2024 Year
in Review
Director's Note
From stunning new exhibitions to paradigm-shifting research papers, 2024 proved to be a banner year for ROM. Yet, among all the Museum’s myriad activities, one towered above them all: the launch of OpenROM, a transformative project that will both literally and figuratively open ROM up even more, creating a thriving cultural and civic hub in the heart of the city.
Catalyzed by a $50-million donation from the Hennick Family Foundation, OpenROM is built on three pillars. The first is the architectural reinvention of ROM’s ground floor, introducing a fully redesigned Bloor Street entrance to the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal; 6,000 additional square feet of gallery space; and the new sweeping, sunlit heart of the Museum: the Hennick Commons. The second pillar is ongoing main floor performances and programs, which will include everything from live music to hands-on learning. The third pillar is access. For ROM to be a true cultural and civic hub, it must be inclusive and reflective of the diverse province in which we live. So, through OpenROM, we will be making our reimagined main floor free all year round, once the project is complete.
Since construction began immediately following the public announcement of OpenROM on February 14, 2024, progress has been swift. Initial strategic demolition has set the stage for core construction. The expansion of the Bloor Street entrance has begun. And over the spring, the focus will shift to installing new mechanical and electrical systems and constructing the Bloor Street entrance's expansive canopy.
That we have already accomplished so much is rewarding. That we have done so while keeping ROM open, with a full slate of programming and minimal disruption to the visitor experience, is even more so.
Of course, I would be remiss not to include some of our many other accomplishments over 2024, which you can read about in more detail below. Among the highlights: the return of the Free Main Floor pilot program, the discovery of a long-extinct aquatic reptile, and the success of the ROM-original exhibition Quilts: Made in Canada.
These achievements are not just a testament to the creativity and talent of our staff and volunteers. They are a testament to the outstanding support of our community, from longtime members to government partners and donors. To them, and to everyone else who make the essential work we do possible, thank you for an incredible year.
— Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO
Research & Collections Highlights
ROM researchers, including Dr. David Evans, the James and Louise Temerty Endowed Chair of Vertebrate Palaeontology, found the first record of the Champsosaurus lindoei species (a long-extinct aquatic reptile) in the United States.
Dr. Chen Shen, the Senior Curator of Chinese Art and Culture, co-authored a new book, Impressions on Clay: Pictorial Hollow-Brick Tomb Tiles from Western Han Luoyang (2 century BC), which presents the first-ever coloured photographs of the pictorial hollow-brick tomb tiles from ROM’s Chinese collection.
Dr. Soren Brothers, the Allan and Helaine Shiff Curator of Climate Change, published a major paper in One Earth on greenhouse emissions from Great Salt Lake, which was covered everywhere from The Washington Post to Newsweek.
Dr. Sarah Fee, the Senior Curator of Global Fashion & Textiles, co-convened a major international conference on the arts of the Indian Ocean.
ROM palaeontologists, including Dr. Jean-Bernard Caron, the Richard M. Ivey Curator of Invertebrate Palaeontology, published a study on the evolution and ecology of Odaraia, a taco-shaped marine animal that lived during the Cambrian period.
As part of its commitment to South Asian heritage, ROM announced the Global Sikh Art & Culture Gallery and Program: a robust, multifaceted initiative that includes a new permanent gallery and endowed curator.
Exhibition Highlights
Noelle Hamlyn: Lifers (June 3, 2023 to April 1, 2024) featured more than 20 repurposed and retailored life jackets—a striking visual metaphor, which illuminates the current environmental crisis in the textiles and fashion industries.
Being and Belonging: Contemporary Women Artists from the Islamic World and Beyond (July 1, 2023 to January 7, 2024) explored the defining issues of our time from the perspective of 25 women from or connected to the broader Islamic world.
Death: Life's Greatest Mystery (October 28, 2023 to April 7, 2024) wrestled with humanity's most primal fear, asking probing questions about mourning, grief, and spirituality.
Wild Cats (June 15, 2024 to October 20, 2024) used an array of mounted specimens, interactive displays, and cultural belongings to explore the captivating world of cats and the way they've inspired many cultures.
