Like many of you, we have been closely following the developments of COVID-19. The safety of our visitors, campers, staff, and volunteers is our top priority. Upon the advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams, the Gardiner Museum will close temporarily effective Saturday March 14, 2020. We will continue to take guidance from our public health officials regarding the duration of the closure and will post updates to our website and social media channels as they become available. We are grateful for your support and thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to navigate this challenging time. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Gardiner soon.
The starting dates of our Spring Clay Classes will be delayed. Rest assured that no cancellation penalties will go into effect before the revised dates have been announced. We are working to develop a new schedule as quickly as possible and appreciate your understanding.
The Gardiner Museum is among the few museums in the world focused on ceramics, and is one of the most important specialty museums internationally. It houses approximately 4,000 objects, including European porcelain, ceramics from the Ancient Americas, Chinese porcelain, Japanese porcelain, and contemporary ceramics. Search the collection online!
Support the Gardiner's mission to champion clay, build community, and promote arts education. All of our memberships include a full year of free admission to the Museum, as well as discounts at CLAY Restaurant and the Gardiner Shop, and start and at just $30!
If you have a special project in mind or a theme you would like to pursue, please let us know and together we can design a museum visit just for you and your class.
Here is a list of the permanent collections:
Ancient Americas Gallery The culture and art of the ancient peoples of Mexico, Central and South America.
Italian Renaissance Maiolica 15th- and 16th–century earthenware, representing classical mythology, perspective, family life and other great themes.
English Delftware 17th- and 18th-century earthenware. Themes include early medicine, family life, history of the monarchy, the Great Fire of London, and the plague years.
Contemporary and Modern Gallery Canadian and international ceramics form the 20th and 21st centuries.
Chinese Porcelain Gallery The history of porcelain as it developed in Asia and its remarkable influence on the West.
Japanese Porcelain and Its Influence 17th-century Japanese porcelain and its stylistic influence on Europe.
European Porcelain The European response to the importation of Asian porcelain. Early scientific experiments, alchemy, the Enlightenment, centralism, baroque, and rococo. Collections include, Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Scent Bottles A wonderful collection of tiny receptacles for scent leads to a discussion on their themes, owners (including the French kings), and the reasons for wearing perfume.
English Porcelain 18th-century England and the continent. Themes include the influence of France and French style, the importance of nature, and its influence on embellishment.
Commedia dell’Arte Character figures from popular 16th-century Italian theatrical productions featuring Harlequin, Columbine, and Pierrot to name a few. Themes such as theatre, dining, politics, and dance.
This program is available as a half day.
This program is available as a full day.
Program Details
* Optional $3 kiln firing fee. Firing takes 10 to 14 business days. Please add a $5 processing fee per group. ** Registration required, please fill out the form by clicking “Book a Visit” button below.
Book a Visit
1. Seated Drummer, Tala-Tonalá style Mexico, Jalisco 300 B.C. - A.D. 200 Earthenware with white on red slip paint Gift of George and Helen Gardiner, G83.1.56
2. Shaman’s Head (II), 2006, Gift of the Museum of Inuit Art G16.13.8
3. The Monkey Orchestra Germany, Meissen, c. 1753–75 Hard-paste porcelain with overglaze enamels, gilding Modelled by Johann Joachim Kaendler (1706–1775) and Peter Reinicke (1711–1768) Mark: Crossed swords in underglaze blue Gift of George and Helen Gardiner, G83.1.675