Canada to highlight South Asian culture

31 Jan '08

2 min read

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is proud to announce the re-opening of the Sir Christopher Ondaatje South Asian Gallery, named in honour of Sir Christopher Ondaatje, C.B.E., O.C., in appreciation of his generous support of Renaissance ROM and the Royal Ontario Museum.

The original gallery, the first in Canada to highlight South Asian culture, opened at the ROM in 2000. The new gallery, located on Level 3 of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, is scheduled to open February 16, 2008.

“This gallery is uniquely Canadian,” says Sir Christopher Ondaatje. “While conflict exists in many parts of the world, here in Canada we have created a tremendously diverse South Asian gallery, with Canada's varied South Asian communities and the ROM matching my initial support. What an achievement! It is to this ideal that I pledged a further $1 million. Canada is the great United Nations experiment, and it is working.”

William Thorsell, the ROM's Director and CEO responds, “The ROM is grateful to Sir Christopher Ondaatje, whose ongoing support has again enabled the ROM to bring more of its objects out of its collections areas and into the public eye, where they belong.

The ROM's South Asian collection is particularly renowned and, thanks to Sir Christopher, visitors to the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal will delight in old favourites and come to appreciate brand new highlights.”

"As inaugural season sponsor, it has been our pleasure to support the ROM as it brings this fascinating Michael Lee-Chin Crystal gallery to the public,” states Gerry McCaughey, President and Chief Executive Officer of CIBC.

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