Ontario Association of Art Galleries
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 395 M5V 3A8 Toronto, ON, Canada

The Ontario Association of Art Galleries /Association Ontarienne des Galeries d’Art (OAAG/AOGA) is proud to announce the shortlist for the 2020 OAAG/AOGA Awards! The Awards acknowledge arts institutions and professionals in the public art gallery sector for their artistic merit and excellence. Join us on Monday, November 30th, 2020, at 6:00pm ET virtually as we celebrate the excellence and proud professional accomplishments of Ontario’s public art galleries. Due to the health... crisis we focused on the excellence, innovation, and resilience of our sector for five categories which were peer-reviewed by a jury. Click through the album to see all of the shortlisted nominees. *Please note: all exhibition shortlists follow the format of Exhibition Title, Curator(s), Gallery. Thank you to our wonderful 2020 OAAG/AOGA Award Jurors: Demetra Christakos Patricia Deadman Vince Rozario Thank you to our incredible sponsors, without them this event would not be possible! FLASH REPRODUCTIONS, Canadian Art Surface Impression #2020OAAGAward

Ontario has now moved into the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework set out by Ontario’s public health. The framework categorizes public health regions into five levels: Green-Prevent, Yellow-Protect, Orange-Restrict, Red-Control, and Lockdown being a measure of last and urgent resort. At the request of the local medical officer of health, and with the support of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Toronto Public Health would remain in a modified Stage 2 until Novem...ber 14, 2020. As of Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 12:01 a.m., public health unit regions would be moved to the following levels: Lockdown: No public health unit regions. Red-Control: Peel Regional Health Unit. Orange-Restrict: Ottawa Public Health; and York Region Public Health. Yellow-Protect: Brant County Health Unit; City of Hamilton Public Health Services; Durham Region Health Department; Eastern Ontario Health Unit; Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit; Halton Region Public Health; Niagara Region Public Health; Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services; Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit; and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. Green-Prevent: Algoma Public Health; Chatham-Kent Public Health; Grey Bruce Health Unit; Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health; Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit; Hastings Prince Edward Public Health; Huron Perth Public Health; Lambton Public Health; Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit; Middlesex-London Health Unit; North Bay Parry Sound District; Northwestern Health Unit; Peterborough Public Health; Porcupine Health Unit; Public Health Sudbury & Districts; Renfrew County and District Health Unit; Southwestern Public Health; Thunder Bay District Health Unit; Timiskaming Health Unit; and Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. Public health measures required for each level can be found in the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework. https://www.ontario.ca//covid-19-response-framework-keepin See news release here. https://response.oaag.org/provincial-update-ontario-moves-/

Breaking News: NEW MEASURES FOR MODIFIED STAGE 2 FOR TORONTO, PEEL REGION AND OTTAWA. Ontario reverts to modified Stage 2 for COVID-19 hotspots. Effective 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 10, a number of new measures will be implemented in Toronto, Peel Region and Ottawa for a period of at least 28 days. Businesses that must close include:... - Performing arts centres and venues - Spectator areas in racing venues - Interactive exhibits or exhibits with a high risk of personal contact in museums, galleries, zoos, science centres, landmarks - Indoor dining restriction applies to restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments, including nightclubs and food courts in malls. - Prohibiting personal care services where face coverings must be removed for the service - Indoor gyms and fitness centres, including yoga studios and dance studios, will also be closed in these regions. - Cinemas, casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments are also required to close. For a full list of modifications, reduced capacity limits and closings, see link. http://ow.ly/wySu50BOEo7 We will continue to update on these changes and the support that will be provided as the information becomes available. For the Government of Ontario News Release https://news.ontario.ca//ontario-implementing-additional-p

Join OAAG/AOGA and AAMC for Curator Conversations, a private evening event, featuring a keynote "Institutions - Remnants, Reborn, Resettled" by London-based curator and writer Shaheen Merali. Following the presentations, attendees will be able to break out into smaller groups to continue the conversation and network together. This is a special event presented by the Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG/AOGA) in partnership with the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC). Read more about this networking event and RSVP here: https://bit.ly/2SAfjkP

