Lunar New Year
Date: Sunday, February 8, 2026
Time: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: Free Admission
Ring in the Year of the Horse with a day of vibrant performances, movement, and creativity at the Bata Shoe Museum. Celebrate Lunar New Year with Lion Dance Toronto as they bring good luck and festive energy to the museum with spectacular performances at 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM, followed by photo opportunities and meet-and-greets with the performers.
At 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM, enjoy the artistry of traditional Korean dance with the Korean Dance Studies Society of Canada, whose graceful movements honour the beauty and heritage of Korean culture.
Between performances, take part in family-friendly crafts inspired by Lunar New Year traditions — a perfect way to make a keepsake to take home.
Join us for a joyful day of culture, colour, and celebration as we welcome the Lunar New Year together at the Bata Shoe Museum.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Fashion Illustration 101
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
Time: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: $50
Learn the unique art of live fashion illustration with Toronto-based illustrator Nessa Lilly, known for capturing the elegance and energy of fashion moments. Inspired by the Bata Shoe Museum’s new exhibition André Perugia: A Design Legend Unveiled, this hands-on workshop will teach you how to bring fashion to life through quick, expressive sketches in 5 minutes or less. Nessa will guide participants through the dynamic process of live fashion illustration — a rare skill that blends speed, intuition, and artistry to capture style in motion to create original editorial style portraits.
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In this workshop you will:
- Learn how professional illustrators capture movement, texture, and design in real time, creating a complete drawing in less than 5 minutes
- Practice gesture and proportion techniques inspired by Perugia’s sculptural shoe forms
- Gain insight into what it’s like to work as a live fashion illustrator at shows, events, and brand activations
No prior drawing experience is needed — just curiosity and creativity. This is a unique opportunity to learn a skill rarely taught in traditional art programs, while exploring the legacy of one of fashion’s most innovative designers.
Nessa Lilly is a Toronto-based fashion illustration studio led by Vanessa Lilly, whose career spans live fashion illustration, high-profile brand collaborations, and fine art fashion pieces. With a deep interest in fashion, Vanessa transitioned from a successful ten-year career in the industry to her illustration business, now working with prestigious clients such as Goop, Saks Fifth Avenue, Levi’s, and Bobbi Brown. Vanessa’s fine art underscores her versatile and artistic vision. Through her work, Vanessa continues to blend artistry and fashion, creating pieces that resonate with elegance.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Fashion Illustration 101
Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026
Time: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: $50
Learn the unique art of live fashion illustration with Toronto-based illustrator Nessa Lilly, known for capturing the elegance and energy of fashion moments. Inspired by the Bata Shoe Museum’s new exhibition André Perugia: A Design Legend Unveiled, this hands-on workshop will teach you how to bring fashion to life through quick, expressive sketches in 5 minutes or less. Nessa will guide participants through the dynamic process of live fashion illustration — a rare skill that blends speed, intuition, and artistry to capture style in motion to create original editorial style portraits.
-
In this workshop you will:
- Learn how professional illustrators capture movement, texture, and design in real time, creating a complete drawing in less than 5 minutes
- Practice gesture and proportion techniques inspired by Perugia’s sculptural shoe forms
- Gain insight into what it’s like to work as a live fashion illustrator at shows, events, and brand activations
No prior drawing experience is needed — just curiosity and creativity. This is a unique opportunity to learn a skill rarely taught in traditional art programs, while exploring the legacy of one of fashion’s most innovative designers.
Nessa Lilly is a Toronto-based fashion illustration studio led by Vanessa Lilly, whose career spans live fashion illustration, high-profile brand collaborations, and fine art fashion pieces. With a deep interest in fashion, Vanessa transitioned from a successful ten-year career in the industry to her illustration business, now working with prestigious clients such as Goop, Saks Fifth Avenue, Levi’s, and Bobbi Brown. Vanessa’s fine art underscores her versatile and artistic vision. Through her work, Vanessa continues to blend artistry and fashion, creating pieces that resonate with elegance.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Shoe Customization 101
Date: Saturday, March 14, 2026
Time: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: $55
Get creative and express your personal style with artist Jasmin Pannu as she guides you to paint your own custom shoe design. Art materials including paint and brushes are included. Participants must provide their own new or used shoes to customize, clean white sneakers are recommended for best results.
This workshop is recommended for participants 10 and up. All skill levels.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jasmin Pannu is an award-winning Artist who creates murals and custom artworks with influence, space, people and purpose in mind. She has over 100 murals and paintings across the Toronto area, as well as select international projects. She has worked with clients such as StART Toronto, Nike, Lancome, Footlocker, Inkbox, Indigo, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, City of Toronto, Happy Place, and more. Her art has been exhibited at the ROM, MOCA, and the Ontario Science Centre. Learn more.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Black History Month: Handmade Foot Scrubs
Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026
Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: $55
In celebration of Black History Month, join Catherine Chambers of Let’s Make It for a hands-on workshop exploring self-care through the lens of the African and Caribbean diasporas.
Participants will craft their own luxurious foot scrub using natural ingredients rooted in Black food and wellness traditions, such as sugar, coffee, and coconut. Guided step-by-step, you’ll learn how to blend clays, exfoliants, and natural fragrances while discovering the cultural and skin-nourishing significance of each ingredient. The scrub will produce a rich lather and deliver soothing, revitalizing effects when massaged into the skin.
