TORONTO.- As of January 31, visitors to the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) will have the opportunity to enjoy exceptional works of art drawn from the National Gallery of Canada (NGC)’s collections. The announcement of the three-year partnership was made today by the NGC and the AGA. In a designated space on the main floor of the new AGA, called The National Gallery of Canada at the Art Gallery of Alberta, special exhibitions will be presented by both institutions. These will range from the presentation of single works or new acquisitions, to full exhibitions of different sizes, covering a variety of collecting areas from the past to present.

This new programming initiative will build on the strong commitment of the NGC to sharing the national collections with Canadians. Exhibitions offered through the Gallery’s travelling exhibition program have been a mainstay of the AGA since its very first exhibition in 1924. This expanded partnership will be the first of a limited number of satellite programs available within Canada and will demonstrate both galleries’ commitment to bringing the best of the national collections to Western Canada, featuring both Canadian and international art. Exhibition projects will be organized collaboratively.

“All of us at the National Gallery of Canada are particularly enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve Edmonton directly in this way’’, said Marc Mayer, Director, National Gallery of Canada. ‘’Heartfelt thanks and warm wishes go out to our colleagues at the Art Gallery of Alberta for their vision in inviting us to this partnership.’’

The National Gallery of Canada at the Art Gallery of Alberta program will launch at the grand opening of the magnificent new Art Gallery of Alberta building on January 31, 2010. The first exhibition will be "Goya The Master Printmaker: The Disasters of War and Los Caprichos", featuring the Spanish master’s legendary print suites The Disasters of War of 1810-23, edition of 1863, and a rare bound edition of his print masterpiece, Los Caprichos, from 1797-98, edition of 1799. It will be on view until May 30, 2010.

“Our partnership with the National Gallery of Canada reflects the national significance of the Art Gallery of Alberta and is critical to our future development”, said Gilles Hébert, AGA Executive Director. “We want to reach out beyond the borders of Edmonton and engage the entire community and province. Hosting and curating exhibitions that feature incredible works of the National Gallery of Canada’s collection will help us do that.”

The National Gallery of Canada at the Art Gallery of Alberta program is made available to the AGA on a cost recovery basis, encompassing hard production and touring costs only. The NGC provides its staff resources, curatorial expertise, and access to its collections free of charge. Capital Power has joined the Art Gallery of Alberta in a three-year sponsorship commitment of unprecedented scale to support these production costs.