Global Sikh Art & Culture Gallery and Program to be Launched at ROM

Museum’s world-leading South Asian galleries and programs are set to expand. 

TORONTO, May 6, 2024 – On Saturday, May 4, Sikh cultural leaders and community members gathered at ROM for an evening event to connect, celebrate and recognize the tremendous fundraising efforts in support of the newly established Global Sikh Art & Culture Gallery and Program. This project is the first announced element of a planned refurbishment and expansion of ROM’s renowned suite of South Asian galleries and part of the Museum’s transformative OpenROM project. For the Global Sikh Art & Culture Gallery and Program at ROM, the community has now raised $16.6 million for this exciting program. Canadian Heritage will also deliver an additional $6 million for the project as recently announced in the 2024 Federal Budget and subject to passing of the budget.

Through visionary support from over 30 dedicated donors, ROM will become an even greater gathering place and destination of global significance for the Sikh and broader South Asian community and the global diaspora. For decades, ROM has collaborated with local communities to develop South Asian representation within the Museum opening a gallery featuring South Asian art and culture in 2000 — the first of its kind in Canada — which was further enhanced and expanded in 2008. The Global Sikh Art & Culture Gallery and Program will enable ROM to expand the Museum’s suite of galleries devoted to South Asia to include a dedicated Gallery of Sikh Art & Culture, establish funds to acquire Sikh historic objects and contemporary art and introduce a new endowed curatorial position dedicated to Sikh art and culture. In addition, public programs will highlight global Sikh art and culture, engaging Museum visitors through a regular series of talks, performances, and gallery tours.  

Once completed, the Sikh Art & Culture Gallery will encompass 2,300 square feet of new space created by OpenROM, a multi-faceted initiative that includes a sweeping architectural transformation of the Museum’s main floor, a redesigned Bloor Street entrance, and enhanced public and gallery spaces. OpenROM construction is currently underway and expected to be complete in late 2027. 

The Global Sikh Art & Culture Gallery and Program builds upon ROM’s long-standing involvement of showcasing Sikh and South Asian culture. In 2000, ROM presented the landmark exhibition, Arts of the Sikh Kingdom, from the Victoria and Albert Museum, augmented with pieces drawn from the private collections of Sikh community members living in Canada. ROM's South Asian collection is one of the foremost outside South Asia, with 15,000 objects spanning over 5,000 years of history, including the intricate model from the 1870s of the Golden Temple of Amritsar, and a rare illustrated manuscript from the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from 1822. 

The Museum has been home to a dedicated South Asian gallery, the Sir Christopher Ondaatje South Asian Gallery, for nearly a quarter century, and over that time it has been augmented with curatorial expertise and dedicated funds for exhibitions, programs, community engagement, and research made possible by the Dan Mishra South Asia Initiative.

Quotes
“ROM is fortunate to hold one of the foremost South Asian collections in the Western world. Now, we have an exciting opportunity to establish a preeminent Sikh collection that will become an integral part of our South Asian initiative and a space for all to learn about and engage with this vibrant culture.” 
— Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO

“Through Museums, we reflect collectively on Canadian, Indigenous and diverse stories. Our government’s support of the Sikh Arts & Culture Foundation and the Royal Ontario Museum in creating a gallery dedicated to Sikh arts, culture and heritage is an important step forward. We know our country’s rich cultural fabric is stronger when we support authentic art, storytelling and lived experiences. This space will celebrate Canada’s Sikh community, their history and their contributions to our society — building bridges across communities.” 
— The Hon. Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage 

“The Sikh community's dynamic contributions have been integral to Canada's mosaic for over a century. As a global cultural landmark, ROM is the ideal place to showcase this rich heritage, offering an immersive journey into the heart of the culture.”
— Suresh Bhalla, leadership donor and community collaborator

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Image: Sikhs in Canada, ROM ID: ROM 2010.53.1, © The Singh Twins