Getting better with age

Do you remember Transformation AGO? Back in 2008, the AGO reopened its doors after a major expansion and renovation project designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. It was a huge moment for the Gallery (and Toronto), as the new façade with its distinctive bowed Galleria Italia added a whole new dimension to the cityscape.

One person who clearly remembers the preparation, the process and the result is Roman Baron, a long-time AGO security guard. Roman has been working at the Gallery for 28 years, and has seen it all – celebrities, renovations and all the moments in between.

In a Toronto Star article by Nick Patch last weekend, Roman recounts the excitement of opening weekend after Transformation AGO was complete, which involved a line-up of people that stretched down McCaul Street all the way from Dundas to Queen.

"Over the years, that feeling has just really sunk in how lucky I am to work in such a beautiful building... The building has been finished but the kudos just keep coming. Some people have come back 10 or 15 times and they’re still overwhelmed by unique spaces they didn’t discover the first times they were here," Roman says in the article. Give it a read to learn more.

For the most part, the AGO Collection galleries have remained the same since that reopening…until now. Look:Forward, our major reinstallation project, is refreshing the Collection galleries in a big way – and some of them are already open! Come and check them out. They’re all included in general admission, and of course, AGO Members can come for free as often as they like.

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