Sugar and Spice

January 28 - May 1, 2011

Gardiner Museum 111 Queens Park, Toronto, ON M5S 2C7

Kendra Ainsworth

Sugar and Spice is a thematic exhibition featured at the Gardiner Museum. Sugar and spices have been used in many ways for thousands of years around the globe. Highly sought after in trade, they also functioned as symbols of status and cultural identity, and their significance is exemplified by ceramic vessels designed specifically for their use. Placing 18th century German porcelain sugar bowls alongside classic Mayan terracotta chocolate cups, Sugar and Spice connects objects from the Gardiner Museum's permanent collection, and explores the stories that sweets and spices can tell us about history, culture, and ourselves.

The theme of the exhibit provides a new and exciting way for members and regular visitors to engage with the collection, and will provides non-members and first-time visitors with an fun and intellectually accessible entry point into the museum and collection.

Sugar and Spice is featured in the lobby of the Gardiner Museum, but also consists of a self guided tour, which allows visitors to connect the theme throughout the permanent collection at their own pace, aided by a printed brochure.

The chief curator of the Gardiner Museum, Charles Mason, conceived of the theme of the exhibition as a part of an initiative to create more accessible thematic exhibitions in the Gardiner's lobby space. I approached the Gardiner in August of 2010 with an interest in working with their collection, and was offered the opportunity to curate this exhibition.

The interpretive format of the exhibition is text-based, with and introductory didactic panel, extended and tombstone labels for selected objects, and a printed guide for visitors to use throughout their tour and keep upon the end of their visit.

Sugar and Spice was promoted on the Gardiner Museum website, in their quarterly What's On guide, and in e-blasts. It was also featured in Faculty of Information publications relating to the graduating exhibition projects class.

Many thanks to the Gardiner Museum and all its staff for their enthusiasm and support for the project, particularly to Charles Mason for his expertise and advise. I would also like to thank Prof. Matt Brower and all my fellow students in the exhibition project class at the Faculty of Information for their support and feedback. And thank you to the Faculty and University of Toronto for the opportunity to pursue such exciting projects in the Museum Studies program" an exhibition featuring the collections of the Gardiner museum as it relates to the history of sugar and spices

exhibition, history

ceramics, cultural identity, drinks, food, porcelain, spices, status, sugar, terracotta