BSM 20th Year Event Brochure

PROGRAM OF EVENTS

BATA SHOE MUSEUM

C A L E N D A R O F E V ENTS

2015 2016MAYMAYTO

THE BATA SHOE MUSEUM TURNS TWENTY!

COME CELEBRATE!THURSDAY, MAY 7th, 2015 AT 8 PM

Cocktail Soirée, elegant attire requested

Follow an intriguing maze of clues to an unexpected evening of discovery & surprise. Explore a world where exhibitions come alive, shoes defy gravity, and men wear heels.A memorable affair for a memorable museum.

Tickets limited by space$250 per person20th Anniversary VIP Pass $1000 per personTickets can be purchased by visiting batashoemuseum.ca/tickets or by calling 416.979.7799 x 445

Saturday, May 9, 2015; 10 am - 4 pm

Enjoy free admission, family-friendly entertainment, arts and crafts and more! Be the first to see our new window by Ryerson University, sign our gigantic birthday card, delight in our playful atrium art installation by artist Jim Hake, experience our exhibitions as they come to life and enjoy a birthday cupcake with us!

Official remarks begin at 12 pm

It’s our birthday party and you’re invited!

BIRTHDAY BASHPRESENTING SPONSOR

Can’t make Saturday? Come by on Sunday and enjoy free admission, arts and crafts and more!

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For decades Founder Sonja Bata has scoured the world for shoes of every description, building a stunning collection of over 13,000 incredibly rare and breathtaking artefacts.

May 6, 2015 marks our 20th anniversary as one of Toronto’s foremost cultural landmarks and a world-renowned institution with a reputation for excellence.

Come celebrate with us during this extraordinary year.

The Bata Shoe Museum is the life project of a determined and passionate collector with a keen eye for footwear. Sonja Bata has searched the globe for unusual shoes for decades, resulting in a spectacularly diverse collection found nowhere else in the world.

The shoebox-shaped building designed by world renowned architect Raymond Moriyama and located in the heart of downtown Toronto, welcomes you with its distinctive contemporary architecture, spacious and light-filled.

Three changing exhibitions and one semi-permanent exhibition mean there is always something new to explore, while lectures, performances, special events and family programs provide further insight.

Stepping into one of the Museum’s enchanting galleries is like entering another world, one where the craftsmanship and creativity of the footwear is complemented and put into context by a specially created environment.

The objects in the Museum span thousands of years, six continents and many walks of life. Footwear is presented as a key to understanding cultures. Revealing attitudes to childhood, marriage, work, leisure, beliefs, social life and so much more, a visit to the Museum will enhance your appreciation of human ingenuity and captivate your imagination.

About the BSM

We’re Twenty!

Exhibitions

Why Shoes

Although feet perform the same function

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. The Bata Shoe

Museum strives to share these compelling

cultural stories by using footwear as the point

of entry into the cultures of the world. Particular

strengths of the Museum’s collection include

important holdings in Circumpolar, 18th century

European, Indigenous North American,

and Asian footwear.

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Standing Tall: The Curious History of Men in HeelsNow Open

As the official exhibition to launch the Museum’s 20th

anniversary year, this exhibition will challenge your preconceived notions about who wears heels and why. From privileged rulers to hyper-sexualized rock stars, explore the history of men in heels from the early 1600s to today. Offering rare examples of men’s heeled footwear from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, mid-nineteenth century military boots, 1930s cowboy boots and 1940s biker boots, visitors will see John Lennon’s original 1960s Beatle boot and platforms worn by Elton John in the 1970s, all from the Museum’s own holdings.

“When heels were introduced into fashion at the turn of the 17th

century, men were the first to adopt them and they continued wearing heels as expressions of power and prestige for over 130 years. Even after they fell from men’s fashion

