Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
On 14 November, after four years worth of reconstruction work, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is opening the door to reveal its new image - incredibly the first ever project by the starchitect Frank Gehry in his native Canada. The number of rooms in the building has now almost doubled to the impressive number of 110. For the first time AGO will present the whole 2000-piece strong Ken Thomson Collection donated in 2002 and famous as the largest philanthropic gift in the history of Canada; the pride of the collection is Rubens's Massacre of the Innocents. The sculptural staircase linking the historical part of the building - Walker Court - with the contemporary art wing belongs among the most vivid trademarks of Gehry's architecture. The new South Wing of the museum - a four-storey glass and titanium construction - houses a centre for contemporary art and rooms for young artists, a restaurant, café and a store. The historic wing of the gallery now also boasts a new glass roof.
The Art Gallery of Ontario has a 108-year long history and its permanent collection amounts to over 68 000 pieces. The pride of AGO is its impressive collection of Canadian art; the permanent exhibition also includes works by 17th century Dutch masters, 17th-18th century Italian artists and 19th century classicists, as well as an extensive collection of contemporary art.
317 Dundas Street West
Toronto Ontario Canada