80 Works. Six Decades. One Icon. The AGO presents the first major Georgia O’Keeffe retrospective in Canada

Tickets go on sale April 7; inspired art classes, special menus and other artful programming will enhance the exhibition experience

Next month, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) will present the final and only North American stop for a major retrospective of one of the most significant painters of our time, Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986). Following the blockbuster success of this exhibition at the Tate Modern in London, England and Bank Austria Kunstforum in Vienna, Austria, it lands in Toronto to offer new perspective on the trailblazing figure. This will also mark the largest and most significant exhibition of the artist’s work ever presented in Canada with more than 80 works, including two paintings exclusive to the AGO’s presentation. Georgia O’Keeffe runs from Apr. 22 – July 30, 2017. Tickets to view the exhibition go on sale on Apr. 7, 2017.

“While Georgia O’Keeffe is most widely recognized for her iconic paintings of flowers and skulls, this exhibition takes visitors on a journey spanning six decades of her prolific career, introducing audiences to her abstract paintings that defined her career,” says AGO curator Georgiana Uhlyarik. “This retrospective delves beyond the public persona to present O’Keeffe in a new light, and encourages visitors to discover O’Keeffe as she saw herself.”

Throughout her long career, O’Keeffe won the respect of many for her outward fierceness and tenacity. Using quotes from the artist herself, the exhibition tells the story of O’Keeffe’s trajectory through her own words, offering a glimpse into her inner world. Charting her artistic journey from the plains of West Texas to the high desert of New Mexico, the works of art on view reveal the essence of O’Keeffe’s deeply personal connection to landscape, architecture and nature that inspired her singular vision. A collection of 45 photographs by Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams, Paul Strand and Arnold Newman explores how photography influenced O’Keeffe’s artistic style, and vice versa.

Timed-entry tickets for Georgia O’Keeffe go on sale to the public on Apr. 7, 2017 and are $16.50 for post-secondary students and youth ages 17 and under, $21.50 for seniors and $25 for adults. Tickets will be available online at ago.net/georgia-okeeffe, in person and by phone. Admission is free for AGO Members and for children five and under. AGO Members have access to an exclusive preview before the exhibition opens to the public. More information on the benefits of AGO membership can be found at ago.net/general-membership.

The Gallery is also offering an exciting line-up of programming, including talks, menus and a wide array of art courses and workshops inspired by the life and work of O’Keeffe.

TALKS
My Faraway One: Selected Letters of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz
May 17, 2017 at 7 p.m.
Explore Georgia O’Keeffe’s legendary personal and aesthetic partnership with Alfred Stieglitz in a special talk with Sarah Greenough, Senior Curator of Photographs, National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, acclaimed author and the editor of My Faraway One: Selected Letters of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz, Volume One, 1915-1933. Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for members and $17 for the public.

AGO FIRST THURSDAYS: GENDER TROUBLE
May 4, 2017 at 7 p.m.
Inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s famous declaration “I am not a woman painter!” the May First Thursday brings together artists who play with the connections and contradictions between gender, art and politics. Guest artists will demonstrate intersectional, multidisciplinary practices that at turns celebrate, critique and reject the construction of gender. Headlining is Toronto’s beloved and fierce Maylee Todd, who brings her multimedia Virtual Womb project to life in Walker Court. The night will also feature artist projects by Catherine MacTavish and Madelyne Beckles and an interactive created by artist and illustrator Kendra Yee. Plus pop-up talks, our monthly Out of the Vaults installation, DJs, drinks and dancing.

ADULT COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
An extensive selection of flower-themed adult art courses, in honour of the late artist’s famed motifs, will expand the exhibition experience. Class schedules can be found at ago.net/courses-workshops. Classes include the “ultimate crash course in studio sampling”, watercolours, printmaking, photography, studio projects and more.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES
The AGO is offering a special O’Keeffe-inspired workshop for families called Bones and Stones, which teaches kids and parents to make art and sculpture using stones and bones as inspiration. For more information visit http://www.ago.net/courses-at-the-ago-spring-2017.

FRANK
Beginning on Apr. 19, 2017 (for the member’s preview) the AGO’s FRANK restaurant celebrates this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition with a three course prix-fixe menu. The special menu focuses on local and seasonal bounty with a New Mexico flair, inspired by O’Keeffe’s love of using the freshest ingredients from her own garden and cooking simply to preserve the integrity of each vegetable. The menu features a stunning floral Georgia O’Keeffe-inspired cocktail, the brunch menu will include red chile cheese and black bean enchiladas, and lunch and dinner menus will include pan-seared Ontario trout served with white bean and artichoke puree, grilled spring onions and sunflower seed-dill pesto. The lunch menu is $35 and the dinner menu is $45. A prix-fixe dinner and exhibition package is $65. Members receive a 10 per cent discount on regular FRANK menu items, excluding alcohol, applicable taxes and gratuities. For reservations, call 416-979-6688.

shopAGO
shopAGO marks Georgia O’Keeffe with a wide variety of artful products. A 271-page colour catalogue from Tate Publishing offers new scholarship on O’Keeffe and her work and includes contributions from the curators in addition to renowned visual theorist and cultural analyst Griselda Pollock. Other highlights include exquisite representations of key works in art prints, a Georgia O’Keeffe-inspired tea blend from the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in New Mexico and unique gift ideas inspired by the stark beauty of the desert and vibrant culture of New Mexico, where she resided for many years, including cactus-themed attire and home décor items, colourful scarves and more.

Full details for all Georgia O’Keeffe events, programs and offerings can be found at ago.net.

Georgia O’Keeffe is organized by Tate Modern in collaboration with Bank Austria Kunstforum, Vienna and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. Curated by Georgiana Uhlyarik, Associate Curator, Canadian Art, AGO, Tanya Barson, Chief Curator, MACBA, Barcelona (formerly Curator, International Art, Tate Modern) and Hannah Johnston, Assistant Curator, Tate Modern.

Supporting Sponsor: Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Generously supported by: Tony Comper, in memory of Elizabeth
Nance Gelber & Daniel Bjarnason

Supported by the Government of Canada / Avec l’appui du gouvernement du Canada.

Media partner: The Globe and Mail
ABOUT THE AGO

With a collection of close to 95,000 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’s masterpiece The Massacre of The Innocents, the AGO offers an incredible art experience with each visit. In 2002, Ken 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 learn more.

Sept. 30, 2017 – Jan. 7, 2018: Guillermo del Toro: At Home With Monsters

Mar. 3 – May 27, 2018: Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors

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.