The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) has confirmed that its new five-storey Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery will open on 25 September 2027. This C$100 million (about $73.4 million) project will add 40,000 square feet to the gallery, increasing its display area by approximately 30%. The new wing, overlooking downtown Toronto’s Grange Park, will include 5,000 square feet of gallery space with ceilings reaching 23 feet, designed to accommodate large-scale works.
The expansion responds to the AGO’s growing collection of modern and contemporary art, which has increased by around 18,000 pieces over the past decade. The new gallery will display about 400 works, including recent acquisitions such as more than 200 photographs by Peter Hujar and over 450 works from the late collectors Carol and Morton Rapp. These include pieces by artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Oldenburg, Kara Walker, Rachel Whiteread, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Lee Bontecou, and David Hockney.
The project was initiated by a lead gift of C$35 million ($25.7 million) from Dani Reiss, an art collector and business leader. The gallery reports that the project is now fully funded, with support from a community of donors and the governments of Ontario and Canada.
The architectural design is a collaboration between Toronto-based Diamond Schmitt, New York’s Selldorf Architects, and Two Row Architect from Ohsweken, Ontario. These firms have experience with major cultural projects, including the Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver, the National Gallery in London, and the Perry Centre for Native American Art in Vermont.
The AGO also holds the largest public collection of Henry Moore’s work outside the UK. In 2024, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Henry Moore Sculpture Centre, the city of Toronto declared 13 November as Henry Moore Day.
AGO’s outgoing director, Stephan Jost, stated that the new gallery signals Toronto and Canada’s global position in the art world and highlights the evolution of the AGO’s collection to a truly international scope.
Federal minister Gregor Robertson noted the government’s pride in supporting a sustainable, state-of-the-art gallery that will host modern and contemporary art for generations.
The opening of the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery marks a significant step for the AGO, expanding its ability to present modern and contemporary art to a wider audience.
Why it matters