Inside Frank Gehry’s New Art Gallery of Ontario

Inside Frank Gehry’s New Art Gallery of Ontario
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Today’s media tour of the revitalized Art Gallery of Ontario did more than just showcase Frank Gehry’s architectural grace, at a cost of 0 million. It also displayed new artwork from the likes of the Group of Seven and Peter Paul Rubens. Digital Journal — One of Toronto’s most venerable institutions finally revealed its seven-year 0-million facelift today, offering media a chance to soak in the new artwork and building design already attracting world attention. The Art Gallery of Ontario toured journalists through design guru Frank Gehry’s revamped building, and DigitalJournal.com was among the invited media amazed by the architectural masterpiece. Attending the media tour were journalists from more than 300 media outlets, ranging from major dailies and architectural monthlies to prominent Toronto news blogs such as blogto.com. The front facade has garnered the most attention and for good reason: wood and glass blend along 600 feet spanning Dundas Street from McCaul
Street to Beverley Street. It does an excellent job at breaking up the bland streetscape with glittering glass that is bound to sparkle in the daylight. Galleria Italia is Gehry’s 137-metre-long sculpture gallery, a highlight for any art fan. It lets visitors see onto Dundas while also allowing pedestrians outside view the artwork inside. So far, the initial exhibit will feature work by Italian artist Giuseppe Penone, but visitors will also be mesmerized by Gehry’s draping ribs of Douglas fir, which frame a shell of curved glass. A feature stairwell is more than just a pile of stairs. Also known as the spiral staircase, this unique winding ribbon displays Gehry’s imaginative touches: when you mount the steps, you feel somewhat dislocated because the walls on either side of you rise or fall depending on your height. Matthew Teitelbaum, the AGO’s CEO, said, "Art meets architecture in Frank’s design, where spaces flow into one another and the works are installed to encourage
a seamless journey." The redesign was all part of Gehry’s mission to make this project more personal than others; after all, Gehry grew up in Toronto. He said, "I wanted to create something that reflects Toronto and embraces the neighbourhood. I am proud of it, and I think Toronto will be proud of it too." Visitors to the new AGO (which is hosting free admission days from Nov. 14 to 16) will also enjoy 110 exhibits showing more than 4,300 works, 40 per cent of them never shown before at the AGO. Space for Canadian galleries in the AGO increased by 164 per cent and photo galleries surged by 242 per cent. So what’s an art lover to do in this revamped gallery? You could check out the expansive Thomson Collection of signature works by Canadian artists such as Paul Kane, Tom Thomson and Lawren Harris. Portrait sculptures are also prominent in the gallery, starring Peter Paul Rubens’ recently rediscovered 17th-century The Massacre of the Innocents. For sea-faring folks, a fasci
nating display of replica naval ships offer a museum-like experience to the AGO. The 130-strong fleet includes pieces ranging from miniature Royal Navy tall ships to D-Day landing craft. African and Australian aboriginal art are on display in a powerful collection. Also, the new Fick-Eggert Archive introduces more than 300 works on paper written by early 20th-century artists who comprised the avant-garde Cologne Dada group. But the new AGO is not just about the art and design; sometimes, it’s about time away from the gallery. The new restaurant Frank has space for 130 guests, while also keeping art on the minds of foodies with paintings displayed throughout the dining room. The menu is described as "contemporary comfort cuisine" and a full meal will set visitors back around . Speaking of cost, the admission prices have increased because of the transformation. Adult admission is now , compared to in 2007, and an annual membership is priced at , up from . At
the press conference, when Gehry was asked what he thought about the new admission prices, he said in his relaxed tone, with an edge to his reply: "Highway robbery." The Art Gallery of Ontario is located in Toronto at 317 Dundas Street West. Between Nov. 14 and 15, it will offer free admission. For more information, visit www.ago.net and more photos can be seen in the slideshow above, or by clicking here. This video was originally shared on blip.tv by digitaljournal with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license.

The Heart Gallery of Broward County Announces Successful 2013 and New Executive Director

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) February 28, 2014

The Heart Gallery of Broward is happy to announce there were 25 matches that included 10 finalized adoptions for 2013. One of the programs that had great feedback from the community was the hands-on art class that was combined with a photo shoot. The children enjoyed the entire experience. The Heart Gallery was able to obtain funding to produce electronic kiosks to display the photos of the children with a brief description on each one. These will serve to augment the traditional photo gallery exhibit and will be placed at host sites in high traffic areas to increase the organization’s awareness and mission.

“We are looking forward to an exciting 2014 with the help of our new Executive Director, Yvette DuBose,” Michael Boorom, President of the Heart Gallery commented. “Yvette’s strong background in sales and marketing and over 14 years of experience in architectural specifications in marketing and sales will bring a strong leadership to our overall mission and goals,” he added.

Yvette DuBose also worked 13 years as a board member of the ACTSO Broward and as a mentor to high school students. “My mother was a foster child and she had a positive experience in her foster home and was later adopted at age 16; it changed her life for the better. I truly believe that every child deserves to feel loved and wanted; it is fundamental to the human experience,” stated DuBose.

The Heart Gallery’s initiatives for 2014 are largely our effort to continue to grow and expand our reach through innovative programs and events. The Heart Gallery will be introducing exciting programs throughout the year for the community to learn and get involved with the organization. One of the programs is the “Ask Me Programming.” Through this program the children were asked to tell the organization what it is they wanted to experience. The feedback was great and The Heart Gallery will be implementing as many as possible over the next year. The organization also plans to start a workshop feature to the Ask Me series to teach the children anything from financial awareness to how to tie a tie. To help with all the programs, the Heart Gallery is also launching a capital campaign, Campaign 214 an ongoing fundraiser for the year in which we ask donors to donate and invest in our programs and the children of Broward County.

“We also look forward to working with J. M. Field Marketing who is one of our corporate sponsors and helps us with our marketing efforts to get our message out,” commented Yvette DuBose.

For more information about programs, services and how to donate visit our website http://www.heartgalleryofbroward.org.

About The Heart Gallery of Broward County

The Heart Gallery’s mission is to provide innovative programs that help to promote the adoption and enrichment of Broward’s foster children. It is one of over 100 independent heart galleries across the country. We work closely with ChildNet and the local foster care providers to seek adoptive families and other connections for these children. The first exhibit was introduced in April of 2007.

The Heart Gallery of Broward County is a traveling photography exhibit of foster children who are waiting to be permanently adopted. The Gallery is unique: in concept- it is displayed in many public places just like an art exhibit- and in execution- every photograph is a vibrant composition taken by a professional photographer. Coupled with a bio card that describes each child’s personality and interests, the inner spirits of these unique children are brought to life. The Gallery presents an emotional appeal to the community to help:

    to adopt
    to volunteer
    to donate money or goods

The Heart Gallery provides a solution. It raises awareness of a major need and draws the community together to help solve it.