Art & Innovation virtual tour
2021-08-08 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Toronto)
Experience the BSM with VIRTUAL TOURS of the Exhibits this July & August!
Art & Innovation: Traditional Arctic Footwear from the Bata Shoe Museum Collection – Learn more about the exhibition here
Register Now
We love bringing you engaging and thoughtful content each month for free. We currently have a fundraising goal and we hope you’ll consider helping us share the museum experience with school groups right across the country. With our goal of $5000, 50 classes will be able to join us virtually for free to learn all about the fascinating history of footwear. If you are in a position to support this initiative, click on the donation link here. Thank you so much!

BSM programming events have been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

The Gold Standard virtual tour
2021-08-22 11:00 - 12:00
Experience the BSM with VIRTUAL TOURS of the Exhibits this July & August!
The Gold Standard: Glittering Footwear From Around the Globe – Learn more about the exhibition here
Register Now
We love bringing you engaging and thoughtful content each month for free. We currently have a fundraising goal and we hope you’ll consider helping us share the museum experience with school groups right across the country. With our goal of $5000, 50 classes will be able to join us virtually for free to learn all about the fascinating history of footwear. If you are in a position to support this initiative, click on the donation link here. Thank you so much!

BSM programming events have been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

All About Shoes Virtual Tour
2021-09-19 11:00 - 12:00
Experience the BSM with VIRTUAL TOURS of the Exhibits this fall!
All About Shoes: Footwear Through the Ages – Learn more about the exhibition here
Register Now
We love bringing you engaging and thoughtful content each month for free. We currently have a fundraising goal and we hope you’ll consider helping us share the museum experience with school groups right across the country. With our goal of $5000, 50 classes will be able to join us virtually for free to learn all about the fascinating history of footwear. If you are in a position to support this initiative, click on the donation link here. Thank you so much!

BSM programming events have been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Fall 2021 Series
2021-09-29 19:00 - 20:30
We are so excited to launch the Fall 2021 edition of our Salon Series! This time, we’re inspired by our upcoming exhibition All Dolled Up: Fashioning Cultural Expectations. Exploring how dolls and the clothes they wear have historically promoted complex cultural ideas about gender, body image, social status and fashion consumption in the West, the exhibition also focuses on how these ideas are being challenged today. Join us on September 29 at 7pm EST, as we invite our first guest Tonya Ruiz, creator of the viral sensation Quarantine Barbies for a virtual conversation with our director and senior curator Elizabeth Semmelhack. An exclusive peek at this newest exhibition included!
RSVP here
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Tonya Ruiz, also known as Grandma Gets Real is the creator of the viral sensation, Quarantine Barbies. She is a former teenage fashion model from the 80s who was featured in many magazines and advertisements throughout the years like Teen Magazine and Christian Dior. Ruiz turned her Barbie obsession and created an account to show us what Barbie would look like in real-life scenarios. During the pandemic, she started to create “Quarantine Barbies” to reflect her experience during quarantine. Learn more about Quarantine Barbies here.
To find out more about our guest, please visit check out her website here.

Culture Days 2021: Art & Innovation + Sneak Peek of All Dolled Up
2021-10-10 11:00 - 12:00
Drawing from the BSM’s extensive circumpolar holdings, and building upon information gathered from extensive, museum-sponsored fieldwork, Art and Innovation showcases a vast variety of footwear, garments and tools. These highlight the artistry and ingenuity of the makers and reveal different cultural identities, crafting techniques and spiritual meanings.
This virtual tour will also give participants a sneak peek of our new exhibition, All Dolled Up: Fashioning Cultural Expectations which opens to the public on October 2, 2021.
Register Now

Culture Days 2021: All About Shoes + Behind the Scenes Gallery
2021-10-24 11:00 - 12:00
Take a fascinating journey and experience the many facets of footwear: its evolution and symbolism through the ages, the methods and materials of its manufacture and its place in our imaginations.
The BSM’s flagship exhibition, All About Shoes: Footwear Through the Ages, is a voyage through four and a half millennia of shoes. As well as presenting an engaging overview of the history of footwear, All About Shoes also explores the wider context of our fascinating collection.
The Bata Shoe Museum currently holds over 13,000 shoes and related artefacts, spanning 4,500 years of footwear history. This extraordinary collection is central to the museum’s mission and enables us to mount dynamic and changing exhibitions. With only four percent of the collection typically on view at any given time, the rest of our artifacts are maintained in two specially-designed subterranean vaults, which keep the collection safe and secure while facilitating research and conservation by staff and visiting scholars. This section of the All About Shoes gives you a visitors a peek into this seldom-seen aspect of the museum’s work.
Register Now

