News & Events

In celebration of Berenice Abbott: Photographs opening May 2012 at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), the public is invited to attend the major exhibition, a special catalogue launch event, and a one-day conference.

Berenice Abbott: Photographs is the first retrospective of Abbott’s work. The exhibition is co-organized by the Ryerson Image Centre (RIC) and the Jeu de Paume in Paris, and curated by Dr. Gaëlle Morel, the first curator of the Ryerson Image Centre. Presented in partnership with Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), it will be on view at the AGO from May 23 to August 19, 2012. The exhibition opening on Wednesday May 23 is free to attend after 6:00 p.m.. Public remarks will be at 6:45 p.m. in the gallery space.

American photographer Berenice Abbott is best known for her documentary project Changing New York (1935-39), and for her tireless fight for the recognition of French photographer Eugène Atget. Berenice Abbott: Photographs explores the different stages of Abbott’s expansive career through more than 120 photographs alongside a series of never before exhibited personal documents including letters, book mock-ups, drawings, magazines, scrapbooks and a collection of first edition books.

Catalogue

The Jeu de Paume and the Ryerson Image Centre have produced an in-depth catalogue edited by Dr. Morel to accompany the exhibition. A catalogue launch event, “Gaëlle Morel In Conversation With Blake Fitzpatrick,” has been co-organized by the Ryerson Image Centre and This is not a Reading Series (TINARS), and will be presented with the Stephen Bulger Gallery and the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival on Tuesday, May 22, 5-7 p.m.. Professor Blake Fitzpatrick will interview Dr. Morel about the practice of curation and the art of Berenice Abbott. The event will include a book signing and opening remarks by Doina Popescu, Director of the Ryerson Image Centre. Admission is free.

Conference

A one-day public conference focusing on the work of Berenice Abbott will be presented by the Ryerson Image Centre and Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival on Saturday, May 26, from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Ryerson University. The conference will feature keynote speaker Ron Kurtz, owner of Commerce Graphics; opening remarks by Doina Popescu, Director of the Ryerson Image Centre, and Bonnie Rubenstein, Artistic Director of Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival; and a panel discussion with Dr. Morel, Dr. Sarah Miller, Dr. Terri Weissman, and moderator Sophie Hackett, Assistant Curator of Photography at the AGO. The conference will be free to attend and open to the public.

Berenice Abbott: Photographs is made possible through support from the Terra Foundation for American Art. The presentation in Toronto is supported by Ryerson University and the Ontario Arts Council.

Exhibition: Berenice Abbott: Photographs

May 23 - Aug 19, 2012
Art Gallery of Ontario
317 Dundas Street West
Regular AGO admission fees apply.

Exhibition opens  Wednesday, May 23, 2012 with FREE admission 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Catalogue Launch: Gaëlle Morel In Conversation With Blake Fitzpatrick

Tuesday, May 22, 2012  5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Stephen Bulger Gallery
1026 Queen Street West
Admission is free

Berenice Abbott: Photographs Conference

Saturday, May 26, 2012  1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Ryerson University, Rogers Communications Centre
80 Gould Street, Eaton Theatre, RCC-204 (Second Floor)
Admission is free.

Ryerson Image Centre will open its doors in September 2012 with dynamic public exhibitions in new gallery spaces, extraordinary research opportunities, and a significant   photography collection with the famous Black Star collection of approximately 292,000 photojournalistic prints at its core. International in scope, focusing on photography, new media and film, this cutting-edge centre brings an exciting combination of public exhibition of innovative work by professional Canadian and international artists, and inspiring academic research and educational opportunities, to the public and the international arts and academic communities. The Ryerson Image Centre is located in the Ryerson University Image Arts building at 33 Gould Street, in the heart of downtown Toronto. The public can subscribe to Ryerson Image Centre news and updates at www.ryerson.ca/ric.

Ryerson University is Canada's leader in innovative, career-oriented education and a university clearly on the move. With a mission to serve societal need, and a long-standing commitment to engaging its community, Ryerson offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs. Distinctly urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the university is home to more than 30,000 students, including 2,300 master's and PhD students, nearly 2,700 faculty and staff, and more than 140,000 alumni worldwide. Research at Ryerson is on a trajectory of success and growth: externally funded research has doubled in the past four years. The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education. For more information, visit www.ryerson.ca

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An intimate media preview of the exhibition will take place on Tuesday, May 22 at 10 a.m.. Space is limited. Please contact Heather Kelly by May 11 to confirm your attendance.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Heather Kelly
Director of Marketing and Communications, Ryerson Image Centre
Ryerson University
416-364-5701
heatherkelly@ryerson.ca

Kaley Stuart
Account Coordinator, NKPR
Public Relations for Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival
416-365-3630 x239
kaley@nkpr.net