welcome back to the AGO

Today was the third and final day of member previews of the expanded and renovated Art Gallery of Ontario, following a too-long closure. Along with thousands of Torontonians, I have been anxiously awaiting the unveiling of Frank Gerhy’s creation – especially after having the abomination that is the renovated Royal Ontario Museum inflicted upon us. Any fears are now cast aside; the new AGO is a near masterpiece compromised only by some of the un-renovated older galleries and some uncompleted construction (the soon to be famous spiral staircases are still works in progress). From the Galleria Italia (photo) to the incredibly spacious contemporary galleries overlooking Grange Park, it was immediately obvious that the claustrophobia of the old (and most traditional) galleries has been banished. I’ll be spending a lot of time exploring the dozens of new galleries and hundreds of new works of art in the coming months.