Conservation/Preservation:
Archives/Library
Over 3,000 books, periodicals, journals, and engravings relating to the history, production, style, sources of European ceramics, as well as several special collections. The collection can be searched using the University of Toronto Libraries catalogue
Titles include:
- American Ceramic Circle Newsletter
- Ceramics Monthly
- French Porcelain
- Fusion
- Ontario Pottery
Artefacts
Photographs of the complete collection of artefacts.
Decorative arts as they relate to ceramic objects manufactured in England, France, Italy, Austria and Germany. Recent additions include collections on contemporary ceramics, Asian porcelain and the Ancient Americas.
Public Programming:
Exhibitions
New exhibitions seasonally. Past exhibits include exploration of ceramic genres, themes, historical clay artifacts, and showcases featuring contemporary artists.
Tours
Self-guided tours of the museum available daily.
Conservation / Preservation:
Museum
- Artistic copies of Shevchenko’s art.
- Several editions of Shevchenko’s Kobzar and a large facsimile copy of Shevchenko’s diary.
- Ukrainian handicrafts and folk art, including traditional clothing, Ukrainian eggs, embroidery, wood carving, and musical instruments.
- 1861 Taras Shevchenko death mask is the most valuable item in the museum’s collection.
- Paintings, etchings, illustrations, posters and artefacts of Ukrainian and Ukrainian Canadian cultural life.
- Two important monuments of Shevchenko that document the cultural endeavors of the AUUC in Toronto.
Library
- A substantial collection of books and pamphlets by Shevchenkiana, including facsimiles of the first edition of Shevchenko’s first collection of poetry.
Public Programming:
Exhibitions
- Shevchenko’s life, art, and poetry, including a prominent exhibit on Shevchenko’s time in exile in the Russian Far East, with paintings documenting a Russian military expeditions to the Aral Sea.
- The history of Ukrainian immigration to Canada, including passports, naturalization certificates, and other papers documenting the migration of Ukrainians to Canada, union cards, and Workmen’s Compensation cards.
- Ukrainian handicrafts, furniture, and folk art.
- The works of contemporary Ukrainian painters and sculptors.
Education
The museum offers tours to schoolchildren as well as to university students and scholarly organizations.
Conservation / Preservation:
The Sedai Project is committed to collecting, documenting, preserving, and sharing the history of the Japanese Canadians. The Sedai Committee collects and preserves Japanese Canadian history through audio and video recordings, and they continue to search for all Japanese Canadians who were born in the pre-war and war years to sharetheir stories.
Public Programming:
The centre runs cultural arts classes to cultivate an appreciation for Japanese arts, including Japanese language, Bunka Shishu (embroidery), Shodo (calligraphy), Ikebana (flower arranging), and Sumi-e (painting). There are also martial arts classes and tournaments, and classes to learn cooking, origami, Taiko drumming, music, dance, and much more.
Educational Programming
More than 15,000 students from the GTA and beyond visit the JCCC each year to participate in seminars on Japanese history, culture, and the Japanese Canadian experience.
Special Events
Each year, the centre offers many events that showcase Canadian and internationally renowned artists ranging from visual arts to music, dance, film and theatre. These events offer a glimpse into Japanese life, culture and art that are not often seen outside of Japan. In many cases, it may be the first or only opportunity to experience the exhibit or performance in Canada.
Conservation/Preservation:
The McMichael’s permanent collection consists of almost 6,000 artworks by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, their contemporaries, and First Nations, Inuit and other artists who have made a contribution to Canada’s artistic heritage. Outdoor works of art, including those in the new Sculpture Garden, are also part of the collection.
Public Programming:
Exhibitions
Exhibitions from the permanent collection, as well as major international touring exhibits.
Tours
McMichael Highlights Tours are at 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. on weekends and are approximately one hour long. The tours include Group of Seven, First Nations, and Inuit art, as well as special exhibitions.
Educational programming
Student groups can plan a visit for any day of the week, all year long. Gallery educators provide fun, quality tours for school groups of all ages, as well as hands-on studio classes and creative activities. Educational materials are available for classroom use.
Online
A digitized guide to the collection is available on the website.
Other
Each year, the gallery presents a variety of curators’ lectures, tours, musical performances, children’s camps, workshops, school programs, art classes for children, and hands-on art activities.
Conservation / Preservation:
Architecture
Four original, in situ buildings remain on the grounds. These consist of two historic homes, the former paper mill and the remains of the brewery complex. The Cottage has been restored to the 1940s reflecting life on the home front in East York while Helliwell House has been restored to reflect workers’ lives in the late 1890s. The paper mill has been restored to a fully-accessible theatre and gallery now known as the Papermill Theatre and Gallery.
