BATA SHOE MUSEUM ANNOUNCES 2026 FALL EXHIBITION
Brilliant: The Art of Beaded Footwear Around the World
Spanning more than 400 years and cultures around the globe, the new exhibition explores the extraordinary artistry, labour and meaning behind beaded footwear
TORONTO, ON (September 16, 2026) — This fall, the Bata Shoe Museum (BSM) presents Brilliant: The Art of Beaded Footwear Around the World, a major new exhibition exploring the artistry, labour and cultural significance of beaded footwear across more than 400 years of history. On view October 22, 2026, until April 2028, the exhibition brings together more than 85 objects, primarily drawn from the Bata Shoe Museum’s international collection, spanning Africa, Europe, South Asia, Turtle Island (North America), and Western Asia. The exhibition also provides an opportunity to discover many artifacts, including new acquisitions, that have never before been on view.
Found on footwear across cultures and continents, beads have long been used for both decorative and symbolic purposes, expressing status, identity, and spirituality. Fragile and painstaking to apply by hand, beadwork requires extraordinary skill, care, and time. Brilliant examines this intricate art form while revealing the distinct histories, traditions, and meanings embedded within beaded footwear from around the world.
Brilliant is curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator, Bata Shoe Museum; Nishi Bassi, Curator and Manager of Exhibitions, Bata Shoe Museum; and Justine Woods, Assistant Professor, Parsons School of Design, The New School. Together, the curatorial team explores beadwork as a meticulous form of embellishment used around the world for both decorative purposes and to convey deeper cultural meaning.
“Beadwork is extraordinary because it transforms something as small and seemingly simple as a bead into a powerful means of expression,” says Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum. “Across cultures and centuries, people have used their skill, time, and imagination to create intricately beaded footwear to communicate identity, status, belonging, and beauty. Brilliant celebrates the remarkable artistry of these works while also inviting visitors to look closely at the hands, histories and cultural traditions behind their creation.”
“At the heart of the exhibition is a collection of Indigenous footwear belongings from across Turtle Island (North America) that speak to the continuity of Indigenous cultural practices amid ongoing impacts of colonialism, ” says Justine Woods. “Together, they affirm beadwork as a vibrant, living practice – one that continues to be carried forward by Indigenous artists and communities today.”
“It has been a remarkable experience co-curating this exhibition, says Nish Bassi. “One of the highlights of the installation includes a conversation about how beaded footwear has been used as a form of political resistance and cultural resilience in many parts of the world. This is a powerful message and one that I am confident will resonate with audiences specifically at this moment in time.”
The exhibition also traces the technologies and developments that helped shape the history of beadwork, exploring the evolution of bead making, the invention of glass beads, the continued importance of hand-beading during the rise of industrialization, and the global spread and application of beadwork.
Exhibition Highlights
Among the exhibition highlights is a pair of colourful purple platform sandals specially made by Dolce & Gabbana for Madonna to wear during her 1993 Girlie Show World Tour. Designed for dancing, the shoes feature thick steel reinforcements for added stability, while their uppers are covered with decorative sequins and long purple beads forming oversized stars.
Indigenous beadwork practices are an important part of Brilliant. Footwear created by a Nêhiyawak ancestor artist around 1875 features the “otter tracks” line motif, one of the oldest examples of Indigenous iconography. Translated across embroidery, ribbon work and beadwork techniques, the design mimics the physical imprints otters leave behind while travelling through snow.
The exhibition also features Yoruba royal footwear from 1900–1920, part of the symbolically complex regalia traditionally used to proclaim the status of an Oba, or leader of Yoruba peoples. Beaded faces honour Odùduwà, the ancestral Oba of the Yoruba; interlaced patterns symbolize the interconnectedness of the divine and the living; and birds signify female power.
Contemporary fashion is represented by a collaboration between Mimi Plange and Manolo Blahnik, created for Plange’s 2012 Spring/Summer collection, A Flower in a Desert. The shoe’s beadwork reflects Plange’s research into the dress traditions of Herero women in Namibia, while also drawing on floral motifs and glass-bead traditions from Eastern and Southern Africa.
Also featured is a striking pair of ankle boots from the collaboration between Indian fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Christian Louboutin. Created in 2015, the elaborate footwear combines embroidery, sequins and beadwork inspired by Indian aesthetics, bringing together the distinctive approaches of two internationally renowned fashion designers.