A Conversation with Derek McCormack
2021-10-27 19:00 - 20:30
Inspired by our latest exhibition All Dolled Up: Fashioning Cultural Expectations, join us for our Salon Series where we explore the world of dolls. On October 27 at 7pm EST, we invite Canadian novelist and short story writer Derek McCormack for a virtual conversation with our Director & Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack to talk about dolls and horror in popular culture.
RSVP here
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Derek McCormack’s most recent novels are Castle Faggot and The Well-Dressed Wound, both published by Semiotext(e). A collection of his essays on fashion is forthcoming from Pilot Press in 2022. He writes about art and fashion for Artforum and other publications. He lives in Toronto.

All Dolled Up Virtual Tour
2021-10-31 11:00 - 12:00
Experience the BSM with VIRTUAL TOURS of the Exhibits this fall!
All Dolled Up: Fashioning Cultural Expectations – Stay tuned for more information on this new exhibition!
Register Now
We love bringing you engaging and thoughtful content each month for free. We currently have a fundraising goal and we hope you’ll consider helping us share the museum experience with school groups right across the country. With our goal of $5000, 50 classes will be able to join us virtually for free to learn all about the fascinating history of footwear. If you are in a position to support this initiative, click on the donation link here. Thank you so much!

BSM programming events have been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

2021 Founder's Lecture
2021-11-16 19:00 - 20:30
Reimagining the Future Design of Museums: A Conversation with Kulapat Yantrasast, PhD, Architect, Creative Director and Founder, wHY
Director & Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack sat down with award-winning architect Kulapat Yantrasast to discuss his inspiring projects, including his current redesign of The Met’s Rockefeller Wing, how he reimagines spaces and where he sees museum design going in the future.
If you missed it, watch the recording below.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Art & Innovation Virtual Tour
2021-11-28 11:00 - 12:00
Experience the BSM with VIRTUAL TOURS of the Exhibits this fall!
Art & Innovation: Traditional Arctic Footwear from the Bata Shoe Museum Collection– Learn more about the exhibition here
Register Now
We love bringing you engaging and thoughtful content each month for free. We currently have a fundraising goal and we hope you’ll consider helping us share the museum experience with school groups right across the country. With our goal of $5000, 50 classes will be able to join us virtually for free to learn all about the fascinating history of footwear. If you are in a position to support this initiative, click on the donation link here. Thank you so much!

BSM programming events have been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

March Salon Series
2022-03-20 15:00 - 16:00
Inspired by our exhibition The Great Divide: Footwear in the Age of Enlightenment, Elizabeth had a fascinating conversation with Lauren Stowell, historical costumer, footwear designer and co-founder of American Duchess Historical Footwear. They spoke about what inspired her to start her reproduction shoe company, how she became interested in historical footwear, what projects are coming up for her and more!
If you missed it, watch the recording below.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Lauren Stowell is an entrepreneur and author. She started sewing and costuming in 2003 and became particularly interested in the 18th century. By 2009, Lauren started the blog American Duchess to chronicle her historical costuming adventures – the good, the bad, and the ugly. In 2011, Lauren launched her first 18th century shoe design, which quickly snowballed into a broad collection of Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, and vintage shoes and accessories under the “American Duchess” label. Along with a range of Simplicity historical costume patterns, Lauren co-authored and published, The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking in 2017 and The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Beauty in 2019. Lauren lives in Reno, Nevada, with her husband Chris, and a lot of dogs. She loves historical dress, watercolor painting, travel, the stock market, and racing cars.