Earth: An Immersive Journey (June 2, 2024 to January 12, 2025) brought habitats to life with a combination of high-definition projections, scent diffusions, and spatial audio.
Quilts: Made In Canada (June 29, 2024 to November 17, 2024) featured over 20 rarely displayed quilts, from the homespun quilts of early settlers to the innovative quilts of contemporary Indigenous makers.
Nature in Brilliant Colour (December 14, 2024 to August 17, 2025) invited visitors to discover the power and meaning of colour in the natural world via an immersive combination of projections, soundscapes, and specimens.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year (December 21, 2024 to May 4, 2025) returned to ROM with an array of gorgeous new photographs of the natural world at its most intimate and vulnerable.
Events Highlights
Nearly 400 of the Museum’s donors, supporters, and partners gathered for the ROM Celebration event, a tribute to the extraordinary generosity that powers the Museum’s research, exhibitions, and year-round public programming enjoyed by more than one million visitors each year.
Infusing nostalgic fun with authentic thrills, ROM After Dark: Halloween was the must-attend party of the season, complete with a pumpkin scavenger hunt and spooky inflatables.
To celebrate ROM’s 110th anniversary, the entire Museum was free the weekend of March 23-24, 2024.
ROM hosted a program on the AIDS Memorial Quilt, featuring the Quilt’s founder and legendary activist Cleve Jones.
Additional Highlights
Construction began on OpenROM—a sweeping architectural transformation of the Museum’s core and a newly designed Bloor Street entrance, better connecting ROM to the neighbourhood.
Strategy magazine selected ROM as one of its five North American Brands of the Year.
ROM welcomed Rhéanne Chartrand, the inaugural Hatch Curator of Indigenous Art & Culture.
Returning for its third year, the Free Main Floor pilot, generously supported by the Temerty Foundation, attracted close to 75,000 visitors exclusively for the free experience—more than twice as many as last summer.
Since 2022, our travelling exhibitions have reached more than 2 million visitors at other museums throughout Canada, the United States, New Zealand, and beyond.
ROM published the third volume of Canadian Watercolours and Drawings in the Royal Ontario Museum, a legacy of pictorial Canada by Mary Allodi and Arlene Gehmacher, the L.R. Wilson Curator of Canadian Art & Culture.
Once again, ROM was selected as one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers.
TD Bank Group Supports 'Third Tuesday Nights Free' & New ‘Strengthening the Now’ Initiative
Building on four decades of steadfast support for ROM, TD Bank Group (TD) made a new gift to the Museum in late 2024 supporting 'Third Tuesday Nights Free' as well as the 'Strengthening the Now' initiative that bolsters the important work the Indigenous Learning and Programs team began since forming two years ago.
As the name implies, Third Tuesday Nights Free (TTNF) enables everyone to enjoy ROM, free of charge, on the third Tuesday of each month. And each month, TTNF brings as many as 6,000 visitors a night—many of whom would not have otherwise been able to attend. Thanks to the donation from TD through the TD Ready Commitment, the Bank's corporate citizenship platform, tens of thousands of more visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the Museum for free over the next two years.
While TTNF is a long-established program, Strengthening the Now is brand-new. Developed by Leslie McCue, the Manager of Indigenous Learning and Programs at ROM, the initiative will help support Indigenous staff emotionally and spiritually, so they can continue to take on the emotional labour required in their roles. Strengthening the Now will also provide accessible, dynamic, and engaging Indigenous-led programming throughout many galleries at ROM. This programming will include everything from interactive installations to hands-on workshops—all informed by extensive consultations with Indigenous Peoples throughout Ontario.
With the launch of Strengthening the Now, ROM will become an even more dynamic environment for learning about and connecting with Indigenous Peoples and communities—a place where those same communities will better see themselves, their cultures, and their histories more accurately reflected. What’s more, ROM is thrilled to collaborate on this initiative with TD, a decades-long supporter of the Museum with a deep commitment to amplifying diverse voices in arts and culture.
Thank You
Without our donors, volunteers, staff, and the support of the Government of Ontario, none of this would be possible.
For a full donor list, click here.