We've reopened exclusively to Gardiner Friends & Get Acquainted cardholders, and we'll reopen to the public with two days of free admission on July 11 and 12. Regular admission rates resume on July 13. We can't wait to welcome you back! Please read our new health and safety policies before you visit.
From sticky to crusty, pliable to powdery, and shaped to shapeless, clay’s ability to transform in real time is prompting a new generation of artists to explore the possibilities of this ancient material. RAW features new work by four artists who are pushing boundaries with unfired clay: Cassils, Magdolene Dykstra, Azza El Siddique, and Linda Swanson. It reopens to the public on July 11!
We're posting family-friendly art activities inspired by our collection and the endless possibilities of clay. Visit our Family Day page for weekly crafts, colouring pages, and more fun art projects that you can enjoy at home.
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!
As we begin to welcome visitors back to the Gardiner, we need your support to continue offering innovative and engaging exhibitions, programs, and community projects on site and online. Make a donation and help us build community with clay.
Rule Britannia! celebrates the union of artistry and craft that symbolizes and captures the social history, ingenuity, aspirations, and sensibilities of one of the world’s greatest empires.
Examining significant moments in the development of iconic British potteries, Rule Britannia! documents their emergence in the late 17th century to their domination of the world market in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Exhibition Programs & Events
Tuesday May 29, 5:30 – 7 pm Exclusive Patron Circle Members’ Opening Dr. Peter Kaellgren (Rule Britannia! curator) and Rachel Gotlieb (Connections curator) will lead tours of their exhibitions at 5:30 pm followed by a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres prepared by Jamie Kennedy Kitchens. Opening remarks will be made at 6:30 pm by British Consul General Jonathan Dart.
Wednesday May 30 Members’ Preview Day Members enjoy unlimited guest privileges. Plan to visit the exhibition and bring your friends on this day during regular Museum hours (10 am – 6 pm). The exhibition curators will be in the galleries at 2 pm.
Wednesday May 30, 12 – 1:30 pm Members’ Preview Lunch Join exhibition (and Gardiner Museum) curators Dr. Peter Kaellgren and Rachel Gotlieb as they give an exclusive Members-only talk about Rule Britannia! The talk will be preceded by a British-inspired two-course meal by Jamie Kennedy Kitchens. $40
Tuesday June 12, 3 – 5 pm Royal and Other British Commemoratives Speaker: Dr. Peter Kaellgren, Interim Chief Curator After the Restoration in 1661, British potteries began producing chargers or large ornamental plates decorated with images of the King. This talk considers the expanding range of commemorative pieces and how they reflect their period and culture. $25 (includes tea) Tuesday June 19, 3 – 5 pm A Brief History of Tea Wares Speaker: Dr. Peter Kaellgren, Interim Chief Curator Since its introduction from China in the 1600s, tea has played a special role in British society. British potteries responded by producing teapots, tea cups and other utensils. Come learn about British tea wares from the late 1600s through to the present. $25 (includes tea) Tuesday June 26, 6:30 – 8 pm Crafting New Traditions: Synthesizing Craft and Industry from Royal Crown Derby Speaker: Ken Eastman, British ceramic artist In 2006, Ken Eastman, one of the acknowledged masters of the non-functional vessel in Britain, began working with the Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company to develop new forms in bone china and discovering new ways of decoration. Ken will discuss his independent studio work as well as his collaboration with Royal Crown Derby. $15 General; $10 Members Supported by: The British Consulate-General, Toronto
Wednesday September 12, 6:30 – 8 pm British Ceramics Since 1946 Speaker: Rachel Gotlieb, Senior Curator An overview of recent developments in modern and contemporary British ceramics including the New British Ceramics Movement, the decline of the Staffordshire factories and the rise of postindustrial craft as well as the impact of the Turner Prize on contemporary ceramics. $15 General; $10 Members
Sponsored By Richard Rooney And Laura Dinner
Exhibition Design By PS Design