In a cultural move that’s turning heads far beyond gallery walls, Canadian philanthropist and business icon Bob Rennie has made waves by donating 61 pieces of contemporary art — valued at a jaw-dropping CAD 22.8 million — to the National Gallery of Canada (NGC). But this isn’t your usual art-world headline about priceless paintings hidden behind velvet ropes. This is about activism, identity, and legacy—told through paint, pixels, protest, and sculpture.

And it’s not just for the elite. It’s for you.

Rennie, a Vancouver-based art collector recently named to ARTnews’ Top 200 Collectors of 2024, isn’t just unloading “valuable stuff” for a tax break. This is a curated gift decades in the making, centered on themes like immigration, resistance, and the power of seeing — and being seen. “We’ve always thought about custodianship,” Rennie says. “It’s about making sure artists are seen and their voices are heard beyond their life and beyond mine.”

What’s in the Gift? Expect Disruption
The donation reads like a global who’s-who of radical contemporary voices:

• Rodney Graham, the late Canadian icon known for his ironic and cinematic installations, is represented with 40 works spanning nearly four decades.
• Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist famous for his fearless activism, now has six works in the NGC’s permanent collection.
• Yinka Shonibare’s immersive installation featuring 6,600 books explores immigration across the Americas — timely and powerful in an age of shifting borders.
• Mona Hatoum, the British-Palestinian provocateur, brings a visceral tension between displacement and memory.
• Dan Graham, known for blending architecture, performance, and media, reflects Canada’s long-standing influence on the global art scene.

And for the first time, the Gallery will showcase monumental works by artists like Meleko Mokgosi, Gilbert & George, Toby Ziegler, and Tim Rollins and K.O.S., whose collective work with inner-city youth continues to redefine who gets to make “important” art.

Why This Matters Now — Especially for a New Generation
“This isn’t about preserving ‘old masters,’” says Jean-François Bélisle, NGC’s Director and CEO. “It’s about giving Canadians — young Canadians especially — access to art that challenges the world as it is, and imagines what it could be.”

This gift couldn’t come at a better time. As disinformation, division, and disconnection spike across society, Rennie’s collection offers an antidote through stories that provoke, connect, and heal. The works will be shared not just in Ottawa, but across Canada and internationally, thanks to the NGC’s global partnerships. In short: these pieces will move — emotionally, yes, but also physically, popping up in places far from the traditional museum map.

Art as Activism, Art as Access
Rennie’s donation also puts a spotlight on the power of philanthropy when it’s rooted in intention rather than prestige. “This is a moment to protect artists’ legacies with this gift to our nation,” Rennie says. But more than that, it’s a moment to empower new generations of artists and audiences alike to ask bold questions — and see themselves reflected in the answers.

If you’ve ever felt like the art world wasn’t made for you, this moment might change your mind.