The Art Gallery of Ontario is re-opening the J-S McLean Centre for Indigenous and Canadian Art – after a lengthy overhaul – which curators say signals a creative cultural shift for the renowned institution.

The co-curators of the Centre say it will present works by contemporary Indigenous artists and Canadian legends – in a way the gallery has never seen before – in conversation with one another.

AGO numbers indicate that more than 40 per cent of the 132 works on display – were created by Indigenous artists.

Indigenous art curator Wanda Nanibush says the collection has been arranged thematically – rather than chronologically – to foster a conversation across cultures and generations – between Indigenous and Canadian art.

The Centre opens Sunday.