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"Our great ambition was to create a great home for extraordinary
art, and the public has overwhelmingly embraced it," says Matthew
Teitelbaum, the AGO’s Michael and Sonja Koerner director, and CEO.
"Clearly they felt welcomed here. They wanted to be here. There’s
nothing more gratifying than that."
"Our late benefactor Ken Thomson would have loved seeing the tens
of thousands of people engaging with art," says Teitelbaum, "knowing
that this part of his legacy was so resoundingly fulfilled."
Designed by celebrated architect Frank Gehry as his first Canadian
project in his childhood home of Toronto, the new AGO opened its
doors to iconic architecture and more than 4,300 works of art in
110 galleries.
The opening celebration attracted more than 16,000 visitors to Members’
Preview Days Nov. 9-11, and another 520 new memberships were generated
over the opening week.
The Gehry-designed Shop AGO made more than 3,700 transactions during
preview and public days, and rang up revenues approaching $127,000,
while FRANK restaurant and the café achieved nearly $50,000 in revenue.
The redesigned AGO web site attracted 51,000 unique visits over
the three-day public opening - with the top five countries of origin
being Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and
France. The top five cities in Canada were Toronto, Etobicoke, North
York, Scarborough and Richmond Hill. The top five US cities were
New York City, Cleveland, Brooklyn, Buffalo and Chicago. More than
400 people downloaded a podcast featuring highlights of the collection
with the AGO director and CEO, and hundreds shared their photos
of the building’s exterior on Flickr --
http://www.flickr.com/groups/ago/.
Public reaction to the new AGO has been enthusiastic. Among the
comments received via e-mail:
"The AGO engages the immediate streetscape and feels like part of
the neighbourhood. What can I say, a beacon shines brightly at Dundas
and McCaul and we all are drawn to its glow."
"Please tell Mr. Gehry that looking at his design of the AGO has
the same effect on me as listening to Monteverdi’s Vespro or Bach.
It makes me weep with joy. Thank you all who made this possible."
"I found it endlessly interesting to see how themes were brought
together through different time periods and styles. Thank you for
a great experience."
"I’m 82 years old and I’m going to spend the rest of my life here."
With a permanent collection of more than 73,000 works of art, the
Art Gallery of Ontario is among the most distinguished art museums
in North America. The Gallery began an extraordinary chapter when
it launched Transformation AGO in 2002. Multi-faceted in scope,
Transformation AGO involves the unprecedented growth of the permanent
collection, an innovative architectural expansion by world-renowned
architect Frank Gehry, and the strengthening of the museum’s endowment
resources. As the imaginative centre of the city, the transformed
AGO dramatically enriches our visitors’ experiences and provides
greater access to the full vibrancy of the art museum.
AGO Hours of Operation:
Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday: 10 am to 5:30 pm
Wednesday to Friday: 10 am to 8:30 pm
Admission:
Adults - $18
Senior (65 and over) - $15
Student (full-time with valid ID) - $10
Youth (ages 6-12) - $10
Children (5 and under with adult) - FREE
Members - FREE
Free general admission for Ontario high school students, aged 13-18,
with valid school ID Tuesday to Friday, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
For more information on AGO hours, admission and membership please
visit www.ago.net.
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