At the Art Gallery of Ontario: Running to September 7 is the first comprehensive exhibition of works by Tom Thomson (right), featuring more than 140 oil sketches and paintings... Meeting Ground: Great Lakes and Eastern Woodlands Region, 1600-1845 is a new ongoing exhibition, featuring a collection of artifacts from the interface between Natives and European colonists... The AGO is doing its bit for video art with a new series called In Light, running to April 2004, which presents video installations by eight contemporary Canadian and international artists... James Gillray was the leading British satirist of the late 18th century. An exhibition features 30 etchings by him, which lampoon the royal family and prominent figures of his time... Present Tense: Mark Bell features a series of watercolours by the Toronto painter, each based on a daily newspaper photo...The AGO also presents its ongoing exhibitions, including Treasures of a Collector, a collection of early European decorative art, and permanent collection of works by the Group of Seven, Inuit art, and contemporary installations. Things to look forward to at the AGO include Degas Sculptures (October 11 - January 4 2004), a collection of 73 bronzes by the 19th century French artist, best known for his paintings of dancers.

At the ROM: The museum is currently a building site, as Daniel Liebeskind's spectacular new building starts to take shape. Check out the indefinitely-running exhibition of Decorative Arts in the Art Deco Style (left). It's a reminder that Art Deco was about bookends and table lamps as much as it was about skyscrapers... Also check out the ROM's permanent Gallery of Korean Art (indefinite run), which spans 8,000 years of Korean history and cultural achievements and showcases 200 exceptional works of fine art and technological accomplishment. Plus, there's the new Christopher Ondaatje South Asian Gallery, which presents everything from religious sculpture to jewelry to arms and armour, Hands On Biodiversity, an interactive environmental exhibition, the East Asian Sculpture Gallery... and a whole lot more at the ROM.

At the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art: running to July 27 is Life Taking Shape: The Aaron Milrad Collection, a hugely impressive collection of international contemporary ceramics. The Gardiner is due to be closed from January 2004 to June 2005 as it expands to create much more gallery space, so pay a visit while you still can. The Gardiner also presents its permanent collection of pre-Columbian ceramics from Central and South America, 17th and 18th century English delftware, porcelain through the ages, Italian renaissance ceramics, and contemporary international work.

At the Alliance Française Gallery of Photography: running to June 28 is Simulacres by Gilbert Garcin, a collection of playful, witty, and surreal photomontages. The Alliance Française de Toronto Gallery of Photography is located at 24 Spadina Road, just north of Bloor. Admission is always free. Opening times are 9:30 to 6:00 pm Monday to Thursday, and 9:30 to 3:30 pm on Friday and Saturday.

At the Harbourfront's Photo Passage (open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 9pm): to September 14, the show is Some Canadian Landscapes / Made in China by Lorraine Field. Nova Scotian artist Lorraine Field examines the complex relationship between international tourism and an understanding of "the Canadian experience" through a photographic juxtaposition of famous Canadian landscapes, tourist souvenirs and the tourists themselves. Meanwhile, the Case Studies exhibition space in the York Quay Centre's central corridor (open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 9pm) currently features Landing (to September 14), in which eight young Ontario artists redefine the urban and rural landscapes. Over in the York Quay Gallery (open Tuesday to Thursday, noon to 6 and Wednesday, noon to 8): to September 14, there's Flywheel, the first exhibition by a seven-member collective based in Toronto and Britain. The Uncommon Objects display cases feature Eyeopener, contemporary eyewear by eight artists (to September 14). More info on the Harbourfront's website.

At the Power Plant to September 1: Featuring artists from Canada, USA, Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, Colombia and Brazil, Stretch brings together artwork from different nations, with more than thirty works that derive their visual economy from the legacy of Minimal art and their linguistic underpinnings from Conceptual art. The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery is at Harbourfront Centre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto. It's open from Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 6, and Wednesday from noon to 8. For information, call 416-973-4949 or get more info at the Power Plant's website.

Check out Canada's only Textile Museum. It's located at 55 Centre Avenue, at Dundas and University Avenue by the St. Patrick subway stop. Zoo: A Textile Menagerie features representations of animals made in textiles, from all parts of the world. It's running to October 5. Islands of Embellishment: Transforming Traditions in Philippine Textiles runs to June 29. This show explores the historical, social and cultural roles of mulberry, abaca (banana) and piña (pineapple) cloth production and the revival of these fibres in contemporary fashion. Also on: Drawing with Thread: Gesture and Memory, plus, there's the Museum's permanent collection.

At the Lee Ka-Sing Gallery: running to August 2 is Zsako vs Photography (right), a body of recent photographic work by Toronto artist Balint Zsako. In this new suite of colour photographs, Balint Zsako not only dives deep into the explorative and inventive nature of photography, but challenges the traditional practice of handling films at the same time. The Lee Ka-Sing gallery is located at 993 Queen Street West, Candy Factory, suite 116, Toronto. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 1 to 6 PM. Call 416-504-9387 or visit the official site.

At Gallery Neubacher, 81 St Nicholas St (behind the Manulife centre): Another Other features works by Paul Cherwick, Patrick Coutu, Daniel Dueck, Simon Hughes, Sarah Johnson, Jake Kosciuk Maclean, Jason McLean, Lynn Richardson, and Adrian Williams.

