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Arts and Culture
Textile Museum of Canada
Discover how textiles are sewn into the very fabric of our existence.
Located at 55 Centre Avenue in Toronto, the Textile Museum of Canada
is dedicated to the collection, exhibition and documentation of textiles
from around the world. The permanent collection boasts more than
12,000 textiles that span almost 2,000 years and 200 world regions.
This diverse collection includes fabrics, ceremonial cloths, garments,
carpets, quilts and related artifacts which reflect the cultural and aesthetic
significance that cloth has held over the centuries. At the museum’s
galleries, you can experience the traditions, skills and creative
processes that make textile arts so engaging. Current exhibitions include
Close to You: Contemporary Textiles, Intimacy and Popular Culture;
Battleground: War Rugs from Afghanistan; Battleground: Patches —
Military Uniform Insignia and Battleground: The Kandahar Journals of
Richard Johnson. Hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday
from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. General admission is $12 and it’s $8 for people
aged 65-plus. For details, check www.textilemuseum.ca.
Fourth Annual Casa Loma
Renaissance Festival
Step back in time and
experience the excitement
of the Renaissance at
Casa Loma July 4 to 6.
Casa Loma’s estate gardens
will be transformed
into a Renaissance-style
village populated by vendors,
village characters
and the court of King
Henry VIII.
Enjoy a performance
by Men In Tights. This trio,
renowned in the North
American Renaissance
Festival circuit, will perform
a varied repertoire of
Renaissance-themed comedies. Showtimes are 10:30
and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 and 3 p.m. This is an extra
charge attraction that’s $2 for adults.
The Limey Birds, sassy sirens with wicked wit and
seamless a capella sound, are one of the “don’t miss”
acts of the Renaissance Festival circuit. They perform
at 10 a.m., noon, 2 and 3 p.m.
Also appearing will be Sir Charles of Linton with
his birds of prey, Zoltan the Adequate, geek magician,
and Katherine Centrone and her Gypsy Camp.
Casa Loma’s Renaissance Festival is included with
castle admission. For more information, please call
416 923-1171 or email operations@casaloma.org.
July/August 2008 • 50 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
Portrait of Charles Darwin
Shoes Reveal More Than You Think
When founding chairwoman Sonja Bata
began collecting footwear in the 1940s, she
never expected her quest for exceptional artifacts
would result in an internationally
acclaimed museum. Asked why she began to
collect shoes, she replies “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 in its own award-winning building on
Bloor Street in downtown Toronto. Today it
boasts a world-class
collection of more
than 13,000 artifacts
spanning
4,500 years.
Inspired by the
idea of a shoebox,
celebrated
Canadian architect
Raymond Moriyama
created this unforgettable museum, which
includes a floating staircase and a dramatic
wall of prismatic glass.
With distinctive rotating exhibition galleries
that inspire activities, lectures and special
events, as well as a unique gift store, the
museum is a popular downtown destination.
For details about exhibitions and events,
check www.batashoemuseum.ca.