The Gardiner Museum is closed temporarily in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Check our homepage for a rotating selection of online resources and digital art experiences that you can enjoy at home. Be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter and follow us on social media for your daily ceramics fix.
During our temporary closure, we're posting exhibitions and selections from our collection online through Google Arts & Culture. Discover Inuit ceramics, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, pottery from the Ancient Americas, and more!
Our spring sessional classes and workshops scheduled for April and May have been cancelled. Refunds will be issued automatically. If you have any questions, please email us at mail@gardinermuseum.com.
Every object in our permanent collection can be accessed through our eMuseum portal. Learn about individual collecting areas, like Italian Maiolica or Modern and Contemporary Ceramics, or search the full collection by keyword. You'll be amazed by what you discover!
We're closed until further notice, but we're planning for the day when we can again welcome visitors. We encourage you to renew your membership or otherwise continue your support. This will be vital for when we re-open, and is the optimistic message we all need.
The Gail Brooker Ceramic Research Library is a comprehensive reference centre for research in the field of ceramics.
The collection was founded in 1988 when George R. Gardiner donated 387 books, periodicals, journals, and engravings relating to the history, production, style, and sources of European ceramics. Today the collection includes over 2,500 volumes, in addition to periodicals, international auction catalogues, rare books, engravings, and scrapbooks, as well as several special collections. The library’s strengths are a reflection of the collection of the Gardiner Museum, and recent additions include collections on contemporary ceramics, Asian porcelain, and the Ancient Americas.
The library catalogue is part of the University of Toronto Library System (UTCat).
Visiting the Library
The library is a non-circulating research collection, but we welcome everyone to visit our facilities, located in the Museum.