blogUT

It has  seemingly been forever, but the AGO is finally reopening after its massive reconstruction into the new and controversial design by acclaimed and Toronto-born star architect Frank Gehry. The redesign will massively expand the exhibition space of the AGO and is an expansion on par with, if not much bigger than, the ROM’s crystal expansion. The new space will be dedicated to new permanet galleries such as the Thompson collection, with over 2000 new pieces of art donated by Ken Thompson of the billionaire Thompson family. This Friday (TODAY!) is the official opening and the AGO will be free all weekend to Sunday! All the galleries will be open, so it is a great chance to reaqquaint yourselves with the AGO after its slumber of construction. Some of the announced day events outside the gallery to draw people in are:

Artists at Work – Pose for local artists as they draw your portrait for you to take home.
My AGO Video Booth – Tell us how you feel about the AGO’s new design, what you hope to see inside, and what the AGO means to you at the My AGO Video Booth.
Make Your Mark – Show us your inner artist and contribute to a series of large outdoor canvases. Sign your name, draw a picture or use words to express yourself for all to see.
Refreshments – Enjoy free snacks and drinks outdoors all day.
Special Surprise – Celebrate the opening of the doors at 4 pm with a special and truly memorable surprise.

After the openng weekend the AGO goes back to regular hours and price but will remain free on Wedneday evenings.

Where: The AGO, 317 Dundas street, Dundas and McCaul
When:  Friday, November 14, 4 pm to 12 midnight
             Saturday, November 15, 10 am to 12 midnight
             Sunday, November 16, 10 am to 5:30 pm

This entry was posted on Friday, November 14th, 2008 at 11:54 am and is filed under Arts, Event Picks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.