Between 1966 and 1995 a number of contemporary works entered the collection through the Art in Architecture Programme (AIA). The programme's goals were to improve the working environment of new Ontario Government Buildings, promote and showcase Ontario art and artists as well as illustrate the culture and heritage of the province.

Instituted by Premier John Robarts, this initiative was funded through a percentage of the building's cost and called for the provision of site-specific works of art.

It resulted in both site-specific and moveable artworks in over 30 buildings across Ontario.

Some of the earliest examples of the programme can be found in and around the Macdonald Block at Bay and Wellesley streets.

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Untitled, 1968
Harold Town, O.S.A., R.C.A. (1924-1990)
Oil and acrylic lacquer on canvas
Government of Ontario Art Collection, 619760

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The Three Graces, 1971
Gerald Gladstone, O.S.A., R.C.A. (1929 - 2005)
Cast bronze
Government of Ontario Art Collection, 619768

Sculpture, large-scale murals and wall hangings in a variety of media represent the work of thirty artists, including Harold Town, Micheline Beauchemin, Gerald Gladstone, Jack Bush and A. J. Casson.

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Untitled, 1966-68
A. J. Casson, O.S.A., R.C.A. (1898-1992)
Oil on linen canvas
Government of Ontario Art Collection, 619772

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A. J. Casson surveys his mural as its installation
nears completion in the Macdonald Block, [ca. 1968]
Photographer unknown
Government of Ontario Art Collection

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AB-1, 1968
Micheline Beauchemin, R.C.A. (b. 1930)
Acrylic fibres and beads
Government of Ontario Art Collection, 619778

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Untitled, 1967
Jack Bush, O.S.A., A.R.C.A., C.S.P.W.C. (1909-1977)
Acrylic polymer on canvas
Government of Ontario Art Collection, 619775