April Salon Series
2022-04-20 19:00 - 20:00
A Conversation with Legendary Designer Jeff Staple

In anticipation of our upcoming exhibition Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks, opening in May 2022, Elizabeth spoke with creative visionary, graphic/fashion/footwear designer & founder of iconic streetwear brand STAPLE, Jeff Staple. They talked about the future of footwear, state-of-the-art technologies being used and the highly collectible world of NFT sneakers.
If you missed it, watch the recording below.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

JEFF STAPLE (born Jeffrey Ng) is a creative visionary whose work encompasses graphic, fashion, and footwear design, as well as brand marketing. He is the founder of REED ART DEPARTMENT (f.k.a. Staple Design) where he has worked on countless creative projects for clients ranging from startup brands to Fortune 100 companies. 2022 year marks the 25th anniversary since Jeff founded STAPLE in 1997, the NY-based pioneering streetwear brand with the now infamous “Pigeon” logo, and later experiential lifestyle boutique, REED SPACE in 2002. Today, Jeff continues to traverse new territory as the creator and host of the Coinbase podcast “Do Process” (the spiritual heir of his renowned “Business of Hype” podcast on HYPEBEAST). He shares professional advice as one of the top teachers on SKILLSHARE (the leading online learning platform), and he is a pioneer in the web3 space as founder of STAPLEVERSE, a new digital world based on everything he’s learned in the past quarter century as a cultural leader. In addition to his work as a creative, Jeff is a trusted voice in the business world, where he is a frequent moderator, lecturer, and keynote speaker at industry panels and conferences. Jeff Staple continues to expand his “Positive Social Contagion” worldwide, going on over two decades and counting. Keep up to date with everything Jeff is up to on his website, Instagram and Twitter.

Future Now Community Weekend
2022-05-28 10:00 - 2022-05-29 17:00
Save-the-date! We’re celebrating the opening of our newest exhibition FUTURE NOW with a FREE community weekend on Saturday May 28 (10am to 5pm) and Sunday May 29 (12pm to 5pm).
Join us for a fun weekend where you can see the exhibition, enjoy sneaker-themed kids crafts, try on some funky footwear, play our new ISPY game, watch a livestream of our May Salon conversation (May 29) and more!
We’re also hosting a sneaker drive with community partner The Kickback all weekend long! Donate a new or gently used pair of sneakers and receive a complimentary $25 Annual Pass to the museum. And don’t forget to check out our new window outside, QR codes and all ~ scan one or scan them all to learn more about what’s happening at the museum!

We hope you can join us! Book your tickets now.
Book Tickets

May Salon Series
2022-05-29 15:00 - 16:00
A Conversation with Father/Daughter Duo Chris + Jade Dixon

In anticipation of our upcoming exhibition Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks, opening May 26, 2022, join us for a fascinating conversation as we sit down with Cnstnt:Dvlpmnt LLC Chris Dixon, Founder + Creative Director and daughter Jade, Colour Specialist to talk about the exciting world of sneaker design!
Missed the event? Watch the recording below:

ABOUT CHRIS DIXON:

Chris Dixon, aka CD, is from Fayetteville, NC and an Alumni of Harding University & PENSOLE Academy. In addition to being the Founder and Creative Director of Cnstnt:Dvlpmnt LLC, Chris is also a Footwear Designer with Timberland- Advanced Concepts Energy. He moved to Oregon from North Carolina after winning the World Sneaker Championship in 2017 and has been on a mission to create with a purpose. With faith, optimistic vision, perseverance, and a strong support system, he is able to see multiple dreams and goals come to life. Creating tools that will help people get a head start in the creative space is a balance with him creating new products for the world. He is here for positivity. Hanging with his family traveling the world, hooping, sketching, coffee sippin’, and sharing a good laugh are some of his favorite things in life.

ABOUT JADE DIXON:

Jade Dixon is a Colour Specialist at Cnstnt:Dvlpmnt LLC who loves to learn new, creative things and hang out with her family! Jade is currently in 6th grade and was the 2021 Merrill Future Colour Design Winner. She is very optimistic and excited for what the future has in store for her!

