Renovated premiere space part of revitalization of Toronto Reference Library
TORONTO (Friday, June 15, 2012) – Toronto Public Library is thrilled to reopen the newly expanded TD Gallery, a vital exhibition space, located on the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library. Renovated as part of a five-year, $34 million revitalization of the Toronto Reference Library, the TD Gallery opens June 16th with the exhibition, A Passion for History: The Legacy of James Bain. The premiere exhibition features maps, prints, and books personally collected by James Bain, Toronto Public Library's first Chief Librarian (1883-1908) and donated to the library by the Bain family.
“The TD Gallery, one of Canada’s premiere exhibition venues, is a wonderful way to showcase treasures from Toronto Public Library’s remarkable 1.9 million items in Special Collections,” said Mary Rae Shantz, Manager, Special Collections, Archives and Digital Collections. ”We are proud to be able to celebrate the legacy of James Bain, and the continued generosity of the Bain family, with this inaugural exhibition.”
The Bain family was very happy to have the collection, which includes rare maps, prints, books and manuscripts, remain together in the public realm, Shantz said.
The gallery expansion was made possible through a major corporate gift to the Toronto Public Library Foundation’s re:vitalize – Toronto Reference Library Campaign from TD Bank Group.
“This is a wonderful gift and a great example of how inspired corporate leadership can bring about great outcomes at Toronto’s Library,” said Heather Rumball, President, Toronto Public Library Foundation.
TD’s gift has enabled a significant redesign and expansion of its gallery space, which is primarily used for four expertly curated exhibitions each year featuring a broad range of rare and original materials that are drawn from the Special Collections in Canadiana, performing arts, documentary art, early children’s literature, speculative fiction and Arthur Conan Doyle materials. Opened originally in 1997, the gallery closed in early 2010 for renovations. Features of the expanded TD Gallery include:
- A 40% increase in size to 2,600 square feet;
- A new curved glass wall to increase gallery transparency and profile;
- New interactive technology features to enable new mixed media presentations;
- New museum standard HVAC, lighting and other conservation features.
“We are thrilled to join with Toronto Public Library in realizing a new expanded gallery space for the benefit of all Torontonians,” said Frank McKenna, Deputy Chair, TD Bank Group, and Honorary Chair of the Foundation’s re:vitalize Campaign. “TD is enormously proud to support a project that creates even more opportunities for people to learn, discover, and enjoy the Library’s remarkable cultural and heritage collections.”
Toronto Public Library is the world's busiest urban public library systems. Every year, more than 19 million people visit our branches in neighbourhoods across the city and borrow over 33 million items. To learn more about Toronto Public Library, visit our website at torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at 416-393-7131. To get all the scoops about the library first-hand, follow us on Twitter @torontolibrary.
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Media Contact:
Anne Marie Aikins 416-393-7212