Whether your stay with us at Toronto Suites is a short, 30 day visit, or a more extended visit as you attend to a large business project or search for a permanent home, you will not want to miss the opportunity to explore Toronto's fascinating Art Gallery of Ontario. The gallery, known by its initials as AGO, is one of the largest art galleries in all of North America. Far from stuffy, the AGO is alive with Canadian culture from its extensive collection of native Inuit art to the finest of contemporary offerings. With a collection ranging in time from 100AD to the present, the gallery also houses work representative of the United States and Europe.
Originally founded in 1900, the AGO has recently enjoyed a beautiful transformation by the noted architect, Frank Gehry. Mr.Gehry is a native of Toronto and is responsible for the outstanding Disney Concert Hall and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Under his direction and design, the Art Gallery of Ontario is an inviting expanse of open spaces, easily accessible, and filled with the natural warmth of wood and sunlight afforded by a generous use of glass. As a matter of fact, the use of glass extends to storage areas so more artworks are visible rather than hidden away from sight.
The Art Gallery of Ontario is the perfect place to learn about the cultural heritage of Canada as more than 40% of its 583,000 square feet is dedicated to Canadian art. The collection includes important works by David Milne, James Wilson Morrice, Cornelius Krieghoff, Emily Carr, Lucius O’Brien, the Group of Seven, Tom Thomson, and Paul-Emile Borduas, as well as work of the renowned Canadian artists, Betty Goodwin, David Blackwood, Paterson Ewen, Kazuo Nakamura, and Greg Curnoe.
The AGO is not limited, however, to the works of Canadian artists. Here you will find the work of the famous British sculptor, Henry Moore, in the world's largest public collection of his sculpture, as well as work by such noted American artists as Robert Motherwell and Andy Warhol.
No museum is complete without a nod to the masters of European art and here you will find work by Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, Anthony van Dyck, Auguste Rodin, Thomas Gainesborough, Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, René Magritte, and Pablo Picasso.
In addition to painting and sculpture, the Art Gallery of Ontario boasts a fine collection of photography from its early, 19th century, beginnings to the modern developments of the 20th century. The photography exhibit includes an important collection of work by Josef Sudek.
For a refreshing break before, during, or after your exploration of the AGO, you will find its restaurant, located in front of the gallery on Dundas Street, available for a tasty meal or light snack. And, of course, no trip would be complete without perusing the unique items for sale at its two-level gift shop, offering beautiful and interesting items to take home as souvenirs or as intriguing gifts.
The helpful staff at Toronto Suites will be happy to give you directions to the Art Gallery of Ontario located at: 317 Dundas St. W.