Innovations in beadwork continue in the 21st century. The British creatives at Mila Textiles create one-of-a-kind wearable works of beaded art that push the boundaries of contemporary beadwork. They created this pair of beaded Vans especially for this exhibition.
Six Indigenous community consultants contributed to the exhibition, including Elaine Alexie, Joanne Brings Thunder, Camryn Growing Thunder, Nyssa Komorowski, Coral Madge, and Marissa Magneson. Together, they shared community knowledge and perspectives to the interpretation of Indigenous material culture represented in Brilliant. Their contributions form part of the exhibition’s broader approach to presenting beadwork within the distinct cultural contexts, histories, and traditions from which it emerged.
To enrich the visitor experience and expand storytelling, the Bata Shoe Museum has introduced a digital audio guide designed to accompany guests through each exhibition. Learn more about the BSM audio guide here.
EXHIBITION RELATED PROGRAMS
Complementing Brilliant: The Art of Beaded Footwear Around the World, the Bata Shoe Museum presents a series of talks, workshops and special events inviting visitors to explore the artistry, cultural traditions and extraordinary labour behind beadwork.
Fall Exhibition Kickoff (details)
Sunday, October 25, 2026 | 12 pm – 4 pm
Included with General Admission
Celebrate the opening of Brilliant with an afternoon of family-friendly programming, including guided exhibition tours, hands-on beading crafts, and conversations with artists dedicated to this centuries-old art form. Guided tours will take place throughout the afternoon, alongside drop-in activities and a special bead presentation with local artist Marissa Magneson at 1 pm.
Indigenous Beading Workshop: Poppy (details and tickets)
Saturday, November 7, 2026 | 11 am – 2 pm
Admission: $65
In honour of Remembrance Day and National Indigenous Veterans Day, join Natalie Ortiz, an Anishinaabe artist of Wauzhushk Onigum Nation, for a hands-on workshop exploring traditional beading techniques. Participants will create a beaded poppy while learning about the significance of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance and the contributions and sacrifices of Indigenous veterans. Recommended for ages 16+.
Curator’s Talk: Time, Labour, and the Value of Beads (details and tickets)
Monday, November 30, 2026 | 7 pm – 8 pm
Admission: $25
Join Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum, for an exploration of beadwork traditions from around the world and their roles as markers of wealth, prestige, identity and cultural meaning. Centring the skilled craftsmanship, generational knowledge and time embedded in beadwork, the talk considers conventional ideas of value and luxury and who gets to define them.
Beaded Hoop Earrings Workshop (details and tickets)
Saturday, January 23, 2027 | 11 am – 2:30 pm
Admission: $65
Join Cree-Métis artist, photographer, and educator Marissa Magneson for an immersive workshop exploring the art and cultural significance of beadwork. Participants will learn beading techniques while creating their own custom hoop earrings. Recommended for ages 16+.
Together, the programs extend Brilliant beyond the gallery, offering visitors opportunities to experience beadwork through making, conversation, and closer exploration of the histories and cultural knowledge embedded in the practice. Additional programs will be announced throughout the exhibition’s run.
Bata Shoe Museum
327 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON M5S 1W7
Hours of Operation
Monday – Saturday: 10 AM – 5 PM
Sunday: 12 PM – 5 PM
Admission
Adults: $16
Seniors (65+): $12
Students (18+ with valid ID): $8
Children (5–17): $5
Children under 5: Free
Indigenous Peoples: Free
General admission to the Bata Shoe Museum is always free on Sundays.
Media Preview
First-look preview and curator interview
Tuesday, October 20
Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Media looking to register, please email breanna@dmpublic.com
Click to access the media kit.
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ABOUT THE BATA SHOE MUSEUM
With a growing international collection of over 15,000 shoes and related artifacts, the Bata Shoe Museum showcases 4,500 years of footwear history in four distinctive rotating galleries. Through the creation of its innovative exhibitions, the BSM strives to enlighten and entertain visitors of all ages. For every shoe, there’s a story.
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For more information, media accreditation, or interviews, please contact:
Deanne Moser
DMPUBLIC
deanne@dmpublic.com
1-647-888-9388
Sarah Power
Head of Marketing & Communications
Bata Shoe Museum
sarah.power@batashoemuseum.ca
416-979-7799 x225