Artefacts
The Museum’s collection consists primarily of artifacts related to the time periods to which the two historic houses have been restored.
Archives
Archival materials related to Todmorden Mills and East York are housed at the Toronto Reference Library, City of Toronto Archives, and Archives of Ontario.
Environment / Nature
The site contains a 9.2 hectare wildflower preserve that is being re-naturalized to pre-European contact.
Public Programming:
Exhibitions
The artifacts on display in the historic houses reflect the time periods to which the homes have been restored.
Education / Tours
Guided tours of the two historic houses and grounds are available year-round. Educational, curriculum-linked programs are available to school groups. Seasonal guided walks of the wildflower preserve are also provided.
Art Gallery
The Papermill Gallery regularly exhibits the works of local artists, community art groups and emerging artists.
Theatre
The Papermill Theatre offers performance space for theatre, community celebrations and corporate events.
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.
Conservation / Preservation:
Artefacts
- Historic ceramics, including some by notable ceramics artist, Oleksa Bakhmatyuk (1820-1882).
- Ukrainian woodwork, including crosses, musical instruments, boxes, plates and bowls, chests and toys.
- Religious pieces such as crèche, icons, crosses, bibles and prayer books
- Historic and contemporary jewelry and other adornment.
- Reproductions of historic costumes of Ukrainian nobility from the eighth to the eighteenth century; folk dress, ritual cloths, kylyms, and household textiles.
- Prints, engravings, etchings, lithographs, silk screenings, and currency and stamps from the period 1918-1920.
- Pysanky representing many regions in Ukraine.
Public Programming:
Exhibits
Large rotating and traveling exhibits dealing with historic and contemporary Ukrainian handicrafts and art, Ukrainian immigrants in Canada, and Christianity. Each exhibit is inaugurated with a public lecture.
Educational Programming
Educational programs are developed for each exhibit and can be accessed by school teachers and students of all grades.
Conservation / Preservation:
Artefacts
Set designs, playbills, photographs, props, and other memorabilia dealing with the development of live theatre in Canada.
Public Programming:
Exhibitions
Temporary and touring exhibitions deal with various aspects of the history and art of live theatre in Canada. Past exhibits have focused on set design, notable performances and individuals, women in theatre, and historic theatres.
Online
The Legend Library is a video database of interviews with prominent members of the Canadian theatre industry, including actors, directors, set designers, and more.
Conservation/Preservation:
Permanent Collection
Gallery I: Artistic History and Thematic Foundations of Inuit Art
The first gallery examines the evolution of art in Canada’s Arctic through the recognized historical periods; prehistoric Thule culture; post-European contact; and early modern Inuit art.
Gallery II: Diversity of Styles and Artistic Expression
The second gallery provides an overview of modern artistic styles and media that have evolved in Canada’s Arctic in the various regions and major communities, thus reflecting the scope and depth of artistic expression within Inuit art. The varied media employed in Inuit sculpture – stone, bone, antler, ivory and ceramic – are represented as prints, drawings and textiles.
Gallery III: Masterworks and Contemporary Sculpture
The principal feature of the third gallery is the presentation of major works by leading Inuit artists, including Pauta Saila, Judas Ullulaq, Barnabus Arnasungaaq, Oviloo Tunnillie, and Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok.
Special Exhibitions
Gallery IV and V: Special Exhibitions and Audio-Visual Presentation Centre
The fourth and fifth galleries are devoted to rotating special exhibitions. The goal of these exhibiition is to focus more specifically on particular artists, communities, themes and media.
Public Programming:
Tours
Great Indian Bus Tour- Three-hour tour of pre-contact and historical landmarks illustrating the Indigenous presence in Toronto
Projects
The Toronto Native Community History Project (TNCHP)- revolves around three key components: popular education, resource centre, and youth involvement, and manifests itself in a variety of events and projects that rotate year round at the center (e.g., Full Moon Ceremonies put on by Anishinaabe Women / Grandmothers)
Other
Dodem Kanonhsa’ Open Teachings at the Elder’s Cultural Facility (located at 55 St. Clair Avenue East)-The purpose of the Dodem Kanonhsa’ is to promote sharing and understanding of Aboriginal culture and its philosophies.
The Dodem Kanonhsa’ is open to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people with the hope that it will benefit intercultural relations, cross-cultural communication and understanding. The lodge allows for continuing the tradition, started by grandmothers and grandfathers, of oral teachings. Visiting elders and teachers are available throughout
