Like many of you, we have been closely following the developments of COVID-19. The Gardiner Museum is closed temporarily as of 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.
Our spring sessional classes and workshops scheduled for April and May have been cancelled. Refunds will be issued automatically.
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!
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