By the end of the session, you’ll take home a 240 ml jar of your personalized scrub—a celebration of heritage, care, and creativity. All materials, instruction, and museum admission are included.
Catherine Chambers is a maker space studio owner and organizational learning facilitator. She specializes in constructivist learning methodologies that engage learning in such areas as innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. She works in a range of industries and sectors, including education, healthcare, social services, and technology.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Curator’s Talk: André Perugia
Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Doors open 6:30 pm)
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: Pay What You Wish
Step behind the scenes of the Bata Shoe Museum’s stunning new exhibition, André Perugia: A Design Legend Unveiled, with curator Nishi Bassi as she shares how the exhibition came together — from sourcing rare loans to the curatorial decisions that shaped the many intricate design and storytelling elements. Discover how Perugia’s innovative designs revolutionized footwear through bold experimentation, architectural form, and technical mastery, and how, nearly a century later, Perugia’s designs continue to influence fashion’s most daring creators.
Nishi Bassi, Curator and Exhibitions Project Manager at the Bata Shoe Museum, brings over 10 years of experience in the museum industry. Her educational background is in British history, and current research interests include fashion, consumer culture, and post-colonialism. She is also an EDI champion who strategically plans and advocates for change to ensure that accessibility remains a priority in all projects. Nishi has been with the Bata Shoe Museum since 2013, where she currently works as the Curator and Manager of Exhibitions. She also holds a volunteer position on the Board of Directors for ICOM Canada.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Curator’s Talk: Celebrating the Most Collaborated Sneakers
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum
Tickets: Included with General Admission
In conjunction with Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists, this talk will explore the rich histories of some of the sneakers most commonly used in collaborations: the Converse All Star, Nike Air Force 1, Air Jordan 1 and the Van’s Slip-on. Far more than blank canvases, these famous sneakers carry stories of innovation, culture, and creativity that have made them icons in their own right and popular choices for collabs. Whether you’re a sneaker enthusiast or curious about the intersection of art and fashion, this talk will take you behind the scenes of some of the most influential sneakers ever created.
As Director and Senior Curator at the Bata Shoe Museum, Elizabeth applies her extensive cultural and art history background to guide the mission forward while exploring the multiple roles and meanings of footwear through innovative exhibitions. With over 20 exhibitions curated, Semmelhack has helped transform the Bata Shoe Museum into an internationally recognized center for footwear scholarship, revealing how shoes illuminate our understanding of diverse social, political, and cultural histories across time and geography.
Named by FASHION Magazine as one of the world’s “top five game-changing fashion curators”, Semmelhack’s perspective and expertise have been featured in major publications, broadcasts, and television shows across the globe. She has authored nearly 30 articles and chapters as well as numerous books and catalogs, including Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture (2015), which has sold over 30,000 copies worldwide.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
High Fashion Holidays: Winter Break at the BSM
Date: December 22, 2025 – January 2, 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Cost: Included with General Admission
The Bata Shoe Museum is closed on December 25, 26 and January 1
Step into the world of Italian-French shoe designer, André Perugia (1893-1977) known for his innovative footwear designs with our family-friendly, themed winter programming. Inspired by our newest exhibition, André Perugia: A Design Legend Unveiled, drop in for a variety of hands-on activities, games, presentations, tours and prizes as you discover the work of one of the most significant and under-researched footwear designers of the 20th century. Crafts and activities vary. Drop-in only, no registration required. Children must be accompanied by an adult (18+) and attended to at all times while at the museum.
SCHEDULE:
Self-Guided Crafts ~ Monday through Sunday
Beaded Shoelaces: customize your shoes with DIY beaded shoelaces
Colouring sheets: design an elegant shoe with colouring templates
Shoe Origami: try your hand at paper sculpture
Activity Book: continue the fun all day with a take-home activity book
Guided Activities ~ Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays
11:00 am: Elegance Through the Ages Game (inspired by Roblox)
1:00 pm: Guided Exhibition Tour
2:30 pm: Elegance Through the Ages Game (inspired by Roblox)
3:30 pm: Hands-on Presentation
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
BSM at the ROM’s Free Main Floor
Date: Sunday, October 19, 2025
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location: Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queens Park, Toronto, ON M5S 2C6
Tickets: Free
The Bata Shoe Museum pops up on ROM’s Free Main Floor with a touch table featuring unique shoes from around the world, a make-your-own bolo tie and shoe pin activity, and a giant inflatable shoe selfie wall. Also, don’t miss a special performance from Zimbabwe-born international artist, Masimba Hwati, who is also be speaking at ROM.
BSM at the ROM’s Free Main Floor
Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location: Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queens Park, Toronto, ON M5S 2C6
Tickets: Free
The Bata Shoe Museum pops up on ROM’s Free Main Floor with a touch table featuring unique shoes from around the world, a make-your-own bolo tie and shoe pin activity, and a giant inflatable shoe selfie wall. Also, don’t miss a special performance from Zimbabwe-born international artist, Masimba Hwati, who is also be speaking at ROM.