Unknown, The Grange, 1909, Original Neg: City of Toronto Archives, James Collection, 2152
Founded on July 4, the Art Museum of Toronto began a legacy that has grown into the Art Gallery of Ontario, now one of the largest art museums in North America, with a collection of over 120,000 works of art.
Interior view: The Grange, 1965, part of the exhibition "House Guests: Contemporary Artists in The Grange", September 15, 2001 - January 27, 2002. Art Gallery of Ontario. Photo © AGO.
The Art Museum of Toronto was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation. Our Members, donors, and visitors, continue to play a vital role in helping us unite diverse audiences through the transformative power of art and learning.
The Art Museum of Toronto’s first publication marked the beginning of a rich publishing history. We’ve released over 800 exhibition catalogues, collection books, and artist monographs. Browse in-print editions at the Shop, view past publications for free on the Internet Archive, and find every title in the Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives.
Edward Atkinson Hornel. The Captive Butterfly, 1905. oil on canvas, Overall: 76.2 x 102.2 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. Gift by Subscription, 1906. Photo © AGO. 402
The AGO’s first purchase was The Captive Butterfly by Edward Atkinson Hornel. Funded by 31 private subscribers, the painting was purchased for $610—equivalent to about $21, 877.16 today.
George Theodore Berthon. Portrait of Mrs. William Henry Boulton (Harriet), 1846. oil on canvas, Overall: 59.1 x 44.5 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. Goldwin Smith Collection, Bequest of 1911. Photo © AGO. GS49
Harriet Boulton Smith generously bequeathed The Grange to serve as the first home of the Art Museum of Toronto.
Front facade of the Art Gallery of Toronto, c. 1950s. Photo © AGO.
The Art Museum of Toronto officially changed its name to the Art Gallery of Toronto. At the time, admission was just 25 cents.
Group of Seven Exhibition Catalogue, May 1920, Art Gallery of Toronto. Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives, Art Gallery of Ontario. Photo © AGO.
The AGO has been home to many first exhibitions of Canadian artists. The Group of Seven held their first exhibition at the Art Gallery of Toronto in May.
Samuel Herbert Maw. Birds' Eye-View Looking South-East at A.G.T. and Grange Park, 1924. Concept drawing, Darling & Pearson Architects, Built 1924-25; opened January 29,1926. Watercolour. AGO Architectural Records Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives, Art Gallery of Ontario.
Private citizens raised nearly $280,000 (about $5M today) to expand the gallery. This incredible show of support reinforced the idea that the gallery belonged to everyone.
Installation view: Royal Canadian Academy of Arts 41st Annual Exhibition, November 21, 1919 - December 20, 1919, Art Gallery of Ontario. Photo © AGO.
The Art Gallery of Toronto doubled in size with the opening of the Sir Edmund Walker Memorial Court and its adjoining spaces. This expansion laid the foundation for what the AGO is today.
Big Sisters' Group at the Children's Art Centre - Making Habitats, 1936. From the publication: "Education Through Art for Children and Adults at the Art Gallery of Toronto" by Arthur Lismer (Toronto: Art Gallery of Toronto, 1936), p.31. Photo © AGO.
Group of Seven founder Arthur Lismer established an art school at the AGO. He encouraged students to express themselves - a groundbreaking approach at the time. It was an instant success and Lismer’s legacy lives on today through a wide range of children’s courses taught at the AGO’s Weston Family Learning Centre.
AGO Women's Committee: Lady Kemp, Mrs. J. G. Godsoe, Mrs. J.G. Edison; Mrs. Geo. Hendrie; Mrs. G.A. Adamson, on the stairs in The Grange, 1947. Photo © AGO
The Women’s Committee (1945–1998) formed and played a vital role in growing membership and leading fundraising efforts. Their contributions helped to acquire major contemporary works, including a Rothko, Andy Warhol’s Elvis I and II (1963/64) and Robert Rauschenberg’s Story (1964). In 1974, the group became the Volunteer Committee and continues to support the gallery’s mission.