in the 1730s, there were pockets of time when heels were reintegrated

into the male wardrobe not as a way of challenging masculinity but

rather as a means of proclaiming it”. Elizabeth Semmelhack, Senior Curator, BSM

True North: Traditions and Technologies of Arctic SurvivalOpening February 2016

When Sonja Bata opened her own museum, she knew that she wanted to create an institution that was dedicated to the collection, preservation and study of traditional footwear from around the world. She realized early on that collecting historic and contemporary footwear required more than just purchasing what was available at auction. What she needed was a dedicated team of researchers who possessed the curiosity and determination to scour the world for rare and forgotten treasures hidden in people’s homes and attics. The efforts of these researchers over the past 20 years have resulted in the rich and diverse Arctic collection at the Bata Shoe Museum. The Col lection grew gradually after each field trip, as a wealth of artifacts, information and photographs were steadily amassed. By the end of the 1990s, the Museum had become an important depository for ethnographic material from dif ferent Arctic communities. In February 2016, True North: Traditions and Technologies of Arctic Survival will be unveiled to the public. Showcasing a vast array of footwear, clothing and tools, the exhibit will highlight the artistry and ingenuity of the makers, revealing different cultural identities, crafting techniques and spiritual meanings.

20th Anniversary Special Exhibitions

NEW

Exhibitions

Also on View

Fashion Victims: The Pleasures and Perils of Dress in the 19th CenturyTransport yourself back to the 19th century where fashion-forward women graced the boulevards and ballrooms with their colourful presence. Their tailored male companions cut equally refined figures in their black coats, spotless white linens, lustrous top hats and shiny boots. Yet presenting an elegant exterior was not without its perils. The discomfort of constricting corsets and impossib ly narrow footwear was matched by the dangers of wearing articles of fashion dyed with poison-laced colours and made of highly flammable materials. From the challenges faced by those who produced fashionable dress to the risks taken by those who wore it, this exhibition provides thought-provoking insights into what it means to be a fashion victim.

Beauty, Identity, Pride: Native North American FootwearView skillfully crafted shoes, moccasins and boots created by North America’s indigenous peoples, up close and in context. Outstanding designs, meticulous methods of creation, and beautiful original patterns including intricate beading and quillwork will inspire visitors.

All About Shoes: Footwear Through the AgesTake a fascinating journey and experience the many facets of footwear - its evolution and symbolism through the ages - the methods and materials of its manufacture - its place in our lives and imaginations. This semi-permanent exhibition also features a look at the development of 20th century fashion footwear by the decade. Finishing off the display is Star Turns, a celebrity shoe area highlighting some of the world’s most celebrated people.

Star Turns: Footprints On The World StageThe Museum’s pursuit of extraordinary footwear from all over the world extends into the collecting of the footwear of notable people. Performers, athletes, artists and politicians have inspired us all with their skills and finesse. Star Turns: Footprints on the World Stage introduces visitors to an impressive array of footwear worn in moments of triumph. Step into the footprints of people who have reached the apex of their various genres; the footwear of icons like national hero Terry Fox, His High Holiness The Dalai Lama, athlete Shaquille O’Neal, artist Lawren Harris, actress Elizabeth Taylor and musician Lights.

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Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker CultureOriginally curated and presented at the Bata Shoe Museum between April 2013 and June 2014, this ground-breaking and first North American exhibition to showcase the history of sneaker culture is travelling!

With the American Federation of Arts as partner, the expanded travelling version of the original exhibition will begin a museum tour throughout the United States beginning in the summer of 2015.

Exploring the sneaker’s complex and fascinating social history from its origins in the mid-nineteenth century to its role in the present day as a status symbol of urban culture, The Rise of Sneaker Culture museum lineup includes:

Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY July 10 to October 4, 2015

Museum of Art, Toledo, OHDecember 3, 2015 to February 28, 2016

High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GAJune 12 to August 14, 2016

Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KYSeptember 9 to November 27, 2016

Other venues will be announced shortly.

Travelling Exhibition

Contemporary Art

The Bata Shoe Museum is showcasing

several contemporary art projects

during the 20th anniversary year.

From innovative window, atrium and

art installations, to contemporary

dance and augmented reality,

experience and embrace the original

talents by our artistic partners.

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Contemporary Art

In Our Window: foot[age]On view until May 6, 2016

The Bata Shoe Museum extended an invitation to a talented team of Ryerson University students to create a memorable window installation to commemorate the 20th anniversary. The commissioned work is inspiring and impressive. In their words...

“Serving as a symbolic representation of the shoes we

wear on our feet, the wall within the window plays with depth,

flow, and light to invoke a sense of movement that is both tangible

and intangible. It seeks to serve both form and function, much

like the shoes that we wear every day. Using lights to create an

unexpected abstraction, shoe forms are transformed from the physical into the ethereal. The interplay of depth, shadow and the individual

physical components symbolically represent the immense volume of

priceless history contained within the Museum’s outstanding collection.”