At the Tatar Alexander gallery, Underworld by Cole Barbara features 15 photographic images of figures under water. The Tatar Alexander is at 183 Bathurst St., suite 200. It's open from 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, and 12 to 5 on Saturday. Call 'em at 416-360 3822.

Galleries

Alliance Française Photo-Gallery - 24 Spadina Road (one block North of Bloor). Tel: 416-922-2014

A Space - 401 Richmond St. West, Suite. 110 (at Spadina Avenue), Tel: 416-979-9633

Albert White Gallery - 80 Spadina Avenue (at Queen). Tel 416-03-1021

Arts and Letters Club of Toronto - 14 Elm Street (2 blocks North of Dundas & Yonge). Tel 416-481-8656

Bau-Xi Gallery - 340 Dundas West (across from the AGO). Tel: 416-977-0600

Beckett Fine Art - 120 Scollard Street (Yorkville). Tel: 416-922-5582

Drabinsky Gallery - 122 Scollard Street. Tel: 416-324-5766

DeLeon White Gallery - 1096 Queen Street West. Tel: 416-597-9466

Edward Day Gallery - 33 Hazelton Street (Yorkville). Tel: 416-921-6540

Elevator Photo Gallery - 9 Davies Avenue, 5th floor (Queen East & DVP). Tel.: 416-406-3131

Jane Corkin Photo-Gallery - 179 John Street, Suite 302 (Yorkville). Tel: 416-979-1980

Gallery Gevik - 12 Hazelton Avenue (Yorkville). Tel: 416-968-0901

Gallery Neubacher - 81St.Nicholas Street. Tel:416 963 5138

Gallery One - 121 Scollard St. (Yorkville). Tel: 416-929-3103

Gallery 7 - 118 Scollard St. (Yorkville). Tel: 416-968-6247

Gallery 888 - 888 Queen St. East. Tel: 416-462-9930

Hollander York Gallery - 130 Yorkville Avenue. Tel: 416-923-9275

Isaacs Innuit Gallery - 9 Prince Arthur. Tel: 416-921-9985

Illuminary Art Gallery - 80 Spadina Ave. # 315. Tel 416-703-6500

The Japan Foundation - 131 Bloor Street West, Suite 213. Phone: (416) 966-1600.

Kaspar Gallery - 86 Scollard Street (in Yorkville). Tel: 416-968-2536

Kinsman Robinson Galleries - 108 Cumberland Street. Tel: 416-800-895-4278

Leo Kamen Gallery - 80 Spadina Avenue, Fouth floor (at Queen).Tel: 5416-04-9515

Lonsdale Gallery - 333 Lonsdale Road. Tel: 416-487-8939

Mira Godard Gallery - 22 Hazelton Avenue (Yorkville). Tel: 416-964-8197

Miriam Shiell Fine Art - 16A Hazelton Avenue. Tel: 416-925-2461

Moore Gallery - 80 Spadina Road, suite 104 (at Queen). Tel: 416-504-3914

Odon Wagner - 196 Davenport Road. Tel: 416-962-0438

Olga Korper Gallery - 17 Morrow Avenue. Tel: 5416-38-8220

Painted City - 234 Queen Street East. Tel: 416-364-0269

Paul Petro - 265A Queen Street West (at Spadina). Tel: 416-979-7874

The Power Plant - 231 Queen's Quay West (at Harbourfront). Tel: 416-973-4949

Roberts Gallery - 641 Yonge Street. Tel: 416-924-8731

Robert Mede Gallery - 321 Davenport Road (inside Designers Walk). Tel:416-966-9362

Sable-Castelli Gallery - 33 Hazelton Lane (Yorkville). Tel: 416-961-0011

Silverberg Line - 121 Scollard Street (Yorkville). Tel: 416-929-3103

Stephen Bulger Photo-Gallery - 700 Queen Stret West (at Bathurst). 416-504-0575

Tatar Alexander Gallery - 183 Bathurst Street, Suite 200. Tel: 416-360-3822

Thomson Gallery - 176 Yonge Street (at Queen, in the Bay building). Tel: 416-861-4571

Wynick/Tuck Gallery - 80 Spadina Avenue, Fouth floor (at Queen).Tel: 5416-04-9515

Museums and public galleries

George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art - 111 Queen's Park Cres., (across the street from the ROM). Tel: 416-586-8080. The museum hosts a large collection of pieces and artifacts ranging from the pre-Columbian of 3,000 BC to the 20th-century.

Ontario Art Gallery - 317 Dundas Street West (one block West of Dundas). Tel: 416-979-6648

Royal Ontario Museum - South West corner of Bloor and Avenue Road (Museum subway stop). Tel: 416-586-8000

The Power Plant - 231 Queens Quay West (at Harbourfront). Tel: 416-973-4949

Ydessa Hendeles Art Foundation - 778 King street West (at Bathurst). Tel: 416-941-9400

York Quay Gallery - located in the York Quay Centre at Harbourfront

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection - Islington Avenue, Kleinburg, Ontario, L0J 1C0, Tel: 905-893-1121