December 2018 Director’s Message
2018 has been a year to remember for the Gardiner. From our beautiful plaza reconstruction to the launch of New + Now, here’s a look back at some of the highlights from this exciting year.
January
Throughout 2018, we celebrated the Year of Japan with three magnificent lobby exhibitions that put the spotlight on the ingenuity of contemporary Japanese ceramics. The final display, Japan Now: Female Masters, is currently on view in our lobby until January 13, and features a breathtaking selection of works by women ceramists who are pushing the boundaries of clay in Japan.
February
In February, we presented an interactive exhibition by Yoko Ono, a cultural icon and forerunner of conceptual art. YOKO ONO: THE RIVERBED invited visitors to get hands-on and collaborate on shaping the exhibition together, and was named one of the 10 best art shows of 2018. To mark the end of the exhibition, Yoko Ono created an instructional artwork especially for the Museum, titled CLEANING PIECE FOR GARDINER, that encouraged visitors to take parts of the exhibition home with them.
March
In the spring, we hosted renowned ceramic artist Takahiro KONDO as the inaugural Artist-in-Residence in our Community Clay Studio. Museum-goers were invited to watch KONDO as he created new works, both on the wheel and through hand building. Local ceramic artists and makers were also treated to two intimate observation-based workshops where KONDO shared his innovative approach to clay and glazing.
June
On June 21, our Young Patrons Circle hosted yet another sold-out edition of the SMASH art party, presented by RBC Wealth Management. Grounded in the theme We Are More, all three floors of the Museum were transformed by over twenty artists working in a wide range of media—from botany to digital art—under the direction of Art Director Jacqueline West.
July
Over the summer, we launched the third edition of the Community Arts Space, which featured five artist-led projects. Hailed as one of the best Toronto art shows in summer 2018, this summer’s projects reflected on the diverse histories, lived experiences, and traditions of Toronto’s many publics, bringing in visitors from communities across the city to experience the Gardiner in a new light.
August
This fall, we refreshed our Modern and Contemporary Ceramics Gallery with The Diana Reitberger Collection, significantly enhancing the Museum’s representation of contemporary Canadian artists working in clay. Featuring works by notable artists such as Karen Dahl, Janet Macpherson, Leopold L. Foulem, and Brendan Tang, the collection presents an overarching look at the spectrum of contemporary approaches to clay and will be on view until August 2019.
October
We continued to further our dedication to accessibility with the revitalization of our Front Plaza. Thanks to a generous gift from The Linda Frum & Howard Sokolowski Charitable Foundation, our new plaza features a more prominently-placed accessibility ramp, additional lighting, and heated steps. We also introduced new public art to the plaza courtesy of La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso with the installation of Shary Boyle’s Cracked Wheat, the winner of our 2016 Ceramic Sculpture Competition.
Our last major exhibition of the year, Obsession: Sir William Van Horne’s Japanese Ceramics, a landmark collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, and Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, is currently on view in our Exhibition Hall.
November
In support of our commitment to championing clay, we established New + Now, a celebration of national and international ceramics. Kicking off with the New + Now Gala, this new initiative marked the launch of our inaugural International Ceramic Art Exposition, featuring contemporary ceramics curated by six leading local and international gallerists, and the opening of David R. Harper: Zodiac, a specially commissioned twelve-part installation inspired by astrology.
Looking forward
Looking ahead to 2019, we will be presenting a new ceramics-focused exhibition by Ai Weiwei, and revealing a newly commissioned installation by local artist Nurielle Stern, which you can help bring to life with a contribution to our Annual Friends Campaign.
Thank you for your continued support throughout this past year. We invite you and your families to come together and celebrate the festive season with clay at our new holiday family activities, and look forward to welcoming you back to the Museum in the New Year.
Sincerely,
Kelvin Browne
Executive Director & CEO
IMAGES: [1] Gardiner Museum [2] Katsumata Chieko, Pumpkin (detail), 2016. Promised gift from the Diana Reitberger Collection [3] Yoko Ono, CLEANING PIECE FOR GARDINER, 2018 [4] Takahiro KONDO in our Community Clay Studio [5] SMASH: We Are More. Photo: George Pimentel Photography [6] Community Arts Space: Recent Histories, 2018. Photo: Yuula Benivolski [7] Karen Dahl, A Trio of Pears, 1998 – 2001, Gift of Diana Reitberger [8] Gardiner Museum [9] New + Now Gala. Photo: George Pimentel Photography [10] Guests exploring David R. Harper: Zodiac during the New + Now Gala. Photo: George Pimentel Photography [11] Ai Weiwei