In partnership with: Ryerson University.

In Our Atrium: Pump it upOn view until September 20, 2015

“The warmth and intensity of the light that floods through the southern window reminds me of

the way light and colour are used in places of worship to convey imagery,

information, and fascination.”Jim Hake, artist

Inspired by our collection, artist Jim Hake set out to work on creating an atrium installation to mark our milestone anniversary. The installation, made up of several pairs of colorful high heels, symbolizes beauty and elegance and references the charged enchantment of cathedrals while at the same time playing with the kaleidoscopic potential of the forms and materials. Through color, shape, pattern, and juxtaposition these large cathedral shoes go beyond simplified allusion. The shoes are meant to embody specific personalities and become metonymical references to people known or imagined, people that would enjoy dancing in a space bathed in light.

Jim Hake is a professional sculptor and teacher living in Toronto.

Contemporary Art

Contemporary Art

In Our Atrium: EMPREINTESOn view September 25 - December 6, 2015

“I chose to work with the idea of footprints and tracks as a way to

celebrate both the French presence in Ontario and the Bata Shoe Museum.

Upon entering the permanent gallery at the Museum one finds evidence of

footprints left by our bipedal ancestors. I wonder about the traces that we leave behind every day, both real

and invisible, the carbon footprint”Pascale Peyret, artist

To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Francaphonie in Ontario, Parisian artist Pascale Peyret has been commissioned to create an art installation to mark this momentous occasion. Made up of hundreds of suspended shoe lasts in carbonized wood, the installation will evoke the “hanging rooms” where coal miners hung their daytime clothing in baskets suspended from the ceiling. Each shoe last will carry a special message written in French by local children which visitors can read as they climb the Museum stairs. EMPREINTES reveals the passing of time and of human presence on earth, both as individuals as well as communities and the visible and invisible footprints left behind.

Pascale Peyret is a photographer and sculptor who lives and works in Paris.

In partnership with: Consulat général de France à Torontoand Alliance Française.

WEATHERW E AT H E R b r i n g s A n a n d a m Dancetheatre back to the BSM for a pioneering live performance using augmented reality to embody shrinking habitats, endangered landscapes and shifting weather patterns. Join us for this interdisciplinary collaboration between choreographer Brandy Leary, video artist Eamon Mac Mahon, composer James Bunton and interactive designer/developer Jacob Niedzwiecki.

Preview: June 3, 2015; 8:30 pm; $20.Performances: June 4-6; 8:30 pm; $25 regular and $20 (Ar ts Workers/Students/Seniors/Friends of the BSM) Tickets available online: www.anandam.ca or cash only at the door on performance nights.

Created with the generous support from the Toronto Arts Council, The Canada Council for the Arts and the Metcalf Foundation and produced in partnership with the BSM.

Scotiabank Nuit BlancheThe BSM is excited to have been chosen for 10 for 10th, a city co-produced exhibition area that responds to the curatorial vision Memory Lane, from Che Kothari (Toronto/LA) in celebration of the 10th edition of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. With curatorial direction by Che, the BSM will host a 10 for 10th artist, along with 2 Independent Projects. More information will be available this summer on our website.

October 3, 2015; sunset to sunrise.

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The Map Project

“We are very excited about

the Bata Shoe Museum’s

20th anniversary and wanted

to mark this significant

accomplishment with a

noteworthy endeavour that

captures the multicultural

importance of the Museum’s

world-renowned collection.

The Museum’s focus over

the past 2 decades has been

about sharing our stories.

As the centre of footwear

research, we felt it was only

apropos to open this up to the

people of the world and hear

their stories as well.”

Emanuele Lepri, Director

For the past two decades the Bata Shoe Museum has strived to use shoes to tell stories – stories about cultures, stories about history, stories about society and stories about people. To commemorate this momentous milestone, the Museum has launched an exciting digital initiative, The World At Your Feet: A Global Mapping Project by the BSM. Offering a central hub for the world to share shoe stories during the Museum’s anniversary year, The World at Your Feet expands on the Museum’s own storytelling and extends the virtual shoe story platform to capture narratives from around the world.

