AGO Friday Nights return this fall with a line up of exciting talks, performances, screenings and art parties, celebrating new exhibitions, great art and artists. AGO Friday Night programming is free with General Admission, and is always free for Indigenous Peoples, AGO Members, Annual Pass holders and visitors aged 25 and under.

2023 FALL PUBLIC PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

AGO Friday Nights
Fridays are for art lovers as the museum stays open until 9 p.m. every week. Enjoy drinks and dinner at AGO Bistro and lounge in Walker Court with our curated music playlist. Dance, dress up and get creative at special Friday night events and parties including:

Talks, Galas, Dinners & Performances
Inspired by a season of great art, the AGO welcomes creatives from around the world for the following talks, performances and celebrations.

  • On Wednesday, September 15 at 7 p.m. in Baillie Court, join photo-based Métis artist Rosalie Favell in conversation with Wanda Nanibush, AGO Curator, Indigenous Art. Favell’s work reveals her search to comment on the worlds she lives in, investigating issues of personal and cultural identities. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Rosalie Favell: Portraits of Desire. Free tickets available online. For details, visit ago.ca/events/mccready-lecture-canadian-art-rosalie-favell.
  • On Sunday, September 17 at 2 p.m., join artist Wolfgang Tillmans in conversation with University of Toronto Computer Science Professor Kyros Kutulakos about image culture, technology, knowledge creation and the advancement of AI generated images. Shown as part of Wolfgang Tillmans: To look without fear, tickets go on sale to AGO Members on August 22, 2023 and to AGO Annual Pass holders and the public on August 23, 2023. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/wolfgang-tillmans-conversation.
  • On Thursday, September 28, from 8 p.m. to late, Art Bash! The museum’s signature fundraising event returns, presented by Tricon Residential.  This exciting one-night-only gala is inspired by the art of KAWS and Keith Haring. Tickets are on sale now. For more details, visit AGOArtBash.ca.
  • On Wednesday, October 4, from 6 to 9 p.m., AGO Bistro’s Foodways Chef Series welcomes Ancila Lobo, from Ancila Indian Cuisine for a curated dinner and tour inspired by Sarindar Dhaliwal: When I grow up I want to be a namer of paint colours. Reservations open August 29. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/foodways-chef-series-flavours-india.
  • Beginning Friday, October 6, join us on the First Friday of every month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for Drawing. Drinks. Social., a pre-registered art-making social led by an artist instructor. Gallery admission, sketching supplies and drink is included in registration fee. Tickets on sale now. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/drawing.-drinks.-social.
  • On Friday, October 13 at 7 p.m., join exhibition curator and the AGO’s Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Julian Cox for a talk exploring the themes of KAWS: Family, the Canadian museum debut of Brooklyn-based artist Brian Donnelly (1974), better known as KAWS. The talk takes place in AGO’s Jackman Hall. Tickets go on sale to AGO Members on August 22, 2023 and to AGO Annual Pass holders and the public on August 23, 2023. For details, visit ago.ca/events/curators-talk-kaws-family.
  • On Saturday, October 14 at 2 p.m., join artist Sarindar Dhaliwal, artist and writer Richard Fung and curator Marcie Bronson in a conversation about Dhaliwal’s work moderated by AGO Associate Curator, Canadian Art, Renée van der Avoird. Presented as part of the exhibition Sarindar Dhaliwal: When I grow up I want to be a namer of paint colours, the talk takes place in AGO’s Jackman Hall. Tickets for this talk go on sale to AGO Members on August 22, 2023 and to AGO Annual Pass holders and the public on August 23, 2023. For details, visit ago.ca/events/sarindar-dhaliwal-conversation.
  • On Wednesday, October 18 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., the AGO stays up late to host imagineNATIVE’s Art Crawl Party. An annual citywide tradition celebrating boundary-pushing Indigenous Art, the Art Crawl concludes at the AGO, with a tour of the J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art, and a performance in Walker Court. This event is free. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/imaginenative-art-crawl-party.
  • On Friday, October 20 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the AGO welcomes Trinidadian artist, writer and curator Christopher Cozier for a talk in Jackman Hall about his work and the historical and contemporary narratives that shape our understanding of the Caribbean. Presented in partnership with OCADU’s Global Experience Project. This event is free. Tickets on sale soon. For details, visit ago.ca/events/artists-talk-christopher-cozier.
  • On Wednesday, November 8 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., the AGO celebrates International Inuit Day with a performance in Walker Court by Inuit throat singers Lydia Etok and Nina Segalowitz. This event is free. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/inuit-throat-singing-lydia-etok-nina-segalowitz.
  • On Saturday, November 11 at 2 p.m., join Fred Brathwaite, Fred Brathwaite, AKA Fab 5 Freddy, in AGO’s Jackman Hall as he discusses the acquisition of his hip-hop archive by the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center. Tickets for this talk go on sale to AGO Members on August 22, 2023 and to Annual Pass holders and the public on August 23, 2023. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/fab-5-freddy-archiving-hip-hop.
  • On Wednesday, November 22 at 7 p.m., join Michael McMillan in AGO’s Jackman Hall for a talk about his ongoing installation project, The Front Room, ahead of it’s Toronto debut as part of the exhibition Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art, 1950-Now. Tickets for this talk are on sale now. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/michael-mcmillan-front-room.
  • On Saturday, December 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the AGO’s Weston Family Learning Centre welcomes the Black Owned Toronto Market Place. To accent the exhibition, Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art, 1950-Now, the market will feature 25 Black owned local businesses, with a range of products including candles, hair care, children’s books, skin care and more. This event is free. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/black-owned-toronto-marketplace-0.
  • On Saturday, December 9 at 2 p.m., join pioneering artist and musician Jazzie B for a talk in Jackman Hall as he discusses his experience in the British-Caribbean art scene, chronicled in his book A Happy Face, a Thumpin’ Bass for a Loving Race. Tickets are on sale now. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/jazzie-b-conversation.


Film screenings
Experience the careers of artists creating work today on screen in AGO’s Jackman Hall:

AGO Members and Annual Pass holders receive discounts on select ticketed events. For details on how to become a Member or Annual Pass holder, visit AGO.ca/visit.

For a full list of upcoming AGO events and programs at the AGO, visit AGO.ca/events.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.