Today, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) welcomed the public to the first new galleries of Renaissance ROM, the Museum's expansion and restoration project. The Museum unveiled 90,000 square feet (8,100 square metres) of public space, featuring ten new galleries, in the Museum's historic buildings. The openings include a new wing for the art and archaeology of China, Japan and Korea, a gallery featuring artifacts and art from Canada's First Peoples, and several renovated public areas. Two original ROM exhibitions, Déco Lalique and Korea Around 1900: The Paintings of Gisan, also open today. Through the morning, visitors lining up to buy their tickets were entertained by MorningStar River, a group of Native Canadian drummers and singers at the Loblaws Entrance at the south end of the Museum.

"It is exhilarating to complete the first stage of Renaissance ROM and present these beautiful new galleries to the public," said William Thorsell. "These re-imagined galleries will reveal the ROM's treasures in an entirely new light."

Designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, Renaissance ROM is the largest heritage restoration and museum expansion project in Canada today. For the first time in more than 20 years, visitors will experience the ROM's historic 1914 and 1933 buildings in their original splendour.

The critics have been uniformly positive in their reviews. Last week, the Toronto Star described the rebuilt ROM as "wondrous" with the newly configured galleries "organized to appeal to our sense of curiosity and our desire for comfort..." The Globe and Mail noted that "...you are in for a treat." For the National Post, the first stage of openings in ROM's expansion is "...an exhilarating start, and a cause for celebration."

New and Renovated Galleries and Public Spaces include:
-Prince Takamado Gallery of Japan
-Herman Herzog Levy Gallery
-Bishop White Gallery of Chinese Temple Art
-Matthews Family Court of Chinese Sculpture
-Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Gallery of China
-ROM Gallery of Chinese Architecture
-Gallery of Korea
-Gallery of Canada: First Peoples
-Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery
-Gallery of the Bronze Age Aegean
-A.G. Leventis Foundation Gallery of Ancient Cyprus
-Learning Centre
-Signy & Cléophée Eaton Theatre and Lower Rotunda

Temporary exhibitions:
Déco Lalique
(December 26, 2005 to January 28, 2007)

Korea Around 1900: The Paintings of Gisan
(December 26, 2005 to September 4, 2006)

Admission prices from December 26, 2005 until the Fall 2006 opening of the Lee-Chin Crystal: Adults $15; Students & Seniors with ID $12; Children $10; Infants (4 & under) are admitted free. During ROM Friday Nights (4:30 - 9:30pm), admission is free to the ROM's permanent galleries. The ROM is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Friday until 9:30 p.m. The Museum is closed on Sunday, January 1, 2005 and closes at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2005.

From Tuesday, December 27, 2005 to January 8, 2006, the ROM celebrates ROM for the Holidays with an array of family-oriented activities that complement our new permanent galleries. Programming is every day from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and is free with admission.




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