Art Gallery of Hamilton
123 King St. W
About
This art gallery first opened in 1914, but it was only when it reopened its doors in 2005 that it became one of Hamilton's greatest attractions. After a major renovation that cost more than C$18 million, the AGH is a gorgeous place to visit, with one of the most comprehensive collections of Canadian art in the country, as well as notable holdings of European and American works. The overhaul came as the result of the gallery's receiving one of the largest bequests in Canadian history -- the Joey and Toby Tannenbaum Collection, which included 211 works of 19th-century art from Europe. Now when you visit, you can see a great range of works, from Jules-Elie Delaunay's astonishing Ixion Plunged into Hades to Alex Colville's Horse and Train (two of my favorites). The renovation also helped shape areas such as the open-air Irving Zucker Sculpture Garden, a green, serene space that can also be viewed from the Sculpture Atrium inside the gallery.
