A popular, informal community engagement program featuring musical performance, tea, and insider art presentations by gallery staff and special guests offering insights into an aspect of Agnes research and processes. Inside Agnes is free and all are welcome. Creation Station for families runs at the same time.

8 September  Barry Yuen Trio and Danuta Sierhuis, Digital Development Coordinator
13 October  Moellman family and Jan Allen, Director
10 November The Hannibal Quartet and Maxime Valsamas, Curatorial Assistant – European Art
8 December  Canta Arya Strings and Marissa Monette, Collections Assistant

8 September 2019
The Barry Yuen Trio gives you a blast from the past through hit songs from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. You will hear songs by the Beatles, the Monkees, Buddy Holly, Jim Croce, The Carpenters, and some Johnny Cash, for those who want a bit of country flavor, as well as many others. This Trio encourages singing along and remembering the hits from the past.

Danuta Sierhuis, Digital Development Coordinator, will share a behind-the-scenes look at some of the exciting digital initiatives that have been underway at Agnes over the last year and give a glimpse of what is soon to come. From creating digital interactive maps as part of the Leiden circa 1630: Rembrandt Emerges exhibition to enriching the presence of The Bader Collection online, Sierhuis will discuss how Agnes is realizing the importance and seizing the opportunities of digital technologies in an art museum setting.

13 October 2019
The children of the Moellman family are acclaimed for their engaging performances on violin and piano. They were featured in all three of the Barrie Concert Association’s noontime concert series, sold-out fundraising concerts at the Orillia Opera House and, since 2012, yearly showcase concerts for the Orillia, Barrie, and now Kingston Kiwanis Music Festivals. Their participation in the National Finals of the 2018 Canadian Music Competition earned each of them 3rd place in their respective age categories. Awards at the annual OMFA Provincial Competition include 5 bronze, 2 silver, and 2 consecutive gold medals over the past five years. They frequently share their musical gifts with residents of local retirement homes, at annual Culture Days concerts, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, and in local concerts.

Following tea, at 3 pm in the Atrium, Agnes Director Jan Allen will share highlights of research notes garnered during her recent trip to the 2019 Venice Biennale. The 58th iteration of this revered international art exhibition was curated by Ralph Rugoff under the thematic framework May You Live In Interesting Times.

10 November 2019
The Hannibal Quartet is a jazz combo featuring Queen’s saxophonist Helena Hannibal along with a rotating rhythm section made up of Queen’s and Kingston community musicians. The group enjoys performing traditional jazz standards as well as more contemporary works with a strong appreciation for funk and latin influences. Over the past few years the band has been actively performing for private and public functions across Kingston and surrounding communities most recently featured under experimental jazz at the Kingston Jazz Society’s Autumn Festival.

Following tea, at 3 pm, enjoy an insider art talk with Maxime Valsamas, Curatorial Assistant – European Art and print specialist. Though physically small, Rembrandt’s Christ Disputing with the Doctors: Small Plate (on loan from the AGO, Toronto) and Jan van Vliet’s By. t. geeue / Bestaet Ons Leeue (a recent acquisition) convey noble messages about Christianity in the seventeenth-century Dutch Republic. Exploring the distinct printmaking techniques of these two artists, Maxime Valsamas will reveal the unifying human appeal of two works highlighted in the Leiden circa 1630: Rembrandt Emerges exhibit currently on view at the Agnes.

8 December 2019
Canta Arya Strings has performed its eclectic mix of celtic to classic to fiddle music for over seventeen years. The ensemble, comprised of senior members of Canta Arya School for Strings, have won numerous awards at the local Kiwanis Festival with many alumni going on to pursue scholarship performance, music education and music therapy at university.

Following tea, at 3 pm, enjoy an insider art talk with Marissa Monette, Collections Assistant. Costume and textile conservators often say you never truly know how a piece will come alive until it is mounted and dressed on a mannequin. Pulling from examples in Stepping Out: Clothes for a Gallery Goer, conservator Marissa Monette will offer a glimpse into the process of preparing costumes for an exhibition. Featuring aspects of conservation treatment, mount preparation, and lastly dressing the mannequins to “step out” into the gallery