TORONTO 6: MUSEUMS

You may think that my visit to Toronto consists entirely of food and shopping, BUT WAIT you are wrong.

My family and I have been staying in an apartment a stones throw from three of Toronto's top museums, so being the nerdy art historian I am, I couldn't say no to paying them a visit. 

Not unlike other major cities, Toronto is a massive melting pot of different cultures and has handfuls of institutions which celebrate just that. Upon walking inside any of them you are instantly propelled back to different times, continents, foreign cultures, and experiences. One thing that I have on my bucket list is to visit Nuit Blanche, in fact I secretly wish to one day be part of this. It is a art festival that is celebrated from dusk until dawn- the whole city is transformed with the help of major art museums, galleries, and artists all coming together for the sake of art. Just pure brilliance. 

Anywho-- back to my museum journeys. Here are two of the best: 

1. The Gardiner Museum - During my undergraduate years I took two ceramic classes and fell madly in love with everything about clay-- I may not have been the most creative or the best, but I learned to appreciate so much more about the process of creating a work of art. This museum is dedicated to solely to ceramics and its history. A must visit if you are in the city.

 I was very pleased when they had a piece by one of my favorite ceramicists, Betty Woodman.

2. The Bata Shoe Museum- My older sister MK used to take me here as a kid, I still remember that sparkly pair of Elton John's shoes, pretty sure I wanted a pair for myself. There really isn't much to explain here. But let me do a little bit of math for you. I love shoes + I love museums, therefore I love shoe Museums. That was easy. BUT REALLY, this museum is dedicated to the history of the shoe-- starting from the very first shoe, the development of shoes in different cultures, and even the shoes you are wearing now! 

Bejeweled mojari worn by aristocrats from India

Part of the museum's Beauty, Identity & Pride Exhibit, each pair of these moccasins is hand beaded. 

 How does it feel knowing that your Minnetonka Moccasins were a trend even before you knew they were a trend?

Each pair of moccs was hand dyed using locally sourced materials. 

I couldn't not include this pair of boudoir slides, if Manet's Olympia could rock them, you could too.