The AGO’s Art Bash 2025 Unites Toronto’s Creative Scene
Here’s a glimpse into the Art Gallery of Ontario’s 125th anniversary celebration.
Art Bash 2025 at the Art Gallery of Ontario marked a milestone for both the museum and for Toronto’s art scene, bringing together over a thousand guests for a dazzling evening under the gallery’s iconic architecture. The event, held on September 25, was a culmination of the AGO’s 125th anniversary summer. It also set a new fundraising record of $1.4 million to support collections, exhibitions and access programs, thanks to the generosity of its vibrant community.
The Jackman family—Consuelo, Trinity, and Victoria—led the night with warmth and a sense of heritage, inviting attendees to celebrate not just a storied institution but the enduring power of creative collaboration. Art Bash 2025 echoed the AGO’s beginnings while inviting guests to imagine its future, reminding everyone that the city’s leading cultural institutions rely on the vision and passion of those who support them.
Design, as always, took centre stage. The gallery was transformed with sleek lighting, inventive installations and thoughtfully-curated details—a reflection of both the AGO’s legacy and Toronto’s brimming creative energy. The space balanced celebration with reflection, paying homage to the artworks and the community that sustains them.
Programming pulsed with a modern beat—musical performances by Felix Cartal, Dre Ngozi and the Nat Beja Trio set the tone, while Cake Cabaret’s burlesque brought theatrical flair to the evening affair. The night also featured exclusive installations by artists Fiona Freemark, Jacob Robert Whibley, Marie Lambin-Gagnon, Marigold Santos, Moses Salihou and Rachel Joanis, showcasing new voices in Canadian art and welcoming guests to experience their work in dialogue with the AGO’s storied collection.
At its core, Art Bash was a tribute—to giving, to creativity and to legacy.
As the festivities drew to a close, guests lingered—connecting, reflecting and imagining the future—and the AGO stood poised for another chapter of innovation and inclusion. Record-breaking totals aside, the evening’s success lay in its ability to unite a community around art, style, and shared possibility.
This year’s celebration was made possible by the 2025 VIP Dinner Committee (Daniel Abichandani, Sonja Berman, Sunir Chandaria, Rochelle de Goias-Jackman, Jessica de Ruiter, Cleophee Eaton, Daniel Faria, Andrew Federer, Francesca Feldman, Emmanuelle Gattuso, Amanda Gotlieb, Maxine Granovsky Gluskin, Robert Harding, Beth Horowitz, Rosamond Ivey, Shanitha Kachan, Josée Letarte, Emily Masuda, Liza Mauer, Jennifer Tanenbaum, Susan Wortzman and Robin Young) and the 2025 Art Party Committee (Tarini Chandak, Erika Ceddia, Nina Neimarlija, Jack-Malcolm Samedi, Madeline Sarracini and Jaime Shulman).
Click through the gallery below to see what you missed, including standout installations, a glimpse at the stylish attendees and scenes from an unforgettable evening.
Photography courtesy of the Art Gallery of Ontario
Fashion FWD:
The next best thing to being a fashion editor - BTS access to trends, products & news.