In accordance with the announcement by the provincial government, the Gardiner Museum has closed temporarily, effective Monday November 23. While this news is difficult, the health and safety of our visitors, staff, and the wider community remains our top priority. We'll continue to provide you with engaging digital content to keep us connected while the galleries are closed.
During our temporary closure, we're posting exhibitions and selections from our collection online. Discover Inuit ceramics, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, pottery from the Ancient Americas, and more!
In accordance with instructions from the provincial government, the Museum closed to the public on Monday November 28 and we have cancelled all clay classes. We regret the inconvenience this may cause, but are hopeful that these actions will help maintain the health and safety of our communities. We will automatically be crediting students with a refund for remaining sessions.
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!
With the Museum closed temporarily, we need your support to continue to offer innovative and engaging exhibitions, programs, and community projects online, as well as plan for the future. Please consider making a donation to help us build community with clay.
Community Arts Space: Community Is Essential – Digital Catalogue
Established in 2016, Community Arts Space (CAS) is the Gardiner’s incubator for arts-based community projects that build community through clay making.
This year, we invited Turtle House, FCJ Refugee Centre, and ArtHeart to engage youth, adults, and seniors in clay workshops in connection with the theme “Community is Essential.” When the Museum temporarily closed as a result of COVID-19, we reimagined CAS as a series of community activities that connected participants to one another through artistic production despite their physical isolation.
The Gardiner coordinated the distribution of over 90 clay packages to our three CAS partner organizations, as well as Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre. From June to August, participants from Turtle House and FCJ Refugee Centre’s Youth Group met weekly over Zoom for clay workshops that provided them with new art skills and a digital space to stay connected.
With the reopening of the Museum in July, our all three of our community partners were able to safely access our clay studios for in-person instruction by artist educators Aitak Sorahitalab and Adam Williams, creating work that speaks to themes of comfort, care, and hope.
While a presentation of the work was scheduled to take place in the Exhibition Hall from November 28, 2020 – January 3, 2021, with our temporary closure effective November 23, we will instead be populating this page with images of the finished works and project documentation in the form of a digital catalogue and video interviews.
Our Partners
Turtle House Art/Play Centre is an organization designed primarily for children and families from refugee backgrounds to explore their creativity, play, express themselves, and make meaningful connections. Turtle House envisions and is dedicated to playing a vital role in building a Toronto where refugees and immigrants are welcomed, arts flourish in every neighbourhood, and people are encouraged to explore their creativity. Learn more
FCJ Refugee Centre serves refugees and others at risk due to their immigration status, and welcomes anyone asking for advice, counsel, and support regarding their refugee or immigration claim process. Learn more
ArtHeart provides free visual arts education, programs, materials, and healthy snacks to the children and youth, as well as hot, nutritious meals to adults and seniors living in Regent Park and the surrounding neighbourhoods. ArtHeart offers participants a supportive environment in which they can create and learn, build self-esteem, and develop life skills. Learn more
Instructors
Aitak Sorahitalab Aitak Sorahitalab is a visual artist, art instructor, and art manager with more than 15 years’ experience in the field. She holds a Master’s degree in Design and Production in Applied Arts from The Art University of Tehran. She has participated in several exhibitions of her artwork, and was commissioned to create public art in Iran and Toronto. Aitak works with various art organizations in the city and is the co-founder and Executive Director of Airsa, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing newcomers with professional development in the arts sector.
Adam Williams Adam Williams is the studio owner of Clay Space. He studied painting and drawing at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, but finished his degree at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad in 2010. His most recent work has focused on architectural models as a metaphor for vision and aspiration. He is particularly interested in the intentions of designer homes and communities versus the lived experiences of their inhabitants.
Lead Sponsor
Partners