In Photos: The New Art Gallery of Ontario
The new Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is a transformed gallery abounding in organically shaped curvy staircases made of Douglas fir and the extensive use of glass, showing off the talents of architect Frank Gehry and giving the gallery a much-needed face-lift.
On Thursday I got a chance to hear Toronto-raised Gehry speak about his role in the transformation of what's sure to be one of Toronto's most talked about galleries. I also got to capture some of the spaciousness and beauty of the place in the photos that follow....
Not all the exhibits were quite yet available. So we weren't allowed to walk up the two-story spiral staircase that hung above Gehry during his talk to the media before we got to tour the museum.
Some of the more interesting work has Gehry's style written all over it. The massive Ken Thomson collection of over 130 ship models was housed in more curvy, shiny showcases, some of which weren't quite ready. The displays that were finished were delicately lit, enabling me to easily appreciate the outstanding craftsmanship (evident in the other photos in the slide-show below).
It was good to see some of the Henry Moore works in new spaces, no longer all confined to one dingy room.
I was mostly amazed by the all the high ceilings and vast space in the gallery, making the art appreciation that much more enjoyable.
If you haven't checked it out yet, the AGO is offering free admission all weekend (Saturday 10 a.m. to 12 midnight and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.). If you want to avoid the inevitable lineups, you can now also get in free Wednesday evenings (from 6 to 8:30 p.m.). Or else pay the exorbitant $18 (adult) entry fee on other days.
There's also the Museum and Arts Pass that gets you in free with a valid adult Toronto Public Library card, but it's only available at 24 library branches and quantities are limited. Sounds like a lottery to me.
I wish they had put some of the $300 million they raised for the AGO's transformation into making it a more accessible place for everyone all the time.
What do you think of them charging so much for regular entry to the gallery? I tend to agree with Gehry, who responded to the question by simply saying "Highway robbery."
More photos of the AGO's transformation in the slide-show below:
Photos by Roger Cullman.
Comments (16)
While the regular admission price is steep they've done an admirable job making the gallery accessible to students (free during certain days/hours) and new immigrants. Plus, its free to everyone on Wednesday nights. So....for those who can't afford the regular admission price they'll still be able to go if they do a bit of planning.
Highway robbery is right, and it is not just the AGO, but the ROM the Science Centre etc.
It's a scandal that our major cultural institutions are prohibitively priced. It sends a message that the arts are elitist. Yes, there are half-price Friday nights or free Wednesday nights, and thanks for pointing out the MAP (looks like a great idea) but should affordable access to publicly funded art be limited to a specific time?
Out of town accolades have already exceeded ROM -- NY Times had a lovely review today on the architecture: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/arts/design/15gehr.html
As for the pricing, I pointed out on blog posts when the ROM opened that every museum in Toronto is more costly to visit than its contemporary in supposedly expensive New York and for that matter almost anywhere else. But the true "highway robbery" lies not in the standard price but the lack of discounts. NYC museums have far more generous child, student and elderly discounts and better free admission schedules. Most importantly, any museum that receives any amount of public funding in New York is REQUIRED to have a pay-what-you-wish admission policy. Sure, the Met has a suggested admission of $20 but if you cannot comfortably afford this you can simply ask for a ticket for any amount you like, including zero. This is an appropriate way to justify the public's investment in the facility. Since AGO, ROM, OSC and other institutions in Toronto all receive some public funding they should all have similar suggested-admission policies. Toronto needs to have a list like this to truly draw and maintain a civic populace invested in its museums:
Maybe I'm too traditional, but i find the new AGO ugly. Just because it's "modern" doesn't mean it's beautiful.
nice photos - love the mirroring of Snow's walking woman, especially with a third walking woman entering the room. Too bad the fourth woman is just standing there, or it would have been a perfect shot!
One (hopefully) final comment on the Gehry attrocity: how can one not recall the story about "Emperor's new clothes?"
Of course $18 is too expensive. What major museum/gallery in the western world is comparable in price? Maybe the Louvre, but I'd have to check.
And there's the problem. There's nothing great to see in the AGO. And I say this as a card-carrying AGO member.
I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I paid $18 the last time I visited the Vancouver Art Gallery. Though that shouldn't come as a surprise; everything in Vancouver is overpriced.
I was close. It's $17.50 (http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/visit_the_gallery/plan_your_visit.html)
Spending $18 is the equivalent of going out to see a movie, and paying for a popcorn and a drink. It's comparable to going out for a modestly-priced meal, with a drink and tip. I know most of us do this once in a while, so it's not like people can't afford it - they just don't want to spend it on an art gallery.
That said, I do agree that the AGO should offer more discounts, and perhaps a couple more hours of "free time." But it's hard to facilitate when most of the money running the place comes from private donors and pledged memberships.
The Tate Modern in London - hands down THE most awe-inspiring gallery I have ever been to (more so than the Louvre) - is largely subsidized by the government. It is also FREE to visit, seven days a week (with exception of special exhibits, obviously.)
@ Realist
a) Gehry's design offers VISIBLE improvements to the AGO: improving many of the previous spaces; providing many new, dynamic spaces for exhibits; achieving all this rather modestly (compared to most of his previous works) while engaging the streetscape... so I don't see what connection it has to the emperor's new clothes.
b) learn to spell.
No question about it, cultural institutions should be subsidized but it seems to becoming more of an exception and not the rule.
So, what masterpieces are still in storage so that we can all look at Ken Thompson's model ship collection?
somechick: Who says it's beautiful only because it's modern?
The Galleria Italia is stunning. I spent a disproportionate of my time just sitting there.
The reason that museums in the U.K. are free is because they receive heavy government subsidies. The AGO gets nowhere near that level of support - it stays open through corporate sponsorship, private donors, admission prices, and retail sales. I would love to see the ticket price reduced (say, to $10), but that would require the public pushing government to really fund culture (the same way it funds auto plants, the tar sands, forestry, etc.).
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