The AGO mourns the passing of Michael Koerner, a leading figure in Canadian arts and culture, long-time AGO supporter, and former President of the AGO Board of Trustees.
An avid art collector and musician, Michael first became involved with the AGO in 1954. In the seven decades since, Michael and his wife Sonja affirmed their conviction that art can transform lives through numerous generous acts of support and service.
Michael served as President of the AGO’s Board of Trustees from 1982–1984, and later, as Chair of the Transformation AGO campaign, helping to bring the museum’s philanthropic community together in support of a major expansion designed by renowned Canadian architect Frank Gehry.
Among the most significant gifts he and Sonja made were endowments through The AGO Foundation. Together they signalled their commitment to strong leadership at the museum by funding the Michael and Sonja Koerner Director, and CEO position—one of the first endowments of its kind at an art museum in Canada.
The Koerners also endowed the Michael and Sonja Koerner Conservation Initiatives Fund, which has sustained the AGO’s world-class conservation team in caring for art and supporting exhibitions and research.
“Michael helped shape the AGO into the world-class art museum it is today. He had a deep appreciation for the power of art and an incredible curiosity and capacity to live life to its fullest. I am extremely grateful to have enjoyed a productive relationship with him over the last decade.” – Stephan Jost, Michael and Sonja Koerner Director, and CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Past chair of the European Curatorial Committee, over his lifetime Michael enriched the collection with numerous gifts of art, among them important sculptures by Brian Jungen, Anish Kapoor and Gerhard Richter.
Michael and Sonja have supported numerous exhibitions at the AGO, reflecting his deep admiration for a broad range of Canadian and global artists. Among these exhibitions were From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia, Painting Tranquility: Masterworks by Vilhelm Hammershøi, Picasso: Painting the Blue Period and Light Years: The Phil Lind Collection.
Most recently, the Koerner family, through The Michael and Sonja Koerner Charitable Foundation, generously supported the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery, set to open in 2027.