This year we are asking you to tell your stories and help us create a map of the world that reflects what shoes look like and represent to the cultures, societies and people who wear them. What corners of the world have your shoes taken you to? What does footwear mean in your culture? What have you accomplished in your favourite pair of shoes? We invite you to use our interactive map to become part of the narrative and share with us what has happened to you when you have taken the time to discover “the world at your feet”.

The World At Your Feet: A Global Mapping Project by the BSM can be found by visiting www.map.batashoemuseum.ca.

An annual, public event featuring an internationally recognized leading thinker engaged with the convergence of culture and society.

November 12, 2015

Addressing Fashion from Cultural InstitutionsIllustrated Talk by Dr. Martin Roth, Director, Victoria and Albert Museum, London

“The increase in both museum and public interest in fashion exhibitions is deep rooted in the fact that dress is a

complete phenomenon, where history, economy, ethnology and technology

converge. At the same time, dress is a very approachable subject: it is part of everybody’s daily life.”

Dr. Martin Roth

Join us as Dr. Roth reflects upon the role of museums as integrators of fashion as a contemporary form of cultural entertainment.

As this year marks a special anniversary for the Museum, a celebratory reception will follow the lecture in honour of our Founder, Sonja Bata.

Martin Roth became Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in September 2011. Before joining the V&A, he was Director General of the Dresden State Art Collections (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden), overseeing 12 museums and galleries.

7 pm; Lecture will take place at the George Ignatieff Theatre, 15 Devonshire Place with a reception to follow at the Bata Shoe Museum. Lecture $25; lecture + reception $50; Friends of the BSM $40 (includes reception). Limited seating. Tickets can be purchased by vis it ing batashoemuseum.ca /tickets or by calling 416.979.7799 x445

In partnership with: The Goethe-Institut Toronto.

Reception generously sponsored by our 20th Anniversary Preferred Caterer à la Carte.

Founder’s Lecture 2015

Lectures

Inspiring Lectures

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May 27, 2015

Standing Tall: The Curious History of Men in HeelsWalk & Talk with Elizabeth Semmelhack, Senior Curator, BSMWhile the thought of a man in heels is met with disbelief and amazement, invoking images of indiscretion and being dif ferent , i t hasn’t always been this way. Men have historically worn heels so why don’t they wear them today? Especially since height is currently connected to everything from higher pay to increased desirability. Join Elizabeth as she explores this question and others in the Museum’s newest exhibition, Standing Tall: The Curious History of Men in Heels. Continue the conversation with Elizabeth afterwards over a glass of wine.

6:30 pm; $20 per person; Friends of the BSM $10. Ticket includes reception following Walk & Talk. Pre-registration required.Tickets can be purchased by visiting batashoemuseum.ca/tickets or by calling 416.979.7799 x228.

September 22, 2015

Dressed to Impress: Clothing and Carriage in 16th Century EuropeIllustrated Talk by Jonquil O’Reilly, Sotheby’s.Sixteenth century European clothing choices were often swayed by a desire to impress, to display wealth or to show off local crafts, yet there were also many constraints. Social status dictated who was permitted to wear what and sumptuary laws prescribed all manner of clothing regulations, from which fabrics could be used for which garments, to the size of a sleeve and the maximum circumference of a ruff. Focusing on the variations of silhouettes from court to court, Jonquil O’Reilly will explore the messages people hoped to convey by wearing certain items. With a particular focus on the platform shoe known as the chopine, the lecture will explore how it had a remarkable effect on the comportment and behavior of the wearer despite being hidden beneath voluminous skirts.

6:30 pm; $20 per person; Friends of the BSM $10. Ticket includes reception following talk. Pre-registration required. Tickets can be purchased by visiting batashoemuseum.ca/tickets or by calling 416.979.7799 x228.

Family Programming

Walk on down to the coolest shoebox in town.

From smuggler’s shoes to knight’s footwear

to space boots, there’s lots to learn and

explore. With an international collection of over

13,000 shoes, the Bata Shoe Museum strives

to enlighten and entertain visitors of all ages!

Photo: Connie Tsang, connietsangphotos.com

Fun Family Programs

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Visiting on a Weekend?Kids can make a craft, play I-Spy in the galleries and try on funky footwear. On Saturdays visitors can also have an enriched gallery experience by stopping by our All About Shoes gallery between 1pm and 3pm to chat with a museum docent, touch some hands-on artefacts and learn more about the exhibition.

