download - Art Toronto

Bata Shoe Museum
327 Bloor Street West (at St. George Street), Toronto ON M5S 1W7, Canada
Tel: 416 979 7799 Website: www.batashoemuseum.ca
When Founding Chairman Sonja Bata first began collecting footwear in the 1940s, she never expected that her unending quest
for exceptional artifacts would result in an unparalleled collection and an internationally acclaimed museum. Constantly asked
why she began to collect shoes, she replied “although feet are the same around the world, what people choose to wear on their
feet is incredibly diverse. It is in this diversity that some of the most interesting aspects of culture are revealed.”
In 1995, the Bata Shoe Museum opened its doors to the public in its own award-winning building on Bloor Street in downtown
Toronto and today boasts a world-class collection of more than 13,000 artifacts spanning 4,500 years of history.
Inspired by the idea of a shoebox, cele brated Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama created this unique and innovative
structure which includes an impressive “floating” staircase and a dramatic wall of prismatic glass that ensures that the Museum’s
architecture is as unforgettable as the collection it houses.
And with distinctly different rotating exhibition galleries that inspire educational activities, lectures, workshops, and special events,
as well as a unique gift store, the Museum remains a desirable destination for members and visitors from around the world.
Current exhibitions include:
HOURS
Allow 1.5 hours to visit
Wheelchair accessible
Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday
10 – 5
Thursday
10 – 8
Sunday
12 – 5
Chronicles of Riches: Treasures from the Bata Shoe Museum
Beauty, Identity, Pride: Native North American Footwear
On Pointe: The Rise of the Ballet Shoe
All About Shoes: Footwear Through the Ages
For more information please visit batashoemuseum.ca.
left:
From the Chronicles of Riches exhibition
These extremely well preserved high-heeled shoes date to the early 1700s. The heels are made of bevel-carved wood covered
in deep red Moroccan leather while the uppers feature brightly coloured embroidery on luxurious silk.
Italy, 1700-1720
© Bata Shoe Museum Photo: Matthew Plexman
right:
From the Beauty, Identity, Pride exhibition
Although pigmentation is a prominent form of embellishment in southwestern footwear, beading, fringe and tin cone decoration were also
used. This exceptional pair of Jicarilla Apache shoes features all of these adornments.
Jicarill Apache, c. 1870
© Bata Shoe Museum Photo: Matthew Plexman
Museums and Cultural Institutions of Ontario
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