Matthew Teitelbaum, director and chief executive of the Art Gallery of Ontario, has won the MOCCA Award 2009. (AGO Photographic Resources/Art Gallery of Ontario)

Matthew Teitelbaum has been recognized for his role in transforming the Art Gallery of Ontario with the MOCCA Award for 2009.

The $20,000 award, given every two years by the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art and BMO Financial Group, honours a Canadian active in the visual arts for innovation, accomplishment or contribution over time.

Teitelbaum was director and chief executive of the AGO as the gallery reopened last month with a $276-million expansion designed by celebrity architect Frank Gehry.

The renewed AGO, with 110 new exhibition spaces and 4,000 works on view, has received critical acclaim and drawn international attention.

"The Transformation AGO project is inspirational to the entire Canadian art world and sets a standard by which all public institutions can and should aspire," said David Liss, artistic director of MOCCA.

"Matthew's accomplishment as the leader of this team and community effort also serves as a personal inspiration to me and to many of my colleagues."

Teitelbaum joined the AGO in 1993 as chief curator and was appointed director in 1998.

Born in Toronto, he has also held positions at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon and the London Regional Art Gallery.

The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art was founded from the former Art Gallery of North York in 1999 with a mandate to exhibit, research, collect and promote innovative art by Canadian artists.