Included with museum admission. Drop in activities 10 am – 4 pm Saturday and 12 pm – 4 pm Sunday.

October 24 + 25, 2015

Halloween Extravaganza!Say boo at the Bata Shoe Museum this Halloween and join us for a spooktacular weekend of family fun! Decorate a Halloween inspired cookie, make a special craft and play I-Spy in the galleries. Kids who wear their costumes get in free!


December 13 + 14, 2015

Celebrate the Holidays!Santa’s dropped off some early presents to the BSM so kids can have some shoe-themed holiday family fun at Toronto’s favourite shoe box! Create a surprise holiday craft, decorate a mini-stocking for the tree and make an elf shoe fridge magnet!


February 15, 2016

Family DayVisit the Museum during Family Day for exciting arts and crafts, hands on demonstrations, I-Spy in the galleries, try-on shoes and more!


In partnership with: Bruce Etherington & AssociatesFamily Harmony & Philanthropy

March 12 – 20, 2016

March Break 2016Our fun and fabulous March Break activities return March 12-20 with tons of things for families, daycares and daycamps to do. With a new and exciting theme brewing in our education department, check back later to find out what all the fun’s about!

All activities are drop-in and run each day 10 am - 4 pm and Sundays 12 - 4pm. Activities included in special Museum admission: $8/child (2-12 years) and $8 for each accompanying adult. Daycares and youth organizations: please book in advance by calling 416.979.7799 x242. Group rate: $7 per child (2-12 years); accompanying leaders free.

In partnership with: Bruce Etherington & AssociatesFamily Harmony & Philanthropy

Community Partnerships

The Museum’s 20th anniversary

year has brought together an

unprecedented number of

community partners. See our

community page to find out who

we’re partnering with this year!


May 23 + 24, 2015

Great Gulf Doors OpenThe Bata Shoe Museum is pleased to be part of the 16th annual Doors Open Toronto. Offering residents and visitors an opportunity to take a peek behind the doors of 150 architecturally, historically, culturally and socially significant buildings across the city, the Museum will offer free admission, hands-on demonstrations and live painting by Arts for Children & Youth resident artist Jasmine Wemigwans in our All About Shoes gallery.

Free. Demonstrations 10 am – 4 pm Saturday and 12 pm – 4 pm Sunday.

June 21, 2015

National Aboriginal DayJoin us in our Beauty, Identity, Pr ide : Native Nor th American Footwear exhibition for hands-on demonstrations by our knowledgeable and enthusiastic docents.

1 - 3 pm; Included in Museum admission.

July 16, 2015

Demonstration of Handwoven Arhuaco MochilasIn partnership with the EQ Foundation, join us for a special demonstration

of handwoven Arhuaco Mochilas, a popular Colombian artisan bag made by the Arhuaco people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marts, Columbia. Using ancient traditions, each hand crafted item takes between 30 – 60 days to complete and has unique designs that of ten incorporate symbols important to the women who make them. An amazing tradition to see, bags will be on sale during the demonstration.

6 - 8 pm; Cash only sales. Museum admission is PayWhatYouCan.

Planet IndigenUS 2015The Bata Shoe Museum is pleased to be part of Planet IndigenUS 2015 – an international, multidisciplinary arts festival which gives prominence to the voices, stories and cultures of Indigenous people.

August 6, 2015

Uaajeerneq:A Mask Dance Performance by Vivi Sorensen

Uaajeerneq is the East Greenlandic form of storytelling through mask dance. This style of dance is a mix of fertility dances, clownery and the art of fear. It’s a style of entertainment that examines the limits of human experience in the unknowable immensity of the universe. Join us as Vivi Sorensen performs this unique dance at the Museum.

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Vivi Sorensen , born in Nuuk , Greenland, is an Inuk mask dancer, actress and TV personality. She performs in a number of artistic mediums that include singing , acting and dancing, with a focus on traditional East Greenlandic drum dancing, traditional and theatrical mask dancing and storytelling of Inuit myths.

7 pm. Museum admission is PayWhatYouCan.

August 8 + 9, 2015

Moccasin-Making and Beading Workshop with Rosary Spence

In this 2 day workshop, Rosary Spence will teach participants how to create a beautiful pair of moccasins from start to finish. Topics covered will include the history of moccasins in North America with a focus on various tribe styles and different styles of beading, as well as the appliqué beading technique. Cost includes a moccasin kit and access to the Museum’s Beauty, Identity, Pride exhibition for inspiration.

