Art Gallery of Ontario

Infobox Museum
name = Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)


established = 1900
location = Toronto, Ontario
type =
visitors =
director = Matthew Teitelbaum
curator = Dennis Reid
website = [http://www.ago.net Art Gallery of Ontario]

, 22 x 36 in., 1871, 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 one of the largest art museums in North America.

Its collection includes more than 68,000 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, such as major works by Thomas Gainsborough, Anthony van Dyck, Emile Antoine Bourdelle, and Frans Hals (all donated to the AGO by FP Wood), and works by other 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 1919 and then the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1966.

Expansion

In 2004, the AGO unveiled a $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 Walker's 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 $225 million raised. The building is slated to be completed by Fall 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. Another major benefactor in the 20's and 30's was Frank Porter Wood.

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 on Friday 14th November 2008, with a weekend (Nov 14-16) of free admission to celebrate.

Collection X

In keeping with web 2.0 trends, the AGO has initiated a social media website called Collection X, which provides users with a space to share ideas about life and art. Collection X showcases the work of contemporary photographers and visual artists as well public collections. The site has three sections: Collect, Connect, and Create. Collect is the site’s repository of uploaded media where users can explore public collections as well as images, video, and audio contributed by the Collection X community. By clicking on Connect, users can discover the exhibitions others have created, and how they have connected them around common interests, ideas and experiences. In Create, users have the ability to upload their own content, create an exhibition, make a connection, and start a conversation. Anyone can create a profile and join the discussion.

External links

* [http://www.ago.net/ Art Gallery of Ontario]
* [http://www.collectionx.museum/ Collection X]