June Salon Series
2022-06-29 19:00 - 20:00
A Conversation with Mr. Bailey

In celebration of our new exhibition Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks, join us for our next Salon with independent footwear designer Mr. Bailey. In this fascinating conversation, our Director & Senior Curator Elizabeth will talk about Mr. Bailey’s journey in the footwear world, how he started Concept Kicks, and more!
RSVP HERE

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Mr. Bailey (full name, Daniel Bailey), is a London-based product designer focused primarily on footwear innovation. Having studied product design near the greater New York area, he uses the “Mr. Bailey” moniker as a vessel to explore design and art projects, whether that be through his own personal projects or through collaborations with brands, designers, or artists that embody principles he admires.

The Pre-History of Feet
2022-07-11 10:00 - 2022-07-15 15:00 | Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1W7, Canada
Due to unforeseen circumstances, our Tippy Toes Time Travelling event has been postponed and will begin starting July 11. Please email info@batashoemuseum.ca for any questions or concerns.

Tippy Toes Time Travelling
Travel back in time with our drop-in activities every weekday at Toronto’s favourite shoebox! With over 14,000 shoes in our collection, we have a lot of shoes (and other shoe-related items) to show you, one shoe at a time. Check out our drop-activities every weekday from 10am to 3pm. Whether you decide to listen to an amusing story, interactive activities, or make a cool craft – there’s always something new to see and learn for everyone! We will also have colouring pages available for any kid who does not feel comfortable participating in our interactive activities. The summer drop-in program makes learning fun by incorporating a curriculum element into the activities that revolve around educating our drop-in participants on the history and the future of shoes in a global context! Perfect for children 4-13.
The Pre-History of Feet
Start your summer by taking a trip back in time! The best way to learn about the past is to travel to it! That is why during The Pre-History of Feet week, kids get to create their own shoebox time machine in order to travel to the past. Kids also get to become archaeologists themselves as they search for undiscovered artefacts and learn more about how the shoes we wear today came to be!

How We Shape Shoes and How They Shape Us
2022-07-18 10:00 - 2022-07-22 15:00 | Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1W7, Canada
Tippy Toes Time Travelling
Travel back in time with our drop-in activities every weekday at Toronto’s favourite shoebox! With over 14,000 shoes in our collection, we have a lot of shoes (and other shoe-related items) to show you, one shoe at a time. Check out our drop-activities every weekday from 10am to 3pm. Whether you decide to listen to an amusing story, interactive activities, or make a cool craft – there’s always something new to see and learn for everyone! We will also have colouring pages available for any kid who does not feel comfortable participating in our interactive activities. The summer drop-in program makes learning fun by incorporating a curriculum element into the activities that revolve around educating our drop-in participants on the history and the future of shoes in a global context! Perfect for children 4-13.
How We Shape Shoes and How They Shape Us
We do not often think about how and why we wear the shoes on our feet and how they impact us ~ the kids are going to learn more about the different parts of shoes and what they are used for through an engaging educational labeling game. They will also get the opportunity to learn more about the significance of cultural shoes while getting to make their own fridge magnet clog to bring home!

Clog Painting (Drop-In)
2022-07-23 13:00 - 15:00, 2022-07-30 13:00 - 15:00, 2022-08-06 13:00 - 15:00
Come paint a mini clog in our Arts and Crafts Zone. Learn about the history of our clog collection and get inspired to make your own! Every Saturday from 1-3pm, with artist/educator Angie Ma for a limited time. Workshop is free with admission. No registration is required.
For any questions or concerns, please email angie.ma@batashoemuseum.ca.

A Sustainable Future
2022-07-25 10:00 - 2022-07-29 15:00 | Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1W7, Canada
Tippy Toes Time Travelling
Travel back in time with our drop-in activities every weekday at Toronto’s favourite shoebox! With over 14,000 shoes in our collection, we have a lot of shoes (and other shoe-related items) to show you, one shoe at a time. Check out our drop-activities every weekday from 10am to 3pm. Whether you decide to listen to an amusing story, interactive activities, or make a cool craft – there’s always something new to see and learn for everyone! We will also have colouring pages available for any kid who does not feel comfortable participating in our interactive activities. The summer drop-in program makes learning fun by incorporating a curriculum element into the activities that revolve around educating our drop-in participants on the history and the future of shoes in a global context! Perfect for children 4-13.
Due to unforeseen circumstances Shoes That Travel has been pushed back a week.

