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.
Sugar and Spice showcases works from the Gardiner Museum’s permanent collection in a fresh and exciting way—through the themes of food and flavour.
Sugar and spices play a vital role in the modern world, shaping favourite dishes and national cuisines. These ingredients have also played important roles historically around the world, influencing trade, cultural traditions and social etiquette.
The ceramic vessels that are associated with various types of sweets and savouries tell us fascinating stories about different people and places, and connect us all through the common experience of food. By placing 18th-century German porcelain sugar bowls alongside Classic Maya terracotta chocolate vessels, Sugar and Spice illuminates the fascinating stories that sweets and spices reveal about history, culture, and ourselves. See the main exhibition in the museum lobby, and follow the theme of Sugar and Spice throughout the galleries, making your own connections with the help of a self-guided tour.
Sugar and Spice is curated by University of Toronto graduate student Kendra Ainsworth as part of an internship program run by the Gardiner Museum.