AGO History Fact Sheet : Property / Building
1911
The Grange became the property of the Art Museum of Toronto following the death of Goldwin Smith on 7 June 1910.
The Grange had been willed to the museum by Harriet E. M. Boulton Smith, née Dixon, who died 7 September 1909. Public announcement of the bequest was made in 1909 after her death. Goldwin Smith was to have life tenancy. The Grange was vested in the Art Museum of Toronto on 1 January 1911. (Until 1911 the museum had no home, and early exhibitions, one each in 1906 and 1909, were held in the OSA gallery or the Toronto Reference Library.)
1911
Agreement with the City of Toronto making Grange land available as a public park and providing for the acquisition of additional land on St Patrick (Dundas) Street.
The land on St Patrick Street was to be purchased or expropriated by the city (the process had begun in 1910 and was completed by 1914, but the houses were not all demolished until 1922); the city was to make an annual payment to the museum of $5,000. Agreement dated 11 January. "An Act respecting the City of Toronto" (passed by the Ontario legislature and assented to 24 March 19ll) incorporated this agreement and provided for the election of five representatives from city council to the council of the museum.
1913
Formal opening of the Grange 5 June.
1916
Decision to begin construction of a small portion of the planned gallery building. Architects: Darling & Pearson.
Plans had first been submitted in 1912. Further plans and estimates were submitted in 1914; these were considered too expensive and were modified; the architects were then instructed to secure tenders. Progress on the plans and collection of funds was stopped in 1915 because of the war. Plans for a small section of the gallery were prepared in 1916. Digging began on 27 Oct. 1916.
1918
New galleries - square, long, and octagon (now Laidlaw and E.R. and F.P. Wood)--opened to the public 4 April; access was through the Grange. Final cost: $85,263.22.
Following the inaugural exhibition the galleries were closed from 11 May to 27 August to allow the workmen to complete many details that could not be finished in time for the opening.
1919
"Main door" on Dundas Street opened in April.
1920
Agreement between the gallery and the Ontario College of Art regarding the erection of a building for the college on AGT grounds (dated 12 May 1920); building completed 1921.
1925
Corner-stone of new galleries laid by Governor General Lord Byng on 26 May. Architects: Darling & Pearson.
Plans and estimates had been submitted in October 1924 and the ground broken on 17 November. The Grange and existing galleries were closed December 1925 to January 1926 because of the construction.
1926
Opening of Sir Edmund Walker Memorial Court and adjoining galleries on 29 January by the Lieutenant Governor. Final cost: $277,278.09.
The two galleries west of the court named the Richard Barry Fudger Memorial Gallery and Rotunda; the cost of these galleries had been provided by H.H. Fudger in memory of his son.
1933
Two galleries east of Walker court named Reuben Wells Leonard Gallery and Rotunda in memory of Colonel Leonard (d. 1930); "architectural treatment ... modified to conform to that of the Fudger Galleries." New door leading into the Long Gallery from the centre of the Walker Court opened.
1935
Grants from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments and the T. Eaton Company allow for the construction of two new galleries, opened in November. Architects: Darling, Pearson & Cleveland.
Construction began in March 1935. The west gallery named the Margaret Eaton Gallery as a memorial to Mrs Timothy Eaton. This gallery was later demolished to make way for Stage II, and the name was transferred to a new (the present Margaret Eaton) gallery to the south of the original location.
1938
The "East Gallery" renamed the E.R. Wood Gallery following a gift of $22,500 from Edward Rogers Wood, Toronto financier. This gallery was later demolished to make way for Stage I and the name transferred to the Long Gallery (see under 1971). Domed ceiling light over the Fudger Rotunda replaced by a flat octagonal one. Similar ceiling light installed in Leonard Rotunda in 1939.
1951
Centre sections of railings on the east and west side of the sculpture court replaced with removable railings to provide two more openings into the court.
1963
Octagon gallery named after Frank P. Wood and the square gallery after Walter C. Laidlaw on 3 May 1963.
1971
Ground-breaking ceremony on 7 September 1971 by Premier Davis to mark the beginning of construction of Stage I.
1971
E.R. Wood name transferred to the long gallery in November 1971.
1973
The Grange officially opened in April by Mayor David Crombie, following its restoration and furnishing as a historic house of the period 1835-40.
1974
Opening of Stage I on 26 October. Premier William Davis, collector and patron Mrs. Ayala Zacks, and sculptor Henry Moore officiated.
Architects: John C. Parkin, Architects/Engineers/Planners. John Gordon Spence (appointment effective 6 April 1971; d.28 Feb. 1975), John P. ("Jack") Beckett, project managers.
1977
Stage II opened on 24 September.
1986
A competition for the Stage III expansion project is launched on 25 August, 1986.
The competition is limited to Ontario architects, respecting the institution's provincial mandate. From a total of 28 submissions, 12 firms were chosen for interview by a selection committee. The four finalists were Barton Myers Associates, A.J. Diamond and Partners, Moriyama and Teshima Architects, and Zeidler Roberts Partnership.
1987
Winning design for Stage III selected by jury on Jan 19 and 20. Jury members were Phyllis Lambert, Moshe Safdie, Gustavo da Roza, Douglas Richardson, Peter Kolisnyk, Dr. Robert Bandeen, and William J. Withrow.
"The jury has unanimously selected an architect, Barton Myers, whose attitudes, priorities, and sensitivities it has enthusiastically endorsed. The design strategies to complete the Third and Final Stage of the Art Gallery of Ontario expansion are strong. They address the the major elements of entrance, street, park, and galleries..."
1989
Phase 1 of the Stage III expansion/renovation construction project begins with the construction of the Muzzo / Di Luca Tower, the Jean and Floyd Chalmers Wing, the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Sculpture Atrium, and the George Weston Hall and new main entrance.
1991
Phase 2 of the Stage III expansion/renovation project continues with the construction of the Fredrik S. Eaton Wing (Dundas Street extension), renovation of Old Master and Canadian historical galleries.
1992
Phase 3 of the Stage III expansion/renovation project continues with the rearrangement and renovation of existing spaces adjoining new construction, renovation of old office space into galleries, renovation of Member's Lounge, Restaurant, and Education Services.
Gallery closes July 4 for seven months, and lays off 244 staff (90 full-time, 76 part-time and 78 casual workers) due to financial constraints and lack of government funding. Construction continues.
1993
Official completion of Stage Three and re-opening of the AGO on Sunday, 24 January, 1993.
With completion of the project, exhibition space in the gallery is increased from 63,000 to 97,000 square feet, with the addition of 17 new galleries. The new interior dimensions of the AGO are 413,000 square feet, up from 320,000 square feet before the project started.
November 19, 2002
Announcement of the donation by Mr. Kenneth Thomson of his art collection of 2,000 works and a cash gift of $50 million towards a capital expansion of the Gallery's facility. The physical redesign and expansion will be led by architect Frank Gehry. The expansion project will enlarge the Gallery by 75,000 square feet and will increase exhibition space by more than 40%. Groundbreaking is planned for 2005, with the re-opening of the new building anticipated for late 2007.
