We recently had the pleasure of meeting with Stephan Jost, Director and CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario. We had a fascinating discussion with Mr. Jost about the AGO’s role in leading the discussion surrounding art and culture in Ontario.
One change at the AGO which has been particularly impactful was the introduction of free admission for those 25 and under and Affordable Annual passes for those over 25. Since the changes, the AGO’s reach has increased dramatically, especially amongst people in their 20’s and 30’s. Mr. Jost hopes that making the AGO more accessible to people in their 20’s will help instill in young people a greater awareness and appreciation of the gallery’s work and its artists; this is an awareness they can then carry with them throughout their lives.
We also discussed with Mr. Jost some of the AGO’s ongoing efforts to promote the work of women and racialized artists. Specifically, he shared with us the gallery’s efforts to increase representation of Ontario-based women and racialized artists in the gallery’s single-artist shows. Ultimately, the content of a gallery will have an impact on the audience that gallery is able to reach, and so by creating platforms for a greater diversity of artists, Mr. Jost hopes to create an AGO that represents the diversity of Toronto, and Ontario as a whole. Ultimately, he hopes that the AGO will be able to shape global conversations about art by reflecting and representing the people of Ontario.
Thank your, Mr. Jost, for taking the time to speak with us. We look forward to visiting the AGO again once the pandemic is over!
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