TORONTO — This fall, the Art Gallery of Ontario’s (AGO) Henry Moore Sculpture Centre celebrates its 50th anniversary. A landmark of modern art and architecture, in recognition of the Centre’s enduring place in the city and the joy and inspiration it has brought to generations, the City of Toronto is proclaiming November 13, 2024, Henry Moore Day.
The AGO invites visitors to join them in marking the occasion by sharing their photos and recollections of time spent with Henry Moore’s art on social media, using the hashtag #MooreMemories.
Opened in the late autumn of 1974, the creation of the Henry Moore Sculpture Centre was inspired by the famed British artist’s unprecedented donation of 101 sculptures, 57 drawings, and 150 prints to the museum that same year. Motivated by a belief that “art is international,” Moore’s extraordinary gift made headlines around the world. Designed by Toronto architect John C. Parkin in partnership with Henry Moore expressly for the display of his art, today the Centre features rotating selections of his prints and drawings, plaster works, and examples of his bronze casts and direct carvings in stone and wood.
“Henry Moore’s deep commitment to direct carving, his close observation of the natural world, and forms that invite multiple points of view have made him among the most significant sculptors in the Western tradition,” says Adam Welch, Associate Curator, Modern Art, Art Gallery of Ontario. “While Henry Moore’s bronze sculptures are known the world over, here in one light-filled space, visitors, artists, and students can explore many facets of his artistic output – seeing his large-scale plasters, drawings, prints, and the natural objects that inspired him. It’s a unique, beloved space in our city, and a destination for modern art. We look forward to the next 50.”
Toronto’s connection to Henry Moore dates to 1966 when his monumental bronze sculpture Three Way Piece Number Two: Archer, better known simply as The Archer, was selected by Finnish architect Viljo Revell to complement the new City Hall building as a symbol of the city’s global outlook. A source of contention, after City Hall declined to purchase it, citizens raised the funds needed to acquire the sculpture, which still stands today.
Today, the AGO is home to the largest public collection of his art in the world.
“We are delighted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Henry Moore Sculpture Centre with our friends at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the City of Toronto,” said Godfrey Worsdale, Director, Henry Moore Foundation. “Henry Moore’s remarkable gift, coupled with his belief that art is meant to be shared and experienced across borders, continues to resonate deeply today. The Centre has become a cherished space for visitors from Toronto and around the world to encounter Moore’s powerful and evolving vision.”
On Wednesday, November 13 at 7 p.m., the AGO hosts Henry Moore at the AGO: 50 years, a public talk featuring Associate Curator, Modern Art, Adam Welch, AGO Conservator, Sculpture and Decorative Arts Lisa Ellis, and Henry Moore Foundation Sculpture Conservator James Copper. For more details and to purchase tickets visit ago.ca/events/henry-moore-ago-50-years. AGO Members and Annual Passholders receive a discount.
Collection facts:
AGO’s collection of Henry Moore artworks numbers more than 950 objects, including rare plasters, bronze sculptures, maquettes, drawings, prints, and sketchbooks. Currently on view in the Henry Moore Sculpture Centre are 59 artworks, among them sculptures, prints and drawings.
The AGO’s collection of Henry Moore artworks includes 78 rare plaster casts, near life sized models textured with a variety of household tools and sometimes hand colored. Henry Moore referred to them as “plaster originals. . .they are the actual works that one has done with one’s own hands.”
In 1974, Henry Moore oversaw the installation of his works personally. The heavy sculptures were placed on wheeled pedestals, allowing them to move easily. Former curator Alan G. Wilkinson would describe the process as “a game of musical Moores. . .the final result was a breathtaking and powerful display of sculpture.”
The AGO’s Conservator, Sculpture and Decorative Arts Lisa Ellis oversees the care of Large Two Forms in Grange Park. In addition to regular condition reporting, a protective coating is periodically applied to the surface of the monumental bronze sculpture, to prevent corrosion.
The Henry Moore Sculpture Centre has featured installations, performances, and interventions by artists including Geoffrey Farmer, Brian Jungen, Clayton Lee, and Simon Starling. Currently on display is the recently acquired sculpture Can’t we all just get along (2020) by American artist Hugh Hayden.
In addition to works by Henry Moore, the AGO’s collection of modern and contemporary art features more than 550 sculptures by artists from around the world, including Jean Arp, Constantin Brancusi, Han Dong, Barbara Hepworth, Pierre Huyghe, Brian Jungen, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Takis, Jackie Winsor, and Haegue Yang.
The Henry Moore Sculpture Centre is located on Level 2 of the AGO and is free with general admission. The AGO is always free for Ontarians under 25, AGO Members, Annual Passholders, and Indigenous Peoples. For more details on how to become a Member or Annual Passholder, visit ago.ca.
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ABOUT HENRY MOORE
Henry Spencer Moore was born in Castleford, a small mining town in Yorkshire, in 1898. After training to be a teacher and serving in the British Army he studied at Leeds School of Art and then the Royal College of Art, London.
By the 1950s Moore had begun to receive a number of international commissions. He continued working in sculpture, drawing, printmaking and textile design until his death in 1986.
Moore was a pioneer, and the first British artist to become a global star in his own lifetime. His work came to symbolise post-war modernism and can be said to have caused a British sculptural renaissance.
ABOUT THE HENRY MOORE FOUNDATION
The Henry Moore Foundation was founded by the artist and his family in 1977 to encourage public appreciation of the visual arts. Today it supports innovative sculpture projects, devises an imaginative programme of exhibitions and research worldwide, and preserves the legacy of Moore himself: one of the great sculptors of the twentieth century, who did so much to bring the art form to a wider audience.
A registered charity, we award grants to arts organisations around the world, with a mission to bring great sculpture to as many people as possible. henry-moore.org | @henrymoorestudios | #henrymoore, #henrymoorearchive
ABOUT THE AGO
Located in Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America, attracting approximately one million visitors annually. The AGO Collection of more than 120,000 works of art ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art to significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists to European masterpieces. The AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, including solo exhibitions and acquisitions by diverse and underrepresented artists from around the world. The AGO is embarking on the seventh expansion project undertaken since it was founded in 1900. When completed the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery will increase exhibition space for the museum’s growing modern and contemporary collection and reflect the people who call Toronto home. With its groundbreaking Annual Pass program, the AGO is one of the most affordable and accessible attractions in the GTA. Visit ago.ca to learn more.
The AGO is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. Additional operating support is received from the City of Toronto, the Canada Council for the Arts, and generous contributions from AGO Members, donors, and private-sector partners.
