As the crowds stream into the Art Gallery of Ontario for the first time in three years, all eyes are focused upwards. A curvaceous blonde wood staircase floats above Walker Court, the historic centre of the AGO, inviting patrons to travel further into the newly redesigned gallery. From the staircase, necks crane to admire the brand new sightline through Grange Park, all the way down John Street to the waterfront. But when it comes time to meet the man responsible for this ethereal remodeling, the press is shaken from its position on high.
Frank Gehry, the world-famous architect renowned for his work on the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, is dressed casually for the occasion. On the stage, he stands a good head shorter than Matthew Teitelbaum, director and CEO of the AGO. While Teitelbaum notes the majesty of the gallery’s $300 million makeover, Gehry is humble about his accomplishment. “I think it’s a real Frank Gehry building! I feel like it is […] but really, for me, it’s just coming home.”
Surprisingly, the AGO marks the first time the 79-year old Torontonian has designed a building in his native city. Despite his ample hometown pride, Gehry aimed to prevent his redesign from being too “pushy,” turning the previously blank and unassuming Dundas Street facade into a welcoming “porch for the city.” Just as the AGO structure succeeds in not overwhelming the neighbourhood, it doesn’t detract from the artistic treasures within.
“The redesign is not about a building,” remarked Teitelbaum, “it’s about the experience of art.” The AGO’s collection has come a long way since 1918, when the former Art Gallery of Toronto contained just 30 pieces. The new AGO includes more than 4,300 works, organized thematically as opposed to chronologically throughout 110 galleries. In the European gallery, Italian baroque works are now displayed mere feet away from the surrealists. Rembrandt and Gris have become neighbours despite the 250-year gap between their births. Movement between galleries is designed to flow, with natural progressions from intimate chambers to sweeping rotundas. The new AGO is for wandering, for getting lost in artifacts that span four centuries and dozens of countries.
The AGO collection features its share of big names, from Bernini to Rodin to Henry Moore. But the true highlight is the new Thomson Gallery.
“Me and Ken Thomson, we really out-shied each other,” laughed Gehry. “It was very ‘aw shucks.’” Like Gehry, the late Thomson had a quiet curiosity that shines through his collection of over 2,000 items donated to the museum. A glass case in front of the Thomson Gallery houses a jumbled array of knickknacks: ivory triptychs, tiny model ships, and intricately decorated Chinese snuff bottles. The items preview each of Thomson’s 30 galleries, revealing his eclectic and sophisticated taste. Thomson himself contributed $100 million to the AGO’s transformation, cementing his reputation as one of Canada’s foremost patrons of the arts. Though he passed away in 2006, his financial and artistic donations ensure that the new AGO will suit a wide variety of tastes.
Creating an open and inclusive AGO was a top priority for the gallery’s administration, with “accessibility” the prime buzzword. Though adult entrance fees have gone up to $18 (described by Gehry himself as “highway robbery”), university students can visit for $10 with valid ID, while high schoolers get in free from Tuesday to Friday after school. Admission is still free for everyone on Wednesday nights from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Many exhibits now feature interactive components for children (and nostalgic undergrads), as well as designer chairs and benches that are just as attractive as the paintings beside them.
Another exciting addition is the new Young Gallery, a contemporary exhibit requiring no admission fee. Located next to Grange Park, the spacious, light-soaked room is home to works by up-and-coming Canadian artists, beginning with David Altmeyd of Montréal. His mixed media sculpture The Index combines broken mirrors with woodland symbols to form a thought-provoking landscape. Some great contributions can be expected from OCAD, whose building is visible outside the gallery’s vast windows.
As the highly-anticipated opening weekend gave the public its first taste of the transformation, line-ups snaked down McCaul, through Grange Park, all the way to Beverley Street. The line afforded visitors a prime view of the back of the AGO, which now features a blue titanium tower housing much of the gallery’s contemporary collection. One of the more controversial aspects of Gehry’s plan, the futuristic paneling, is oddly juxtaposed with the original Grange Mansion gallery sitting quietly below. But nobody in line is looking at the Grange—all eyes are focused upwards, towards Gehry’s forward-thinking vision. The new AGO has proven its relevance in the cultural life of our city, The future of art and architecture in Toronto is in good hands.
