Art Gallery of Ontario Director Stephan Jost to Depart After a Decade
Stephan Jost will step down as director and CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) at the end of the year, the Toronto museum announced on Tuesday. During his tenure, the AGO expanded its modern and contemporary holdings, including acquisitions of 450 works by Diane Arbus, 200 works by Peter Hujar, and 227 works by Hiroshi Sugimoto, and it plans to open a new 40,000-square-foot, five-floor modern and contemporary gallery in 2027. His leadership also drew controversy, including the 2023 departure of Indigenous art curator Wanda Nanibush amid scrutiny of her pro-Palestine social media posts, reports that a Nan Goldin acquisition was rejected after her comments on Gaza, and a 2024 strike by more than 400 unionized workers that closed the museum for a month. The AGO said Jost helped secure $500 million in gifts and expanded access by making admission free for Ontario residents under 25, and it will begin a search for a successor.
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This story was covered in Museums in Meltdown, Billionaires in Control