Every first and third Saturday, I volunteer as a Gallery Guide at the Art Gallery of Ontario. I sometimes offer hour long tours of the gallery, sometimes do short 5-10 minute art talks on select pieces, and often can be found wandering the gallery engaging in artful conversations with our guests.

Drawing on my extensive background in philosophy, most of the topics I explore in my tours centre on issues relevant to the field of aesthetics – the philosophical examination of art. Using select pieces as examples, I explore topics like “what is art?”, “is there such a thing as good art and bad art?”, “what are our criteria for distinguishing between good and bad art?”, “the role of the artist in our engagement with the artwork”, and other such topics.

A key component of philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom through open discussion. As such, I strive to encourage audience participation with my guests as we attempt to gain some insights on these challenging questions. I find it very exciting to help stimulate these kinds of intellectually engaging conversations, and look forward to hearing all the new ideas and interpretations that we brainstorm together.

Just some of the artists whose work we often examine and discuss include Andy Warhol, Rembrandt, Paul-Émile Borduas, William Kurelek, Claude Monet, Robert Motherwell, and many others.