Dominion Modern: Museum of Modern Architecture & Design

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives/Library

Collections include:

Industrial and domestic objects,
Over 200 taped interviews with Canadian designers, engineers, and architects,
Design and ephemera,
Books and periodicals,
Photographs and documents related to corporate histories.
The Andy Smith Collection includes architectural photographs from 1965 to 1990. Dieter Reppin Collection includes history and output of Art Associates and TDF.

Artefacts

Furniture, objects and industrial design.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Photographs and summaries of past exhibitions are located on the website. Toronto Subway: A Love Story, Honest Edwardianism Hand Painted Signs in the 21st Century, Alumni Hall of Fame, Vinyl Graphic

Design Exchange

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives/Library

Holdings include documents and textual records as well as a small collection of publications related to design.

Artefacts

Collection includes over 1000 pieces of Canadian design spanning over six decades.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Exhibitions are rotating, often focused on contemporary Canadian design. Past exhibits include: Stephen Burks Man Made Toronto, Designers in the Classroom, RGD Spacial Graphics and Capacity – an exploration of women in design.

Tours

Tours focus on the architectural history of the financial district from 1900s to present day.

Digital

Five on-line exhibits display photographs of artifacts from the permanent collection: http://www.dx.org/index.cfm?id=14613

Electronics,
Furniture,
House wares,
Lighting,
Textiles.

Other

Lectures, workshops, and film screenings.

Toronto Architectural Conservancy

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Occasional exhibits in partnership with other cultural / heritage institutions related to the architectural history of Toronto and urban development in Toronto in general.

Lectures

Occasional public lectures dealing with aspect of Toronto’s architectural history.

Online Resources

The Conservancy offers a searchable database, “Building Blocks: History of Queen West,” which lists every Call for Tender issued for construction projects on Queen Street West, Toronto, between 1847 and 1890, printed in The Globe and Mail. The database is accessible for a fee.

Publications

Occasional publications dealing with various aspects of architecture, construction, and urban development in Toronto. Topics include notable architects, urban exploration, parks, hospitals and asylums, architectural conservation / restoration, famous landmarks, streets / roads, and neighbourhoods. The publications are accessible for a fee.

Textile Museum of Canada

Conservation / Preservation:

Artefacts

12,000 artefacts documenting 2,000 years of textile history from all over the world, including fabrics, ceremonial cloths, garments, carpets, and quilts.

Public Programming:

Exhibits

Themed exhibits based on the Museum’s permanent collection of historical garments, rugs, and other textiles, representing a variety of world cultures.
Travelling exhibits based on the permanent collection created in partnership with other cultural institutions.
Exhibits of the works of Canadian and international textile artists that illuminate contemporary life.

Online Resources

Three online exhibits of digital artwork, Canadian cultural diversity, and Mexican, Central and South American cultural history, as seen through cloth.
Online image gallery of the permanent collection, searchable by keyword, artefact type, geographical region, nationality, material, and technique.

Library

H.N. Pullar Library offers an extensive collection of publications (books, journals, DVDs, videos) and subject files dealing with non- industrial textiles from around the world.

education

This museum offers educational programming for students of all levels, including undergraduate students. Fibrespace is an interactive exhibit where school classes (as well as adults) can learn about textiles while working with fabrics. Social Fabric, an online exhibit, allowed students to generate content while engaging in research of textiles.

Costume Society of Ontario

Public Programming:

Events

A variety of lectures, seminars, workshops, field trips, and publications for members only.

Past symposiums include topics such as “Dancing Through Time: Toronto’s Dance History from 1900-1980” and “Eternal Style: Ancient Egyptian Influence in Modern Times”.

Bata Shoe Museum

Conservation/Preservation:

Digital Archive

Highlights from past exhibits, both Main and ‘Snapshot’, featuring digital photographs and historical contextualization for the artefacts.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions:

Main Exhibits:

One semi-permanent and three changing exhibitions in specially-designed galleries.

Past exhibits include:
The Roaring Twenties: Heels, Hemlines and High Spirits, Art in Shoes, Shoes in Beauty, Identity, Pride, Native North American Footwear, All About Shoes: Footwear Through the Ages.

Snapshot Exhibits:

Occasional small-scale themed displays, on view for one or more weeks, consisting of three to ten display cases, which are usually in the lobby and/or lower (B1) level.

Past exhibits include The New Woman 1890’s – 1910’s: These Boots Were Made For Walking, Pitter Patter: Little Feet and the Influence of Adult Styles.

Online exhibitions

All About Shoes:

This online exhibition features stories and artifacts, based on the Museum’s existing collection, that focus on the footwear traditions of Aboriginal groups and Canada’s multicultural communities.

On Canadian Ground: Stories of Footwear in Early Canada:

Hosted by the Virtual Museum of Canada, this bilingual exhibition website allows visitors to listen to audio clips, explore artifacts and learn about the various methods of footwear production used by skilled aboriginal and immigrant peoples.

On Canadian Ground features the largest display of three-dimensional photography in an online exhibition to date. For the first time ever, visitors can ‘handle’ artifacts from the collection online.

Tours

Group and School tours daily, focusing on main exhibits as well as highlighting the architecture of the museum building

Special Events

A variety of special tours and events.

Past special events include films and lecture series pertaining to non-permanent exhibits, and hands-on demonstrations with artefacts.