Sep 26, 2024

Swiping right with art

The AGO presents Awkward First Date Tours where art does the icebreaking for you 

By Wendy So
A young woman wearing a long white dress sits a table. She is slumped in her seat. Sitting beside her is a young man wearing a black suit.

Florence Carlyle. The Tiff, c. 1902. oil on canvas, Overall: 183.8 x 134.6 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. Gift of the Government of the Province of Ontario, 1972. Photo © AGO. 72/14

First dates are usually nerve-wracking, but they don’t always have to be.   

This fall, the AGO invites visitors to make a good first date impression with Awkward First Date Tours. On the third Friday of each month, an AGO Art Educator leads the way through some of the Gallery’s most iconic pieces – all while visitors participate in fun ice-breaking games to see if they are the ‘perfect match.’  

Joey Suriano, Curatorial Assistant of School Programs and Early Learning at the AGO, says the idea first emerged from Sarah Febbraro, the AGO Youth Program Curator. Suriano then worked with Zavette Quadros-Evangelista, Manager, School Programs and Early Learning, to develop unique tours themed depending on what’s on view at the AGO.  

Out of all the Awkward First Date Tours Suriano has witnessed, he fondly remembers watching a couple get acquainted: “I witnessed what I assumed was a first date on our first-ever tour.  I saw a well-dressed man arrive and pacing around in Walker Court.  He quietly signed up very early and then sat and waited until his date arrived.  When she arrived, I watched them shake hands and chat awkwardly before the tour started.  When they came back from the tour, they were smiling and seemed to have a good time.  I hope they’re still seeing each other.” 

Sign up for your Awkward Date Tour in Walker Court on Friday, September 27, October 25, November 29 and December 27.

Tours are 30 minutes long and depart from Walker Court at 6 pm, 7 pm, and 8 pm. Space is limited; sign-up begins at 5:30 pm. For more details, visit https://ago.ca/events/awkward-first-date-tours.  

TAGS

Read Foyer

Subscribe to our newsletter for art and culture stories delivered to your inbox.