We encourage visitors to capture their visit and share on social media with @AGOToronto. To protect the artworks being photographed, and for the safety of other guests, the guidelines below must be followed when photographing at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
- Photography (without flash) is permitted for personal, noncommercial use only, with small, handheld cameras/devices, unless a no-photography symbol is posted in the gallery or next to a work of art
- Tripods, monopods, Gimbals, and other camera extensions such as selfie sticks are not permitted.
- Visitors must remain behind stanchions and maintain a safe, non-touching distance from all artwork, cases, platforms, and pedestals. Cameras must be kept a minimum of 18 inches away from artwork and may never be held over an artwork.
- Original artworks may be protected by copyright. It is the visitors’ responsibility to respect Canadian copyright laws (see Canadian Copyright Act) and the rights of artists and their representatives.
- Photographs taken by visitors cannot be published, sold, reproduced, or otherwise commercially exploited in any manner whatsoever. The Art Gallery of Ontario is not responsible for any uses of visitor photography that infringe upon third-party copyrights or other rights.
Privacy and Visitor Experience
Please be mindful that your photography or video activities respect the needs and privacy of other visitors. Photography must be conducted without disruption to Museum operations, or limitation to the accessibility of exhibitions, entrances/exits, doorways, and high-traffic areas.
Photography of children and young people is prohibited without consent of the accompanying adult. This includes, for example, school groups and/or those attending family events.
The Art Gallery of Ontario reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to withhold and/or withdraw permission to photograph or videotape on its premises if it is a disruption and/or is perceived that it might endanger works of art or other visitors.
Commercial or Personal Photography
Throughout the museum, we want to keep galleries as open as possible so visitors can enjoy what they came for: experiencing the great works of art on view. While we encourage visitors to capture their AGO visit as they experience the art, we find that posed or staged photo shoots can limit the ability of other visitors to experience the museum.
Because of that, staged photography, with or without a hired professional photographer, is not permitted in the Gallery during visitor hours including, but not limited to, product or fashion, graduations, proms, engagement/bridal portraits, or weddings. To book a staged photoshoot outside of public gallery hours, please contact AGO Events.
Press / News Coverage
The Art Gallery of Ontario welcomes news media filming and photography in connection with stories about the gallery. Media inquiries should be sent to: [email protected]
Filming
The AGO is currently not available as a location for Film, Television or Internet productions.
Documentaries / Student Films / Personal Projects
We are unable to accommodate news or documentary shoots that are not connected to the Art Gallery of Ontario’s work, or student films and personal projects.
Live Streaming Video Apps
Live-streaming video apps such as Instagram and Facebook Live are permitted in the permanent collection galleries, subject to the same conditions described above. We ask that live broadcasts respect the privacy of other visitors, and that volunteers and staff not be interviewed or otherwise engaged in a way that takes them away from their primary job duties.
Gallery Photography
While at the Art Gallery of Ontario, visitors may be photographed by Gallery photographers or other authorized parties. These images may be used to publicize the Gallery and its activities in print, online, and in display materials, and they may also be distributed to the media. Attendance on the Gallery premises constitutes implied consent for the use of visitors’ likenesses in the Gallery’s promotional materials.