The ('''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 ft&
2 (45,000 m&
2) 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.
The AGO was founded in
1900 by a group of private citizens, as the it was renamed the Art Gallery of Toronto in
1919 and then the Art Gallery of Ontario in
1966 .
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.
