The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) has announced a C$35 million ($25.7 million) gift from Dani Reiss, chairman and CEO of Canada Goose, member of the Order of Canada, and art collector, to help expand the museum’s contemporary gallery.

The addition, which has been renamed the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery, will increase the museum’s gallery space by 40,000 square feet, with at least 13 new galleries across five floors—increasing AGO’s total display space by 30 percent. The new gallery is being designed to operate without burning fossil fuel. The all-electric mechanical plant will use no operational carbon and create no emissions, while seeking to be among the few museums to achieve CAGBC (Canada Green Building Council) Zero Carbon Operating Building certification.

“The Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery is more than an expansion project—it’s how we fulfill our mission to bring people together with art, propel global conversations that speak to the issues of our time, and reflect the diversity of Toronto, Ontario, and Canada,” said Stephan Jost, the Michael and Sonja Koerner Director and CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario. “In the past decade we’ve welcomed more than 20,000 artworks into the collection and now thanks to both a monumental lead gift from Dani Reiss and the vision of our architect partners, we’re set to display them in a thoughtful, dynamic, and truly beautiful space....Like Toronto itself, the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery is driven by both generosity and creativity.” 

“Contemporary art is an observation of our time; the conversations, issues, and triumphs of our generation—a reflection of humanity,” said Reiss. “I’m proud to support the AGO in their purpose to bring people together through art, especially art that inherently inspires such important discussion. Toronto is a world-class city, and this new gallery further establishes Toronto and Canada as a leader in celebrating modern and contemporary art.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Thampapon)