CRACKING CERAMICS AT THE GARDINER GIFT SHOP

Beyond Tradition | Elizabeth Cytko

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Front view of the Gardiner Museum.
Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

The Gardiner Museum is a smaller museum dedicated to ceramics. Entering the museum, the main part of the gift shop is to the left. Another part of the shop spills out into the lobby, a glass case featuring larger works of pottery which do not fit on the smaller gift shop shelves. The main aisle is wide and easily accessible within the store, except there is a smallish corner where there could be some issues if using a larger mobility device. The atmosphere is a relaxed browse, with an attendant nearby to help if necessary. The lighting is interesting because a lot of it is focused upon the objects themselves, where each piece is literally shown in the best light possible. How the objects are arranged also indicated there is care in representation. The gift shop works with the local community, such as the Toronto Potters, to promote high end ceramics.

The main part of the gift shop.
Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

The ceramics range from mugs, Christmas decorations, and wall pieces, to larger more abstract pieces. Due to copyright, I was unable to take photos of the various amazing ceramic pieces in the store; however if interested you can visit the online store which does contain images. The price range for the ceramics usually starts at $15 - $1000+ depending on what you are buying.

One of a kind tea towels.
Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

The few non-ceramic items include handmade jewelry, a few books, houseware, the ever-present kitschy wine pourer, and other smaller items like postcards. One of my favourite discoveries is the special edition tea towels featuring designs from their own collection. This meant that this specific series could only be found at the gift shop, a unique item which serves as a direct reminder of a visit to the museum.

Books relevant to the special exhibition.
Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

When it comes to special exhibition items, there are some ceramic pieces from Yoko Ono,who had an exhibition there earlier this year. For the Gardiner’s current exhibition, Obsession, the shop has a guide book describing the history of the collection as well as books on Japanese ceramics for people who desire  more information than what the exhibition provides.

Large sale case in the main museum lobby.
Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

The gift shop is a wonderful microcosm of the museum itself. This is the section where you, as a visitor, can finally purchase a fine pottery piece for your own collection. The range of items and price within the shop indicates that the main clientele of the museum are adults who value unique quality over generic quantities. While the Gardiner does host some excellent programming for families and children, the gift shop overall is not catered to lower age demographics.

Overall, I would rate the gift shop 4/5, taking a point off in regards to the minor accessibility issues.

If you are curious about my rating guide please refer to this post.