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| - Not just one of my favourite galleries, but one of my favourite places, period.
If you don't have a membership, less than $20 (or $50 for the whole fam) will get you into this beautiful building housing everything from Michelangelo to Turner to van Gogh to Mondrian, from the world's largest Canadian art collection to up-and-coming photographers to a glass case full of 18th century Chinese snuff bottles looking good enough to eat. Even the gift shop is a blast.
See fantastic displays of both major (including monumental touring exhibits from the Centre Pompidou, MoMA and elsewhere) and lesser-known works. Check out the upper levels for constantly evolving contemporary installations - it's like the Kinder Surprise of galleries. Bring kids and young friends, as there's always something wonderful for them too, particularly in the Weston Family Learning Centre. Read the educational, enlightening and sometimes unintentionally hilarious captions/wall panels/gallery guides so thoughtfully put together by the best curators around. Chat with volunteers. Be inspired. Unpack your visit over Chinese food afterward.
I've brought friends, lovers, loved ones and just myself. I still think about my favourite moments: the first time I saw the corner with Colville's two contrasting paintings of his wife; a small room full of Walter Trier illustrations for the 1947 German children's book The Animals' Conference; putting on my headphones and wandering for hours.
Pity that Toronto has only gotten recent international attention with the worst mayor in the galaxy, when it's had world class offerings like the AGO all along.
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