The Gardiner Museum in downtown Toronto has officially reopened on November 6 following an extensive 15-month renovation that cost C$15.5 million (approximately $11 million USD). The ceramic art museum, which originally opened in 1984, underwent a major transformation of its ground floor that now features a dedicated gallery for Indigenous art. The renovation was largely supported by a C$9 million ($6.4 million USD) donation from the Radlett Foundation.
"To see it take shape has been magical," said Sequoia Miller, the museum's chief curator and deputy director. "Clay embodies what it means to be human, grounding and connecting us to the earth and to each other." Miller emphasized the excitement surrounding the reopening, noting enthusiasm from both the museum's team and Toronto's broader ceramics community, where the Gardiner serves as a beloved cultural institution and creative hub.
The renovated museum now showcases "Linda Sormin: Uncertain Ground," running until April 12, 2026, in the upstairs galleries. This marks the first solo museum exhibition for Thai Canadian artist Linda Rotua Sormin, who is currently based in New York. The comprehensive show spans approximately two decades of Sormin's work exploring her family's Indonesian heritage. The Gardiner-commissioned exhibition draws on Batak mythology, an Austronesian ethnic group's cultural traditions, and incorporates various media including sculpture, video, sound, hand-cut watercolor paintings, and digital fabrication. The artwork features imagery of roosters, tigers, dragons, holy books, and other symbolic elements, with Sormin even incorporating materials from the museum's reconstruction into her installation.
A centerpiece of the renovation is the new Indigenous ceramics gallery, titled "Indigenous Immemorial: Ceramics of the Great Lakes Region." This space focuses on the rich ceramic traditions of areas including Manitoulin Island, Six Nations of the Grand River, and Curve Lake. The gallery also includes a Latin American component designed to foster connections between ceramicists across North and South America. The project was guided by the museum's Indigenous advisory circle, assembled by renowned artist Kent Monkman and including Mary Anne Barkhouse, Bonnie Divine, Andre Morriseau, Duke Redbird, Frank Shebageget, and Tekaronhiáhkhwa/Santee Smith.
Franchesca Hebert-Spence, a member of the Sagkeeng First Nation and the Gardiner's first curator of Indigenous ceramics, led the development of this gallery after previously serving at the National Gallery of Canada. The space was architecturally designed by Oneida architect Chris Cornelius, who interpreted traditional structural elements of the region's Indigenous peoples. "Chris has interpreted the traditional structure of the people that inhabited the region: a frame with bark shingled cladding," Miller explained.
Visitors entering the museum are greeted by a specially commissioned installation from Nadia Myre, the 2014 Sobey Art Award winner. Myre, an Algonquin member of Kitigan Zibi Anishinaabeg First Nation based in Montreal, created the piece using handmade ceramic beads and clay pipe stems collected along the River Thames in southwestern Ontario. "Nadia uses the material richness of ceramics to expand our understanding of ourselves and our relationship to the earth and how we got to where we are," Miller noted. "She is one of the most compelling artists working in the medium today, in Canada and internationally."
The renovated museum also features several new educational and interactive spaces designed to engage visitors of all ages. A fully equipped clay studio allows visitors to experience hands-on ceramic art making, while a new community learning center aims to accommodate more than 200 school groups annually. These additions reflect the museum's commitment to making ceramic arts accessible to broader audiences and fostering creativity within the community.
The William B.G. Humphries Collection Galleries, named in honor of the late founder of the Radlett Foundation, showcase pieces from the Gardiner's extensive collection of more than 5,000 ceramic objects. The collection spans from ancient times to contemporary works, organized by geography, culture, historical period, and technique. Miller highlighted that the renovation now allows the museum to display approximately 40 percent of its collection simultaneously, which is unusual among collecting institutions.
Another inaugural exhibition, "Femme Fatale: The Art of Jeannot Blackburn," runs until January 11, 2026, further demonstrating the museum's commitment to showcasing diverse ceramic artists and techniques. This exhibition complements the other opening shows and provides visitors with a comprehensive view of contemporary ceramic art's breadth and diversity.
Gabrielle Peacock, the Gardiner Museum's executive director and chief executive, reflected on the transformation's significance for the institution and community. "With this transformation, we've created vibrant spaces where people can find wonder and inspiration, tap into their creativity and engage in important conversations," Peacock stated. The renovation positions the museum as not just a display space for ceramic art, but as an active center for learning, creation, and cultural dialogue in downtown Toronto.
