Art Gallery of Ontario
| Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) | |
| Established | 1900 |
|---|---|
| Location | Toronto, Canada |
| Director | Matthew Teitelbaum |
| Curator | Dennis Reid |
| Website | Art Gallery of Ontario |
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is an art museum on the eastern edge of Toronto's downtown Chinatown district, on Dundas Street West between McCaul Street and Beverley Street. With 486,000 ft² (45,000 m²) of physical space, the AGO is the 8th-largest art museum in North America.
Its collection includes more than 66,000 works spanning the 1st century to the present-day. It includes an extensive collection of Canadian art, which depicts the development of Canada's heritage from pre-Confederation to the present. Indeed, works by Canadian artists make up more than half of the AGO's collection. The museum also has an impressive collection of European art, including works by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, Vincent Van Gogh, and Edgar Degas. In addition to these, the AGO also has one of the most significant collections of African art in North America, as well as a contemporary art collection illustrating the evolution of modern artistic movements in Canada, the United States, and Europe, including works by Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, and Jenny Holzer. Finally, the AGO is home to the Henry Moore Sculpture Centre, which houses the largest public collection of works by this British sculptor. Moore's bronze work, Two Large Forms (1966–1969) greets visitors at the museum's entrance.
History
The AGO was founded in 1900 by a group of private citizens, as the Art Museum of Toronto
it was renamed the Art Gallery of Toronto in
Expansion
In 2004, the AGO unveiled a $194 million (since risen to $254 million) redevelopment plan by architect Frank Gehry. The new addition would require demolition of the 1992 Barton Myers/KPMB Post-Modernist wing. The AGO's transformation will increase the art viewing space by 47%. Notable elements of the new building include a glass and wood sculpture gallery at the north end along Dundas Street; a 4-story, box-like contemporary arts gallery and hosting centre clad in blue titanium facing Grange Park, as well as a new entrance aligned with the historic Walkers Court and The Grange.
During the course of the redevelopment plans, board member and patron Joey Tanenbaum temporarily resigned his position due to concerns over donor recognition, design issues surrounding the new building as well as cost of the project. The rift has since been healed and the project is proceeding apace, with $180 million raised. The building is slated to be completed by Spring 2008.
Kenneth Thomson was a major benefactor donating much of his collection to the Gallery as well as providing much of the funding for its current renovation.
As of October 7th 2007, the AGO is now closed to the public for re-installation of some 5000 works in 100+ galleries. The AGO will re-open sometime during 2008 - a date has yet to be announced.
External links
| Toronto skyscrapers and famous buildings |
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| (partial listing) |
| Current Toronto towers and buildings
CN Tower | First Canadian Place | Scotia Plaza | Brookfield Place | Commerce Court | Toronto-Dominion Centre | Royal Bank Plaza | One King West | Manulife Centre | Exchange Tower | World Trade Centre | Hudson Bay Centre | One Yonge Street | Simcoe Place | Four Seasons Hotel | Royal York | Metro Hall | Canada Permanent Trust Building | Canadian Broadcasting Centre | CHUM-City Building | Osgoode Hall | Canada Life Building | Sun Life Centre | Continental Bank of Canada Building | Eaton Tower | Old City Hall | Robarts Library | Toronto City Hall | Queen's Park | Union Station | Rogers Centre | Royal Ontario Museum |
| Proposed or Under construction Toronto towers |
| Civic space around Toronto towers
Nathan Phillips Square | |
| List of tallest buildings in Toronto |
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