More than 1800 arts patrons packed the Art Gallery of Ontario for this year’s Massive Party
More than 1800 arts patrons packed the Art Gallery of Ontario for this year’s Massive Party
By Andrew Wallace | April 24, 2012
By Andrew Wallace | 04/24/2012
Last Thursday, 1800 people packed into the Art Gallery of Ontario for one of the biggest galas of the year: the AGO’s Massive Party. Judging from the gigantic fascinators and whimsical get-ups, this is an event targeted at—and attended by—a segment of the city’s up-and-coming creative, young professionals. Of course, we also spotted some of the old guard, who, we have to admit, exhibited a more refined sense of dress and decorum than the younger patrons (we’re fairly certain we saw the flesh of one young woman’s derriere popping out of her sultry red dress). Members of the Weston family huddled in a corner on the third floor chatting idly with Sentry Investments vice-president Wolfgang G. Kruning and his wife (though the Loblaw magnates were loathe to have their picture taken), and the party’s artistic director Bruno Billio made the rounds alongside party co-chairs Laura Adams and Hughene Acheson.
The sprawling fete occupied three floors with a self-contained party on each. Party-goers walked onto the rammed foyer and were greeted by two bars that lined a giant tableau-style mock-Victorian photobooth. The “pics or it didn’t happen” mentality ensured there was plenty of activity there all night, but the area largely served as a transition between the parties downstairs and up. What was arguably the largest elevator we’ve ever set foot in took us to a prom-themed affair downstairs, complete with a full basketball court (dunking was strictly forbidden—we may or may not have tried) and a live band. But the real action was upstairs. At points, the line up to get into the elevator was so long that a friendly security guard tipped us off to the fact that if we left the third floor we might never return. Wisely, we stayed. The Soul Proprietor (Eon Sinclair of Bedouin Soundclash ) spun party tunes and the dance floor eventually filled up, shifting the vibe from stiff to kind of sloppy (an inevitability, really, with that many pretty young people and that much free booze). The party became so loose toward the end of the evening that we were certain we’d spot a desperate last-minute hookup or a dance-floor makeout—and we were delighted by no less than two couples passionately locking lips right in front of us.
133340 (Image: Erin Seaman) AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO_intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO_intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO_intro.jpg 656 406 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12ago_intro/ apr12ago_intro 0 0
133338 (Image: Erin Seaman) Sentry Investments Vice-President Wolfgang G. Kruning and wife AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOWolfgangKruningWife-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOWolfgangKruningWife.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOWolfgangKruningWife.jpg 550 550 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12agowolfgangkruningwife/ apr12agowolfgangkruningwife 0 0
Sentry Investments Vice-President Wolfgang G. Kruning and wife
133336 (Image: Erin Seaman) Photographer Ravi Lall and Erin Canning AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGORaviLallErinCanning-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGORaviLallErinCanning.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGORaviLallErinCanning.jpg 550 550 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12agoravilallerincanning/ apr12agoravilallerincanning 0 0
Photographer Ravi Lall and Erin Canning
133335 (Image: Erin Seaman) New York-based designer Jamie Phelan, artist Jon Sasaki and designer and architect Jennifer Davis AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOPhelanSasakiDavis-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOPhelanSasakiDavis.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOPhelanSasakiDavis.jpg 600 504 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12agophelansasakidavis/ apr12agophelansasakidavis 0 0
New York-based designer Jamie Phelan, artist Jon Sasaki and designer and architect Jennifer Davis
133334 (Image: Erin Seaman) TIFF senior manager Paula Whitmore and friends AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOPaulaWhitmoreFriends-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOPaulaWhitmoreFriends.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOPaulaWhitmoreFriends.jpg 600 504 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12agopaulawhitmorefriends/ apr12agopaulawhitmorefriends 0 0
TIFF senior manager Paula Whitmore and friends
133333 (Image: Erin Seaman) Morgan Bidner AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOMoragnBidner-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOMoragnBidner.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOMoragnBidner.jpg 358 600 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12agomoragnbidner/ apr12agomoragnbidner 0 0
Morgan Bidner
133331 (Image: Erin Seaman) Stikeman Elliott communications manager Maggie Fhairs and Elizabeth McLean AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOMaggieFhairsElizabethMcLean-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOMaggieFhairsElizabethMcLean.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOMaggieFhairsElizabethMcLean.jpg 600 504 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12agomaggiefhairselizabethmclean/ apr12agomaggiefhairselizabethmclean 0 0
Stikeman Elliott communications manager Maggie Fhairs and Elizabeth McLean
133330 (Image: Erin Seaman) Liza Banoub and Summer Lazarou AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOLizaBanoubSummerLazarou-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOLizaBanoubSummerLazarou.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOLizaBanoubSummerLazarou.jpg 600 504 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12agolizabanoubsummerlazarou/ apr12agolizabanoubsummerlazarou 0 0
Liza Banoub and Summer Lazarou
133327 (Image: Erin Seaman) Metrolinx’s communications specialist Joanna Nicholson and former Toronto Argonauts cheerleader Karen Alexander AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOJoannaNicholsonKarenAlexander-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOJoannaNicholsonKarenAlexander.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOJoannaNicholsonKarenAlexander.jpg 600 504 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12agojoannanicholsonkarenalexander/ apr12agojoannanicholsonkarenalexander 0 0
Metrolinx’s communications specialist Joanna Nicholson and former Toronto Argonauts cheerleader Karen Alexander
133326 (Image: Erin Seaman) Elaine MacNeill and filmmaker Virginia Rankin AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOElaineMacNeillViriginaRankin-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOElaineMacNeillViriginaRankin.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGOElaineMacNeillViriginaRankin.jpg 600 504 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12agoelainemacneillviriginarankin/ apr12agoelainemacneillviriginarankin 0 0
Elaine MacNeill and filmmaker Virginia Rankin
133324 (Image: Erin Seaman) Lindsay Collard and CIBC senior business consultant Michelle De Los Santos AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGODelosantosCollard-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGODelosantosCollard.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGODelosantosCollard.jpg 600 504 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12agodelosantoscollard/ apr12agodelosantoscollard 0 0
Lindsay Collard and CIBC senior business consultant Michelle De Los Santos
133322 (Image: Erin Seaman) Eon Sinclair of Bedouin Soundclash moonlights as The Soul Proprietor, his deejay alter ego AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO5-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO5.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO5.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12ago5/ apr12ago5 0 0
Eon Sinclair of Bedouin Soundclash moonlights as The Soul Proprietor, his deejay alter ego
133321 (Image: Erin Seaman) AGO architect Frank Gehry’s iconic staircase AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO4-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO4.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12ago4/ apr12ago4 0 0
AGO architect Frank Gehry’s iconic staircase
133320 (Image: Erin Seaman) Party-goers taking part in the old-timey photo shoot AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO3-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO3.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12ago3/ apr12ago3 0 0
Party-goers taking part in the old-timey photo shoot
133319 (Image: Erin Seaman) Two bars and a professional photo booth in the foyer AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO2-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO2.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12ago2/ apr12ago2 0 0
Two bars and a professional photo booth in the foyer
133318 (Image: Erin Seaman) The scene in the foyer of the AGO AGO Massive Party 2012 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO1-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apr12AGO1.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/ago-massive-party-2012/slide/apr12ago1/ apr12ago1 0 0
The scene in the foyer of the AGO