Installation view: Jacopo Tintoretto, Christ Washing His Disciples' Feet, c.1545-1555. Photo © AGO.
The Art Gallery of Toronto crowdfunded the acquisition of Jacopo Tintoretto’s Christ Washing His Disciples' Feet. The community rallied behind the campaign, demonstrating the power of collective support in bringing a work of great significance to the gallery.
Visitors outside Gallery entrance (taken on the last Sunday of the exhibition), Picasso and Man: The 1964 Exhibition. Art Gallery of Ontario. Photo © AGO.
The Art Gallery of Toronto thrilled audiences with Canada's first-ever retrospective of Pablo Picasso’s work. This month-long visual spectacle featured 270 artworks from around the world and was visited by a staggering 107, 214 visitors.
First Art Gallery of Ontario logo, 1966
The Art Gallery of Toronto officially became the Art Gallery of Ontario, marking a new chapter in its history and reflecting its growing provincial significance.
Installation view: Guggenheim International Exhibition: Sculpture From Twenty Nations, 1967. Artwork: Claes Oldenburg. Floor Burger, 1962. © Estate of Claes Oldenburg. Photo: AGO.
The AGO acquired Floor Burger (1962), Claes Oldenburg’s larger-than-life sculpture of a hamburger. The pickle was rumoured to have vanished in the early ’70s, prompting Oldenburg to fly to Toronto with a replacement—claiming it was a travel pillow to get it through customs!
Upper Thames Elementary School Visit to the Henry Moore Sculpture Centre, looking at Reclining Figure (1951), June 23, 1978. AGO Photographic Collection. Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives, Art Gallery of Ontario. Photo # 10717. Reproduced by permission of The Henry Moore Foundation / © The Henry Moore Foundation. Photo: AGO.
The Henry Moore Sculpture Centre opened to house Moore’s generous gift to the AGO. Today, the AGO proudly holds the world’s largest public collection of Henry Moore’s artworks outside of the UK.
Installation view: King Tut: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, November 24, 2009 - May 2, 2010. Art Gallery Ontario. Photo ©️ AGO.
On November 1, 1979, the Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibition drew massive crowds, with eager visitors lining up around the block to see artifacts from the legendary boy king.
The AGO presented a major retrospective of Joyce Wieland’s work—the first-ever dedicated to a living woman artist in the gallery’s history. This year, we bring Wieland’s work back with Heart On, opening June 21.
Installation view: Curator Julie Crooks and David Alexander (a relative of one of the men featured in the exhibition), Free Black North, April 29, 2017– October 1, 2017, Art Gallery of Ontario. Photo © AGO.
The AGO’s Photography department was established to showcase works from the 1840s to today. The collection includes more than 70,000 works.
Peter Paul Rubens. The Massacre of the Innocents, c. 1610. oil on panel, Panel: 142 × 183 × 1.9 cm. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, 2014. Photo © AGO. 2014/1581
Ken Thomson’s extraordinary gift of 2,000 artworks transformed the AGO, making it one of Canada’s most significant art collections. This historic donation remains the largest gift ever made to a Canadian cultural institution.
Transformation AGO - made possible by Ken Thomson’s historic gift, the generosity of many donors, and crucial government support inspired an architectural expansion by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry that added 97,000 square feet of space and, increased art-viewing space by 47%.
Galleria Italia opened as a stunning architectural addition to the AGO, named in honour of a $13 million contribution from 26 Italian-Canadian families in Toronto. This generous fundraising effort helped shape a landmark space for art and community.
Family Day, 2020, Art Gallery of Ontario. Artwork © Ness Lee, AGO X RBC Artist-in-Residence, October 29, 2019 - January 6, 2020. Photo: AGO.
The AGO launched its Artist-in-Residence program. As the first program of its kind at a major Canadian art museum, it set the stage for dynamic artistic exploration and innovation within the gallery.
The David Milne Centre opened to the public, offering a deep dive into the iconic Canadian artist. This milestone was made possible by a generous gift from the Milne family in 2009.
