MONTREAL and TORONTO, Feb. 6 /CNW Telbec/ - Aeroplan and the AGO are
partnering to establish The Grange Prize, an annual award recognizing the work
of Canadian and international contemporary photographers.
    Named in honour of the AGO's historic home, The Grange Prize is the
largest of its kind in Canada. The winner of the $50,000 prize will be
selected from among five Canadian and international artists each year. The
international candidates for the award will be invited to Canada for
artist-in-residency programs at art centres or photography schools. A student
or practising photographer will also be selected to intern with each
international candidate.
    "Photography transcends borders," said Matthew Teitelbaum, the Michael
and Sonja Koerner director, and CEO, Art Gallery of Ontario. "The Grange Prize
will nurture and advance the careers of artists and engage Canadians in the
burgeoning genre of art photography. Our commitment to the form is evident in
our future plans - when complete in 2008, the transformed AGO's display area
of photography will increase by 242 per cent."
    "The Grange Prize is a natural extension of our aspiration to deliver
unique, first-rank global experiences to our members," said Rupert Duchesne,
President and CEO, Aeroplan. "Discussion between the two organizations started
more than a year ago with the goal of raising the profile of photography at
home and abroad, and encouraging engagement and educational possibilities in
this, the most accessible and ubiquitous field of the visual arts."
    The first Grange Prize recipient will be announced in spring 2008.

    About Aeroplan

    Aeroplan is Canada's premier loyalty marketing company, dedicated to
developing and executing programs designed to engage the loyalty of its
prestigious membership.
    Aeroplan's millions of members earn Aeroplan Miles with its network of
more than 60 world-class partners, representing more than 100 brands in the
financial, retail and travel sectors.
    Miles earned may be redeemed for Aeroplan's industry-leading
ClassicFlight Rewards, innovative ClassicPlus Flight Rewards and global Star
Alliance Flight Rewards, offering travel to more than 842 destinations
worldwide. In 2005 alone, more than 1.35 million round-trip flight rewards
were issued. Aeroplan's roster of non-flight rewards includes more than 400
exciting specialty, merchandise and experiential rewards, as well as hotel and
car rental rewards.
    For more information about Aeroplan, please visit www.aeroplan.com.

    About the Art Gallery of Ontario

    With a permanent collection of more than 66,000 works of art, the Art
Gallery of Ontario is among the most distinguished art museums in North
America. In 2002, the Gallery began an extraordinary chapter in its 107-year
history when it launched Transformation AGO. Multi-faceted in scope,
Transformation AGO involves the unprecedented growth of the permanent
collection, an innovative architectural expansion by world-renowned architect
Frank Gehry, and the strengthening of the museum's endowment resources. As the
imaginative centre of the city, the transformed AGO will dramatically enrich
our visitors' experiences and provide new access to the full vibrancy of the
art museum. Boldly declaring that art matters, the new AGO will re-open fully
in 2008.
    For more information about the AGO, please visit www.ago.net.