A Sustainable Future
During A Sustainable Future week we focus on earth-conscious crafts in order to have a discussion about how shoes are impacting the environment and what we can do to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials to care for our Earth. This includes creating bracelets with shoelaces, straws and pop-can tabs in order to reuse materials that are often forgotten about. We also give the kids a chance to reuse old crayons in order to create their own shoe-shaped crayon that they can bring home!

Shoes That Travel
2022-08-01 10:00 - 2022-08-05 15:00
Tippy Toes Time Travelling
Travel back in time with our drop-in activities every weekday at Toronto’s favourite shoebox! With over 14,000 shoes in our collection, we have a lot of shoes (and other shoe-related items) to show you, one shoe at a time. Check out our drop-activities every weekday from 10am to 3pm. Whether you decide to listen to an amusing story, interactive activities, or make a cool craft – there’s always something new to see and learn for everyone! We will also have colouring pages available for any kid who does not feel comfortable participating in our interactive activities. The summer drop-in program makes learning fun by incorporating a curriculum element into the activities that revolve around educating our drop-in participants on the history and the future of shoes in a global context! Perfect for children 4-13.
Shoes That Travel
Where we go, our shoes often go with us! This week’s focus is looking at shoes from around the world through fun interactive games (including a bean bag toss!) to learn more about international footwear. The kids will also be able to create their own “travelling footwear” by making shoe-shaped boats, cars and spaceships that they will get to take home!

The Future of Gender
2022-08-08 10:00 - 2022-08-12 15:00 | Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1W7, Canada
Tippy Toes Time Travelling
Travel back in time with our drop-in activities every weekday at Toronto’s favourite shoebox! With over 14,000 shoes in our collection, we have a lot of shoes (and other shoe-related items) to show you, one shoe at a time. Check out our drop-activities every weekday from 10am to 3pm. Whether you decide to listen to an amusing story, interactive activities, or make a cool craft – there’s always something new to see and learn for everyone! We will also have colouring pages available for any kid who does not feel comfortable participating in our interactive activities. The summer drop-in program makes learning fun by incorporating a curriculum element into the activities that revolve around educating our drop-in participants on the history and the future of shoes in a global context! Perfect for children 4-13.
The Future of Gender
The Future of Gender focuses greatly on how shoes have been gender-specific throughout history and how times are changing. The kids will get to understand how they have been taught to attach certain characteristics of a shoe to different genders by participating in our paper doll activity where they get to choose what their doll looks like! We will also be having a VERY special guest come in to talk about their shoes and share a storytime with the kids!

Uplifted: Art of Crochet with LEGIN KNITS
2022-08-13 13:00 - 15:00
Cost: $14/person
Friends of the BSM: Free
Learn how to crochet for the first time or refresh your skills, while discovering innovative ways to create. In this free workshop, Nigel John from Legin Knits will teach participants techniques to crochet their own shoelaces using a 3-step customization process. This workshop is for all ages and for any skill level!
This workshop will take place in-person in St. Crispin’s at the Bata Shoe Museum (located on the B1 level). All materials and equipment will be provided. Each ticket includes admission to the museum. Please arrive 5-15 minutes prior so that the workshop can begin on schedule. Limited spots available.
BUY YOUR TICKETS
Can’t make it on August 13? LEGIN KNITS will also be coming on August 27!
ABOUT THE HOST

Nigel “Legin” John learned crochet from a Rasta man in San Fernando, Trinidad. His passion has allowed him to continue to grow, innovate, and expand his artistry through Legin Knits and Art Of Crochet. The focus on fashion is to make “Original” one of a kind pieces for collections and for personalized custom orders. He also adds crochet to already made items to renew into “Uplifted”(upcycled) pieces, giving them new life! Legin started teaching crochet to his friends and youth in his community immediately after learning. He felt the connection to passing this art form on, while building a business to open up opportunities for himself and others. When encountering individuals he taught, they always express their gratitude and strong belief that learning crochet gave them values that apply to their lives.