PROVINCIAL UPDATE: Ontario Releases COVID-19 Response Framework to Help Keep the Province Safe and Open. In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts, the Ontario government has developed the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework. It ensures that public health measures are targeted, incremental and responsive to help limit the spread of COVID-19, while keeping schools and businesses open, maintaining health system capacity and protecting... vulnerable people, including those in long-term care. The framework takes a gradual approach that includes introducing preventative measures earlier to help avoid broader closures and allow for additional public health and workplace safety measures to be introduced or removed incrementally. It categorizes public health unit regions into five levels: Green-Prevent, Yellow-Protect, Orange-Restrict, Red-Control, and Lockdown being a measure of last and urgent resort. Each level outlines the types of public health and workplace safety measures for businesses and organizations. These include targeted measures for specific sectors, institutions and other settings. To read the entire Press Release https://news.ontario.ca//ontario-releases-covid-19-respons To see the detailed 20-page plan, https://files.ontario.ca/moh-covid-19-response-framework-ke

Just a little over a week left to register for this event! Come listen to London UK-based Shaheen Merali, curator and writer, who will present a keynote Institutions Remnants, Reborn, Resettled. Participants will also get to break out into smaller groups for discussions and meet international art curators and other arts professionals of all backgrounds; do not miss this fantastic opportunity. This event is in collaboration with the Association of Art Museum Curators(AAMC) on October 27 at 5:00 PM ET.

Watch the virtual tête-à-tête of Zainub Verjee, Executive Director of OAAG, speaking on Arts Service Organizations with Anne Frost, Program Coordinator of Arts Administration and Cultural Management at Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Nominations for the 43rd annual OAAG/AOGA Awards are closing on October 9th, 2020. So, get your nomination in soon! As a reminder, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to make a few changes. We will be hosting an online celebration on November 30th, 2020, and have condensed the awards to the following five; Exhibition of the Year Award (Budget over $50,000, Budget under $20,000 and Budget under $10,000), Changemaker BIPOC Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award. M...ore details and the Nomination Package are found here. http://ow.ly/76Bv50BI5wV See more

On Friday, October 2, 2020 at 1:00 PM (ET) join the Honourable Minister Lisa MacLeod, Ontario's Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries to host 9th Multi-Sector Telephone Town Hall to discuss the government's response to COVID-19. Registration closes on October 1, 2020 at 4:00PM (ET). Register to join the call HERE: https://bit.ly/3ifpaXm

Governor General Julie Payette delivers the Speech from the Throne, where the Federal Government has pledged a campaign "to create over one million jobs," and extend the Canada Wage Subsidy (CEWS) through next summer. The Federal government also pledges "further support" for hard-hit sectors such as travel and tourism, hospitality, and arts and culture. Read a summary and find the full Speech from the Throne on our Response platform here: https://response.oaag.org/speech-f...rom-the-throne-governor-/ You can watch the Speech from the Throne and a New Session of Parliament here: https://www.cpac.ca/en/throne-speech-2020/#

The Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG) has proudly celebrated excellence in Ontario’s public art galleries through the annual OAAG/AOGA Awards, a keystone event in our cultural calendar. By now, planning for the 2020 awards season should be well underway; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a few changes. We will be hosting an online celebration on November 30th, 2020. Details to be announced at a later date. For our 43rd OAAG/AOGA Awards, we are focuse...d on the excellence, innovation, and resilience of our sector. We are now announcing a limited Call for Nominations in the following categories: 1. EXHIBITION OF THE YEAR/EXPOSITION DE L’ANNÉE: Budget over $50,000 2. EXHIBITION OF THE YEAR/EXPOSITION DE L’ANNÉE:: Budget under $20,000 3. EXHIBITION OF THE YEAR/EXPOSITION DE L’ANNÉE: Budget under $10,000 4. CHANGEMAKER BIPOC AWARD/LE PRIX DU CHANGEMAKER BIPOC 5. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD/PRIX D’EXCELLENCE POUR L’ENSEMBLE DES RÉALISATIONS Deadline to apply is October 9th, 2020! To find the 2020 OAAG / AOGA Awards Nomination package, which outlines the changes to the nomination process, visit here: https://bit.ly/2ZO0Rtj

