Museums Explore History, Rich Cultural Life

One of the must-see sites of the city is the Art Gallery of Ontario. The eighth-largest art museum in North America presents an awe-inspiring permanent collection of more than 36,000 works representing 1,000 years of extraordinary art.

Those in town early might stop by for an exhibition of paintings by David Milne, long recognized as one of Canada's most original and influential artists. After showing at the British Museum and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, “David Milne Watercolours: Painting Toward the Light” will return home to Canada and the gallery until May 21.

Dedicated to promoting an understanding of human identity through textiles, the Textile Museum of Canada will feature an exhibition titled“ The Lion King of Mali,” which includes African textiles inspired by ancient kingdoms of West Africa. The exhibition tells the story of the great West African kingdoms of the third through 16th centuries and also presents a selection of cloths, ritual garments, and beadwork created in more recent years.

The museum's curators describe the exhibit as an indicator of how these powerful and beautiful ancient cultures continue to inform contemporary African textiles.

The institution's permanent collection spans nearly 2,000 years of human history and conserves more than 11,000 works from 200 countries and regions.

Located in the original home of the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Design Exchange (DX) is committed to increasing the public's understanding of design's role in everyday life.

Have you ever wanted to see a large collection of household chairs from the 1950s gathered in one place? The DX museum has made it its mandate to preserve examples of such modern Canadian industrial design dating from 1945. Its permanent collection includes historical and contemporary examples of decorative arts, furniture, graphic design, housewares, lighting, medical equipment, sporting goods, and tableware.

Man's inhumanity to nature will be illustrated in the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA) exhibit “Imaging a Shattering Earth.” The collection of photographs chronicles “man-induced disasters from a big-picture view-point,” focusing on mining, nuclear weapons, and toxic waste. One of Toronto's newest museums, MOCCA focuses on art created since 1985.

A place where televisions are revered and collected, the MZTV Museum of Television boasts more than 250 examples of these “milestones in technology or design.” The museum spans the evolution of television from the scanning discs of the 1920s to the solid-state electronics of the 1970s. If rarity is any indication of value, the museum's chair tells visitors, there are fewer prewar television sets than Stradivarius violins. Exhibits include the histories of television pioneers and technology.

Of the many historic houses, inns, and military memorials in Toronto, one of the best known is the Spadina Museum. The soaring mansion depicts the bygone elegance and homey preoccupations of early Toronto and is flanked by a six-acre garden that more than 300 flower and vegetable varieties call home. Completed in 1866 by Toronto entrepreneur James Austin and his wife, Susan Bright, the house carries on the tradition of balls and parties its founders started. Tours showcase the museum's historic collection of art, furniture, and decorative objects.

A great place to have a picnic is the Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum and Art Centre. Set along the scenic Don River, Todmorden Mills explores the early days of industry in Toronto. Settled in the 1790s, the site includes historic millers' homes, the Brewery Gallery, Paper Mill Gallery and Theatre, and the relocated Don train station. Springtime visitors might also enjoy a stroll through the adjacent wildflower preserve.

Those with a historical interest should take time to see the site of the 1813 Battle of York and the birthplace of modern Toronto. Fort York is home to Canada's largest collection of original War of 1812 buildings and now houses exhibits and restored period room settings. The site offers guided tours, musket drills, and music demonstrations.

A final picturesque historic destination lies moored in Hamilton Harbour. The HMCS Haida Naval Museum, a destroyer built for the Royal Canadian Navy, is one of only three remaining World War II Canadian warships. The ship contributed to the D-Day invasion and took part in the Korean War. ▪