Description of the attraction
The Gardiner Museum is located in Queens Park south of Bloor Street directly opposite the Royal Ontario Museum (nearest tube station is the Museum). It is the only museum in Canada dedicated exclusively to the art of ceramics and one of the leading museums of its kind in the world.
The museum was founded in 1984 by George Gardiner and his wife, Helena Gardiner. The museum collection is based on a unique private collection of ceramics collected by the Gardiners. The home for a unique collection of ceramics and porcelain has become a very original architectural structure, designed by the talented architect Keith Wagland. In 2004, in order to modernize and expand the exhibition space, the museum was closed for reconstruction. And although the architectural appearance of the museum has changed somewhat after the reconstruction, the original structure still remains at the heart. In 2006, the Gardiner Museum reopened its doors to visitors. In 2007, the Gardiner Museum received the prestigious Pug Award for Architecture Commercial Project of the Year.
Today, the Gardiner Museum is one of the most interesting attractions in Toronto. Its permanent collection numbers around 3,000 items. The main areas of the collection are ceramics of ancient America (among which there are exhibits related to the culture of tribes such as the Maya, Incas, Olmecs and Aztecs), Renaissance ceramics, English earthenware, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, European porcelain and modern ceramics.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum organizes temporary exhibitions every year. Various thematic lectures and seminars are regularly held on the basis of the museum. There is also a "clay studio" within the walls of the museum, where entertaining master classes on working with clay are held for both adults and children, as well as a small cozy restaurant and shop.
