Collection of African and Tribal Art Donated to Art Gallery of Hamilton

Noted Canadian Philanthropists and Art Collectors Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Donate Significant Collection of African and Tribal Art to Art Gallery of Hamilton

HAMILTON, ON, January 14, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - Over 100 works of art from Joey and Toby Tanenbaum's collection of African and tribal art will find a home at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. The works bring together ritualistic and functional everyday objects, including masks, sculptures, containers, and architectural elements. Primarily from east, central, and west Africa, the majority of artworks date from the late nineteenth through the early twentieth centuries, and are crafted from such materials as wood, terracotta, bronze, shell, bone, feathers, fibres, textiles, and other organic materials. The collection also contains artworks from Oceania.

"Without art, society would have no soul. Art fulfills so much within us, in our hearts," said Joey Tanenbaum. "We're very exciting about this gift we're giving to Hamilton."

"This multi-million dollar donation of African and tribal art will truly transform our collection and our activities," said AGH President and CEO Louise Dompierre. "The Art Gallery of Hamilton is honoured and touched by the Tanenbaums' confidence and trust in our institution for giving us the opportunity - yet again - to enrich our programming with such a magnificent gift."

In 2002, Joey and Toby Tanenbaum gifted the AGH with their extensive collection of nineteenth-century European art.

"In addition to appreciating these masterworks from Africa and Oceania on purely aesthetic grounds, these magnificent artworks also help us understand how similar objects inspired artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Braque and Brancusi, to name a few," added Dompierre.

A selection of the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum collection of African and tribal art will be on display at the Gallery from May 22nd to September 6, 2010, as part of Vital Africa, the Art Gallery of Hamilton's year-long celebration of African arts and culture and its influence on the world. Presented by TD, the celebration includes exhibitions, performances, talks, film screenings, and activities for families and children.


Founded in 1914, the Art Gallery of Hamilton owns one of the finest collections in Canada. Its collection strengths include European historical, Canadian historical, contemporary - and now - African art.