwei: According to What?

Sept. 25, 2013 – Nov. 27, 2013: David Bowie is

Nov. 30, 2013 – Mar. 2, 2014: The Great Upheaval: Modern Masterpieces from the Guggenheim Collection

Contemporary programming at the AGO is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

The Art Gallery of Ontario 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.