Originally from the coastal Cree community of Fort Albany First Nation, off the coast of James Bay, Rosary Spence is a well-recognized Indigenous singer and actor. Beyond the stage, Spence is also well known for designing and creating intricately beaded jewelry and accessories. She is also a featured Storyboot Artist for Manitobah Mukluks.

10 am – 5 pm each day$95 per person; Friends of the BSM $80. Pre-registration required. Tickets can be purchased by visiting

batashoemuseum.ca/tickets or by calling 416.979.7799 x228.

August 4 - 9, 2015

Hands-on Demonstrations

Join us in our Beauty, Identity, Pr ide : Native Nor th American Footwear exhibition for hands-on demonstrations by our knowledgeable and enthusiastic docents.

1 pm - 3 pmIncluded in Museum admission.

In partnership with: Planet IndigenUSand Manitobah Mukluks.

September 26 + 27, 2015

Culture DaysAs part of the sixth annual Culture Days weekend, the Bata Shoe Museum is excited to help raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. With free admission, hands-on demonstrations and arts and crafts activities for children, join us for this fun-filled weekend and love culture!

Free. Demonstrations 10 am – 4 pm Saturday and 12 pm – 4 pm Sunday.


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November 1 - 30, 2015

Warm The Sole Sock DriveOur seventh annual Warm the Sole Sock Drive continues this year with a small twist. Instead of our usual 2 weeks of sock fundraising, we’ve decided to extend the drive to the entire month of November. Beginning on the 1st, the Museum will accept generous donations of new unused athletic socks which will be donated to local community organizations in need. This is a vital campaign and we can’t do it without you. Please consider donating. If visiting on a weekend during the campaign, receive one free admission with each donation. Check us out on Facebook and Twitter to see us kick off this important community initiative.

Bloor Street Culture CorridorCelebrating its one year anniversary, the Bloor Street Culture Corridor is home to one of Toronto’s most diverse arts and culture districts, with extraordinary wealth of cultural experiences that are accessible all in one walkable mile along Bloor Street. As one of 14 arts and culture organizations that have come together in partnership to create the Bloor St. Culture Corridor, the Bata Shoe Museum is thrilled to be part of this exciting initiative. To take advantage of special offers, download the Bloor St. Culture Corridor app and experience all that Bloor Street has to offer! More information can be found by visiting www.bloorstculturecorridor.com.

Calling All Book Clubs! Hold your book club at the Bata Shoe Museum and receive a guided tour focusing on the time period or themes that are relevant to your book! Pick from a list of suggested titles (or suggest your own that you feel will fit with one of our exhibitions) and we’ll work with you to plan a daytime or evening meeting at the Museum for your book club.

Your book club’s session will last for 2 hours and includes a private room for your book discussion followed by a half-hour tour in the relevant exhibition.

The guide will be familiar with the book and will be able to make specific references to it during the tour. The cost is $20 per person for a maximum of 20 people.

For more information or to book a t ime , contact She i la Knox at [email protected] or call 416-979-7799 x 228.

For suggested titles, please visit our website.

Thursday Evenings at the BSM are PayWhatYouCan made possible with generous support from

Bruce Etherington & Associates Family Harmony and Philanthropy

Friends of the Museum

Where else can you...

examine footwear from the earliest

civilizations on earth ...

see a space boot worn by an astronaut...

delight in the towering heels and

delicate embroidery of shoes chronicling

the history of Western fashion...

get up close and personal with footwear worn

by some of the world’s most notable people...

Become a Friend of the BSM today!

Join Now!The BSM gives you and your family the opportunity to explore the culture and customs of people from around the world through a series of original and changing exhibitions. With more than 13,000 artifacts in its collection, the BSM is the largest museum in the world exclusively devoted to shoes.

As a Friend of the BSM, you can visit as often as you like for free, take part in programs, lectures, family activities, hands-on workshops, tours, exhibition openings and special events. Discounts on purchases at the Museum Shop and other savings means that joining us is as practical as it is rewarding.

Join now and become part of the BSM community!