Uplifted: Art of Crochet with LEGIN KNITS
2022-08-27 13:00 - 15:00
Cost: $14/person
Friends of the BSM: Free
Learn how to crochet for the first time or refresh your skills, while discovering innovative ways to create. In this free workshop, Nigel John from Legin Knits will teach participants techniques to crochet their own shoelaces using a 3-step customization process. This workshop is for all ages and for any skill level!
This workshop will take place in-person in St. Crispin’s at the Bata Shoe Museum (located on the B1 level). All materials and equipment will be provided. Each ticket includes admission to the museum. Please arrive 5-15 minutes prior so that the workshop can begin on schedule. Limited spots available.
BUY YOUR TICKETS
ABOUT THE HOST

Nigel “Legin” John learned crochet from a Rasta man in San Fernando, Trinidad. His passion has allowed him to continue to grow, innovate, and expand his artistry through Legin Knits and Art Of Crochet. The focus on fashion is to make “Original” one of a kind pieces for collections and for personalized custom orders. He also adds crochet to already made items to renew into “Uplifted”(upcycled) pieces, giving them new life! Legin started teaching crochet to his friends and youth in his community immediately after learning. He felt the connection to passing this art form on, while building a business to open up opportunities for himself and others. When encountering individuals he taught, they always express their gratitude and strong belief that learning crochet gave them values that apply to their lives.

Hands-On Collection
2022-09-17 11:00 - 15:00
Who says you can’t touch at the Museum! Enhance your visit with multisensory and tactile experiences through our Hands-on collection. Visitors will get to examine objects up close while experienced guides explain the fascinating stories behind the shoes. Only on Saturdays from 11am to 3pm.

September Salon Series
2022-09-21 19:00 - 20:00
A Conversation with Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa

With our All Dolled Up: Fashioning Cultural Expectations exhibition coming to a close soon, join us for our next Salon as Elizabeth speaks with the incredible Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa. In this conversation, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa will be talking about her career journey as an accomplished physician, being recognized as Best Health Magazine’s “2020 Women of the Year”, and what the process was like when she was recently honoured in Mattel’s #ThankYouHeroes campaign.
RSVP Here

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa is an accomplished physician, spoken word poet, and advocate for racialized and marginalized populations. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine and is currently a resident doctor in psychiatry at U of T.
As the only Black medical student in her cohort and the first Black woman to be recognized as sole valedictorian within the faculty, Chika has become a vocal advocate for improving disparities in Black health and confronting institutional discrimination. Through her work as an ambassador and educator with U of T’s Black Student Application Program, the university admitted the largest group of Black medical students in Canadian history in 2020.
Chika has been recognized as one of Best Health Magazine‘s “2020 Women of the Year”, was named one of TIME magazine’s “2021 Next Generational Leaders”, and was recently honoured in Mattel’s #ThankYouHeroes campaign with a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll made in her image to commemorate her contributions as a frontline healthcare worker.

Nuit Blanche: The Parallax Path
2022-10-01 19:00 - 2022-10-02 07:00
Featuring a collection of shoes that are significant to each of their journeys, emerging artists from underserved communities tell their unique stories of how barriers and challenges faced daily have allowed them to share a commonality of resilience. Visitors will experience this through pre-recorded performances of spoken word, storytelling, singing and rapping. This project is presented by VIBE Arts and is part of ArtworxTO: Toronto’s Year of Public Art 2021-2022.
MEET THE ARTISTS:

ABOUT PAUL-DANIEL TORRES (Creative Director):

My name’s Paul-Daniel Torres (or Danny depending where and how you know me). I’m a Toronto native, born from Ecuadorian parents. I try to embody the elements of the immigrant dream in my life and in my work. With things such as; Hope and resilience in the face of adversity and the quest for happiness, that’s what it’s all about. My films have screened all around the world from Canada, Greece, Egypt and beyond. Including finding screens at Jackman Hall, TIFF’s Bell Lightbox, and the SIFF Uptown. My latest film “Do Turtles Swim in Maple Syrup?” is currently on its festival run. Already winning Best Screenplay and Score at Sheridan’s Screen Art awards, Best Direction at the Toronto Youth Shorts, Best Student Film at the Durham International Film Festival, and The Young Trail Blazer Award at the Official Latino Film Festival sponsored by HBO. As well I run “The People’s Youth Film Project” a non-for-profit aimed and made for racialized youth from underserved communities. Which aims to create pathways to employment and post-secondary education. As to put the power of film in the hands of youth. Our biggest goal is to grow a new generation of independent racialized Toronto filmmakers who can depend on each other. Ensuring we tell our stories, that move the needle and are for and by us.
Paul-Daniel Torres is also the Creative Director of The Parallex Path project that you will see at the event!

