Museum to welcome sculpture on Wednesday, July 30 at 6:30 p.m. with remarks by the artist and music by Shakura S’Aida anda Gospel Chorale led by Kiara Picart
Tickets on sale now for Thomas J Price in conversation, Wednesday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Ballie Court
Moments Contained, Photo: Stefan Altenburger
TORONTO — Today, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) announces the acquisition and planned installation of a striking bronze figure by acclaimed artist Thomas J Price. When unveiled on July 30, Moments Contained (2023) will stand in front of the main entrance of the AGO, facing north and overlooking the intersection of Dundas St. West and McCaul St. The acquisition and presentation of Moments Contained was made possible by the generous contributions of a group of donors, the majority of whom are from Toronto’s Black and Caribbean communities. Lead support for the acquisition was from an anonymous donor, with significant support from David W. Binet and The Haynes-Connell Foundation.
Standing 2.7 meters tall and made of lustrous black bronze, the sculpture depicts a contemplative young Black woman, dressed in casual wear. Feet planted on the sidewalk, her demeanour is serene, and she appears outwardly confident, but the hands she hides in her pockets are visibly clenched, suggesting a tension between her inner thoughts and outward expression.
“Around the world, Price’s powerful figures are helping us reimagine public sculpture, and it is with excitement that we welcome extraordinary art to Toronto,” says Stephan Jost, Michael and Sonja Koerner, Director and CEO, AGO. “I thank the leadership of Curator Julie Crooks and the generosity and vision of the AGO community to make this significant work possible.”
Internationally renowned for his large-scale sculptural works situated in public spaces, Price’s massive bronze figures depict fictional Black subjects. Described by Price as “psychological portraits,” his sculptures are composites, combining details from ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian art, with subtleties observed from daily life. His process is also an amalgamation of techniques, combining as it does traditional sculpting with the use of 3D scanning technology for body and clothing detail.
According to Price, his use of multiple sources is essential in constructing his characters and “place[s] the focus on their psychological embodiment and underlying humanistic qualities.”
No stranger to Toronto, in 2019, the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery hosted Ordinary Men a major exhibition of Price’s work. In 2021, as part of ArtworxTO: Toronto’s Year of Public Art, the AGO exhibited Price’s sculpture Within the Folds (Dialogue 1). It stood on the site currently held by Brian Jungen’s Couch Monster: Sadzěʔ yaaghęhch’ill (2022).
Moments Contained is the first public artwork to be acquired by the AGO’s Department of Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora, and its acquisition was spearheaded by Julie Crooks, Curator, Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora. Since being founded in 2020, the Department has worked to address historic gaps and erasures related to the representation of Africa and its diasporas through programming, acquisitions, and exhibitions. Recent additions to the collection include works by Moridja Kitenge Banza, Sandra Brewster, Jorian Charlton, Andrea Chung, Leasho Johnson, Manuel Mathieu, Bidemi Oloyede, Emmanuel Osahor, Zak Ové, Marc Padeu, Jan Wade, and Alberta Whittle.
Admission to the AGO is always free for Ontarians under 25, Indigenous Peoples, AGO Members, and Annual Passholders. For more information on how to become a Member or Annual Passholder, visit ago.ca/membership/become-a-member.
Programming highlights:
On Wednesday, July 30, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the AGO invites the public to join the artist and Toronto musician Shakura S’Aida and a Gospel Chorale led by Kiara Picart in unveiling the sculpture. For more details about this free event, visit ago.ca/events/unveiling-moments-contained.
Thomas J Price joins Julie Crooks, AGO Curator, Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora in conversation in Baillie Court, on Wednesday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/thomas-j-price-conversation-julie-crooks.
The AGO gratefully acknowledges the following donors for bringing this acquisition to life:
David W. Binet
Chandaria Family
Kevin Jerome Crouch in honour of Kaliyana John
Tyrone & Life Edwards
The Gordon and Lorraine Gibson Family Foundation
The Haynes-Connell Foundation
Kevin, Nevaeh, Keenan & Cali Johnson in honour of Monica Johnson
Steven & Lynda Latner
Charles Lesaux, Aaron Nugent & Becky LeBlanc, Ella Nugent
Mascoll Family
Dr. Liza & Dr. Frederick Murrell
Sekyi-Otu Family
An Anonymous Family
Anonymous
And a community of supporters who believe in the transformational power of art.
@AGOToronto | #SeeAGO
About Thomas J Price
Born in 1981, Price lives and works in London. He studied at Chelsea College of Art and the Royal College of Art, London and has held solo exhibitions at institutions including: The Power Plant, Toronto, Canada; The National Portrait Gallery, London, UK; the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, UK; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK; Kunsthalle Krems, Austria; and Kunsthal Rotterdam. Price’s work is held in collections such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada; Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia; Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY; and The Legacy Museum, Montgomery, AL.
Price was commissioned by Hackney Council to create the first permanent public sculptures to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants in the UK, unveiled in June 2022. His solo presentation, ‘Witness’, in collaboration with The Studio Museum in Harlem was on view in Marcus Garvey Park from 2021 – 2022.
In 2025, Price opened a multi-venue exhibition in Florence across Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio and Museo Novecento, on view from March. In September the artist will unveil the inaugural Neil Balvanes Tallawoladah Lawn Commission at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia.
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.
