Arts
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.
Discussion
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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?
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:
http://www.ny.com/museums/free.html
And there's the problem. There's nothing great to see in the AGO. And I say this as a card-carrying AGO member.
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.)
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.
The Galleria Italia is stunning. I spent a disproportionate of my time just sitting there.
This is because Gehry owns all reproductive rights... BAH HUMBUG GEHRY!
I am sorry but you may just have poor taste.