ABOUT NICHOLAS RIDICULOUS:

The one and only Nicholas Ridiculous is a dynamic catalyst of a creator. A son of fiction and student of story, raised under the neon glow of a boxy television set. As a veteran of the child welfare industry, Nicholas is a shapeshifting wanderer dangling between worlds. Using the windows of reality that pass-by as inspiration for his works in traditional and digital artistry, fashion design, musical creation, and story-telling. An escape artist at best, with no where to go. But in the end, we all just wanna find home.

ABOUT MANEESA VEERAVEL:

Maneesa Veeravel is an interdisciplinary artist with over a decades experience in arts creation, facilitation and anti-oppressive work. They are a mad, queer, Tamil, gender fluid, survivor born on the stolen, traditional and ancestral lands of the Wendake-Nionwentsïo, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Haudenosaunee, and Anishinabewaki territories. Maneesa’s practice reflects intergenerational wits, wounds and wisdoms as it pertains to land, body and the notion of belonging.

ABOUT SRE:

Versatile between Hip Hop, R&B and Spoken Word, SRE (pronounced as “sorry”) is an artist who speaks through a different lens through his
artistic approach. Born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, he has been inspired by the likes of Drake, Andy Mineo, Shiwan, J.Cole & Travis Greene. His inspiration for music originates from his journey of life through past experiences and future aspirations. SRE is currently an emerging artist in VibeArt’s NeXt Black Youth Mentorship program & Emerging Artist Roster program. His unique style and sound will leave you in suspense for what is yet to come.

ABOUT LUCIA LAFORD:

Lucia Laford (Waawaaskone Qwe) is an Anishinaabe artist from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She has learned and followed in her fathers footsteps and paints in a traditional Woodland style. Lucia also employs many other techniques in her art practice, including contemporary styles using a variety of mediums. Lucia has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in Toronto and Sault Ste. Marie. She has also live painted for the ROM during the Anishinabeg art and power ongoing exhibition. Her work also includes mural painting and running mural workshops for children. Most recently she painted 4 murals for the Fort York Indigenous Festival and created the painting used for promotional material for the annual Native Child and Family Services Pow Wow.

October Salon Series
2022-10-19 19:00 - 20:00 | 327 Bloor St W, Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1W7, Canada
A Conversation with Footwear Designer Benoît Méléard

We are so excited for our next Salon Series! This time, we’re inspired by our upcoming exhibition OBSESSED: How Shoes Became Objects of Desire. This exhibition features highly coveted shoes in our collection that represents how industrialization drove shoe consumption transforming footwear designers into celebrities and shoes into high value collectibles. Join us on October 19 at 7pm EST, as we invite innovative footwear designer Benoît Méléard for a virtual conversation with our Director & Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack.
RSVP HERE

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Benoît Méléard is a French shoe designer who has designed for brands such as, Robert Clergerie, Loewe, Helmut Lang, Charles Jourdan, Jeremy Scott and Alexander McQueen since 1994. He also has his own architectural shoe collection that is a tribute to Beth Levine. You can find his innovative designs featured in our Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks exhibition, on display until October 2023.

Canadian Children’s Art Foundation's Shoo-In
2022-10-22 10:00 - 17:00 | 327 Bloor St W, Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1W7, Canada
In collaboration with the Canadian Children’s Art Foundation, we are excited to part of their first National Shoe design Competition, “Shoo-In”, sponsored by Canadian Contemporary School of Art (CCSA). All final art pieces from the competition will have their works professionally exhibited in our St. Crispin’s lecture room on Saturday October 22 and Sunday October 23. Kids will also get the opportunity to decorate their own shoebox from 11am to 12:30pm on Saturday October 22 and from 1pm to 2:30pm on Sunday October 23.
