Summer pops at the AGO with free art-making, dance workshops, talks, and curated menus inspired by Andy Warhol

In 1964, Andy Warhol founded “The Factory,” his 47th Street Manhattan studio, where he surrounded himself with artists, musicians, writers and underground celebrities. This summer, to celebrate the blockbuster exhibition Andy Warhol opening on July 21, the AGO brings together a similar group of dynamic creatives to explore the artist’s legacy and the enduring appeal of Pop Art.

An international collaboration between the AGO, Tate Modern, Museum Ludwig and Aspen Art Museum, Andy Warhol features more than 250 artworks, including celebrity portraits, Warhol’s psychedelic multimedia environment Exploding Plastic Inevitable (1966), as well as an installation of his floating metallic pillows, entitled Silver Clouds (1956-66).

Tickets are on sale now at ago.ca and include general admission. Admission is free for all visitors 25 and under, AGO Members and holders of the $35 Annual Pass. Single tickets are $25.00 per person. The AGO takes safety very seriously, and will strictly adhere to all public health regulations. Visitors are encouraged to visit and review the reopening web page for more information and helpful FAQs, and to self-assess before visiting the Gallery.

Programming highlights for Andy Warhol are below. For more information about these and other online events, visit ago.ca/events.

For Families

• Artmaking that pops! On now to July 29, AGO presents Summer Pop!, a series of free online art-making activities for children of all ages inspired by Andy Warhol and the Pop art movement, and generously supported by Herschel Supply Company. Led by AGO Art instructors, participants can tune in every Monday through Thursday between 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. EST. Themes include Repetition, Colour and Movement. No registration is required, and sessions are live-streamed on ago.ca/summer-pop. Visit ago.ca for a full schedule.

For Youth

• Inspired by Warhol’s portrait series Ladies and Gentlemen, and in collaboration with Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance, the AGO presents free beginner-level dance workshops covering the five elements of Vogue Fem. Happening every Wednesday through August 25, at 3 p.m., Vogue dancing pioneer Twysted will lead class via. Zoom. To register and for more details, visit ago.ca/events/beginner-vogue-workshops.

• On July 29, tune into @agotoronto’s Instagram at 3 p.m. for the free talk What Do We Think about Andy?  Inspired by the campy and candid style of Interview Magazine, Toronto-based writer Cason Sharpe joins local artists as they discuss their art practices and Warhol’s daunting legacy. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/what-do-we-think-about-andy.

Talks

• On July 26, the AGO’s Close Looking series continues with an audio description about the Warhol painting Elvis I and II (1963;1964) by Assistant Curator of Community Programs, Melissa Smith. The talk will air on AGO’s Facebook Page at 11 a.m. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/close-looking-andy-warhol-creative-audio-description.

• On August 10 at 7 p.m., join acclaimed author and critic Blake Gopnik for a conversation about his recent biography Warhol. Gopnik will discuss Warhol’s working-class upbringing, his development as an artist, his celebrity—and his attempted assassination. To register for this free Zoom talk, stayed tuned to ago.ca/events for details.

• On August 19 at 7 p.m., join AGO curator Kenneth Brummel, art historian Kirstin Ringelberg and artist and activist Ravyn Wngz for Andy Warhol: Ladies and Gentlemen, a conversation about Warhol’s 1975 portrait series of New York’s Latinx and African-American drag queens and trans women. For more information and to register for this free Zoom talk, visit ago.ca/events/andy-warhol-ladies-and-gentlemen.

• On September 8 at 7 p.m., we welcome Karen Kain, Artistic Director Emerita of The National Ballet of Canada, in conversation with AGO curator Kenneth Brummel, for a free Zoom talk about what it feels like to be immortalized on canvas by Warhol. For more information, stay tuned to #AGOToronto and ago.ca/events for ticketing details.

Accessibility

• Andy Warhol marks the debut of BlindSquare powered audio guides at the AGO. The Gallery is the first art museum in Canada to use BlindSquare, which uses a GPS-based navigation app to deliver audio instructions to your smartphone. The system will be used in the exhibition to help guests who are blind or partially sighted with wayfinding and content sharing of exhibition pieces. For more information and how to download, visit ago.ca/agoinsider/wayfinding-art.

• Andy Warhol will feature a Visual Audio Description tour of five artworks in the exhibition including famed works like Dolly Parton (1985) and Elvis I and II (1963;1964). Visitors can access the self-guided tour from their phones by scanning high contrast QR codes located on select panel text inside the exhibition.

Shop & Dine

• In celebration of Andy Warhol, AGO Bistro is presenting Warhol-inspired menus to enjoy at home. Featuring pop-art-inspired delights like Shake ’n’ Bake Chicken and Cherry Cola Swirl Cake, diners can order the dinner set for takeout, delivery or in-store pickup through Uber Eats. The Afternoon Tea Set is pick-up only and can be ordered online via ago.ca. The AGO Bistro patio opens July 21 at the corner of Dundas St. West and McCaul Streets. For full menus, details on hours and capacity limits for the patio, visit ago.ca/dine/ago-bistro.

• shopAGO invites visitors to add a splash of colour with artful products inspired by Andy Warhol and the Pop art movement. Highlights include Andy Warhol, the 224-page hardcover exhibition catalogue by Gregor Muir and Yilmaz Dziewior; Warhol, an autobiography of the Pop art icon by Blake Gopnik; and a Warhol Limoges plate collection. A full range of products are available online and in Gallery (at the shopAGO store and exhibition satellite shop), to see more visit shop.ago.ca/category/101/600/andy-warhol/. Physical distancing and capacity measures are in place inside the shop.

Acknowledgments

The AGO is grateful to the following for support of Education & Programming:

Summer Pop! generously supported by:

Lead Sponsor: Herschel Supply Company

Family Programs generously supported by:

The Mariano Elia Foundation

Janis Rotman

Upper Canada College

Youth Programs generously supported by:
The Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation

Accessibility Programs generously supported by:
Greenrock Charitable Trust

Additional assistance from:
Matthew Teitelbaum Fund for Community Access Initiatives

Andy Warhol is organized by Tate Modern, London, in collaboration with Museum Ludwig, Cologne, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto and Aspen Art Museum, Colorado. It is curated by Gregor Muir, Director of Collection, International Art, and Fiontán Moran, Assistant Curator, Tate Modern; and Yilmaz Dziewior, Director, and Stephan Diederich, Curator, Collection of Twentieth-Century Art, Museum Ludwig, Cologne. Curated at Art Gallery of Ontario by Kenneth Brummel, Associate Curator, Modern Art.

Signature Partner: RBC

Supporting Sponsors:

Bulgari

Heffel Fine Art Auction House

Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky

Generous Support: Janet Scott Family

Generous Assistance: Carol & Morton Rapp

Supported by the Government of Canada

@AGOToronto | #WarholAGO

ABOUT THE AGO
Located in Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America, attracting approximately one million visitors annually. The AGO Collection of more than 120,000 works of art ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art to significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists and European masterpieces. The AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, including solo exhibitions and acquisitions by diverse and underrepresented artists from around the world. In 2019, the AGO launched a bold new initiative designed to make the museum even more welcoming and accessible with the introduction of free admission for anyone 25 years and under and a $35 annual pass. Visit AGO.ca to learn more.

The AGO is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. 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.