OAAG/AOGA Executive Director, Zainub Verjee, had a long phone interview with Richard Warnica, of the National Post. Almost 40% of university galleries are facing a serious threat to their operations with an average revenue loss is 10.5% of the budgets and 60% of the galleries will suffer cuts to its staffing levels. Find the article here: https://bit.ly/32ZUJPv

We are hiring! OAAG/AOGA is looking for a Communications/Public Relations and Special Projects Assistant (YCW-BCH) to join our team. Passionate about the visual arts sector? A recent grad from a visual arts, arts admin, or related program? Looking to develop a greater connection to the visual arts sector while advocating, promoting, and strengthening the voice of public art galleries? This position could be for you!... Note that this position is funded through the Government of Canada's Young Canada Works (YCW) Building Careers in Heritage program. DEADLINE TO APPLY: September 4th, 2020. For more information and how to apply, visit our job posting here: https://response.oaag.org/oaag-aoga-job-opening-communicat/

The Ontario Arts Council has launched a new $1.6 million Arts Response Initiative (ARI) that will help Ontario Artists and arts organizations respond to challenges posed by the pandemic. This one-time initiative will support activities and expenses focused on research, training and planning ways to adapt artistic practices and activities in response to the COVID-19 context. OAC’s project programs continue to support arts creation, production, presentation or dissemination an...d arts engagement activities, many with expanded eligibility related to COVID-19. This funding is available to: --- Individuals (deadline to Apply October 20, 2020) --- Ad Hoc Groups, Collectives and Organizations, and (deadline to apply November 3, 2020) --- Organizational Partnerships (deadline to apply November 3, 2020) For program details, eligibility details, and to apply, visit : https://bit.ly/31VMW4X

Hey OAAG/AOGA Members! Join us today at 2:00PM for our Member Monday Meeting! Today we will have Chartered Accountant, David Burkes, available to answer your auditing and accounting questions during COVID-19. As well, there will be ample opportunity for open discussion amongst members. To find out more and to RSVP, visit here: https://response.oaag.org/oaag-aoga-member-monday-virtual-/

Today the Ontario government announced that nearly all businesses and public spaces will reopen in Stage 3 of the province's reopening framework with public health and workplace safety measures and restrictions in place. As a part of the Stage 3 reopening, Ontario will be increasing gathering limits for those regions entering the next stage to the following: --- Indoor gathering limits will increase to a maximum of 50 people;... --- Outdoor gathering limits will increase to a maximum of 100 people; --- Gathering limits are subject to physical distancing measures. However not all regions are permitted into entering Stage 3. For a full list of the regions that are able to enter Stage 3 visit here: https://response.oaag.org/provincial-update-nearly-all-bus/ For a full announcement from the Ontario government, visit here: https://bit.ly/3j2P8iv

There is still time to register for our Scenario Planning webinar, presented in collaboration with Ontario Museum Association! The sector is currently working through a time of extreme uncertainty. Art galleries and museums can benefit from scenario planning as it offers a methodology for thinking about what might happen so institutions can prepare for a range of possibilities. Judy Wolfe and Karen Wishart of Consulting Matrix will facilitate a small group of sector leaders ...from Art Gallery of Sudbury, Canadian Automotive Museum, Museum London and Woodland Cultural Centre while other participants observe the process. Observing participants will be able to ask questions of the panellists as they work through the agenda and scenario planning. This webinar could not be more timely! To learn more and register, visit here: https://bit.ly/38FQBXe

Today is the second day of our Digital Data Mixer event! This morning we heard from Erin Canning, Ontology Systems Analyst, LINCS. Erin talked about how galleries can use conceptual and technical tools to help them tackle their collections data questions. As we head into the afternoon session, we will hear from Zahir Alibhai, Manager, Data Analytics, Enterprise Fortune 10 Company (Los Angeles) about Machine Insights and Human Decisions. Specifically, Zahir will discuss how b...oth common and cutting-edge analytics enhance operations and inform decision-making in the public sector with direct and indirect impact to customers. Interested in learning more about our Digital Data Mixer Event? Visit our website here: https://response.oaag.org/register-now-digital-data-mixer-/