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Please consider supporting the Bata Shoe Museum this year by making a charitable gift or by becoming a Friend of the Museum. Your support helps us present innovative and exciting new exhibitions, assists with the care and conservation of our invaluable collections and fosters educational programming that reflects and engages the cultural diversity of Toronto for the enjoyment of all who visit the Museum. Please visit the Support Us section of the Museum’s website.*

*Charitable Registration # 119215168 RR

Plan your Visit

What some of our visitors are saying:

Fabulous museum, every exhibition is first rate.

I enjoyed it all!

This place is awesome!

Beautiful museum!

Unique pieces and very well

exhibited! Much enjoyed!

Plan Your Visit

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Visiting Hours and HolidaysMonday to Saturday 10 am – 5 pmThursday 10 am – 8 pmSunday 12 pm – 5 pm

General Admission*Tax includedFriends of the BSM freeAdults $14Seniors (65+) $12Students (with ID) $8Children (5 – 17) $5Children under 5 freeFamily Pass 1 $24(1 adult and up to 4 children under 18)

Family Pass 2 $35(2 adults and up to 4 children under 18)

Different prices during March Break.Special activities may be separately priced.*admission pricing subject to changeConnect to our free audio guide by using your own Wi-Fi enabled device. Turn on Wi-Fi, select Bata Shoe Museum, accept our terms, and enjoy.

Phone NumbersGeneral Information416.979.7799 [email protected]

Group Tour Bookings416.979.7799 x242 [email protected]

Friends of the BSM Program416.979.7799 x250 [email protected]

AccessibilityThe Bata Shoe Museum is a fully accessible facility. A wheel chair is available on a first-come, first–served basis. For more information, please call 416.979.7799.

Support Persons/Service Animals A support person accompanying a visitor with disabilities will be admitted to the Museum free of charge. A service animal may also accompany a visitor to all public areas of the Museum. For more information, please call 416.979.7799.

DirectionsThe Bata Shoe Museum is located at 327 Bloor Street West in the heart of downtown Toronto.

By subwayFrom St. George subway station, walk to the southwest corner of Bloor Street West and St. George.

Parking PossibilitiesHoliday Inn Toronto Bloor Yorkville (on Bloor Street, across from the Museum)

9 Bedford Road (north of Bloor Street, east of St. George)

465 Huron Street (north of Bloor Street, west of St. George)

Bedford Rd.

Spadina Ave.

Spadina Ave.

Prince Arthur Ave.

Huron St.

Madison A

ve.

Bloor St. West

Hoskin Ave. Queen’sPark North

Avenue Road

Yorkville Ave.

Sussex

St. George St.

BATA SHOE MUSEUM

TTC Subway

St.George

TTC Subway

Spadina

PP

P

Plan your Visit

The Bata Shoe Museum Shop

Visit the Bata Shoe Museum shop and discover a sensational array of items inspired by our collection. Take a moment to peruse our extensive selection of books on shoemaking and design along with our exhibition catalogues. With new items arriving daily, purchase a unique item for every shoe lover in your life. Or, pick up something for yourself!

Our Museum Shop has a new look! Sleek, modern and elegant, a visit through our shop completes your Museum experience to one of Toronto’s most extraordinary cultural institutions.

20th ANNIVERSARY COMMUNITY PARTNERS

à la Carte • Alliance Française • Anandam

Dancetheatre • Arts for Children and Youth

• BMO Financial Group • Bloor Street

Culture Corridor • Bruce Etherington &

Associates • Consulat général de France

à Toronto • DLT Theatre Group • Goethe-

Institut Toronto • Great Gulf Doors Open •

Great-West Life, London Life and Canada

Life • Holiday Inn Toronto Bloor Yorkville •

Institute for Canadian Citizenship Cultural

Access Pass • Jim Hake (artist) • Larry and

Gerry Wilson Family Fund • Manitobah

Mukluks • Mirvish Productions • Oakville

Community Foundation • Pascale Peyret

(artist) • Planet IndigenUS • Ryerson

University • Scotiabank Nuit Blanche •

Sun Life Financial Museum + Arts Pass •

Toronto Foundation • Toronto Foundation

for Student Success • Vandewater Family

Fund at the Toronto Foundation • Williams-

Wilson Sherport Foundation • 3Pass.ca •

2 0 t h A N N I V E R S A R Y S P O N S O R S :

Documents

BSM 20th Year Event Brochure