To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the AGO is closing for three weeks as of 9 p.m. on Friday, March 13
Toronto – On the advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) will close temporarily effective 9 p.m. today, Friday, March 13, 2020. At this time, we anticipate remaining closed through Sunday, April 5, aligning with the closure of all publicly-funded elementary and secondary schools and other cultural institutions in the province. We will continue to monitor the situation, and we look forward to announcing when we will welcome visitors to the AGO again.
“Taking into account today’s directive from the Chief Medical Officer of Health to immediately suspend all gatherings of more than 250 people, the AGO will be closed to the public starting tomorrow at 9 a.m.,” said Stephan Jost, Sonja and Michael Koerner, Director and CEO. “The health and safety of our staff, volunteers, visitors and the broader community is our utmost priority. I strongly believe the decision to temporarily close the gallery is the responsible one to make.”
The AGO will be contacting customers who have booked tickets, events or programming to arrange for refunds or exchanges once we reopen. Due to staffing limits during this closure, the Contact Centre will be closed. Please contact us via email at [email protected] with any questions, concerns, or requests and we will endeavor to respond as soon as possible. For our AGO Members and Annual Pass Holders we will be accessing renewal dates and will advise of any changes once the Gallery reopens.
“I am very proud of our staff and volunteers for coming together to help mitigate the possible spread of the virus,” continued Jost. “These are extraordinary circumstances and we understand how disappointing this closure and the associated cancellation of programming and events is to our community. As we work toward reopening the Gallery to the public, I invite everyone to visit our website, enjoy our online collections and continue to engage with culture through art.”
Health officials for Toronto, Ontario and Canada continue to advise that the risk of contracting COVID-19 remains low. Decisions made by the AGO leadership team throughout the outbreak have been made based on public health information, following the advice of public health officials and government partners. The decision to close temporarily is not cause for alarm or panic.
The AGO will continue to be guided by the advice of local, provincial and national public health officials, consider all government recommendations and will make decisions as needed regarding any additional measures. We will also continue to work with our colleagues in the heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries to coordinate efforts moving forward.
As a non-profit arts organization, the AGO is grateful for our community’s continued support.
For up-to-date health information, please visit www.toronto.ca/coronavirus, www.ontario.ca/coronavirus or www.canada.ca/coronavirus.
ABOUT THE AGO
Located in Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America, attracting approximately one million visitors annually. The AGO Collection of more than 105,000 works of art ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art to significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists and European masterpieces. The AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, including solo exhibitions and acquisitions by diverse and underrepresented artists from around the world. In 2019, the AGO launched a bold new initiative designed to make the museum even more welcoming and accessible with the introduction of free admission for anyone 25 years and under and a $35 annual pass. Visit AGO.ca to learn more.
The AGO is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. Additional operating support is received from the City of Toronto, the Canada Council for the Arts and generous contributions from AGO Members, donors and private-sector partners.
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For more information, please contact the AGO Pressroom at [email protected]