Over the years, many celebrities have visited the AGO, including the iconic Grace Jones, who performed at the gallery both in the 1990s and again in 2016.
Installation view: J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous + Canadian Art. Artwork: Florence Carlyle, The Tiff, c. 1902; Florence Carlyle, The Studio, c. 1902; © Joanne Tod, Chapeau Entaillé, 1989. Photo © AGO.
The AGO established the Department of Indigenous and Canadian Art, enhancing its focus on these vital artistic traditions.
Sept 2018 - The major exhibition Anthropocene opened, featuring the work of Canadian artists Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier. It toured six countries, including Italy, Sweden, Argentina, and Taiwan, becoming the AGO’s most- toured exhibition to date.
Installation view: Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors, March 3, 2018 - May 27, 2018, Art Gallery of Ontario. Artwork: Yayoi Kusama. Dots Obsession—Love Transformed into Dots, 2007. Courtesy Victoria Miro Gallery, London. © Yayoi Kusama. Photo: AGO.
Nov 2018 – After the overwhelming success of Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors - the AGO launched a crowdfunding campaign to acquire Canada's first Infinity Mirror Room. Thanks to the support of over 4,700 #InfinityAGO donors, and the David Yuile & Mary Elizabeth Hodgson Fund, Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM - LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER is now a treasured part of the AGO Collection.
The AGO launched its Annual Pass. Within the first year, more than 150,000 people became Annual Passholders, marking the beginning of a new era of greater access to art for all. As of May 2025, the AGO is proud to have 161,768 Annual Passholders in the AGO community.
Moridja Kitenge Banza. Christ Pantocrator No 13, 2020. acrylic and gold leaf on wood, Overall: 40 × 30 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. Purchase, with funds from the Christian Claude Fund, 2020. © Moridja Kitenge Banza. 2020/79
The AGO established the Department of the Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora, dedicated to expanding the museum’s collections, exhibitions, and programs that celebrate the rich history, modern expressions, and contemporary work from Africa and the African diaspora.
Brian Jungen, Couch Monster: Sadzěʔ yaaghęhch’ill, 2022. Bronze, stainless steel. 378.5 × 332.7 × 557.5 cm, 4032.5 kg. Collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario. Commission, with funds from the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Canada Council for the Arts’ New Chapter program, The Renette and David Berman Family Foundation, Charles Brindamour & Josée Letarte, Bob Dorrance & Gail Drummond, Angela & David Feldman, Hal Jackman Foundation, Phil Lind & Ellen Roland, T. R. Meighen Family Foundation, Partners in Art, Paul & Jan Sabourin, an anonymous donor, and with funds by exchange from Morey and Jennifer Chaplick, 2022. © Brian Jungen
The AGO unveiled its first public sculpture commission by renowned artist Brian Jungen.
Exterior view: Rendering of Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery, Art Gallery of Ontario. Courtesy of Art Gallery of Ontario, Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects, Two Row Architect and Play-Time.
The AGO announced the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery. This expansion will significantly increase gallery space for the AGO’s growing collection of modern and contemporary art.
Installation view: The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st century, December 4, 2024 - April 6, 2025, Art Gallery of Ontario. Artwork Patrick Nichols, A Great Day in Toronto Hip Hop, 2024. Inkjet print, Overall: 147.3 × 223.5 cm. Photo: AGO.
The AGO entered a new era with the launch of 'Gallery of Us' and a fresh logo. We welcomed 672,244 visitors who enjoyed blockbuster exhibitions including KAWS, Pacita Abad, and The Culture.
The AGO celebrates its 125th anniversary marking this milestone with a renewed focus on art and community. Work continues on the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery (DRMC), set to open in 2027, further expanding the AGO’s vision for the future.
From Here to Everywhere
For 125 years, the AGO has been a hub of global creativity, bringing world-class exhibitions and art to our city and sharing our own stories with the world.
AGO 125 is generously supported by
